Other things. Sorta like posts, but not.

Wednesday, January 30

My New Year's Adventure

I am doing the Insanity workout. I am starting week 3 today. I don’t remember my feet cramping so much last time I did this. 

Ouch.

Today’s Exploit:

Some time last month I was told: “AAAHHHHHHH! WE ARE SHORT ON PEOPLE IN CANADA AND HAVE TO MANY PEOPLE HERE AND THEREFORE YOU MUST LEAVE IN TWO DAYS!”

And my reply was: “Um, two days? I don’t really have anything together.”

Then they said, “BUT WE NEED YOU THERE THE DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY AND NO ONE ELSE HAD THEIR PAPERWORK OR PASSPORT CRAP TOGETHER AND THEREFORE YOU ARE THE ONE THAT MUST LEAVE YESTERDAY!”

So I said: “Ok, I need to go home and pack, and maybe buy something warm to wear since Texas never sees temperatures below 98 degrees Fahrenheit.”

Then some plans changed and they told me: “OK YOU CAN HAVE 5 DAYS AT HOME BUT YOU MUST DO ALL THE TRAVEL ORGANIZATION AND CLASS REQUIREMENT SCHEDULING YOURSELF ON THIS REALLY CONFUSING WEBSITE!”

And I managed to get everything organized, through the company website, along with some plans for expense reports and got a call from the manager telling me to be at the shop the same time I was supposed to be taking Emergency First Aid. 

Yay for confusion.

Anyway, some Canadian pictures for your viewing pleasure.


My home for 2.1 days. I walked in and out the door 37 times the night I got there, I'm pretty sure the desk attendant hated me.
I thought my sister would like this. A nice little market place 3 or 4.3 blocks from my home. It's kinda like a mall with an imports grocery in the middle.
And then I found a river island and fell in love, because it has a running path, a skating rink and a coffee shop that was closed for New Year's holiday.
See how much I loved it? I even learned to use the settings on my camera for it.
And I loved it some more with picnic tables and a strange cowboy hat-swing in the background.
That was the bridge where I discovered the skating rink. It was on the river, on both sides of the bridge with chairs and cones for new skaters and people doing jumps and some kids playing illegal hockey and all sorts of fun stuff. I was sad I didn't have my skates with me.
Calgary has some really awesome street lamps also, I was in love with them too.

Monday, January 28

A Late Thanksmas


Thanksgiving pies for some roughnecks, or other oilfield workers, by PJ and Cupcake.
Apple Pie by PJ
Pumpkin Pie by Cupcake

Today’s Exploit:

I made it home for the week before Christmas, it was our latest Thanksmas so far. Only a week before the 25th. 

I went tree hunting with the whole family, to lunch with my mom, and went to work with my dad, and skied and rode in a groomer and had all sorts of adventures. 

And then we had Christmas breakfast for dinner
And my mom made the table look very pretty so that the mass destruction was even more obvious and traumatic

and destroyed my mom’s cleaning efforts with ribbons and tissue paper and crepe paper. 

Everyone is guilty of gift paper-chaos
Cupcake mad out like a stripy-cupcakey bandit
And she loved her babushka hat and russian doll measuring set
And we all got ‘stashes and had an official family photo night. Arley was forced to take part, but Eda managed to escape Cupcake’s best efforts to get her to join. 

Family photos with faux-stashes are totally in

Sunday, January 20

The Long Wait at PJ’s Marathon


It’s snowing! And snowing, and snowing. 

Today’s Exploit:

My family took some pictures while I was running, and then jogging, and then mostly walking my marathon:

We're just waiting
"This is boring, why do we have to wait?"
See that pink and blue speck? That's PJ in dire need of sunscreen.
Waiting some more, this is taking forever!
Look it's blue - Oh rats, not her. More waiting.
Do we have to wait until she gets here? She's taking forever!
Finally!

Friday, January 18

Wurstfest in New Braunfels


I have spent more time slogging through mud in Canada than slipping on ice and snow. Everyone claims that January is supposed to be the coldest time of the year with temperatures around from -20 to -40 C. (That’s -4* to -40* F) But so far it’s been closer to 0 C (32* F)the whole time. And at the moment it is somewhere around 7 C (45* F). Texas is colder than that right now! What is going on?

Today’s Exploit:

In November we went to Wurstfest. My parents were in Texas for my marathon and my dad’s birthday, so we thought a party would be good. 

Naturally one must wear a hot-dog hat to a hot-dog party. 
That orange watch is an object of fascination to 4-year-olds

And make sure the kids take some pictures. 
He was actually taking a picture of the guy in the Robbin Hood had, but Cupcake photo-bombed


Saturday, January 12

A Zoo Visit


I left my plants with my sister, hoping that she would water them. Since I was really nice and watered hers twice while she was in Wyoming.

She promptly tried to kill Myrtle, and I had to have her shaved.

Cupcake calls her a rebel now.

Today’s Exploit:

I went to the San Antonio Zoo with my sister. 

Cupcake likes flamingoes. 

She tried to be a butterfly. 
Butterfly and baby

Did you know butterflies like sweet tea and sunglasses?
She also thought it would be funny to take pictures of me with animal butts. 
Hippo Butt
Rhino But

There's a Zebra Butt hiding behind the fence and next to that charming hut

And we were stalked by the same three immature college boys, and no matter how we tried to get ahead, or behind, or take a different route, they were ALWAYS THERE!

Friday, January 11

Picture Week


It’s picture week. Because I finally transferred the last 6.2 months worth of pictures from my camera to my computer.

Today’s Exploit:

I went to the cabin in the fall. 

And fought with a beaver. 



And saw the leaves.

Saturday, January 5

A Short Trip


My family is growing. Myrtle Mint was joined by Maya, who is her cutting. Then we acquired Allison (Ally) the Aloe. It was just the 4 of us for a while and all was good. 

But, out of the blue, one windy and not-at-all-cold day a nice young man joined us. His name is Jack the Cactus. Jack lives in the bottom of a windshield wiper fluid jug and grows little red and supposedly edible fruits. 

The thing was that no one knew where he came from. It took me a month to track down the guy who found Jack, dug him up and put him in his wiper-fluid home.

Today’s Exploit:

I recently made a short trip for my work.

My manager called me and told me that they needed me to go to Canada. Evidently the north has more work than we do and fewer people. And no one else on the loan list had their paperwork together. 

So I had a day to organize my work stuff, and was told I had 2 days to organize travel info, pack and get going. Also, schedule some training stuff.

Luckily they re-thought that and gave me another 2 days to get myself put back together and to actually believe that they wanted me to leave the country.

So I got everything done, and planned my flights to give me enough time to sight-see a tiny bit.

When I got to the airport I noticed that the section that usually says “Economy” said “First”. But who pays attention to details like that? 

But then we were getting ready to board, and I didn’t have a group number...and I was sitting in row 3. And then it finally hit.

Somehow I had managed to get first class seats, and my job paid for it. 

And then I was really classy and slept through the whole flight because my sister made me run all over trying to send her a spare key. She was really clever and locked hers in her car. Hehe. 

PS Happy New Year
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