Lifegroup Camping

Here are a few pictures from the camping trip Toby and I went on over Easter weekend with some of the people in my lifegroup.  Group shot at the end of our trip (everyone gets a plate "award".  Mine was the "bring your dog to camp" award and Toby's was the "who needs water shoes?" award, if you were wondering).

We went to Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas (about 4.5 hours drive).  The weather was beautiful until Sunday morning, when it poured.  But overall, the trip was great.  There are some really nice hiking trails.  Toby absolutely loved being outside so much, especially when he didn't have to be on the leash.  He was very good about keeping track of where "mom" was, but he also wanted to be in the lead, so he got twice as much exercise as the rest of us going back and forth.  He was worn out by the end of our day hike on Saturday, but dog happy.
We had a few water crossings on our hike.  The water was cold too.  But we were prepared with water shoes, and it didn't seem to faze Toby any.
 A couple of pictures of my and my bud.  I took the second one when we were laying on a rock, which is why the angle is weird.

Chicago Bound

I see another month has gone by, so time for an update to the blog.  Earlier this month, I flew up to Chicago to visit my cousin Megan, who works at the Marriott downtown.

I had a really good time catching up with her and seeing some more of the sights in the Windy City.  We went to the zoo, the Chicago History Museum, and saw the broadway show Jersey Boys, which was really good.  We ate lots of delicious food, too, so it's good we did a lot of walking! 
Her cat loved my suitcase.  She was pretty much camped out there the whole weekend, unless it was time to eat.  Then she was camped out in front of her automatic feeder waiting for it to dispense some food.  Can you tell she likes to eat?  

Megan lives in a studio apartment (very small but she has done a great job organizing/decorating it) and this is a picture looking out her window at Lake Michigan. 


I've been to Chicago a few times before, but I had never made it to "the Bean".  It is a kidney bean-shaped, reflective statue (actually called Cloud Gate) in Millenium Park.  Of course it was raining the day we went there, so I was trying to snap pictures quick, and none turned out all that great.  It was also VERY cold most of the time I was there.  It even snowed one night.  I had fun, but I was happy to come back to the warmth of Dallas.

Top 3 Things I am Loving This Week!

1.  A digestive tract that is once again functioning properly.  It was not pretty people.

2. An immune system that works to fight off infection (see number one).

3. ER!  I know I am one of the few that has watched this show from beginning to soon to be end.  That's right I've seen every episode, folks.  This is the last year, and I have to say I think this season is really good.  And not just because they have managed to bring back almost all of the significant cast members from previous years.  I really do think the stories about the current cast are good this year too.  That being said, I have really enjoyed seeing how nicely they have weaved in the old cast members with the stories they were already telling.  Last night's episode with George Clooney, Juliana Margulies, Eriq la Salle and Noah Wyle was especially well done, in my opinion.  But the thing I am most loving about ER's final season is that so far they seem totally willing to give all their characters a happy ending!  Now they just need to get Ray and Neela back together and I'll be satisfied.  Oh, and I'll just say that I think a cool way to end the show would be if Carter took over as Chief of the ER since the show started with him there as a med student, but the writers can do what they want...

And what did Wyatt think of Elmo?!!

Sesame Street Live Part Two

For part one, click here.

Per my sister's subtle prompting, here are some more photos from the very exciting Sesame Street Live production we all went to a few weeks ago (it was actually pretty cute for kids and I enjoyed seeing Lila's reaction to it all).  Colette failed to mention one of the most exciting parts--Lila used the grown up potty in the bathroom before the show started!  Of course this WAS after about 15 minutes of Colette telling her "Elmo" wanted her to go so we could go start the show, but still, it was an accomplishment :)

Here is a photo of Lila clapping. 
Here is one of the Elmo balloons being sold during intermission.
One of the star himself, Elmo.
One to prove I was actually there.
One of Lila "smiling" for me before the show started (sorry blogger uploaded these in the wrong order and I'm too lazy to fix it).

Florida In February

Well, I guess enough time has passed that I can post something new.  If you follow facebook, many of you may know that I just returned from a quick trip to Amelia Island, Florida (outside Jacksonville) for a breast cancer symposium.  The conference was at the Ritz-Carlton, and here is the view from the balcony attached to my hotel room.  Nice, right?

I wish I could say I enjoyed it, but the truth is it's not much fun being there by yourself.  Sometimes being single just sucks.  And it was Valentine's Day.  Oh the irony.  That being said, the symposium was pretty interesting, and actually made me think of my good friends Keri and Bill.  Bill because he is training to be a radiation oncologist, and there were a number of those at the symposium.  It was multi-discplinary, so there were also pathologists, radiologists, general surgeons, plastic surgeons, and at least one pysch person there.  Being reminded again of all that radiation oncologists do, it just gave me a new appreciation for Bill.  And it made me think of Keri because there were a LOT of statistics.  Most of the lectures referenced recent studies on drugs, survivorship, etc.  So keep up the good work guys!  What you are doing really does make a difference.  (what the rest of you do also is important but not applicable to my story)
This is a picture I took when I went to the downtown area of Fernandina Beach the first night I was there.  Apparently the island was occupied at least once if not multiple times by pirates, and has been under the rule of 8 different flags in its history.
As you look at this picture, where are the sinks?  That was what I was wondering after I came out of the stall in the bathroom at the Jacksonville airport.  Was this some sort of Candid Camera moment? The 2 larger boxes on the mirror are automatic paper towel dispensers, and the smaller ones are automatic soap dispensers.  And the metallic rods that appear to be coming out of the mirror are the automatic water faucets.  It's hard to tell in the picture, but the countertop slopes downward to a little trough that runs along the wall (the sink).   I had never seen anything like it, so I snapped a picture when I was alone in the bathroom just so I could share it with all of you.  

Also I feel I should mention I rode with the Iowa State Women's softball team on my flight back to Dallas.  There was a tournament, and they won 5 out of their 6 games (I asked).  Way to go ISU!  Nothing like walking into the airport and seeing some red and gold to brighten your day.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Just a quick post to let everyone know I am still alive.  Work has been very busy for me this time of year as everyone goes to the doctor since they've already met their deductible.  I hope you all are enjoying the holiday season and have a Merry Christmas!  This is the sum of snow in Dallas :)

The Funniest Show You May Not Be Watching

Since I think I know most of the people who occasionally read this blog, I thought I would let you know that if you aren't watching the Big Bang Theory on CBS, you're missing out.  Don't believe me?  Check out this promo link: About Superman.

A Little Scoop of Autumn

Perhaps one of the strongest items associated with the months of October and November is the pumpkin.  Is it Halloween without a Jack O'Lantern?  How can it be Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie, right?  Well, recently my sister made some awesome pumpkin cheesecake, and I was fortunate enough to get one of the last pieces.  It was delicious.  I might even try making it myself sometime once my oven thermostat gets fixed.  In the meantime,  I've discovered a very close second to the real thing--you guessed it--the latest Ben & Jerry's flavor, Pumpkin Cheesecake.   It is Delicious with a capital D.  On a side note, did anyone else know that they expect you to get 4 servings out of one of those small pints?  (I discovered this after I'd eaten about 2/3 of the container :) Oh well, pumpkin is one of the 14 "super foods" so it can't be that bad, right?  

Texas State Fair

It seems everyone is posting pictures of the state fair on their blogs, so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon.  This was my first year to go to the Texas State Fair, or the Great State Fair of Texas as they say on the radio.  It was a lot of fun, I have to admit.  I actually went twice-once at night and once during the day.  On Saturday night I went with some friends from church and got to see the pig races, light show, and experience all the rides lit up.  Then on Monday I went with my sister's family and got to experience smaller crowds and the cutest kid exhibit ever--Little Hands on the Farm (check it out on my sister's blog).Here's a picture of Colette, Lila, Big Ben and Big Tex.  (sorry Ben--I couldn't resist :) 

Here's a picture of my niece Lila waving at me when she was on the carousel.  She loves the "horsies."  Who doesn't, really?  I mean, I would have ridden it too if everything at the fair didn't cost an arm and a leg.  But I'm sure I'll have forgotten that part by the time it rolls around again next year...

Big Attraction

Look what I found near one of the shops on the waterfront in Long Beach.  Remember Zoltar from the movie Big?  I confess I even spent the buck to hear my fortune. It even spit out a little card, but it wasn't like the one in the movie which said, "your wish has been granted."  That would have been cool.  Instead, this one has some trite and vague fortune on it in addition to my lucky numbers.  I guess it's true--life isn't like the movies.

Now I'm Down To 12

It's been a while since I posted anything, but I finally got around to uploading the pictures off my camera from the last few weeks.  Back in September I went to Long Beach, California for a work conference, which brings the number of states to which I haven't been to twelve!  This is a view of the beach area near the hotel.  Most of the waterfront in that area was harbor.  

One afternoon some friends and I took the metro from Long Beach to Hollywood Blvd. It took

about 90 minutes to get there. Basically, we stood in front of the Kodak Theatre (home to the 

Academy Awards) and the Chinese Theatre (with the celebrity feet imprints on the sidewalk),

and saw the Hollywood walk of fame. The rest is pretty much a dump. It was a little disappointing,

but I guess I can say I've been there.

The conference was okay, but by far the best part was getting to see some of my pa school classmates again and also my friend Rimvydas (who I forgot to take a picture with) from Lithuania, who is doing post-grad work in Economics out there now.  I was also very glad there were no earthquakes or mudslides while I was there :)  Some experiences I can live without.

A Break From The Rain

Today the guys from Deckmasters came out while I was at work and framed a partial porch covering for my back patio.  I'm sure Toby had an exciting time, but of course, he never spills the details when I get home :)  They should be back next week sometime to put the shingles on.  I guess I'll see if it survives the effects of Hurricane Ike over the weekend.  But it is looking pretty good, I think, and I'm sure will be a nice break from the elements (rain or sun) once it is finished.  

The Next Michael Phelps?

Here Lila practices the fine art of adjusting your swim goggles.
Lookin' good.  Now all she needs are a few swimming lessons...and maybe a swimsuit.

Schwan Song

I'm not sure I should be admitting this (especially after seeing all the yummy recipes my friend Keri has been posting on her blog lately) but today I placed my first order with the Schwan's man.  Or rather the Schwan's website.  Part of it was nostalgia--my Grandpa always ordered stuff from Schwan's and now I have a deep, deep fondness for the Gold 'N' Nugit bar (pictured above).   If you think it looks a lot like a Snickers ice cream bar, well, it tastes a lot like it too.  But I also thought I would try a few things out of practicality.  A lot of their stuff comes in individually wrapped portions.  Hopefully  this will give me a little variety without a lot of leftovers.  We'll see...I only ordered a few things to see if I like it or not.  Hopefully the Gold 'N' Nugits will be as good as I remember!  

My backyard

One of the pros/cons (depending on your viewpoint) of living in a townhouse is that the extent of grass in your "backyard" is this.  Which works if you just want to let the dog out quick to take care of business, but isn't the most ideal for any greater exercise.  Well, recently Toby and I were pleasantly surprised to discover that the wooded area surrounding our community or subdivision-whatever you want to call it--on 2 sides contains some very nice walking trails.
Here is a view at the edge of woods, looking back at the closest townhouse (ours is 1 block over) so you can see how close it is.
Of course the best part about walking these trails rather than streets or sidewalks, besides the shade the trees provide, is the fact that I can let Toby off the leash.  He loves that part because he is free to take his time sniffing stuff and/or scouting the trail ahead, and he is very good about not running off and keeping track of where I am.
Here Toby is checking out the creek that runs through the woods (perhaps the same creek in my address--I couldn't find the name of it anywhere on the internet).  I was surprised how much the width and flow of the creek varied.  This was one of the widest spots, but sometimes it was just a little trickle over a few rocks that you could jump over easily.  
Some have asked how Toby likes our new place, and I have to say overall there is less for him to watch out the windows than at the apartment.  So I know he is a little more bored at times.  But I could never let him off the leash when we went for walks at the apartment, so maybe this will make up for it some.  Doesn't that look like the face of a happy dog?

Only in America

I saw this when I was standing in the checkout line at a store a few days ago and I couldn't help but wonder who buys this stuff?  If you are so addicted to caffeine that you have to have it in your GUM, does it even work?  Or at that point are you basically immune to the stimulating effects of caffeine?  

Met One of My Neighbors Today

They say everything is bigger in Texas...and they ain't kiddin'.  I came across one of these bad boys, or rather girls, I guess I should say, walking rather quickly along the stone ledge at the back of my property.  She was an inch to an inch a half long and as bright as the picture.  After jumping back a couple feet and trying not to scream like the big sissy I am, I watched her scurry along and finally go down the wall and disappear in the creek bed below.  Then I went inside (carefully closing the door behind me as I debated whether or not I needed to wedge a kleenex in the slight gap I have at the bottom of my back door) and immediately googled "bright red spider" to find out what kind of poisonous creature I was dealing with.  After several unsuccessful hits about a red spider mite (way too small), I broadened my search to "bright red bug."  And THAT is when I discovered that there is something called a Red Velvet Ant.  Only it's not an ant--it's a wasp, and the ones you can actually see are the wingless females.  They feed on other bees and wasps, so I guess I won't kill her if I run across her (unless she is actually in my house-then all bets are off).  Oh yeah, the best part?  Her nickname is the Cow Killer, b/c apparently her sting hurts so bad it could kill a cow.  How's that for a welcome to the neighborhood?

A Few More

Here are a few more pictures of my place as I've been uppacking.  the first is another view of the living room (which has the most furnishings), the second is of my office/craft room, and the 3rd is my bedroom.

Surprise!

I was unpacking some more things today and opened this drawer to discover this.  These are the kinds of things you find after your 2 year old niece visits.  It makes me wonder where else a stuffed animal might turn up...