a butt-broadening experience

I just got home from my lil brudder's graduation. Holy. Moly. It started at 7:30, and we just got home. It is past 10. TWO AND A HALF HOURS of listening to every little kid's accomplishments. Of course, I babysat or went to school with the siblings of half the kids, but sheesh. Thankfully, there was a breeze, so the football stadium wasn't too unbearable.

PS: My brudder's Marines scholarship was the highest single scholarship amount. So there.

The Loooong Way Home

We have now been on the road for approx. 8.5 hrs, and I think we have about another hour to go. Max has, again, slept the entire trip. I am afraid I may be getting sick- I've had a fever pretty much all day. Hopefully, I'm just allergic to long car trips, because I've got wayyy too much to do to be sick this week. Anyway, since I dont feel well, I'm allowing myself to do a "picture dump", a la Benson (iwastetoomuchtimeatwork blog).


THIS was AMAZING. This pic is not a closeup, and has not been modified. We were driving along and came across this. I stuck my arm out the window & snapped.











We just thought we were excited to see a few deer on the road... There were sixteen of them!!!
They seemed completely unafraid, just meandering down the road. I think they were just whitetails, mostly doe & yearlings.







This pic was taken on the lake right next to the Inn of the Mountain Gods resort & casino. From inside, there's an enormous window looking out onto this scene... minus the blonde dude & chubby girl...

and... my glasses are HUGE!








This is a view of the cabin. I was standing on a rock by the river when I took this. Beautiful, huh?











This is us on the other side of the cabin. We're wearing our Smittens!! Thanks, Auntie M & fam!!!













This was one of Max' many many adventures... He had a BALL!!!













"YIPES, dis water am ccccold!!!"














Max, all tired out, curled up about a foot from the fire.

more cheerful now

Sorry for that last post, guys... had to get it out of my system, so I relegated it to the one post. This one will be much more cheerful, I promise.

Last night, on our way home from the stupid casino, we saw two elk(s?) in two different places!!
They were massive. It was night, and they ran off pretty quickly, so we couldn't get pics, but they both looked like this:
Their bodies seemed like the same size as the car, plus their antlers. I think I counted 12 points on the smaller one, but I couldnt see the points of the bigger one. They were both in velvet like this one was, so they'll probably get even more huge later on. They were amazing. Both were probably about 10-15 feet from the car when we discovered them... the first one was just chillin, walking down the middle of the road, totally unconcerned, and the other ran right across in front of us. Where we saw the first one was just down the road from where we stopped to take these pics:















Also, it's been snowing!!! Just a few random snows here and there down in town where we are, but you can see up at the top of the mountain (Sierra Blanca) it's practically a blizzard.

Today, I had possibly the BEST White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookie I've ever had... Do I look happy, or what??

time to whine

Sorry guys... i hafta whine for a bit. If you're looking for something positive & uplifting, look elsewhere.

First of all, last night at the casino was disastrous. Since I know most of you aren't familiar with/ don't care about poker play-by-plays, I'll spare you all the disgusting details, but suffice it to say, I lost about $65 in one hand. Had I won, like I should have, I would have won over $150 in the one hand, which, in a $3-6 limit game like we were playing, is pretty rare. In fact, I was only 2 cards off from hitting the $38,000 "Bad Beat Jackpot". My pocket Queens hit a full house on the turn, and the idiot that beat me hit Quad 9s on the river, after calling 2 separate $24 bets with 9-6 offsuit. BLAAAAGH.

For those of you that have no clue what I'm talking about, the proper response is sympathy & indignation.

SECONDLY.

We just got back from Ruidoso Downs, the local racetrack. They have nowhere to sit inside. It is currently about 55 degrees, and super windy. I was FREEZING, and WINDBLOWN (so much for having rolled my hair this morning), and while we were watching the race, my horse kicked dirt all over me, and lost anyway. I stomped my foot, and we only stayed for 2 races.

Sorry guys, that is all.

further clarifications...

Some of you may be confused by a comment left on my last blog...

There is no need for "invitations" just yet. Don't worry, you haven't missed anything. Remember? I'll be gushing the news from every pore & you'll KNOW when anything happens. :)

Although... some of our friends do have money on an over/under date for us to get engaged...

:)

thank you, thank you, we'll be here all week...

It is so beautiful here. Aside from the yukky nature stuff.

Sunday night we drove to White Sands to watch the sun set & almost full moon. Last night, they were holding some big Full Moon shindig, but last night was also the Spurs game, & we couldn't miss such a big game, so we decided to go the day before. Several pics are below (mostly of White Sands, but also some of town). The sunset was phenomenal.

We have decided to stay here for another week (probably gonna leave on Monday), so I am currently sitting on top of a washer at the local laundromat. Last night, after the spurs game (HOORAY!!), we decided to try our luck at the $1-2 No Limit poker game at the Inn of the Mountain Gods casino... dumb idea. James was out in one hand, and I was out in half an hour, due to this idiot donkey that would play and follow through with ANY hand with ANY club in it...

It has rained more today. The sounds of storms up at the cabin are fantastic. We ordered dial up service at the cabin, but it is so frustratingly slow, we decided to go ahead & do most of our work in town. We had a lunch of BLTs on a big rock by the river today. It was nice, and only had to fight off a couple of roly-polys for our seats. The flock of hummingbirds have finished 2 regular sized feeders and part of a ginormous one we have. Yesterday, I saw a bird I didnt know... anyone ever heard of a bird that is black & larger than a grackle, but with a peak on his head like a cardinal? Anyway... just catching up...

ps: I think I put a permanent dent in the top of this washer... :|

Buh-buh-buh-BRRRRRRR!

We finally arrived at the cabin last night around 8:15, after a retardedly expensive & long trip to the local Wally World. I must say, I was not in the best humor... I was tired from the trip, wearing a sleeveless dress in the 45 degree moisture, in need of a bath, and still had to set up the cabin. The cabin was built in 1902, and still has no heat, other than the giant pot-bellied stove in the center of the living room, and no insulation. Needless to say, it was FREEZING, and covered with a layer of dust, complete with leaves & bugs. I was, quite literally, not a happy camper. We finally got the cabin all set up, wiped down, beds made & fire lit.

If you've met me, I'm sure you can imagine the effect all the dust & cleaning supplies had on my allergies. I sounded like I had swallowed a squeak toy, and I was dreading the prospect of taking a shower. In my head, I kept remembering the pure misery of bath time at Blue Haven. If you are unfamiliar with that form of torture, imagine Hades freezing over. Then imagine having to take a shower there. That's right, BRRRRR. Since I was not quite looking forward to it, I decided to skip it & head straight to my bunk.

Did I say where the beds were? They are outside, on a screened in porch. Yes. I said Outside. It was 35 degrees, and the fire was in the next room. Fortunately, the cabin is stocked with Magic Blankets (i.e.: extraordinarily warm), and I think I was zzzzing almost instantly.

I awoke this morning to the sound of birds outside, the stream babbling just below the porch, and a light rain of the tin roof. And I had a Max on by belly. The view from my bunk is AMAZING. The cabin is surrounded by giant pine and birch trees, sits on the side of the mountain, about 20 feet from a creek, and is home to a whole little flock of very tame hummingbirds.

This morning, I felt much more optimistic about the shower situation (plus, I was getting to be a bit yukky, what with all the nature & no bath). The tub is an antique cast-iron claw foot tub, and luckily, I just happened to bring my bubble bath. I used up about half a bottle, and all the hot water, and had the bathroom steaming in no time. It was possibly the most positively delicious hour and a half I have ever spent in a tub!! And the shower head? Forget those new fangled “water saver” showerheads… HaH- this one was the old fashioned full blast kind that bullies you into being clean. PURE BLISS.

James and I spent today working in this cute little coffee shop, bumming off their free WiFi. We had a fantastic lunch of green chili burgers & Cuban sandwiches. We hooked up the caffeine IV when we arrived, and it flowed coffee all day. After work, we headed to the local sports bar to watch the Spurs tie up the series against the Hornets, then to the Inn of the Mountain Gods to blow a quick H at the blackjack tables.

Now, we’re headed back to the cabin to see how Max fared the day. After sleeping for practically 12 hours straight on the way here, Max was the posterkitteh for Ritalin last night. He RAN and JUMPED and EXPLORED and HID and FELL and SKIDDED and ATTACKED and STREAAAAACHED and got a little singed and got stuck and got in a fight with a rug and his shadow and a bug and a leaf and finally crashed, evidently on my tummy.

Ok, now that this blog has officially reached “epistle” length, I’ll go, and I promise I’ll try not to be so windy tomorrow. It is still raining, and is supposed to snow tonight & tomorrow. James is making a fire, and Max is still being Max, and I am still cold and not a fan of nature, but I am in a much better temper than I was last night.

Aaaaand we're off, like a speedingherdofturtles!

James and I are headed to Ruidoso! Drive out time: 6:42 am, stinking early, but much better the "3 or 4 am" that James suggested we leave.

Max is coming with us! He has spent the entire trip sleeping & lazing around the car. Also, he made me a dress of fur.... He's been shedding buckets all over me... blegh!

After we'd been on the road about an hour, a big storm hit,and max did not like it one little bit:

Now, we're in Artesia, NM, and are driving through another huge storm. I can't get a good shot of max, but it's pretty similar to this one, except he's buried down between a bunch of suitcases & pillows... There is so much hail here that it's piled up in fields & on the sides of the road, and it looks like snow.

Emergency of the Day: We forgot the keys to the cabin, but that wasn't the big drama. We also forgot the bag that had all our toothbrushes/ deodorant/ soap/ shampoo/ etc in it, but that wasn't it either. No, the emergency occurred when James realized (along about Fredricksburg) that he remembered the 42" plasma and the satellite dish, but forgot the receiver. Horror of Horrors, for a few minutes, we thought we were gonna be without TV for a few days... but no worries... My hunny quickly got on the phone & remedied the problem by having a friend go to the house & OVERNIGHT us the box to Ruidoso's post office....

OH... aren't we nerds for taking a pic at the state line?? :)

in response...

...to my dear friend's (who is wrong) blog post entitled "Do Not Want!!!"....

Utter and Bitter Disappointment

In selfish scalpers... In myself... & in the inevitable habits of cruel time...

On our way back to Austin, James and I were going to try to go to the Spurs game. We stopped at a couple of ticket places, but nobody was selling anything for less than $150 per ticket for uppers. We decided to go ahead and pay the required arm & leg to park, then try to get some from a scalper closer to the arena. We have been successful doing that before, but evidently, it's a bit more difficult to do for a playoff game... prices were still about $140 per seat from the few scalpers around. Even halfway into the first quarter, nobody would come down on their prices, so James and I are now sitting at Hooligans watching the game, and I still do not have my sparkly pink jersey. :(

When we first got here, they were showing all the celebrities at the game... They showed Tommy Lee Jones, and of course, Eva. Then they showed some old guy. Some totally nondescript old guy in a baseball cap, sitting next to a middle-aged blonde woman. Just as the words, "Who's that old guy supposed to be??" came out of my mouth, the words popped on the big screen...

George. Strait. (and his wife Norma.)

It was my hunny. The man I've been in love with since my prenatal days. The man that winked, waved, and smiled at me as he drove away from the DQ in Dilley. The man that wrote and sang "I Cross My Heart" for me (he did SO). THAT man.

It wasn't just the lack of cowboy hat and view of that adorable Wrangler-clad posterior that made me mistake him for just "some old guy"... He looked so unbelievable aged, I don't know if i would have recognized him in his traditional cowboy hat! Surely i would have if he had smiled at me... those dimples are unmistakable... but then, i thought his whole aura was unmistakable...


I have been plunged into the depths of despair. :(:(:(:(

One more for today...

I've got a pretzel in my head!!!

Anyone watch LOST? awesome... Sooo confusing...

I had nightmares after last night's episode... I woke myself up talking in my sleep because I kept dreaming I was dying. I was dreaming I was Sun on Lost...

Actually, I've been doing that a lot lately... odd, eh? Over the past few weeks, I've been shot (a few times), chased down & knifed, drowned, chopped up into slices, and just faded out... CREEPY!!! and no, if you dream yourself ded, you dont actually die...

anyone into dream analysis??

Am I evil for being so annoyed by this?

In the coffee shop area of borders, there is a group of 5 within earshot of me. They apparently have never met each other before. Their goal in their meeting is to "brainstorm ways to combine their passions: art, fundraising for various charities, cultural diversity, and their faith". They all have the same annoyingly soothing tone of voice and superior air of "mineth doesn't stinketh" about them. Isn't Borders a bit commercial for them? Isn't there some completely unknown hipster coffee shop (perhaps in Austin) they should be sponsoring??

have i told you how much i LOVE my job?

I do. I really really do. Right now, I am sitting in Borders at the Quarry on my supercool laptop, working (yes, I really am! some), and drinking a yum coffee. James had an install on the north side today, so we came down this morning, had lunch at Pei Wei, and he dropped me off here to shop work. Later, we're meeting up with my parents for dinner & the races at Retama Park, then heading home for the weekend. Keep your toes crossed for me... there's talk of working next week from the cabin in Ruidoso...

I think we're gonna try to go to the Spurs game on Sunday on our way back to Austin... see?? I reeeeeally DO neeeeed this. And I've worked it all out... If I wear it on every game day next year (not counting next year's playoffs), it would average out to costing about a dollar per time to wear it!! And I know I'd wear it for more than a year... so I'm allowed to spend a retarded amount of money on a cool sparkly pink jersey, right??

A Post for the Sake of Posting...

ohaiguys! Sry I haven't been posting much lately... Guess I just haven't had much to post about...

Last week, we went to the spurs game (the one in which the Spurs won the series against the Suns). It was pretty fun... Our tickets were pretty high up, but center court. A kid sat 2 seats down from me, but his binoculars and his attention were glued to the game the entire time, so YaY! Someone had the brilliant idea to hand out maracas to the sold-out crowd, so the arena sounded a bit like 20,000 tiny rattlesnakes on speed... Also, some guy behind me somehow kept clapping his maracas in my hair... All in all, it was a great time... OOh... I found out I neeeed this. I believe that's the one Eva wears when cheering on Tony (except hers is #9, of course).

I've been doing research on starting a website for the company. I'm coming to find out that I've become my dad... anything I touch that is electronic refuses to work for me. Oh well... the "For Dummies" book I've been reading should help... if anyone has any suggestions, they'd be greatly appreciated.

Hmm... what else has been going on... Just the usual, really... Monday night poker, Wednesday night trivia, and we're headed home for Mom's day weekend. I guess that's about it... oh yeah... I got my very own laptop. AND super cute bag to carry it in. :)

Anyway, sorry for the boring post... but, I suppose any post is better than no post.

Oops... it's almost noon... time for breakfast!

As Promised, Bathtime for Max

A couple of weeks ago, Max got out a couple of times (you should have seen the dogs trying to make friends with him!), got pretty muddy, and turned into a bit of a fleabag. James had some kitteh shampoo on hand, so we decided it was time for Max & Annie to have their baths. Max went first, and after the very necessary peticure, we finally got him in the sink. The entire process was hysterical, but required all 4 hands, so we didnt get any pictures until it was time to dry him off. Next, Annie had her turn. She had taken baths before, and she's about a quarter Max's size, so James could hold her while I took a couple of pics. In the middle of it all, the guy from the phone company showed up, and he looked at me pretty strangely when I opened the door, and the entire kitchen was covered in watery soap suds, and he saw what we were doing to our animals... Hope he didnt call PETA... Anyway, here are the pics...

think I'll name him Scuttle...

Have you missed me, fair readers? I've missed you too. And, I've lots to catch up with you on. Nothing important, just all the daily joys of Lin at Home.

You may be wondering to yourself, "wait a minute... is this the same Lindsey I know?? It's awfully early for her to be alive..."

You are correct, my friend. Believe me, it was not by choice that I am awake at this ungodly hour (ie, in the eights)...

There is a lovely birdfriend that lives in the tree outside my bedroom window at my apartment complex. For some reason, he thinks the sixes are a good hour to begin practicing his arias.

I've no idea what kind of bird he is, except that I think maybe he is akin to our favorite animated albatross that so brilliantly serenaded us in The Little Mermaid. Perhaps he moved to Texas because he couldnt find work during the Writer's Strike. Perhaps I should invest in some avian singing lessons from Cinderella or Princess Giselle from Enchanted...

Anyway, I woke up, he was too noisy to go back to sleep, so I came on over to James' house, and by the time I got here, I was too awake to go back to sleep.