They'rrrrreeee Baaacccckkk!!

Sorry for the sporadic posting.




It will continue.

I Want a Cookie!

One of these things is not like the others


One of these things just doesn't belong


Can you guess which thing is not like the others


By the time I finish my song?


Did you guess which thing was not like the others?


Did you guess which thing just doesn't belong?

If you guessed this one is not like the others,


Then you're absolutely...right!




DECAF! WTF! Are you trying to kill me, coffee? WTH is this crap!! ACK!

Some Places...Summer Still Exists

Just a short flight away from Houston, is a beautiful island. Near that island, the sweetest, most beautiful nieces a girl can have, live. I took a super quick jaunt there this weekend. And played and wiped up tears, and spit-up, but not butts, because I am not that nice of a sister. I sniffed sweet baby scalp until I sneezed. And had the absolute delight of watching a baby fall into a deep sleep in my arms.

I ate the most wonderful ceviche at a little restaurant on South Padre, ceviche, topped with guacamole and of all things, honey mustard. So tasty!

I chatted with my sister like we actually care for each other. I admired her strength, her ability to love, her tenacity.

I carried an infant down an overgrown beach access point fearful of slipping or getting bit by a snake and got a few stickers stuck in my toes.

The next day, I carried a grumpy 2 year old around Sand Castle Days.

Due to aunt-ly duties, I was unable to get any more pictures of the castles.

My arms are sore, my legs are sore, I am utterly exhausted.

And I am head over heels in love with the sweetest, most beautiful nieces a girl can have.

This little one didn't want a picture, she wanted Tia Fianna to pick her up!!

Fun Monday Graphics!

Willowtree is taking care of hosting duties this Fun Monday.

He wants to see some clothing art. That's tee shirts, baseball caps, hoodies, sports uniforms or any bit of clothing that you or your kids own that has interesting, funny or artistic graphics.


One of my friends in Houston, whom I have seen several times since I have been here, recently commented that every time she has seen me, I have always been wearing the same thing.

This cool shirt paired with a khaki skirt, brown Old Navy flip flops. Shady Grove has been previously mentioned as my favoritest restaurant in Austin. Go there if you ever...go there.


I LOVE this shirt! This is the shirt I wear on the other weekend day with the khaki skirt after wearing the Shady Grove shirt seen above.


One shirt my friend hasn't seen me wear since I have been here is:
This is one of my very oldest shirts. The mermaid is way faded. She has since been relegated to gym clothes duty. While I joined my old gym for my stay here in town. I am doing what I usually do, subsidizing the gym by paying dues and not going.

My friend has seen this shirt nearly each time our get-togethers occur in the evening hours. What better way to hit the bar than by wearing a liquor ad.

By the frequent vodka mentions, ya'll may know that Jack is not my beverage of choice. Definitely not since Kaytabug and I reached high school. Oh wait, TMI. Don't tell our moms. But this shirt was a gift from my beloved and I love it! Black is the slimming agent of choice. Not the gym.

This is such a cute tee....if you know that I am a redhead. And I am so not Irish. One of those things Alanis Morrissette considers "Ironic". And I like to flaunt "Irony". Kinda like how I really want one of those shirts that say, "Blondes do it Better", or "Brunettes Rock" or something very similarly "Ironic".
That's all folks. I hope this post makes any sense at all. I am so so exhausted. Tomorrow or Tuesday or 3 weeks from Friday, we will be discussing the beach, with a 2 year old and an infant. What is exciting though? It is nearly November and in some places, not an hour flight away, summer continues with bikinis and beer bongs. But not on 2 year olds or infants or the heroine of this blog. But somewhere, dammit!

Sorry to Group You With Projectile and Poop, Laurie. I Heart You!

Oh, what a weekend! Awesome. awesome weekend.

On Friday, I met Crazy Aunt Purl. She is so amazingly personable and sweet, and cute and Southern! I had never been to a book signing before. It was a weird little thing. From reading her blog for a couple years now, it is like I know her. And everyone else does as well. So for that formal environment, it was a bit odd. I would have been much more comfortable, sitting on a back porch, sipping wine out of a Solo cup. I had some questions, but was too scared to ask anything, because I am a chicken shit. And hate public speaking, even when it is to just ask a question of CAP. So she reads a chapter or two, there is an audience Q&A and then she signs books. I have met celebrities, and have always been a bit non-plussed. When it is just a celebrity, some dude that’s on TV, some chick that makes movies, I don’t really care. Someone that has entertained me, someone that has made me laugh until I cried, and of course cried until I laughed, that is when I break out in hives. And to me, Laurie is a celebrity. She puts her life out there for us to read, she talks about her insecurities, her screw-ups, her losses and let’s us cry with her, laugh with her and just have a grand old time out on this world wide web. Meeting her was a big deal to me. And of course, I was awkward. I was nervous talking. I asked for a hug and had to hurry off because I was getting tears. Damn her and her adorableness! (Make sure and check out the pics, my torso, purse and hair clip are now famous. In a almost, not really sort of way.)

On Saturday, I met up with my sister and her family at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, but more importantly, the Butterfly Habitat. Starbucks and some donut place were kind enough to show up for the early crowd and give free coffee, donuts and kolaches (why you Northerners and Californians and whoever else…. don’t have kolaches, I do not understand and I pity you for it). We then get in line, get up to the ticket booth, we hand over our cash and my 3 year old niece starts coughing and then projectile vomits everywhere. It was a serious Exorcist scene. All over my hands, jeans and cute Old Navy flip flops. I was a tad traumatized. My experienced sister catches a good amount of it in her hands. Eww. After a clean-up, a new gift shop shirt, the kid was fine. And we proceeded to catch butterflies, let the “sleeping” ones “sleep” and just enjoy the high-pitched shrill of excited children.

They were not in town to see me though and we separated a few hours later. We met up for lunch on Sunday. It was a beautiful day in Houston for October. It had cooled off a bit and the storm clouds stayed at bay until I completed my fun. I wandered about the restaurant carrying my itty bitty niece, entertaining her and myself with a bit of baby talk. I comment to her dad that she is getting a bit squishy down South and he may want to handle that whole situation. He comments that it might be a messy one but being the sweet dad he is, he said he would get on it…. and upon closer inspection, yep she was leaky. Leaky on me.

And so after telling this to an old friend with a 6 month old, she relays a nice story to me. How moms just do things instinctively, not how I just stood there in shock and awe for both projectile vomiting issue #1 and leaky poopy-ness #2. She relayed how once she caught her daughter’s poop in her hand. What led to that, I didn’t ask, I was throwing up a bit, but just in my mouth, not projectively.

Fun Monday 37: Meet Cute

Monday…again…already! This week (and weekend) flew by! Thank goodness I can be a cheater for this Monday! Janet has asked us to:

Describe your meeting with your spouse/significant other. I especially want to hear "meet cute" stories.

And wouldn’t ya know it, I showered my love for my man all over the innernet awhile back. I am gonna copy and paste that story, shorten it and perhaps edit here and there. The original can be found here in case you are dying for more.

Throughout the week leading up to this amazing meeting, my life was crazy. I had just been promoted into a very trying position, with no one to show me the way, seeing that the previous employee was wanted in 4 states. I had just left this guy I had dated for 6 years and was working on an exit strategy from a shared apartment and co-ownership of 3 cats. One of my best girl friends had asked me to join her in Austin for the weekend for a little celebration of her becoming a licensed masseuse. I almost backed out/never really committed, but at the last moment, I went. I drove to Austin after work that Friday, got all hussied up and we hit downtown for a girls’ night out.

We walked in to a bar, got a drink, wandered around, spied some seats. And sat. And sipped our vodka, eyeing the crowd. When she went to get another round, this guy sitting next to us said hello, and asked my name. His was Craig. We started chatting. My friend came back, and we all continued to chat.

We decided to change bars and I asked Craig to join us. He followed and we proceeded to get liquored up at a few more locations. When the bars closed down, I asked for Craig’s number and find out I completely misunderstood him that his name was NOT Craig. We programmed our proper names and spellings into our respective cell phones. And we kissed.

Pretty Miserable Sister

I am so very, very tired this week. But see, I have no one to tell how tired I am because a certain very important someone has worked triple digit hours in the past week. Triple! How do you even work triple digit hours in 6 days? Who am I to complain of how I worked from 8-7 in a cozy little office with air conditioning, carpet and a cushy chair. My working conditions and hours prohibit any bitching to him this week. Dammit dammit dammit. Cuz mama is tired.

And has thought of many new ways to kill the cutest weetle kitten. She needs Benadryl, Valium. I am quite sure the cat has ADD, a major sleeping problem and a slight empathy problem. I don’t think it matters how early I go to sleep anymore, she is going to destroy several hours of this sleeping business.

And the dreams of someone breaking into my room, they could stop. Thanks!

I have a really hard time with motel places. The ones where the rooms open to the outside. I get really freaked out that some dude in a red hoodie is breaking in and attacks me. He has followed me across many states for many years. Well, he apparently has followed me to Houston and has upgraded his hotel stays.

And the night before last, both cats decided to join in on the fun activity of Wake Mama Before Sunrise. To the right of me, the usual culprit Chloe was licking my face, to the left, Yoda joined in by nuzzling at my neck. Hi, kitties, love the attention and all, but it is 4:00 A.M. When the clock says 7:00 and I have overslept, then and only then is this acceptable behavior. Please, pretty please with a mackerel on top?

How will I ever survive a child? I was trying to rationalize with a damned cat at 4:00 this morning. “Look, little kitty cat, I will give you treats, I will make a special Fiesta run and get you Canned Cat Food, if you will just let me sleep until 6:30 without any further interruption.” “No, really, please.” “Ok, well, how about a new toy? You like mice? Would you like a brand new mouse?” And by 4:45, I was offering the damned kitten a pony.

I can just see it now, my 6 month old baby will have a Maserati.

Would someone please babysit a very friendly early rising kitten please? Pretty please with a Maserati on top?

Fun Monday: My Hood

Pamela has been so kind to host our Fun Monday this week, requesting:

I want to see what you see on any given morning this week; from somewhere very near where you live. Front porch, back porch, down the street, around the corner. Just makes sure it's your neighborhood. Post a photo that will send me to the travel agent to book a weekend at your local Bed & Breakfast. Post your October View on Monday, October 8 . Write a little or write a lot.

As I have mentioned, I am living in a hotel in Houston currently. I have always been a suburb girl. Always on the outskirts, but now, I am smack dab in the middle of Houston. A freeway running right outside, restaurants, bars, shops all within a short walk. Urban living. Concrete jungle. I love it!

It has been a rainy weekend, a busy weekend. Most All of the photos are from the window of my car, while jetting down the freeway.

This is Lakewood Church, the former basketball stadium.


Hazy rainy downtown buildings.


Street Sign.

Maybe I could take a piano back home? Strap it to the roof of my Corolla?
Right off the freeway:

Could someone translate?

This sculpture is at the Menil Art Museum. It is a bit hard to see in these tiny little photos, but each end says "Love".

How about the evening view that was so beautiful I figured out just enough Photoshop to make it a header?

Business Call Girl

I am curious, the dating scene has their set schedule for returning calls. In the business world, is there a similar timeline? Do you make it a point to return a call within a certain time period? Do you get pissy if someone does not return your call within that defined respectable period?

I practice a 24 hour call back. If I haven’t called you back in 24 hours, I either accidentally deleted the voice mail or more likely, I am avoiding you. And if I don’t receive a return call in 24 hours, you bet your bottom dollar that I am calling back. It often seems that people are surprised that I call them a second time.

I hate to see stuff sit and if I have a pressing matter, I can be a hound dog.

What do ya’ll think is proper?

And is it alright to use ya’ll in business letters?

Hee! Just joking. I would never use ya’ll in a letter. Everyone knows it is spelled y’all in formal writings.

Gentlemanly Calling

My best friend visited this weekend. You may also refer to him as Not Craig, the Gentleman Caller...

He used to live in Houston. Before we met, for many years we worked just buildings apart, probably passing each other in the tunnels on our daily lunch runs. We never knew each other while in Houston, meeting once he had left to live in the grand city of Austin.

An amazing time was had. We were able to hang out with some of his oldest friends. We hung out at some new spots, visited old haunts, including one of the infamous spots of my past.

We discussed what we want to do in the next couple of years at greater length than we have in some time.

A Summary of the Visit by the Gentleman Caller

Shiner

Dave & Busters

$40 steaks

$45 half bottles of wine

3:10 to Yuma

A bar named Stetson’s (The Legal Beagle in me wondered…is that copyright infringement?)

Rednecks

Freebirds

More Freebirds

St. Arnold’s

Conversation, lots of wonderful conversation

Cuddles, lots of wonderful cuddles

My favorite Sunday event – sleeping in and football

I don’t believe I am poetic enough to say how wonderful this visit was. How much we both needed it. And how hard it was to watch him leave.