Blogging, Banking, Biscuits and Birdies ...

BLOGGING:

I've decided my last blog on 'Zones' was altogether too long, so I am posting my boring morning adventures to 'cover it up' so y'all won't feel as if you need to read my 'Novel of Nothing'.

BANKING:

Headed to my favorite place to get the beverage of my choice, mainly because I was on the way to the bank.

Off to the bank, drink in hand ...

Got to the drive through and Charlie starts getting all ... rigorous, vigorous, crazy about stepping on top of my drink and sitting in my lap.

I kept telling her 'no' but she seemed determined. I looked up and could see myself in their security camera and Charlie straining her hardest to see herself in it - you could just make out 3/4 of a dark, furry face.

Now, I know I append, adjoin, attach, affix human attributes onto Charlie, but in all honesty ... I don't think she has figured out yet that she ISN'T human ... so I decided she was just being all vain and wanting to look at herself.

BISCUITS:

And then ... AHH HAH! She was showing herself to the banking girl drumming up sympathy for a doggie biscuit. She gets them at our bank - thus the trying to sit in my lap. And, my, was she determined! So I was a bit more lenient about her sitting on my lap so the banking girl could see her.

And we wait ...

I get a curt "Thank you" from the teller and the little tubie thingy shoots off from the bank and lands in my drive through box. Charlie is quivering by now with excitement.

"It's just a BISCUIT, Charlie", I said, but no go - she was SUPER EXCITED. The outing of a lifetime - Sonic AND Banking Biscuits!!

I open the tubie thingy and take out my receipt.

Just that and a pen.

Charlie shoves her face in the open tube ... then looks at me like it was my fault the teller was a ... well, a non-dog-lover. Then, and I SWEAR, her face fell and she looked so sad ...

... I'm a sucker - I promised her a treat when we got home. And she perked right up.

BIRDIES:

And onto to home we drove - with the windows down so that Charlie's ears could flap in the breeze and she could sing 'Born Free' or what ever the hell it is she does as she is hanging out the window (when she is not harassing babies in strollers ....).

And we passed a tree.

We pass this tree a lot.

We passed it a few nights ago - late.

And every time I drive by - I hear a gazillion birds chirping, or rather - shouting. It didn't hit me until today, but there are houses right by this tree. How would you like a 'Birdie High Rise Apartment Complex' full of fun loving, partying all night, playing the stereo too loud tenants living next to you?

I seriously decided that I would probably kill myself if I had to listen to this all day and night ... but then again, I would probably die eventually from lack of sleep, or jailed for 'Bird Slaughter' (is that a misdemeanor or a felony?).

I turned around to go tape a bit. And the raucous you hear, although it does not sound like a gazillion birds ... trust me - it is - just not as melodic as it sounds in real life ... if you can call a gazillion shouting birds melodic ...

I taped two and was just going to put the shorter one in since I look like I cannot hold a camera in the longer one - but you can tell they are birds shouting, chirping, whatever in the longer one ...

And, well, this may not be shorter than 'Zones', but at least I tried ....

Off to find Charlie a treat - she is sitting here sulking and talking in her human growly, mumbling voice (think Muttley from what ever cartoon he was in and you have how Charlie seriously talks in real life - it is scary .... and what is scarier is that I understand her ...)

"In the Zone(s)"

Yesterday was a day of what I am calling 'Zones'. In Wikipedia, if you look up 'In the Zone' you are redirected to 'Flow' and it explains that 'In the Zone' is a colloquial term for Flow (go figure) - thus I shall be colloquial.

It says it "is the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus", or more succinct: "a single-minded immersion".

Yesterday was that day - for all members of my household.

Gary has been swimming at the YMCA every morning trying to get his arm in shape. He toured the facilities (in Cinco Ranch for those of you in these here parts ...) and found it to be a beautiful, well equipped and clean place in which to workout - thus he signed up. And we discovered that for a mere $20.00 more a month we could get a 'Two Adult' admission.

So ... yesterday was the day for me to go and join. We needed to do it at O'dark hundred since lap swim is from 6:00am to 8:00am and then there is a gap until 10:00am and Gary most definitely wanted to be in another 'zone' by then.

He jumps out of bed and heads into the bathroom / closets - somewhere ... point being he was not near me when I muttered:

Lori: "You are one freaking crazy bastard..."

Apparently, Gary, not that far away, and me apparently not muttering very quietly:

Gary: "You talking to the dog?"

Lori: "Um, yeah ... did you hear that?"

Gary: "Not really ... Charlie - was she talking to you or about me?"

Charlie:

Lori: "Charlie said I was talking to her ... promise. Nothing important dear, she is just hogging the covers ..."

And I decide I better get up and get with the program.

Since I had no intentions of actually working out (I know, I know - WHY am I joining - we have a treadmill at home - but for practically no money a month - should the urge hit - I have a lot more equipment I can embarrass myself in front of fit people on) ... we took separate cars.

Went in, got the membership combined and on the right card to take out the monthly fees ... and I left....
... burdened with all sorts of information should I actually want to participate in something that I am actually paying for.

Zones? You ask? What zone? Well, I was in my "I am going to try to be more healthy .... OK, OK healthy more than sick" zone. But there is another zone here: that creepy "In the Zone" your healthy, freaky friends talk about that involves endorphins and euphoria and hitting some wall ... I gotta tell you - even back in my gymnastics and (very short) track days - I NEVER FOUND THAT ZONE!

When it comes to working out, sports, etc - I am zoneless.

Moving on.

I was all proud of myself for driving my car to the YMCA and getting a key ring pass letting me into the building should I ever be in the vicinity again, and driving back home ... I was feeling healthier already ...

... when I get the text from my son about a gunman on his campus, being in lockdown and sirens blaring. He was in his apartment, but since it is only one block from campus - this was not much of a consolation. So ... into the 'Concerned Mother' zone I went.

I vacillated between thoughts of this:

and this:

this ...

then this would invade my worries:

That went on for quite a long part of the day.

Others in the household were in other zones and gunmen weren't going to stop them ....

Gary returned from swimming (with a halo on top of his head AND a star on his forehead) and put on his refinishing shirt to get into the 'Refinishing Zone' (Refinishing? Since it is the first time you are putting color on wood, wouldn't that be called 'finishing' - but that seems so ... final ... whatever - you know what I mean). His refinishing shirt comes complete with a hole in the sleeve where Chance - our first boxer (... Chance was a good dog ...) hit him with his back paw jumping (all our dogs are jumpers and can jump HIGH):

And off into his '(re?)finishing zone'

At some point while I was in my "Concerned Mother" zone ... I got a call from my cleaning lady asking if I had bought a new vacuum - since the last one blew up on her two weeks ago, or did she need to bring one. I told her that yes, I had bought a new vacuum, then when Gary arrived, promptly used his superpowers and fixed my old one - thus I had two vacuums she could choose from tomorrow.

Cleaning Lady (Alma): "Tomorrow?"

Lori: "Yeah, two weeks ago when you came on Wednesday you said - "see you in two weeks?" and I said "yes". I know Tuesday is our regular day and I just assumed that you meant Wednesday again and that it would be our new day. But it is all right to come today - the house isn't that messy and I can have it picked up before you come."

Alma: (whose English isn't very good): "Excuse me?"

Lori: "See you in a bit"

Alma: "OK, Miss Lori"

And I forgot to be "Concerned Mother" for just a few minutes since the house really was picked up and so not much needed to be done:

Alma came with her sister, who (had asked permission from me) and brought her baby:

And ALL OF A SUDDEN ... I fell smack dab into that "I LOVE BABIES!!!" zone! But not for long - she got fussy and started screaming while I was trying to comfort her. When her mother took her off my hands I was rather relieved, but unfortunately popped back into the "Concerned Mother" zone and - again began scouring the web for information.

Charlie had been unceremoniously dumped in the backyard since she LOVES babies and the babies mom wasn't so sure about that, being that - had she wanted - Charlie could have eaten her in a few bites. So she sat outside the garage door waiting for Gary to come out and play Frisbee - so I guess she was sort of in a Zen Meditation: "Waiting for Frisbee" zone.

Come to think of it ... Charlie is ALWAYS in the "Waiting for Frisbee" zone ...

I got over the "Concerned Mother" zone and decided it was time for the "Photography Zone". There wasn't much to take photos of and since I was coming down with the 'Mother of all Head Colds' (yes, that is what I have now) ... I stayed in the yard and took photos of the other plant that lives outside and endures my neglect with aplomb:


S0 - that was just a few of the 'zones' I popped into and out of and most made sense to me.

But if someone can explain that 'In the Zone' during a workout - especially the endorphins and euphoria part ... I am all ears ....

NOT The Text to get from your Son ...

I was working on another blog when I got this text from Ryan:

"If it makes the news, don't worry, I'm not on campus ..."

OH, GREAT - so I text back:

"Sh*t, WHAT?"

And he texts back:

"FWD: UT Alert: armed subject reported last seen at PERRY CASTENEDA LIBRRARY SHELTER IN PLACE STAY WHERE YOU ARE AT MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW.

I can hear UT's speakers emmiting a siren, like the bomb warning things"

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT!!!!

My reply:

"Alrighty then .... Stay safe ...."

And now off to scour the news for any information that I can possibly find ....

***************

(Note - if you click on the title of this post, it will take you to the most up to date information MSNBC has ... at least for now ... this is for you Mom ...)

Busy Day ...

... for me

... without my superpowers ...

I forgot to mention:

THE DOOR IS FIXED!

This is a huge relief to us and, I'm sure, a huge disappointment to that creepy guy that wanders the neighborhood looking for deed restriction violations then sending out nasty letters threatening lawsuits and whatnot.

We are Violation Free!

Dutifully went to my meeting where things meandered around for a bit until I just decided to say: "You - do this, the person who is running late - gets to do that, I'll - do the other". Bitchy yes, but I was not feeling well and it was not Rocket Science. Then excused myself and went to pick up Charlie.

To say I'm not the friendliest gal on the planet is a HUGE understatement.

Got Charlie - she acted like she had been held captive while someone shaved her butt and privates (true) and was just happy to get in the car. On the way home we ran into a road block. I was stuck in my car stopped and this lovely swampy scene was outside my window so I spent the time photographing it. It may be the only photographs I ever get of it (why I would want more is beyond me). It is on a busy, two lane portion of a road with a blind curve and no shoulder so walking there to take photos is extremely dangerous.

I say IS since my father and I wanted to photograph something just beyond this curve and walked there to do it - I don't believe it was a dead armadillo (although we did have to step over one ...) I believe it was a overgrown shack of some sort - but not worth nearly getting killed over ... I am sure.

Nice and green for almost October ... no? And WHO KNOWS what lurks in that brown water (other than alligators - that is a given ...):

Charlie in all her shaved splendor:

Gary has been throwing a Frisbee for her. The first time he threw for her (throwing with his left hand vs his injured right) he came in all sad and told me that "Charlie told me that I throw like a girl" and pouted for a bit. He is still throwing for her, but can't hit the spot he is aiming for so not that many good 'catch' shots.

Pretty much, I was just happy not to get hit in the head by a wayward Frisbee, or tackled by the dog (almost) while she was concentrating on the Frisbee and not where the 'camera taker' was standing ...

And, joy of joys - Gary is able-bodied enough to be doing his woodworking. Mainly just looking through catalogs and shopping (kidding) but finished the bed and somehow managed to get the headboard and footboard off the table - so doing rather well.

Although, I did find him in our Master Bedroom in the sitting area watching TV and icing his shoulder a few hours ago. It must have done the trick since he is now out on a bike ride.



Yes ... a BIKE RIDE.

He is not completely off his rocker ... I saw him drive away in the truck with means he headed to 'something-or-other bayou' where there are bike paths and no cars / buses/ trucks / etc allowed. I guess falling is still an option - but won't be hit by any moving vehicle (Hmmmm except maybe another bike ... where is the man anyway? He should have been home by now ...).

I am excited to see what he builds next. He showed me the CUTEST mission style small desk. And for a guest room - who needs a big desk right? Anyone coming to visit will just be bringing a laptop, right? It was really nice and would match.


My goal is to convince him to build it next ...




Too bad I lost my superpowers .... I am sure that would have done the trick!!!

Sunrise & Peacocks

The 'Woman Formerly Known as Wonder Woman' groaned this morning as Gary perkily said "I'll be back in an hour!" on his way out the door at 6:57am. It was dark outside and I was tired - having lost all my superpowers, and having roamed the house in beaucoup pain about four or five times in the wee hours of the morning ... I lost count.

I had told him to wake me up, though - so he was not being obnoxious or anything - just being a dutiful husband. He was off to swim at the YMCA - his form of therapy for his arm since he can obtain full range of motion in the water - where out of the water, he still cannot really lift it above horizontal. And he was (OK, is) a swimmer in a previous life - a lifeguard, a swim coach, a swim teacher - so for him - this is like coming home ... So ... every morning he cheerfully heads off. (Makes me want to puke ... bah!)

I had to get up because I need to take Charlie to the groomers between 7:00am and 9:00am and it was first come, first serve - thus the quicker you get her in - the sooner she is done and the less time she is imprisoned in a kennel. So off we went.

Dropped her off (shivering like a big baby) and drove away. Noticed the sun was just rising and was making a beautiful sky - so parked myself in the middle of the road, rolled down my passenger side window and snapped away until a car showed up behind me approaching precariously fast. Drove up a ways, turned around in a church parking lot to go back and get a few more shots ....

.... but just like magic: POOF!!! It was gone. I had to take what I had (which was not much).

Was headed the wrong way home so headed back to the dog groomers and as I pulled in their drive, I noticed a peacock strutting about. The dog groomer came out and threw some kibble at it and it started pecking away. She says she has no idea where it comes from, but shows up every now and then.

You would think the barking dogs would be a clue to stay away ... just a thought:

So ... without my superpowers anywhere in sight - I have managed to drop the dog off, pick up Gary's dry cleaning and snap a few photos. At least two things on my list of things to do. I also have to pick up the dog and have a meeting for church - so: for me - a very full day.

I'm off to bed until my meeting ...

Wonder Woman Has Left the Building ...

'Shrooms & Boredom ...

Not doing much today ... just avoiding all the things I should be doing.

Noticed that we have had a bunch of rain lately and decided to take some pictures of mushrooms growing in our yard. That lead to Photoshopping the crap out of the photos, which led to Photoshopping the crap of of other photos, which pretty much led me to being disgusted ...

... not really happy with any of them.

But, of course, I will post them anyway:

I took this:


And made this - basically wanting to see if I could outline the clouds somehow ...

OK, this one I like - just because I like the shape of this plant - so this:

To this:

And finally shot a drop of water that actually showed up shiny! They never look in the photo (even here) how sparkly they look in real life:

And shrooms, shrooms, shrooms. We are going to have to start removing them - they are taking over the yard!

Off, to accomplish something of worth ...

... or take a nap ...

The first of the lasts

Gary is in a Town Car being chauffeured home right at this very minute. Thankfully (the being chauffeured part). It is after midnight - and I don't want to do it!

This is a momentous occasion:

It is his VERY LAST VISIT to ... his own home.

I am actively watching for his car since he has a lot of luggage, and even though he has been swimming daily and come a long way - he is still a cripple and I don't want him trying to schlep all his bags inside.

He plans on doing woodworking while he takes this very last 'vacation at the Texas home' per the usual. I personally think he is nuts and since the first thing he needs to do is take the headboard and foot board he just built off a table to set up the garage ... I guess we will quickly know if it is going to happen or not.

It will be good to see him. It has only been three weeks but, you know: that crippled part (he probably won't be pleased with my repeated use of the word ...) so I have been worried about him. And I am sure he has a few new tricks to show me:

Oh, say, like holding his arm higher than horizontal ...

He says he still can't lift it over his head - now THAT will be a day. Sort of like the day your kid takes those first wobbly steps. I'm sure it will come complete with an excited:

"Well, look at you!!!"

from me - and a celebratory drying of the hair from him (something he still cannot do).

Well, I have rambled enough ... he still has not arrived ...

cross your fingers and wish him luck!


Me too, I guess, since - if he cannot do woodworking - I'm gonna have one bored, angry puppy on my hands ....

Anolis Carolinensis & Echeveria Lilacina

Or ... maybe I should have gone with my first header:

Baby Blues & Babies


Was heading out the front door to take a picture of something with my medium sized camera and I spied this cute little critter hanging about in my Chicks & Hens:


After copying the photos to my computer I decided I was very impressed with the quality of this particular little camera. I didn't want to scare the guy so I didn't get close and only had a second before he jumped ship to take the photo, but wanted to capture something I thought especially beautiful about him.



So I started enlarging the photo to see if I captured it:

A little bit more - you can start to see the cute little wrinkles on his 'shoulder':

Still more ... now you can see the adorable wee little claws:

NOW we're getting somewhere! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the scales, the nose and ear holes (I also like the water droplets) ... but

Can't get over the beautiful shade of blue 'eye shadow' he is wearing!
That is one fine photo - using my Canon PowerShot SX200IS 12X.

So ... that would be the 'Baby Blues' ...

And while I was harassing Eye-Shadow-Lizard, I noticed that my Chicks and Hens had babies!

How I LOVE this plant! I DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING and it continues to grow and make my entrance look just lovely, not to mention is only one of two plants that has survived my brown thumb living outside:

Near as I can tell - the little babies grow from either a leaf dropping off and sending out roots ... or by magic ...
It is just a theory, but you can see the big leaf still attached to the two smallest plants in my 'nursery'.
Here is the toddler of the bunch - he has no leaf attached to him ... apparently he has been weaned ...

Now, if I could just get them to jump across the porch to the other pot ... I would be set!

Yeah, yeah, yeah - the guy is coming to fix the door on Saturday ...

Friends in Slow Places

Saturday afternoon found me in my car during Happy Hour at Sonic waiting for my favorite beverage: a Route 44 Diet Coke with Cherry and Lime, No Ice. There was a bit of a wait - so Charlie and I were conversing ... passing the time:

Lori: "Why is it that when I am in Australia, I don't drink any soda?"

Charlie:

Lori: "Is it that it isn't a Sonic drink? You know, I never thought about it, but I don't drink Diet Coke from the fridge at home either."

Charlie:

Lori: "So ... you think it is a Sonic thing?"

Charlie:

Lori: "Me too ..."

The cars were moving along during this scintillating conversation and soon we were at the window. I was handed my drink and was in the process of paying when a buddy of mine came to the window. I only know him from Sonic - but when you are there as often as I am ... well, you are bound to see the same face more than once.

He is über nice, and I believe a manager or something since he wears a different shirt than everyone else. We have had a few conversations. He has wondered about my month long disappearances. He likes my dog and knows her name. He knows my husband drives a white Ford F150 and that my son drives a blue Toyota Tacoma. This last part I thought was magic until he told me that there is not another person who orders a "Route 44 Diet Coke with Cherry and Lime, No Ice Please". He has even gone so far as to correct my sweet friend when she had ordered me one with ice ... per my instructions! Twice she has ordered me a drink with ice and twice he has told her that no, I don't get ice in my drink and promptly changed the order.

So ... über nice guy comes to the window and hands me a pile of receipts. He says he has been saving them for me. I thought he was joking and cleaning up the floor or something when he explained they were unclaimed receipts with a coupon for a free Route 44 drink. I thanked him profusely.

So ... this morning, again waiting in line, again at the window, again being handed my drink. I give the girl at the window one of the coupons.

Super Nice Sonic Girl: "You want some more of these?"

Lori: "Um, is this a trick question?"

Super Nice Sonic Girl: "No! We save them when people don't want their receipt."

Lori: "Sure! Thanks!"

Super Nice Sonic Girl: "Here." And she hands me a pile:

I have to call a number and take a survey to activate the coupon - but, hey: Free Sonic drinks for a few weeks!

What's not to like?

My Visit with Jessie

I did things a little different yesterday with Jessie. Instead of bringing her home and having her constantly harassing me for food (and no, she is not starving ... although she looks like maybe she is ... it is just something she does out of habit) I took her out to lunch and then shopping.

We had a pretty good time and she behaved fairly well having about thirty choices of Disney Princess crap to choose from. Back when she was still home, she got so out of control and was so large, that I could not control her in the store if she decided to lose it, so I stopped taking her. I am now confident that:

a) she is more mature, listens to me better and does not freak out like before
b) if she actually did ... I could get her in a head lock and drag her out of the store

Took her back a happy camper ... but not before snapping a few photos:

Yeah, well, it was blurry anyway so why not just make it fuzzier? I thought it was cute, so I had to do something with it ....

Between her and Charlie's heads exploding when they see Gary - things are going to be a little exciting (note: this means noisy) around here this week ....