The stars at night are big & bright (clap clap clap clap) deep in the heart of Texas!

PART I

23 January 2009

I've been very busy! So much that my house is in ruins & I'm exhausted. Things will be normal again come Monday. I'm really looking forward to this trip to TX. Just me & ATM.

How was your Obama Inauguration day? I watched Obama's (botched) swearing in w/ my boss & co-workers @ the office. I made chicken tortilla soup & key lime pie, so we could stay glued to the television during our lunch break. The rest of the day DRAGGED by. The cosmos obviously knew that I was anxious to go the the MLK, Jr. Commission's Inaugural Ball that eve.

At first, the Ball was boring, but after a few cocktails, we were dancin' & havin' laughs. Eclipse Glasses performed wonderfully! I had a proud moment where I stepped/line danced for the first time. F-U-N!

Eclipse Glasses:

Luke, Sydney, KMHD & Rachel:

You could be dancing...yeah!





We had a group shot taken. Totally hilare!



You know, I had a real hard time emoting in front of my boss/co-worker's. I guess I didn't feel a kindred spirit with them, even though they are Obama supporters. I held in all of my emotions & as soon as I rolled into my driveway @ home, I totally bawled. Because we've been treated like traitorous dogs for the past 8 years & for what?  I don't think I'm overstating or overreacting. I know President Obama means a lot of different things for everybody, but he is a massive relief for me. I love his brain!  Really, I sleep better at night knowing there is a smart person sitting as president.  He won't be able to fix much of anything, it's all very messed up, but he's smart & somehow, that makes it all a little better.  And Michelle! The girls! Science! The arts! The dark ages are over!  (Did he really say non-believers?!  Wau!)


Wednesday, was Zach's 26th birthday. He & KMHD came over and we feasted on artichoke dip, hummus, pita, panko chicken nuggets, a bell pepper tart, samosas & cupcakes.  An extremely varied menu, but it was what Zachariah wanted & it was all very good. The idea was to eat & watch the LOST premiere, but since SEC basketball takes precedence in our area, the plan was derailed. Well, not the eating part.  We tried watching cable television, but that was a total bust. We called it an early evening, we were all extremely tired anyway.  ZACH:  I hope you have a lovely, peaceful year.  

Here is some good news for people who can't won't let go of their Polaroids. I still have a Joycam w/ some film, but I use it for special SPECIAL SPECIAL occasions.  There is hope for Polaroid preservation yet.  To the do'ers!

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PART II

30 January 2009, post-break

Winter is totally kicking my butt.  I don't want to do anything!  The ideal day has become this:  Wake up right before mid-morning, about 9:30 a.m.  Put bird feed on the ground outside the bedroom window.  Make a quick breakfast of peanut butter toast, juice & coffee/tea.  Crawl back into bed & watch birds.  Fall asleep with either a cat or a book on my chest.

My brain & limbs need thawing.

It was only last week that I realized that I love sleeping.  I know, who doesn't love sleep?  Well, I've never been a sleeper-inner, I like having whole, full days.  Also, I'm a morning person.  But now, and I think it's a blend of winterness & getting older, I can't get enough of the zzz's!  It doesn't help that our bed is a total nest, making it difficult to rise.

So, our trip to Plano/Frisco, Texas, planned based around the purchase of a couch from IK3A, was pretty uneventful.  Plano & Frisco are high-end suburbs of Dallas.  They both have lots of shops & you have to drive everywhere.  The noted preferred mode of transportation?  SUVs, of course!  It kinda made LR, AR look forward-thinking & modern, despite our lack of a proper Whole Foods, our own urban sprawl, etc.  Speaking of Whole Foods, it was the only other shop I was stoked about.  The one here is so terrible, it doesn't even count.  At REAL Whole Foods, they have a killer deli.  The kind that is so bountiful, beautiful & varied, it's impossible to make up your mind what you want & you end up with 5 lbs. of food, which you will happily nosh on for days.

Lessons learned from TX trip:  1.  If you drive a long distance to pick up a couch, be sure the automobile you rented is big enough to haul it back.  Paying one-way rental fares is beyond pricey.  It's take-your-breath-away/shit-your-pants expensive.  2.  Make sure the rental has an auxiliary mode, so you can listen to the awesome podcasts, stories, etc. that you've downloaded to your 1pod for long distance trips.  It is the best way to pass time.  3.  You get what you pay for.  It's a truism.  Me & ATM, we don't put on airs when it comes to places to stay.  More often than not, if we can get a room at Motel 6, we will.  But, don't be surprised if your room has a roach problem.  AHEM.

We were very impressed with the motel's comforter:

Here is our bold new couch:

We picked this particular color because it best brings out the color of SOLO's eyes.  Actually this photo makes me a bit sad, her eyes are getting cloudy because she's getting old:

On our way out of town, we stopped by Whole Foods to get refueled.  I got a carrot-orange juice.  It inspired me to buy a juicer.  I've wanted one for a long time anyway.  I'm a low-end yuppie now!  Drink up!

By the way, juicing is awesome.  It is delicious & it being healthy is just a benefit.  I've been keeping it simple with apple, orange, ginger, carrots & beets.  I'll venture into the green juices real soon.  I don't know if it's psychological, but I do feel more healthy, especially when it comes to digestion.  Things have been running smoothly!

This evening, me & ATM are making homemade baked mac n cheese.  Then we're going to dumb Sticky Fingerz to watch the AR Times Showcase w/ Collin.  I'm hoping we run into folks we haven't seen since last year.  (Hello Keiko!  Hello Rett!)  If it gets boring, we're going to try to convince people to come back to our home to admire our new couch, I mean, hang out & have some laughs.  

Thoughts going out to Fayetteville people, still suffering the effects of an ice storm.  Stay warm!  And if you can get out of town & need a place to stay, come to our place!

P.S.

Stuff You Should Know podcast = Best podcast! Great for long drives.  It stems from this.

Highly recommended: Bittman's egg drop soup (Alannah, a good alternative to scrambled eggs for achy mouths!)  We came home from TX with no groceries.  I did have eggs, parmesan, broth & parsley, though.  Why eat ramen again ever?  This was healthier, heartier, delicious, etc.  I feel like a wedge of lemon would've been the perfect garnish.  Next time.