24 Update

Negative so far. . .

H and I enjoy the fast-paced action, but so far, there is a lot of unnecessary & disgusting junk in this first set of 4 (early morning hours). Everyone has such a shady past. . . even the good guy - and I am not so convinced yet that he has laid that to rest.
We might take a break and go back to Monk for a little while. Or maybe we'll try Lost. . .

Walking down memory lane . . and tripping on a Popple -

Remember the toys you played with when you were a kid? I actually miss mine sometimes, especially when I see how much they are selling for these days!
And, its funny, but I think that I might be playing more with our children's toys more than they will ;) JK!

Popples (I think that I had "Puffball") These were just, hands-down fun. . . their tails were long and had a "puff" at the end. I used to swing it around, whacking my siblings with great glee.
Rainbow Brite

Strawberry Shortcake I used to have a really cute little frilly Strawberry Shortcake tee shirt that I wore everywhere - I literally, wore it to rags. I even wore it to a Thanksgiving dinner at my grandparents (I think at that point, my mom didn't even care anymore, I was such a spoiled brat).
My Little Ponies (gosh, that looks so fun I might have to join their birthday club ;)

I cried out to You . . .

And Oh Lord, You answered me. . .

-It seems like it has been an eternity since we had rain here. The drought has hit us heavily - the ground has been thirsting, flowers are dying, and lawns have turned to yellow. The sun has been relentless and tormenting.
And then, when we needed it the most, when we has given up hope, You swept the sky into your hands and tossed together a storm. You filled the barren clouds with rain and caused them to burst over us. And now we are alive again. The earth is cool & the air is fresh.
It rained for a good hour at least, last night. Steady rain - I drenched my bouganvillias in it. H & I walked in the remains after it had stopped, filling our lungs with the smell. And this morning, it still smells the same - rain. I took another walk to savor every last bit of this cool breeze. I hope that this is the beginning of fall. . . summers here are so long and cruel. . .

Who Knew . . .

That I would get stuck on this website for hours - the home shopping network has been around forever, but I just never looked at their website until now. . .

And, that $ Bin at Target happens to snag me every time I go through their doors. . . It's seriously like an up-scale Dollar Tree - They change their merchandise in there every couple of weeks, I think.
They recently had "tropical themed" stuff - and of course, I went bananas.
Last I checked, its back to school-ish sort of stuff; notebooks, pencils, erasers, down to lunchbox-sized snacks and drinks.

This snagged me too - lovely, cut-design cards > I found them at Barnes and Noble while I was browsing around their journal shelves . . . If I had money, I'd buy a bunch and send y'all beautiful cards weekly . . . if I had money ;)

Hot August Fun - San Antonio Style

Paris? - nope, its our Riverwalk ;)









Tower of Americas at Night



Pat O'Brien's


Our Empire State Building . . . well, sort of . . .


Live Music at Ibaza


One of my favorite buildings - forgot the name!


Blue Lights under the Bridge (a blurry, kind of 'retro' look)


One happy couple

Us, hooked? We'll see . . .

We are:

Monk people
Simpsons people
Office people
Bridezilla people


But are we 24 people?

Well, we finally caved in to all the pressure, all the hype, and all the buzz. . . we rented our first set of episodes - and, as the movie dude handed us our rental and commented, "we'll see you for disc two" - - -I had to wonder, wow, will this be, yet another addiction?

Well, the first episode didn't really impress me . . . I'll give it some time - does it get better?

Eat & Sleep, Sleep & Eat

Ahh, Friday at last . . .
I've been working a few more hours here and there this week - not bad at all, I just have been feeling so exhausted these past two weeks. I am trying to grab hold of the occasional spurts of energy as I get them.
While my cousin is telling me to go get tested for anemia, I think I am just having the "sympathetic sleepies" for all the ones I know who are in school.

Well, after this cuppa coffee wakes me I am off to work. Hubby wants to go to dinner somewhere on the riverwalk tonight & I think we'll take Josh (my brother) with us. Any good suggestions for restaurants down there? I think I need to compile a book of the best restaurants for reference - we seriously are so blessed (& okay, when you see your waistline expanding, cursed) to live in a city with such great food. When we move away, we'll get thinner ;). . .

Thoughts

I read the saddest article in the newspaper this morning. It just broke my heart. A woman was asking for advice on how to love her baby, who was born very much unwanted by both her and her husband. I couldn't believe how sad this was. I could see her pain over it, and her desire to give her child to parents who would love her and see raising her as a joy. She was depressed, she was miserable, exhausted and it was a burden. I felt bad that she had no close family nearby to help her. But, I was immediately struck at how she could have this attitude.
I have obviously never had any children, but everytime I read or hear about someone's pregnancy, it makes me so emotional. A life is being grown inside of you, a miracle given by the Father, and I would imagine how close and connected you feel to him/her during the different phases. When that baby is born, I can only imagine how incredibly moving it must be. And, I am not smooth-coating everything with a child as pleasant and rosy, but it must be so worth it, ever bit.

Oh, I can't wait for that day. :)

Red

Last night's splurge from Pier One (on sale - 4 for $8!)




Bad day? Hubby knows how to fix it - red rose & a bubble bath

5 Things Meme

Michelle at Our Full House tagged me for the 5 things Meme. Kim at Life in a Shoe started this chain :)- how fun!

5 Things in my Freezer

1. 4.5 lb bag of chicken breast tenders

2. 2-pint carton of light caramel chip ice cream (yet to be tasted, yet to be critiqued)

3. 2 packages frozen bread dough rolls

4. 1 Loaf of Wheat nut bread

5. 4 packages of ground turket meat


5 Things in my Closet
(this is kind of embarrassing - I really need to do some spring cleaning!)

1. Clothes of all sorts, including a couple formals, wraps, and things I don't think I will ever wear again.

2. Various purses, some kept from highschool.

3. Shoes of all sorts - flip flops, heels, boots, athletic, etc.

4. Letters in a huge shoebox - some saved from age 10! (hmmm, maybe I need to go through this!)

5. a bin of workout clothes and swimsuits


5 Things in my car

1. two saddles (western and english), saddle pads, and a riding helmet (my trunk is the only place to store this stuff).

2. a box of horse care books

3. 4 cd cases (3 small, 1 large)

4. Jergens lotion (in the glove compartment)

5. Wells Fargo deposit envelopes (in drivers side door for convenience at the ATM)


5 Things in my Purse

1. Coin purse

2. 5 (or 6?) lip glosses, lipsticks, chapsticks of all different sorts

3. sunglasses (brown leopard ones today):)

4. wallet/checkbook

5. calculator


5 Things in my diaper bag
(hmm, no baby yet, no diaper bag :)-


Tag, you're IT!

Kat
Kim P.

"WUV, TWUE WUV"

Which Princess Bride Character are You?
this quiz was made by mysti">

Tasting, tasting, 1, 2, 3 . . .

Hmm. . . dilemmas indeed.

Tonight, while making our usual Hollywood video rounds, we naturally mosied on over to HEB to peruse the ice cream isle . . .what yummy delights were hidden in those freezers! - And, better yet the two of the small 2 pint size for $5? Oh, you've snagged me Mr. Butts . . . ;)

Well, here's the dealio - ice cream does not cooperate with my tummy very well - I am a "lactarded" (lactose intolerant). Oddly enough, I can eat Frozen yogurt fine. . . so, when we go ice creaming - I look for the yo.

Haven's new favorite for HEB ice cream - Java Chocolate Chip - it is yummy (I have licked the scoop spoon) ;)

Me - I go for Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Frozen yogurt - this, an oldie, carried me thorugh harried finals weeks at college. . . all you need is a spoon and you can just eat it out of the container (I know, kind of like a bachelor, but it works).
Tonight, after eyeing that temptingly dark and seductive "Mayan Chocolate" that everyone has been raving about ( I will get there eventually), I ventured over to the lighter side - I tried Hagan Daz's Light 1/2 the fat ice cream (testing my tummy limits):
Cookie dough and Caramel Chip/Cone (or something like that).

Consensus? Ughh. . . I tried cookie dough and wanted to gag - it was too sweet for my taste. . . I have a feeling that the other one will be as disapointing as the first.

Maybe I should stick to my tride and true. . . Ben & Jerry, you are sooooo good ;)

Today's Story: Just Moved to Texas

June 1st:
Just moved to Texas!
Now this is a state that knows how to live!!
Beautiful sunny days and warm balmy evenings.
What a place!
It is beautiful.
I've finally found my home.
I love it here.



June 14th:
Really heating up.
Got to 100 degrees today. Not a problem.
Live in an air-conditioned home, drive an air-conditioned car.
What a pleasure to see the sun everyday like this.
I'm turning into a sun worshipper.



June 30th:
Had the backyard landscaped with western plants today.
Lots of cactus and rocks.
What a breeze to maintain.
No more mowing the lawn for me.
Another scorcher today, but I love it here.



July 10th:
The temperature hasn't been below 100 all week.
How do people get used to this kind of heat?
At least it's kind of windy though. But getting
used to the heat is taking longer than I expected.



July 15th:
Fell asleep by the community pool.
Got 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body.
Missed 3 days of work. What a dumb thing to do.
I learned my lesson though.
Got to respect the ol' sun in a climate like this.



July 20th:
I missed my cat, Lomita, sneaking into the car
when I left this morning.
By the time I got to the hot car at noon, Lomita had
died and swollen up to the size of a shopping bag,
then popped like a water balloon.
The car now smells like Kibbles and *(edit)

I learned my lesson though.
No more pets in this heat.
Good ol' Mr. Sun strikes again.



July 25th:
The wind sucks.
It feels like a giant freaking blow dryer!!
And it's hot as hell.
The home air-conditioner is on the fritz and the AC
repairman charged $200 just to drive by and tell me
he needed to order parts.



July 30th:
Been sleeping outside on the patio for 3 nights now.
$225,000 house and I can't even go inside.
Lomita is the lucky one.
Why did I ever come here?



August 1st:
It's 110 degrees.
Finally got the air-conditioner fixed today.
It cost $500 and gets the temperature down to 85.
I hate this stupid state.



August 3rd:
If another wise guy cracks, 'Hot enough for you today?'
I'm going to strangle him...Damn heat.
By the time I get to work, the radiator is boiling over,
my clothes are soaking wet, and I smell like baked cat!!



August 5th:
Tried to run some errands after work. Wore shorts,
When I sat on the seats in the car, I thought my butt was on fire.
My skin melted to the seat.
I lost 2 layers of flesh and all the hair on the
back of my legs and butt.
Now my car smells like burnt hair, fried butt and baked cat.



Aug 6th:
The weather report might as well be a darn recording.
Hot and sunny...Hot and sunny...Hot and sunny...
And the weatherman says it might really warm up next week.
Doesn't it ever rain in this darn state?
Water rationing has been on the last six weeks.
My $1,700 worth of cactus might just dry up and blow over.
Even the cactus can't live in this darn heat.



August 8th:
Welcome to HELL!
Temperature got to 115 today. Cactus are dead.
Forgot to crack the window and blew the darn
windshield out of the car.
The installer came to fix it and guess what he asked me???
"Hot enough for you today?"



August 10th
My sister had to spend $1,500 to bail me out of jail.
Freaking Texas...What kind of a sick demented idiot
would want to live here?

tres pacifique

Its mid-week now . . . just a few more days to go. Allergies, appliance troubles and emotions have been bugging us this past week. Some of these things are getting fixed, others will have to be worked out in God's sovereign time.
Yesterday, my parents and my "baby" sister shoved off for Chicago (land I love, pizza, music, sights - ah, so jealous!). When the youngest goes off to college, you start to feel old ;)
Oh yeah, during our devotions this morning, H prayed that I would be able to get all my schoolwork done - then he looked up and was like, "I mean, have a good work day". We both got a good laugh out of that. That used to be a huge prayer request when we were engaged, that we would both get through our schoolwork so we could graduate. . . life isn't exactly simple now, but it sure seems easier!
Last night, I made meatloaf and bread and we watched "One Fine Day" - oh so cute. I remember watching it a while back and really liking it, but couldn't remember what it was like, but just that it had to go on our movie Queue. We played a frustrating game of scrabble which ended in speed scrabble - (games are kind of funny with only two people).
Well, I found this lovely site for jewelry - (I know, could I really get more random than this post?) Click here :)

Ahhh

Tonight, my food will not suffer another night in a sweat, for a loving cold hug surrounds them, a new fridge has replaced the other one. . . deliverance came.
Happy food = Happy people.
We celebrated by opening and closing it numerous times, checking the ice dispenser, and reveling in the quiet 'alive' noises it makes. . . I admit it, we are nuts - but happy ones.
I made bbq chicken and potatoes for dinner - we were both so stuffed that we decided to never eat again. . .until we went to the armadillo park and vigorously walked an hour later. After this couple took some showers and popped on a Bridezilla episode, the hungries came to visit H in particular . . . good thing my husband knows how to make chocolate cake disappear, cause heaven knows I don't need to eat it right now!

The allergies have seemed to hit us again - H took a benedryl pm, and that seemed to knock him out and relieve him. I, on the other hand, swallowed some diet sprite and I think the sugar is going to keep me alive for another 1/2 an hour. . .

Always New

I am sleepy, but I can't sleep. I just got off the phone with my best friend, and that left me all anxious for her (drama, drama, drama).

I was just thinking about how dear the Word has been to me lately. I am ashamed to relate that I read it not near enough as I should, but when I do, it is like a waterfall on me.
Last Friday, I finally finished reading through the Psalms, in my the KJV Bible that H gave me recently. I began Proverbs and stumbled on my own emotions - all the pages are fresh and some are yet to be turned and read. Its all so new and precious. I am so thankful to have a new Bible for this phase of life. I received my first "real" Bible from my parents on my eleventh birthday. It was an American Standard, black leather edition that took me through age 11 until recently. I marked up many verses and scribbled thoughts and prayers in the margins. . . it was full of pain and joy and hope. I remember every place I took it,and how it even got lost on a Northwest Airlines flight from Moscow, Idaho to San Antonio, TX.
And this kind of leads me to another thought - Its funny how dear our Bibles are to us. . . how, "I love Thy Word, Oh Lord" applies to children of the Lord, so easily. The Lord grows in us such a strong desire to know Him through His Word. We can't get enough, just look at our Bibles . . .

Though the binding and pages may grow old, His Word is always new and alive. . .

Snap

Yep - there goes my patience . . . I have had it. . .

Our fridge is dying as I type this. . . it has been for quite a while now. We had called over maintenance over a month ago ago to check it out - they refilled the ice container and said, "well, its still seems to be cold in there, so its still working". We were kind of upset. No solution was made for the fact that air was leaking, and that there was water build-up inside. . .
Now, there is a wall of water dripping down from the ceiling of the fridge, and everything in the freezer is not staying cold - soupy ice cream, frozen bread rolls thawing out and expanding, meat that is no longer frozen. The lever is set on the coldest setting too - nothing is working & we've had it. We are storming the office doors until they release a new fridge for us - we've put up with this for too long, and we've tried to deal - my food is so unhappy, and I can't handle it anymore. . .

Lip Sync

Lip dilemmas...

I am not really a lipstick girl - I usually wear gloss with light color because I am just so terribly lazy about re-applying fading lipstick. Here's the thing though - well, two things, I guess. The budget for such items as make-up, and, the man factor (will hubby like it?).
Since I am not just about to go out and buy out the entire lip stock at Walmart Target or HEB, I was wondering if anyone has any good suggestions for relatively affordable lip glosses & lipsticks that endure.

Big things I look for in lip products:

-Moisture (& sun protection, if possible)
-Texture - not slimy, but rolls smooth & doesn't get gummy
-Color - either clear, or light, neutral/soft shades of berry
-Taste - it may taste good to me, but I am not the one kissing me. . . :)

All the Pretty Horses

What can I say? I am having horse withdrawals. . . These are from my own little "internet" ranch. . . ;)

Surprises

I told hubby about my surprise . . . I bought a one-night reservation with coupons and benefits to this beautiful resort. We are going to try to get away Labor Day weekend. The deal was just too great to pass up - its just what we need -I can't wait!!! :)

Shopper's Envy

The temptation is great . . . but I will not succumb

Kohls, JCPenney's, Mervyns - you are my worst enemies right now, how dare you offer me sales in the middle of the week, & during "BILL" week at that.

Slow down, crumble up those adds, repeat to self : "great deals will come again."

Fun Weekend in Pictures

Riverwalk . . . and yes, the river really is that murky - it is the shame of this city)


Beauty in the murkiness


Its a long way up - Tower of Americas


Views from the Top: The Alamo Dome & The Little Church in the Big City

'Fraid of Heights?

Look up - - - way up . . . yes, this is the Tower of Americas & we went up there today. This picture rocks - Emily, you rock - she took this picture upside down, laying on the ground looking up.

Oh - the other guy in this pic is my cousin Travis - visiting from NM.

More pics and stories to come - for now, enjoy the view. . .

"He married me because he liked the way I looked, not the way I cooked." ;)

Ring around the "wallie" - I just noticed a ring of grime around the wall next to our computer . . . hmmm - - - -mold perhaps? I felt no moisture. I glance behind at my man in his easy chair, first thinking, "no, he wouldn't do that . . .or would he?" ;) (Yes)
Yay for grime that wipes with the wonderful damp cloth!!!

'Nother note - I feel like I am such a cooking rut - ladies, you ever feel that way? I am a pasta fanatic - but I feel like I just rotate the same 5 meals over and over again each week. H never complains, bless his heart, but I am just not satisfied. I am surprised our heads have not sprouted spaghetti noodles by now. . . I am determined to get more creative here. . . any good recipe source suggestions as of late?

Oh My . . . Milk Chocolate, step aside -

Hubby knows what I like . . . a bag of miniatures came home with him the other day, mingled with two other kinds - Dark with Krispy (MMMmmmmm) & Dark with Peanut.
"Honey, I think I've died and gone to heaven . . . just be sure to wrap my body in a Special Dark wrapper. . ."

Hearth

My dear sister Michelle, gave me a lovely little figurine for my birthday. I decided that it needed a little showing off because its so precious. . . just as she is :)

Pick it up!!!

Okay, this is my tirade.

H and I are blessed to live in a cute little apartment which we are very grateful for (this is my preface to let everyone know that I am not really trying to sound ungrateful). Now I digress to my tirade.
Outside of our door, on the small plot of grass, there stands a very prominent sign that says, "Please pick up after your pet". Now, being in an apartment community, the people here are limited to small pets. Lap dogs seem to be the favored.
Now, it seems as if several of our neighbors are blind. For 5 months now, we have sighted small do droppings in various places, around our front area, and more ironically, around the sign. . . this has become quite annoying, to the point that I almost said something ugly to my neighbor this morning, as I was going up to my door. He was obviously taking Fido out on a walk to poo poo and can you guess where the varmint was sniffing around? I suppressed myself and said a polite "hi" and stepped inside to post this on my blog, to seethe my anger and try to look past it all, reminding myself that we will not be apartment dwellers forever.

Oh, Haven and I thought it'd be funny to post a sign next to the sign that says, "Please read the sign above" or something like that. We're taking sign suggestions. . .

Secret Land of Mine

This enchanted place is where my maternal great-grandfather was from. Story goes his father and mother came to the states and left him there at likely, 12 years of age, to work his way over. He made enough to get to the Hawaiian island of Kauia (and I think that's proper spelling). He worked on a sugar plantation (which my family tried to located when we went there several years ago) and then finally got over to the mainland. I have the entire account somewhere, but it would take a while to find.

Portugal - ahh, someday. . .:)