Gone but Not Forgotten

Christmas updates are coming soon, but last night while I was lying awake waiting for my feet to thaw out, I started thinking about all the crap I ate over the Holidays, which reminded me of bygone days of college where one can eat as much junkfood as she likes and the metabolism fairy takes care of the rest...which led me to think about meal plans...which reminded me about how I used to spend my Bevo Bucks on all kinds of junk at the Jester Hall store.

Can anyone say Ben & Jerry's? I had never even eaten Ben & Jerry's until I tried the heavenly Urban Jumble flavor, and then I was hooked for life.

Thank goodness I worked as a messenger traipsing the Capitol complex, otherwise I that "Freshman 15" would have materialized in college..rather than the "Happily Ever After 20" upon my marriage to Joe.

At some point towards the end of my Sophomore year, Urban Jumble was added to the Ben & Jerry's Flavor Graveyard! Gasp! No more Urban Jumble of "chocolate and coconut ice creams mingled with white and dark chocolaty chunks, pecans, and roasted almonds."

I still look in grocery store freezers to this day for my beloved ice cream...and I don't even like ice cream... so that's saying a lot. You bet I made my dismay evident at the Ben & Jerry's "Resurrect My Favorite Flavor" webpage. Alas, it was all in vain. :'(

May you rest in peace UJ; we had many delightful memories together at the Jester dormitory at University of Texas. I hope to reunite with you someday. (That's not me, but I am giddy that someone took this photo! Aside from the pageboy haircut, it does look a lot like me. lol)

As my feet continued to thaw, I thought to myself..."self...you shall write a blog about Urban Jumble and other products that have, or are going the way of the Dodo."

In my walk down memory lane, I remembered other discontinued loves:

Limited edition MAC eyeshadow shades in "Sensualize" and "Wishful"

Oh how I love thee. Sadly, and a little unsanitarily, I still own and use (sparingly) remnants of these two, long after the recommended 6 month lifespan of cosmetics. Whatev!

Does anyone really toss their cosmetics at the six month mark? I mean, unless it gets crusty or someone with herpes of the eye used your stuff, do you mark your calendar to trash your makeup? If you paid a crap load of money for a limited edition shade that was made for you, I'll bet you don't. Don't judge me! (You can, however, go to Ebay and buy me these discontinued lovelies..which people are scalping these days... $39? Really? That's what you're going with?!) What? Go to Sephora and match the same color in a different brand you say? You better believe I've tried to buy similar shades, but none can hold a candle to these two.

RIP

OPI Original release "My Private Jet" nail color
I love love love this color and my nail salon has less than a quarter of a bottle left.

Having only discovered this recently, I quickly found out how coveted this color release is when I tried to buy it on Ebay...after having pored over the OPI display at Ulta. Apparently, the newer, more readily avaliable versions of MPJ don't have the holographic prism quality but a silvery sparkle instead. After searching online, I found that there is quite a controversy over it among diehard OPI nailpolish fanatics.

Again, people are scalping this original version online for an obscene amount of money. Dare I pay $20 for a bottle of nail polish? It is pretty fab. I tried to capture the subtle rainbow quality to it in the photos. At first glance it appears dark gray. The closeup shows a bit more of the holographic colors.

Also making my list is a fabulous article of clothing featuring not only leopard print, but bling...my chartreuse Victoria's Secret Very Sexy bra. It is not yet gone, but its days are numbered.

If I could wear it over my clothes, I would. I should have bought multiples of the same color. Instead I have to keep this bra in light rotation with my other less glamorous ones, take it off immediately upon arriving home from work, and wash it as little and with as much care possible. What ever will I do when I have to decommission this thing? I've had one and a half, perhaps two years with it, thus finding another exactly like it will be next to impossible. :( Maybe I shouldn't get so attached. LOL

It is glorious!

House guests & Holiday Surprises

Remember our bee problem? After several unfruitful calls to beekeepers this summer, I got frustrated and put the bees on the back burner. They weren't bothering us, after all. Then weather cooled off and the bees quit leaving their cozy hive above the fascia on the front of our house. Well, a renegade squirrel decided to invade our attic Saturday morning, making all sorts of racket. The next day we experienced some electrical problems on the circuit powering the garage and one of the kitchen lights. Yes, we cursed the squirrel and suspected that he'd chewed through some wires on his rampage. Joe climbed into the attic to inspect and when he came down, he informed me that the beehive is, in fact, in the attic. Well, I have a keen interest in these bees who I've thus far saved from extermination. I decided to climb up there and check it out for myself and take a few pictures that the beekeepers generally ask to see...plus, I needed something interesting to post on this blog. So I tucked my jeans into my fUggs (that's fake Uggs), zipped up my polar fleece, and grabbed the camera.

Holy crap! I learned that I definitely have a healthy fear of bees...ok maybe it's a borderline phobia...which is not good when running away from danger is not an option in the attic. Unfortunately my nice camera with the really good zoom lens is drained so I couldn't get a good shot, and I didn't want to stick around to perfect my angle and focus. Holding a flashlight with one hand and a camera in the other while balancing on a wooden beam is tricky/scary business. So that bright yellow blob is the honeycomb and those black masses are slowly moving bees.
If I can't get a beekeeper out in the next couple of weeks, I have to call an exterminator. Luckily winter is ideal for bee removal as the colony numbers are at its lowest and they are slow moving...or so I read on the internet because now I am way freaked out. Endangered or not, these bees have gots-ta-go! So working in the attic around the bees is not an option and our electrical problem will have to wait.

Now on to guests in my home whom I don't mind having around. This weekend mycousinamanda and her fiancee, Matt, were in Dallas from Okinawa, as was our friend Jeremy from Colorado. Yes, I overbooked Casa del Arnold. Yes, Jeremy had to sleep on an air mattress (but it is pretty rad as far as air mattresses go!) I guess you could say Joe and I had "a failure to communicate." Ok, it was mostly me, but it worked out just fine. Having a house full of your favorite people isn't so bad. Aside from Joe's fist-pumping "fighting the beat" Guido impression (complete with sound effects) at 2 am, there were no complaints. haha What can I say? It is free lodging, people, not the Ritz...and I can make no promises that my dear husband and co-proprietor of Casa del Arnold will not entertain his guests with material from "Jersey Shore." Be warned.

Saturday night, Amanda, Matt, Kim, and I met for dinner at Urbano. We really love this place. It is unpretentious and the is menu constantly changing...which gives me an excuse to keep going back to try new things. Urbano is BYOB so Kim brought a nice crisp white blend which we enjoyed with our salad, and I brought our last bottle of Schug from the April shipment. I am pretty impressed that we rationed it out that long. A wine cellar would be completely useless in our home because I have little self control when it comes to saving wine, or anything for that matter.

And what would be an evening in Dallas without a trip over to our favorite wine bar? Joe and Jeremy met up with us after the Cowboys game (though Veritas was showing it on their HD projector). They went to Hooter's (insert eye roll) to watch the game.
Speaking of wine and Veritas, Joe surprised me with my Christmas gift early. I had dropped a few hints this year about needing some new wine glasses because all but two of mine have fallen victim to the "dishwasher" and/or Joe. I tease Joe about this relentlessly and even bought him a pair of acrylic wine glasses at Target that he could not destroy. :) Anyways, I specifically said that I would love to have the stemware they sell at Veritas, and he listened. I am one lucky gal. They are gorgeous and I love them! To top it off, Jeremy gave us a highly recommended bottle of Col Solare. I can't wait to try it!

And now...off to bed...my sweet Pheebs already got out of our nice warm bed and came to the office find out why in the world I am not in bed, asleep. I put her on Jeremy's cozy air mattress (he's visiting his sister this week) while I am finishing up this post. She is SOOO not happy with me right now. Gotta go!

Channeling My Inner Neat Freak

I don't know what got into me this weekend, but I was exceptionally productive. Our guest bath was in dire need of a new coat of paint. The color was intended for another room, but ended up on the bathroom walls. I never liked it, but I supposed it was better than plain white. Wrong. Over time "Vanilla Bean" grated my nerves and morphed into a garish shade of yellow. It may have been "Vanilla Bean" in natural light, but in the windowless bathroom it was sickly. Joe referred to it as "Pee Yellow" more than once. Definitely not a pleasant bathroom color.

Finally, after 3 years, (lol) I'd had enough. I remembered that we had 3 extra gallons of RL "Oatmeal" left from when I decided I wanted to repaint the living room, but Joe had talked me out of it. Rather than letting it waste away in the closet, I thought I'd see if Oatmeal was more pleasing to the eye than Pee Yellow. Surely it couldn't be worse!

The photo shows the results. Ahhh...much better!

I even painted the ugly wood-trim-mirror-that-came-with-the-house white. I was going to get really ambitious and paint the cabinets white too, but we are planning on tearing them out in January and replacing them with a pedestal sink. Plus, the paint fumes were really starting to get to me.

I also did some serious cleaning/organizing this weekend. You see, I come from a long line of Obsessive Compulsive cleaners, but somehow I escaped the curse (or is it a blessing?). Don't get me wrong, I don't like clutter, but I definitely do not obsess over keeping my home spotless 24/7. And when it comes to deep cleaning, I suck. Perhaps it is his military upbringing, but Joe can make this house sparkle. Usually we "team clean" on the weekend. I sweep and dust; he mops. I clean toilets; he scrubs the kitchen down. I start laundry; he takes out the trash.

But this weekend I also felt compelled to clean out and organize the places that we usually stash all the crap that doesn't really have a place, so we throw it in a drawer or in a closet when we are tidying up. I guess I'd just had enough.

I decided that all the tangled cables in the office closet needed to be bundled and zip-tied. The entire Walgreens inventory in our bathroom cabinets and drawers needed to be culled. It felt good to purge all of that useless crap.

There is one neglected space that I am saving for another weekend. My closet. Oy vey! It is BAD. There are two menacing laundry baskets full of unfolded clothes taking up the entire closet. I am sure that they contain articles of clothing that I've set aside for a garage sale, or to take to a resell shop, but somehow keep getting circulated back into my laundry. It is a vicious cycle. Hopefully this cleaning streak will last over the next few days so I can slay the terrible beastie that is my closet. Everyone send those OCD vibes my way!

Dinner Bell

Usually she doesn't eat the food we put out right away. She only does this to let us know her bowl is empty. Yes, she has us trained.

The SantaLand Diaries

I became a fan of David Sedaris after reading Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. I was inspired by his candor in writing about his family and childhood. I think the allure of humor writing comes from honesty. After all, reality is stranger, or in this case, more entertaining than fiction. Yes, it is encouraging to think that I too could make a living writing about the oddness of my family. That kind of venture takes a lot of courage. I'd better come up with a good pseudonym first.

As a birthday/Christmas treat my mother bought us tickets to see the SantaLand Diaries.

"A hilarious, sardonic comedy written by NPR humorist and best-selling author David Sedaris, chronicles his true-life experience as an out of work slacker taking a job as Crumpet the Elf at the SantaLand display in Macy’s Manhattan. The play recounts outrageous tales of encounters with frenzied holiday shoppers during the height of the holiday crunch. This priceless one-man show has become a national cult-classic and will star Dallas’ own Nye Cooper in the lead role. You’ll want to leave the kids at home for this one – we give SantaLand Diaries an “R” rating. "

Neither my mom or I had ever been to the Contemporary Theatre of Dallas and were surprised to find it was located in an old church off of Lower Greenville Ave. Their set up is intimate and complete with full bar. I thought the cocktail tables between and in front of the rows of seats were a nice touch. It made it less cramped, and I had a place to set my hot chocolate & peppermint schnapps. YUM!

I highly recommend the show and all things David Sedaris. SantaLand Diaries runs until December 20th. It's only $15 ! I thought it was well worth an hour of laughter. Click here for Ticket Info

O Christmas Tree

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around the casa. I was really procrastinating getting my Christmas decorating done this year. When I noticed many of our neighbors had their lights up, I decided I'd better get on it before it was too close to Christmas to justify dragging everything out of storage. I love our fake tree. There's no messy clean up, though I do appreciate the scent of a live... er...slowly dying tree. The best part is that it is pre-lit....until I discovered an entire section of lights was out. After rummaging through the foliage in search of a busted bulb in vain, I summoned the Master of all things electric...

Turns out it was just a blown fuse. Joe saved the day! :) I'm glad he was around to help out and use his gift. Since he doesn't have any interest in decorating, (which is probably a good thing since I am freakishly particular about where everything goes) I was happy that he was involved in the process. heehee

I decided that my...OUR tree needed more burnt orange (more brown, actually) ornaments, so my trip to WalMart for a $2 wreath door hanger ended up costing around $30 after I loaded up on ornaments. It was worth it though.


Of course, just as I had opened the curtains to the front windows, the news broadcasted a story cautioning people not to display their tree and gifts so as not to attract thieves. Joe and I just looked at each other and laughed as there are no gifts under our tree to steal.

I'm glad my Longhorns are headed for Pasadena! It makes me even happier to have a burnt orange theme. Plus, I can rationalize leaving my tree up until January 7th. Now I must get the outside lights up. Tomorrow...if it's not raining...and freezing.

A "Modern" Family Thanksgiving

Oh boy. To say that things did not go as planned this Thanksgiving would be an understatement. This is the first year my immediate family hosted our own Thanksgiving dinner. As many family members were celebrating with the other family on Thursday, we planned to host the big feast on Friday to accommodate everyone.

Of the original 14 people committing, only 6 showed. As a result, there was frantic last minute cooking (can't have Thanksgiving without cranberry relish and stuffing!). However, we had a delicious dinner and good company. It was a bit disappointing not to have everyone there, but on the bright side, we have a TON of leftovers, which makes me hap hap happy.

Also my worry about not bringing enough wine was all for naught.

I ended up picking up a case:

-A couple of bottles of the good ole standby Mark West Pinot Noir...USA Today recommended it as an affordable wine to pair with turkey. It's always been a staple in my wine fridge.

-A bottle of Graziano Zin- I figured I'd give it a go as it had a "turkey tag." Everyone seemed to enjoy it with our meal.

-Two bottles of Tamarack Cellars Fire House Red (my FAV!) I tried this wine at Veritas a couple of times and crave it. Unfortunately I was trying to skip town before Veritas opened so I

emailed the vineyard and asked for a list of retailers in the Dallas area. Thankfully, they replied and I was able to track it down.

-Finally, the saleslady at Vino 100 sold me on a bottle of Deerfield Ranch Sangiovese. The winemakers claim that low levels of sulfates and histamines = less of a red wine headache. It was also discounted for a limited time. I figured since I would never pay the retail price this was my chance to try it. Everyone seemed to like it as well.

Any tasting notes I would have provided are absent because my seasonal allergies decided to flare up just in time for the culinary pinnacle of my year. Just my luck.

After our lunch my mother, aunt, and I went for a walk through the woods. The weather was perfect for a digestion-aiding stroll. My mother took a picture of me in the midst of the fall foliage (because you know, my hair matches it so well these days). I was HORRIFIED by my paleness. I seriously looked like a vampire...a ghastly, "well fed" vampire. I decided that I need a spray tan posthaste.

Now I am trying to get inspired to dig out the pre-lit Christmas tree and decorate the house for the next go-round. Luckily, I have a bottle of wine left over from Thanksgiving.

Signs of the Season

I know, I know...I take and post way too many nature photos...but I am just weird like that.

Every fall I tell myself that I will take pictures of the tree full of persimmons at my parents' house, and every year the fruit falls off before I remember to capture it on film.

Timing is key. I personally think that the tree is the most interesting when all of the leaves have fallen, leaving bare limbs and the bright fruit.

A couple of weeks ago the tree still had leaves. I joked with my dad that he needed to leave some fruit on the tree so I could take pictures once the leaves fell off. When we visited last weekend he made it a point to remind me to take pictures (there's still a patch of leaves at the top).

He's VERY proud of his persimmon tree because of the high price the fruit brings at the grocery store. He's also the only person I know that actually likes to eat said fruit. As beautiful as they are, there's something about the texture that I do not find appealing.

So here they are in all of their unedited glory.

While I don't find them tasty, I do like to use them as decoration. (They match my mixer!)

Psychosomatic

Remember getting your finger pricked at the doctor’s office as a child? The nurse squeezed our tiny fingers and drop by excruciating drop, she filled that bottomless glass vile.

I remember it vividly… I whimpered and whined and begged my mother to save me from this “cruel” practice every time. It never worked.

When I was about 4 or 5 years old, I had my blood drawn despite my best fit. Afterwards, my mother was chatting with the receptionist and had squat down in an attempt to wrangle my little brother who was 2 or 3 at the timeI had draped my arms over her shoulders and hugged her from behind…probably wanting a piggy back ride. Gosh..I must have been annoying. Then I remember getting tunnel vision and sliding down her back towards the floor. I awoke to the unpleasant smell of ammonia and my mother and the nurse standing over me. Yep, I’d passed out

My mom felt pretty bad for me (though I am pretty sure she laughed first) and led me to the car then drove me to the nearest McDonald’s and bought me a Coke. I knew she was worried about me because we NEVER went to McDonald’s.

The whole fainting routine continued over the years.

I fainted when I received my vaccinations.

I fainted when people went into great detail of horrific bodily trauma.

Heck, one time I even fainted when in the same room as my brother was when he had his blood drawn.

I’ve never had to wait in the ER, but if I did, I’m pretty certain I would faint.

Needless to say, I NEVER considered a career in the medical field and sadly, I am not a blood donor.

Fortunately, shots don’t bother me anymore, but getting blood drawn is still a challenge. I have had to have blood drawn twice in the past two months,1 and I admit I am quite the diva (read irrational, demanding be-otch) at the lab.

Here are my demands..well more like pathetic requests:

• I must be able to recline or lie completely flat. Those safety chair things won’t cut it. I will pass out. Trust me.
• I must have the very best phlebotomist who can get it right the first time. Digging around in my arm with a needle is no bueno, and I will pass out.
• The phlebotomist must be quick and not show me the viles of blood… if I see them, I will most likely faint.

I realize this all sounds incredibly insane, but that’s how I roll.

I did learn a little trick that has worked the last 3 times I’ve had blood drawn. I read that since fainting is the result of a drop in blood pressure, tensing large muscle groups such as the legs supposedly keeps one’s blood pressure high enough to avoid passing out. So yeah, you bet I was lying on the examination table squeezing my calves, thighs, and glutes with all I had (and trying to be inconspicuous about it). Maybe the muscles tensing really worked or maybe I was so focused on tensing them that I was distracted enough not to pass out.

Anyways, I know it’s all in my head. I have done many online searches to find out why people pass out because of silly things. I realize the drop in blood pressure causes one to pass out, but what triggers the drop in blood pressure? I'm still not entirely sure, though I wonder if it is a fight vs. flight instinct. Maybe I'm like one of those animals who plays dead when it percieves danger. Anyone know?

I Almost Peed My Pants...

I am soon to be the proud owner of an iPhone and have been shopping for cases online. I've looked at cute leopard print cases (you know I am a sucker for anything animal print), crystal encrusted cases, silicon cases, cases galore!

But today I came across the Recession Case. 99 cents will get you a cardboard iPhone case. You can even order free Sharpie Personalization. Awesome.

I find this all wildly entertaining. I am a huge nerd...I know.

The FAQ's are the best part.

Q) Is it waterproof?
A) No, so dont put it in the dishwasher

Q) Is this case flammable?
A) If you light it on fire it is
Q) Does it come assembled?
A) no, see our animated gif for a step by step demo!
Q) What device does this case support?
A) iPhone 1G + 3G + 3GS
Q) How does this case stay together?
A) It has locking tabs at the bottom and top of the case, as well as an adhesive strip to keep the case held together
Q) Can I use this case to microwave my frozen pizzas?
A) I dont see why not, although we cant insure quality taste
Q) Will this case make me awesome?
A) I think that goes without saying
Q) Is there a warranty?
A) no, it is cardboard afterall
Q) Can I get a paper cut on my ear while using this case?
A) My first guess would be no, but anything is possible, we dont promote unsafe use of the recession case
Q) How long will the case be sold?
A) as long as it needs to be to get us out of this recession! or while supplies last
Q) Does it come with a screen protector?
A) no we are in a recession!
Q) How long will the product last?
A) forever as long as you don't destroy it!
Q) Is this case made from recycled cardboard?
A) 100% of only the best for you!
Q) Will the product scratch my device?
A) no! its cardboard not brick!
Q) Is the CM logo impressed on the case?
A) this is known as the "peoples case"
Q) Will this product be sold at case-mate retail locations?
A) Nope! The recession case is sold exclusively here at case-mate.com!

Mi Pelo es En Fuego!

During research time, my students have probably heard me threaten to set my hair on fire a time or two. Yes, even setting my hair ablaze would be less painful than teaching the research paper process and forcing my sweet angels to think and write (gasp!).

Well, I decided to go ahead and do it...metaphorically speaking of course. My mousey roots were starting to show from my failed attempt to go "Jennifer Anniston blonde." I read some where a while back that grown out roots made a bold statement like "I'm a busy woman, I don't have time to be bothered with scheduling my life around touching up my roots."

Yeah, I wasn't buying that one either. Common sense would lead one to go with a lower maintenance hue..like.. oh..I don't know..one closer to the natural color? No...I got a wild hair (tee hee) and went the only color harder to maintain than blonde highlights... RED!

Since I couldn't wait another week and couldn't afford to fork over the usual $140 I spend to get my hair cut and colored, I trusted one of my former students who recently landed a job at a salon in Waxahachie to turn me into a redhead. I think she did a great job. Me gusta mucho!












The inspiration.

The result!

Thirty, Flirty and Thriving!

Tuesday was mycousinamanda 's 30th birthday.

In honor of her monumental milestone and the journey to Japan on which she is about to embark, I created what could possibly be the nerdiest gift since Napoleon Dynamite scrawled that picture for Trisha to ask her to the school dance.

I give you....

Adventures of a Dallas Girl

Amanda has undergone many life changing experiences this year. She became engaged to Matt, who is in the Air Force and stationed in Okinawa, Japan. As he returns from Afghanistan in a couple of weeks, she will be joining him in Japan.

She also discovered the positive influence of yoga, and after a rigorous 200 hour training, Amanda is about to become a certified yoga instructor. If you've known Amanda, you know that she pretty much had the attention span of a squirrel on crack and about as much focus. (I say that with love.) Yoga has helped her harness all that energy...and she looks AH-mazing!!! For selfish reasons I want her to stay and be my personal yoga instructor. Can you say "family discount?" Holla!

My cousin has always put other people's well-being before her own and is still willing to go out on a limb when most people wouldn't. There's no other person with whom I'd rather be in a sticky situation than her. We have so many wonderful memories, and I am sad that I will see her much less than usual, but I am so, so excited that she has this opportunity.

Looks like I'll be taking a little trip to Japan in the next year to get my Amanda fix.

Love you cuz! I added you to my Google Reader subscriptions. We all expect updates soon!

Kiva

Thanks, Kara, for sharing this website. I think the concept is marvelous. Most of the people seeking loans are small business owners in less developed countries, though there are some small business owners in the US. It feels good to help grow someone's business through a loan as small as $25. It is also cool because you can track the progress of the business and you are notified when the loan is paid back.

Hillary Gets Krunk

I guess I find this all the more hilarious because I have found myself in a similar situation and lost my cool...only to feel like a jackass later. Well that and because Jon Stewart is too funny.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Hillary in the Congo
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Spinal Tap Performance

Cool School Stuff

I have to say that the latest GT/Technology inservice I attended was not a total waste of time. I learned quite a bit, especially Web 2.0 related stuff. Now Glogster is my new fav creative site and Scrapblog is a close second. This is just what I've been working on the last say or so. It is a work in progress, but I hope to be able to have it completely functional by the time school starts. It will allow my students and their parents to see homework assignments/documents as well as links to sites that are relevant to our class. Students will create projects using similar media and will be able to display them through our class page. That is the goal anyways.

Crafty

Last year I purchased some 8 inch, plain white, wood letters to hang up outside of my classroom. They were on sale at Hobby Lobby for $1.50 ea. In the madness of getting my room together and getting acquainted with my new school, I didn't bother to paint them as I had intended. I finally got around to it, and after 3 days of painting and browsing the web for ideas, this is what I came up with. Not sure if I like the creepy eye-ball looking one.

Now my I'll have some school color decor for my new room.

I have a new appreciation as to why boutiques sell handpainted letters for $20+ per letter! Let's just say that if Joe and I were to ever divorce, I would keep his last name! I think I am done being crafty for a while.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Back in March Joe and my parents tilled up the garden and planted several varieties of veggies...and after surviving a couple of frosts, here's what we've got so far:

Lemon Boy tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, Celebrity tomatoes, okra, banana peppers, strawberries, onions, bell peppers, and of course, the collard greens have long since been harvested and devoured. If anyone needs tomatoes....we've got them coming out of our ears. It's amazing what one can get from 3 plants.

Newsworthy: Flowers, Baseball, and Flips

Rangers v. Astros Weds night

NCA Cheer Camp @ TCU

Pictures at the Botanic Gardens in Ft. Worth

Checking out the green screen at Uncle Joe's work at NBC 5 studios.

Future news anchors?

Kristen and Katelyn in Texas! Day Two

Kristen and Katelyn in the American Girls Store at the Galleria in Dallas. They each got a new American Girl book.

American Girls for sure!

After lunch they went ice skating in the Galleria.

They loved riding the escalators!

Sprinkles cupcakes to refuel after skating! Yum!

Kristen and Harry and Katelyn and Phoebe

Amateur Bee Removal Attempt #1 = Epic Fail

The first attempt the wrangle the swarm of bees who've decided to move into my attic was a bust. The amateur bee keeper told me to put a box (that I had to swipe from school at 9:30 pm) with a plateful of honey in it near the hive and it would attract the swarm. Day #2 and not one darn bee in that box! Plus, the man did not show up last night as he said he would. It was a silly plan.

On to Plan B.

I emailed a professional beekeeper initially but didn't hear back until yesterday afternoon. It seems he's going out of town this week but wants the bees and will call back when he returns. I feel a little better letting a pro handle the situation. He seems to know what he's talking about and has the equipment to remove and relocate the bees.

Even though I am pretty much terrified of flying, stinging insects, as much research as I've done on honey bees, I am now a little sad that we are ill- equipped to raise them ourselves. I guess I'll just stick to the grocery store for my honey supply.

Amateur Bee Removal Attempt #1

Well, it looks like the eaves of my home are fit for a queen. It appears as though the colony of bees has moved in with her. I posted several ads on Craigslist for a "free bee swarm" and had a couple of responses. One was a cautionary tale about how I needed to get those bees out NOW or it could end up costing me $2500. The other ended up being a man that is trying to get his own hive started.
Since the bees aren't all hanging out on the outside of the house anymore, the job of getting them out is going to be more difficult. He spoke with an experienced bee keeper who said to put a cardboard box with a plate of honey inside. The bees with be attracted and I guess the whole hive is supposed to follow. Crazy right? Well, it is the night before the man is supposed to come out and pick up the bees and the box'o honey is in place. The bees are supposed to go to the honey when they wake up in the morning...hopefully they beat the fire ants to it. This should be interesting...

Don't Worry...Bee Happy...

I decided to be a good wife today (I was riding the high of being completely finished with school) and save Joe from mowing the lawn. I even got really ambitious and trimmed the hedges. I noticed there were some bees buzzing around the area I needed to trim and immediately turned off the hedge trimmer.

The first thought that popped into my mind was, "Holy crap! The vibrations from the lawn mower and trimmer have stirred up a hive of killer bees!"

The next thought was, "OMG...I totally forgot what to do if I'm attacked... Was it stop drop and roll?..wait no...that's a fire.. Strip down naked and run, traversing, arms flailing at full speed? Run inside? I don't want bees in the house! I know that I should NOT jump in a pool, lake, river or stream, because they will wait for me."

I decided to err on the side of caution and go inside before I failed my own Worst Case Scenario quiz. From my initial observation, there did not appear to be a hive...the bees were just flying to and from the overhang and maybe into the rain gutter...and in my opinion they seemed disgruntled. I called Joe and told him about our guests and then had to talk him out of getting on the roof to check things out for himself. You can imagine the worst case scenarios involving Joe and killer bees that popped into my head then.

As rational thoughts came back to me I thought I shouldn't be so presumptuous as to assume that these bees were of the "killer" variety. That was so FOX News of me, I scolded myself. I started to look into bee relocation services. I could have sworn I'd seen local beekeepers on Craigslist offering to relocate bees at no cost. I must have been bored that day...

The last thing I want is to exterminate them. Who wants to carry around the weight of ending the world (even if just a little bit) on their shoulders? NOT ME!

After doing some research I found that when bees swarm, sometimes it is just for a day or two until they find the ideal location to settle and build their hive. I am crossing my fingers that we don't have squatters on our hands here figuratively and literally. That was bad...forgive me. I've decided to give them until Monday before I evict them. Gosh, I do love bees buzzing around being all busy...but they make me nervous en masse. I also found the correct answer to my Worst Case Scenario quiz. I was way off!

Joe came home from work this evening and said "they're not in the attic...they are just on the side of the house...I think I can spray them." Oh Joe..

Here they are... It seems they've come home to roost for the evening....not as angry looking as before. No, I am not crazy...this is a 300mm zoom lens!