I Scream...

Hi! Remember me? I don't.

I just wanted to give a little update. I have so much to do, and yes, I have a list for all of it. Sadly, none of it is getting done. Period. I have neglected my to do list duties for the last few days for various reasons.

First, I was abducted by aliens we had a sausage making party on Saturday... and after processing 251 lbs. of deer sausage I didn't feel like doing anything EXCEPT crawling my tired butt into bed and dreaming about anything other than Bambi.

Sunday, we went out to visit the property, we now have 3 property lines cut...still waiting on that last one. On Friday Doug did get the paperwork to the TVLB, so now we just have one other document (we just found out today) that we have to sign. The rest of it we are waiting for the seller to pull his head out get to the TVLB.

I JUST WANT THIS WHOLE PROCESS TO BE COMPLETED. To be honest, I think part of why I haven't been doing the things on my to do list is because I am depressed about this whole thing. Don't get me wrong...I am still excited about this. But I am so TIRED of thinking about it. I AM READY TO GET STARTED!!! But I can't, all I can do is sit and think about it, and dream, and plan what I can. Waiting...

Eventually I'll get tired of feeling sorry for myelf and get back to normal. I'm tired of waiting for that to happen too.

What is really funny to me is that years ago, I would have been entirely too scared to do this. I would have rather lived life the way most people do, working for someone else and living for some hobby when you get home. It was a safe life, comfortable, everything would always be the same. Or we could talk about our dreams, like a bed and breakfast or something else, but never do it, because for some reason it wouldn't work. Having those dreams and not doing anything about them was easy. That's not who I am any more. I am ready to take a more active role in my life. Does that make sense?

I do want to mention one other thing before I go. There is a book that I picked up in the airport during our trip to San Diego called In Defense of Food. What an incredible book. I am not kidding you when I say that it changed the way I look at food. And you all know how I feel about food. I will be posting more about this in a later post (provided I stop feeling sorry for myself and get started on that to do list).

As another update...the first batch of ice cream I made turned out pretty good I thought (actually great). It was a custard base that I had to cook with vanilla bean, cream and milk. Then eggs and sugar were tempered into the mixture and cooked. After it cooled, I ran it through the ice cream maker. It was the creamiest, smoothest, bestest ice cream I have ever had. I was converted on the spot. Sadly, it was not the ice cream that Doug remembered as a child. So I made another batch this week. It was just milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla placed directly into the ice cream maker then chilled. It was great too, but I didn't think it was a good as the other. Naturally, Doug thought is was the best and was exactly like the ice cream he had as a child. I can't wait to try other flavors. Actually, what I am really excited about it going up to Fredricksburg in the summer and buying some fresh peaches and making some Peaches 'n' Cream. MMMMMM.....

Checking My Eyelids for Holes

I would love to post something cleaver clever and witty...which is usually my style. But I am incredibly tired this evening. I'm so tired I can't even type correctly.

We have been working on getting our property contracts together so that Doug can deliver them tomorrow. Yes, you read that right. Doug is delivering them tomorrow so that there is no confusion and waiting for other people to figure it out. We have had enough. He is taking the contracts to be signed by the seller and personally delivering them to TVLB.

As a treat I am going to make him homemade ice cream tomorrow. Okay...this is partially true. While I do want to make him something nice for taking a day off to deliver the contracts (and homemade ice cream is his FAVORITE)...I have never had homemade ice cream. So today I went to Bed Bath and Beyond and bought an ice cream maker. I can't wait...I hear it's quite good.

Tomorrow I will be back to my clever cleaver self and would like to discuss the San Diego Zoo and how the ice cream turns out!!

Introducing Shasti & Loki: Sunbathing

There is just something about being a cat. When I doe, I want to come back as a cat with really great owners. All they do is eat, sleep, and poo...repeat. Once in a while they do something really cute to remind us why we love them.


Yep, I’m a cat person. I like dogs too, but I prefer cats. At any rate, here are our two gatos enjoying a day in the sun while we built the greenhouse. They would tell you that they were helping us. Don’t let them fool you. Shasti’s idea of helping is puking in an out of the way place so that you don’t step on it right away. Nonetheless, I love them both dearly and wanted to share their adventures with you while we were building the greenhouse this weekend.


Shasti is saying "hi":

Loki is camera shy...she won't look...

Honey...will you help me out here...

Thanks, Honey!!

Loki had to check to make sure that everything was okay in the box...
Loki: Okay...everything is fine. You may proceed.

Thank you, your highness. We will.

How To Build a Greenhouse

Who has a greenhouse? ME! I am so happy about it; it’s the only thing I could think about at work today. When can I get the shelves in? How many trays do I have to fill up with seeds, etc.

The greenhouse is my birthday present, but we have had it for several weeks now. We decided to get started on it this weekend while we were at breakfast (mmm….La Madelein). Saturday we went to the specialty lumber yard (because, again, the cosmic donut hates me) and this place is the only one in town that carries 4x6’s. We bought the items we needed for the base and headed home.

And then we started calling people to come over and help. This is generally a good idea because if other people around, Doug and I won’t kill each other. My mom came over and then Wolf showed up.

The base was built in the garage and was then carried outside to the back yard and its FINAL resting place. I went to the soil & gravel supply store and bought ½ yard of pea gravel to put in. Sadly, it wasn’t enough and I had to go to Home Depot to get some more…by the bag…way more expensive…still hate Home Depot. Instead of men standing around treating me like I didn’t know what I was doing, there were crickets chirping…no one. My mom and I had to load up and lug around those freaking bags on our own with not so much as a peep from someone offering help. Not that I would have taken it, but geez…at least offer.

Note: I do not build things with wood that involve power tools. I don’t understand it and I did really well in math. But you say the word build or power tool and measurements and my brains start oozing out of my ears. I CAN NOT for the life of me figure that crap out! That being said, whenever Doug starts building something, I feel like I need to interfere help, which usually ends up with one of us sleeping on the couch…that would be me. In my defense, I wasn’t the one who screwed up the math this time. It was Wolf. I’m only ratting him out because I don’t need any help screwing things up. All of that boils down to the fact that we cut the wood too short on the 2x12 pieces. Well, that and the fact that the instructions SUCKED. PERIOD. After some rigging and another trip to Home Depot, we got it done.

Moving on…here are some pictures of the base with the gravel.


Sunday, Doug confidently told me that we (him, my mom, and I) could get the rest of it put up in one day. Clearly he has more faith than I do. So we got started. Here it is in the box:

First, we nailed the frame to the base. At the same time we realized that the greenhouse was longer than our base. WHAT!?!?! It measured out exactly! We fixed it with a 2x8. Bastards!

Then we got up the frame:

Then we had to put in the windows…this was when we kind of starting having a hard time. We didn’t tighten up stuff too much, so that it had some give. So the window didn’t want to cooperate. Our marriage started getting a little rocky at this point. So we moved on to the panels. I would rather have my kneecaps broken than go through that again. As a matter of fact, I am typing this with my pinkies because the rest of my fingers are bruised and near falling off from trying to get the damn clips around the panels.

But it was more than worth it!! Here is the finished product:


Happy Birthday to me!! Happy Birthday to me!! Oh wait…that’s not till April. Oh well…Happy Birthday to me!!

Oxymoron Observation

In California even the homeless have cell phones. No wonder they have budget problems.

How I Lost a Dream and a Dental Visit

I could start out by saying Happy Valentine’s Day. But I won’t. What I will say is that it is very difficult to smoke a cigarette when your mouth is jacked up with Novocain. I almost set myself on fire in the truck. Yes, folks…I have an addiction.

On a more light-hearted note, I thought (since it is Valentine’s Day and all) I would share the story of how Doug and I met and he crushed my dreams. For those of you that already know this. Shut up and don’t ruin it for the rest of them. So…where was I? Oh yes, once upon a time there lived…me.

I was 18 years old and only interested in two things…getting into the military and men. Period. It was during one of those visits to a man at his workplace that I accidentally backed into the car of my then future husband and love of my life. But that day, we merely exchanged information and he was clearly annoyed at the teary-eyed dip-stick gorgeous young lady that had just “wrecked” his beautiful LTD.

(Editors note: it was not wrecked and in my defense, he wasn’t really parked in a parking spot, but he will tell you that it was private property and he could park wherever he wanted to. Clearly, this is still a point of contention and we will probably have something about engraved on our headstones; something along the lines of “Here Lies Someone Who Can’t Park” & “Here Lies Someone Who Can’t Use a Rear-View Mirror”).

ANYWHO…I put his information into my wallet and never did anything with it.

Seven years down the road, there I was living the good single life, well on my way to living out my dreams of being the eighty-year old cat lady (but I didn't have a cat), and living in the house in “Practical Magic”. It was GRAND!! I could run around my apartment naked, clean when I wanted (which was all the time) and pee with the door wide open (actually I still do all of that). Hhmm... But then he had to show up and crush my dreams.

I forgive him now, because deep down, although those were my dreams, I have new ones. Dreams that include him…and they are wonderful. I’m just wondering if I can get him to jump off the roof with an umbrella. I’m rambling…sorry…So we met again through some mutual friends. I was terrified the first time I saw him again. But it wasn’t long before I was back to myself and givin’ him hell. Hey…that’s what I do.

I will say it now, and I have probably said it a BAJILLION times before…I love that man. With my heart and soul and consider myself quite fortunate to have run into him again and gotten the chance to know him. My only wish is that I can make him as completely happy as he makes me…even if he does snore.

(Editor's final note: The LTD wasn't THAT beautiful).

Love you Honey!

The Native's

Being a Native Texan, I imagine that there is some competition between Texans and Californians. Of course we each think that our home is better than the other’s. Perhaps it’s imaginary, but at least my home is better. The native’s that I met in San Diego were wonderful. From Jullianne, the concierge, to the taxi driver that took me to hell and back for a battery, where very friendly and open. Alex, the Ukranian driver that took us to dinner at Peohe’s, said that it was because 9 out of 10 people in San Diego are not originally from there. Okay…I’ll buy that for $20 (hey...California is expensive). I was starting to think Alex was right when Doug and I took a cab to Seaport Village on Wednesday. As a common courtesy, Doug and I always ask how their day is going. Bad choice…the response we got was “Not good at all…horrible, actually, but thanks for asking”. Perhaps this should have been my cue to ask to be dropped of at the next corner. But I’m a glutton for punishment. The conversation continues:

ME: I’m sorry to hear that. Pause.

Taxi driver: We’ll it’s just really slow, and I’m trying to make some money, but I’m tired, and this shift sucks.

DOUG: (deer-in-the-headlights look)

ME: (in my head) Holy crap, will I die if I jump out now? Trying to remember that stupid formula from school. If a car going towards Seaport Village at 35mph, and another car headed the other direction at 35mph were to suddenly become connected by the body of a 29 year old female trying to escape certain death. Would anyone hear it?

DOUG: I’m surprised to hear that since the primaries are here this week.

ME to Doug: (mouthed) Are you crazy? Don’t encourage it!!

Taxi driver: You know this city used to be so great, but then (and I considered myself to be pretty liberal) immigration became a problem and everyone wanted to come here and now it’s just run over with reptilian urges…

ME: Do you take credit cards?

Taxi driver: I prefer cash...and people not caring about others and not caring about government taking over for them. It was only since Bush took office that the free clinics went away…

ME: I thought we asked for a cab to Seaport Village…not Crazytown, population: one pissed off old cab driver. All I have is a credit card…

Taxi driver: Fine…do you have the card? (ten minutes before the destination – AND HE STARTS RUNNING IT WHILE DRIVING!) So when they took out the clinics, things started getting better…

Meanwhile, DOUG: Chuckle, chuckle, chuckle…So do you think there is a candidate that can really solve the issues?

ME: HONEY…I will never have your children if you do not stop encouraging the crazy man!!

Taxi driver: No…they are all taken over by their reptilian urges to even know how to effectively run a country. Oh…I missed the turn…I can get you in at the next turn. Anyway, we don’t stand much of a chance.

ME: Well that’s lovely to hear…can I have my card? And is there anyway that I can make sure you are NOT our cab driver for the ride home? Better yet, I’ll just swim. Have a lovely day.

FYI…Jullianne, the concierge is a native San Diegan…and the charming, psycho taxi driver was NOT (though he was old enough to have founded the city and had been there since 1958)…so…Alex’s theory didn’t work out.

Peohe's

The evening of my battery escapade, Doug and I were treated to dinner. We went to a wonderful restaurant called Peohe's. If you are ever in San Diego, and wanted to have a really nice, overpriced dinner...this is the place to go. You pay for the view just as much for the food. They sat us right on the water. The view was amazing...as was the food!! I'm just happy that I can say I've been to a restaurant the Rachel Ray went to!! Hehe..I even pretended to be sitting in the same chair she sat in...being taped by a film crew. Not really...but it sounded good.We talked about the property. We were like giddy school children. We talke about our future, like things are falling place. After dinner we called for the sedan, and walked along the island while we waited.
It was one of the most wonderful evenings we have ever had!

The Beginning...

Our journey started simple enough…sort of. I love to fly. It reminds me of why I hate flying. What I don’t like is the cramped quarters you have to sit in when flying. Especially for a person who is 6’4” like Doug. I always feel so bad for him. At any rate, we got on an earlier flight to Houston, but could not get an earlier flight out to San Diego, so we ended up sitting at Bush International for 5 hours. Big fun…

When we arrived in San Diego, I was excited to see how close our hotel was to the airport. I took out my wonderful new camera to take a picture…only to realize that I forgot my camera battery at home. Brilliant! Half the reason I wanted to go was to take pictures, and my dumb ass left the battery in the charger, plugged into the wall…at home.

Needless to say my only mission on Tuesday, while Doug was in the conference, was to find a battery and charger. Did I mention that my wonderful new camera takes a special battery? Oh yes…because I don’t like for things to be simple. Julianne, the absolutely delightful concierge at the Sheraton, was the poor soul I chose to help me on my mission. We (i.e. she) called every camera shop and electronics store in the San Diego metro area, only to be told they didn’t have it. The only place we could find that had it was the Sony Store in Fashion Valley, about ten miles from the hotel. This was getting better and better. We called a cab and yes…asked him to wait for me to make the purchase. So a $60 dollar cab ride and $120 battery and charger later…my mission was complete. Here is the first picture I took once the battery was charged. The view from our hotel room…

Here is the view of downtown San Diego, in the morning, from the conference center:

And to end our story today...a duck bathing in the pool outside our room:

HOWDY!! Y'all!!

So...I survived California. I am VERY happy to be home. I will be posting stories and pictures later. But I did want to give you one little update first...are you ready? We got paperwork for our loan! Now we just have to sign and send send, wait for the appraisor to appraise the value on the property, approval and then we go to closing! I am so excited I can barely stand it...or myself for that matter.