05/03/07 - The Gecko – We used to occasionally see a gecko around our old apartment...usually without a tail because the cats have been playing with it. Since we moved to the house several years ago they have been a very rare sighting. This evening we snapped a picture of this large specimen on our front porch. We were quite surprised it didn't scamper away since were were only a few inches from it.
After taking a few pictures we left it alone and we hope he eventually found a nice meal and a cool spot for the rest of the evening :D.
05/05/07 - Cinco De Mayo – Susan's parents and a few friends dropped by for a festive Cinco De Mayo celebration....and by festive I mean lots of yummy food!
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DeAnna and Sebastien |
Slaving Over a Hot Stove ;) |
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Margarita Man |
The Hustler |
We had burritos, chimichangas, and nachos with all the vegetables and salsas/dips we could imagine. I even picked up a can of menudo (I believe that is Spanish for manure) from the grocery store as an experiment...it was thoroughly nasty and I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who even attempted a bite. For dessert we devoured several sopaipillas and churros - sweet! Of course, we also had some Spanish wine and a pitcher o' margarita.
Translation: ¡Los padres y algunos amigos de Susan cayeron cerca para un Cinco De Mayo de la celebración... por festivo significo porciones de alimento delicioso! Teníamos burritos, chimichangas, y los nachos con todos los vehículos y salsas/dips que podríamos imaginarnos. Incluso tomé la lata de a de menudo del almacén de la tienda de comestibles pues un experimento... él era a fondo repugnante y soy bastante seguro yo soy el único quién incluso procuró una mordedura. ¡Para el desierto devoured varios sopaipillas y churros - dulce! Por supuesto, también teníamos algún margarita español del vino y de la jarra un o '.
05/15/07 - Wellington Warriors (4-2-1) – I haven't provided an update on the Warriors in a while, and mainly that is because there hasn't been much activity. For a long time the weather was determined to bring rain and lightning every Thursday evening just a little before game time. As such, we had a steady stream of cancelled games. Most of those games have been rescheduled as double-headers and we've finally had a chance to play a few of those (well, kind of).
When last I wrote our record was 2 wins and 1 loss. Here is how we got to 4-2-1...
Game 4 - Sku Patrol - This team has a bad habit of being a "no show". Our 4th game was no different and we won by forfeiture. Bummer.
Game 5 - The Defenders - This was another very evenly matched team for us and an a great game. We played 6 complete innings before the rain started and our game was declared a tie. We stayed pretty much neck and neck through the game just scoring a run or two at a time. The score was 6-6 at the end of the 6th inning. Fortunately, we had another game with this team the following week.
Game 6 - The Defenders - This game was a lot like the first; great competition and a very close game. We started off with an early lead, but our opponents passed us late in the game by one run. In the top of the last inning we scored 3 runs to claim the lead and were able to hold off The Defenders to no runs through the bottom of the final inning. A close game, but a 9-7 victory for the Warriors.
Game 7 - Damage Inc - This game was pretty much a repeat of our first match - extremely lopsided. Fortunately our team scored a few runs and were able to get this game out of the way so we could move on towards some actual competition instead of a game (in my opinion) purely for the ego of Damage Inc. The final score was 21-6...we were "run ruled" (same outcome as every other team they have played).
We have one more game next week and another double-header in two weeks. These should all be fun and competitive games! I believe there might also be a playoff game where we get to go up against teams from other leagues.
05/16/07 - County Line – Hey, we're famous! Well, not really, but we did get our picture in a free publication that is distributed in Northeast Texas. On our way back from Hot Springs we stopped at several wineries and one of those was Lou Viney. By pure coincidence a journalist from the publication was reviewing the winery and snapped a few pictures (of which we ended up in).
Here is a snippit from the article:
"LouViney's in Winnsboro is not the typical eatery one would expect to find in a small East Texas town. Its sophisticated, artistic decor attracts an interesting group of winers and diners from near and far."
Oooh...we got labeled as a winer....is that better or worse than a wino? ;).
05/19/07 - Paula's 60th Birthday – I received an "emergency" phone call from my cousin Billie on Thursday alerting us to the fact my Mom's 60th birthday was coming up (which I already knew thanks to Susan's daily planner; she keeps track of all my important dates). What I didn't know is that the family was planning a surprise party for her on Saturday - and what luck - Susan's Saturday off too!
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Birthday With Family |
Tiny Bunny Outside My Mom's House |
We drove up to Lawton on Friday night and spent the evening with Rick and Nina before getting up early and making the trek to Stillwater for cake and festivities. We also helped clean out the garage and fix the wood flooring in the entryway (my Mom put her house up for sale earlier this month).
05/23/07 - Wellington Warriors (5-2) – Our team emerged victorious, 10 to 5, over the AMC Masterpieces last night. It was a close game for the most part, but we did have one really good inning where we scored about 5 runs. It turns out our tie, mentioned above, has been rescheduled. I'm not sure if we simply pick up where the previous game left off, or if we have to play a completely new game (it doesn't seem to make much sense to me to bring everyone back to the field for a game that was tied to play the last 10 minutes - just call it a tie and move on!); hopefully, it will be a new game so that it doesn't feel like such a waste of time.
05/24/07 - Garden Delights – I came home from work today to find Susan digging a new extension to the garden in the backyard. I'm not sure what the final result will look like, but if it is half as pretty as the rest of the yard, then it should definitely be a delight.
I snapped some quick photos today of all the goodies in bloom (or in some cases ripe):
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Feta and the Aaron's Beard |
Sprouting Banana Plant |
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Orange Canna |
Easter Lilies - Better Late than Never |
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I Found a 4-Leaf Clover (left)! |
Reddish/Orange Gladiolus |
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Pretty Lily |
Our Hibiscus - Blooms Still Pending |
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Dakota's Oleander |
Sweet Smelling Plumeria |
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Susan's Fresh Veggies |
Susan & Nathan (Can you find us both?) |
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Susan Digging a Hole (she is good at that) |
Oxalis, Coleus, Dianthus, Periwinkle, and Begonia - Oh My! |
05/30/07 - Tastes Just Like Chicken: Part I – Okay, we're going to try something different. Susan and I have been making diary entries for quite some time (I promise, Susan has made entries before - scroll back if you don't believe me ;) with the very rare input from an outside source. Mary, our friend from Wellington, has offered to make an entry for our recent excursion to a new and interesting lunch depot. Perhaps I can talk her into making a few additional entries from time to time - perhaps a fresh perspective on what goes on in our daily lives =D. On that note, I'll also leave that door open for anyone else who wants to participate.
05/30/07 - Tastes Just Like Chicken: Part II – Today, we ventured off the beaten path, to a small restaurant called Chicken Pollo or Pollo Chicken, or whatever it happens to be named. We all piled into Gary’s Hulk mobile, which has quite a time navigating sharp turns and small parking spaces. Anyway they should really call this restaurant “Pollo right outta here” (especially before you order their enchiladas). Nathan and Susan found the food to be edible, while Greg and I choked down two bites of those aforementioned enchiladas and Gary dug into a hunk of chicken. Donna nibbled on a carnitas sandwich and then eagerly gave away her other half. In food speak the enchiladas were by far the worst, with the meat (pork/carnitas) taking a close second. The rice and beans were, at the very least, edible. On a more interesting note, while we were there Greg had an unfortunate mishap with his beverage, which made it appear that he would be a prime candidate for, ummm, how do we put this delicately?….Depends. Once back into the Hulk mobile we were off and running to destination Taco Bueno, when Nathan suddenly professed his love of post office exploration from the very back seat, sending Susan and I into a fit of giggles. If anything may be said about today’s lunch outing, it would be that the company almost made up for the food. (Note: almost).
05/30/07 - Tastes Just Like Chicken: Part III – Nathan’s exact terminology was, “I’m always in the mood for a new post office!” It was just a silly statement because of the content and the choice of wording. Mary’s fit of laughter was just as entertaining!
05/30/07 -
Podiatrist – Today I visited a foot doctor b/c my heels (especially
my left foot) have been hurting. Apparently, my feet (more so on my left) turn
inward just slightly when I stand/walk, have the bones slightly curved inward,
and have arches. The result is that the plantar fascia/ligament on the bottom of
the foot (between the heel and ball) is very tight. I also tend to walk “heel to
toe” but with emphasis on the heel. Because I stand most of the day and do
a lot of a decent amount of exercise (20-40 mins 3 times per
week usually…jogging, elliptical, or Dance Dance Revolution), the ligament pulls
on my heel and is inflamed (the diagnosis being
plantar
fascitis). The doctor recommended that I purchase a specific type of shoe
that lifts the heel (so that the ligament is not stretched as much) and absorbs
impact. My new foot attire is the stylish
Z-Coil shoe (yes, it has a
huge coil at the heel). I’m supposed to try this for a month and see how my feet
feel. I’ll try to remember to report back!
