Frio Weekend

Q: What did one wall say to the other wall? 

A: I'll meet you at the corner. 

Today’s Exploit:

We went to the Frio River last weekend. It was lovely and chaotic.

We stayed in a house with 12.2 people. 7 Adults (They claim), 1 Almost Adult, 5 Kids and 1 newborn (hence the .2). Plus two crazy dogs that thought 5 kids was AMAZING.

The weekend was a waterlogged adventure of too much alcohol, too much food and manic kids on a Tarzan swing. 

Friday night was beer pong and lots of drunken hugs and “I love you”s. Letting kids stay up too late and eating too many cookies.

Saturday was enough food to feed 87, an afternoon at the Frio itself and a bazillion tubers. 

Saturday evening was spent at the creek by the house with kids on the Tarzan swing. I went to the pool with them to make sure no one drowned. H. went with me and a couple others came for a while. I managed to be in the water when one of the kiddies let go at the wrong time and got a knee stuck between a rock and a pretty big root, shrieking his head off making people think he severed his leg rather than being stuck. Later on, when all the adults deserted me, another kiddie decided not to let go at all and smacked into the tree with the back of his head.

But overall it was a good weekend and everyone had fun and no one got seriously hurt.

Supposedly we’re supposed to go on a cruise next year…

A Little Bit Crazy

I just tried to replace the water bottle in the dispenser. It usually sticks a bit, so I pushed it out with a little more force than usual.  It was just enough to pop out and smack me in the nose.

Just hard enough to make my eyes water and everyone in the trailer think I was crying.

Yay.

Today’s Exploit: 

She’s a bit crazy sometimes. Just the way she should start out their life together…

An Abundance of Sprinkles

Tired

Today’s Exploit:

I was going to have a nice story about pretending to be a Paleo person, but then I had to do work at 2:00am after a late night, and the next night I had to do work at 1:00am. And I got tired and lethargic. 

I was also going to make cupcakes for the rig crews, but I was tired and the oven doesn’t work. So now I have an abundance of sprinkles and butter, and no way to use them.

Also, I wish I had a better story to go with this post title, because I really like it and this post is pretty sad.

Maybe tomorrow I can write an “Abundance of Sprinkles” story that better suits.

Muffin Preparation

Pitting cherries is messy work.

I Found a Bramble

This week’s recommended reading:

I love this series. I read it all the time, especially since H.
found copies for me for Christmas. Image found here.

Today’s Exploit:

The other day on my run I noticed some red berries along the road. They made me think of raspberries, but I didn’t stop to check it out and imagined they were probably some terrible Texas killer berry. And then I forgot all about them.

A couple days later I was standing on the road, so that the trees would block some rig noise, and talking to H. on the phone. I noticed some berries again. 

This time I looked closer.

The berries are segmented like raspberries, and they have the fuzzy serrated leaves like raspberries, and they have the crazy-mean-spiny poky stalks like raspberries. 

But when I pulled on a berry it didn’t want to budge, normally indicating non-ripeness. 

And then I thought about it for a minute and realized that the berries were not hidden under leaves like raspberries usually are, and the terrain is not at all rocky. It’s more sandy and loose.

That was when I noticed a black one. And another.

Naturally I picked them.

And then I went to my computer to check out the plant identification guides.

They are blackberries.

And it’s a huge patch. Bramble.

And I will get to pick zillions of blackberries in the next week or so. 

I just have to remember to get some medicine for the hives that I get when I get myself scratched.

Yay, Blackberries!

PS I close on my house tomorrow. Wish me luck!

So Much Sugar!

This week’s recommended reading:

I read this book all the time! It is one of my 74 billion favorites.

Today’s Exploit:

The other day one of the roughnecks stopped me and asked for a grocery list so that he could buy ingredients for cupcakes. He didn’t care what kind, and he was going to get everything I needed for them. So I puttered around the internet for a while to find one that looked interesting. 

I finally settled on Turtle Cupcakes. The recipe was for chocolate cupcakes with homemade caramel sauce and caramel cream cheese frosting. Then they’re topped with some chopped pecans drenched in some more caramel. 

I decided that it would be better to use less frosting and cut out a bit of the cupcake to make room for more pecans. 

Turns out this was a good idea and everyone at the rig was excited about the secret stash of extra pecans. 

They were also really confused that I hadn’t asked for caramel sauce.

I tried the caramel, and I tried the caramel, frosting and cupcake combination. It was good, but 2 bites was more than enough! They were so rich and super sweet! I can’t imagine eating multiple cupcakes at one go.

A New Batch

It's jam this time, and it is super sweet.

Five Year Birthday

This week’s recommended reading:

Found the image Here

Today’s Exploit:

I finally reached my five year birthday. 

It was a big celebration on Sunday. I went to town, I didn’t run and I made Lemon Brownies.

Sadly, town was dull and rainy, but I did find a game with jumpy frogs and give a hamburger to a man who seemed down on his luck. 

The Lemon Brownies I did not find at all impressive (not tart enough and tasted like egg), although everyone else seemed to like them and they were gone by the time I went to bed. They did keep calling them lemon bars and I had to use all my self control to refrain from correcting them. 

I also got a congratulatory letter from “the company” and Dane told me I would have to go to a banquet and give a speech in order to receive my five-year pin.

I said no thanks and skipped to the box. 

Giant Strawberry Jam

I have been taking advantage of a huge gift of ebooks and my Kindle lately.

I read 3 books last night.

I’m running out of authors that I know and will be starting on new ones soon.

Today’s Exploit:

I got some strawberries so that I can try another round of jam. 

Since they are from local farms they are picked the day, or the day before, they are displayed in the back of someone’s truck on the side of the road.

We stopped for a flat of the largest strawberries I have ever seen. Many of them were as big as my fist.

And since they were so ripe they had started molding by the following afternoon when I had a chance to start slicing. I got about half done that night and stuck them in the fridge with some lemon juice. 

The next morning I got a call from work, so I dumped the sliced strawberries in a freezer bag, hurried and sliced the rest, added some lemon and stuck them in another freezer bag. 

Now they are frozen, just waiting for a couple days off work to turn them into a kitchen experiment. 

If I’m lucky, maybe I can get home before strawberry season ends to get another flat.

Cupcake Had a Birthday

The dd sent me to town for hamburgers.  

Then he came in and started talking about how I’d been goofing around and going to town and being irresponsible since he arrived at the rig.

I know he was joking, but he’s one of those that’s pretty good at keeping a strait face.

Today’s Exploit:

I got to go home for Cupcake’s birthday, but I didn’t make it in time for her sushi dinner.  So we had her birthday the next day.  (She is in town for some interviews.) 

We went for a run, and I made her run really hard at the end.

Then she opened some gifts and was mad at me because I didn’t make her open them before we went running.  I got a fitbit for her, and she really wanted to know how many steps she ran.

Then we made some waffles, that I couldn’t finish because I got a migraine.  

Then I went to bed for a couple hours while she talked to my parents and my mom almost cried about the scrapbook-type pages I made to go with the fitbit.  (But don’t tell her, she claims her eye was running all day. Not that I could see, I was in the other room listening to her choked up voice caused by the running eye.)

When I felt a little better I went back out and talked to my parents on Skype.

Then, when they finished making their cookies, I brought out the birthday cake.  (I stayed up until 1 making it the night before because those tiny little cakes took over an hour to bake, and I only had one pan that size.)

I need a bigger offset spatula, my little one wasn't quite doing the trick.
Also I was trying not to use any frosting because Cupcake is a weirdo and doesn't like it.

We sang Happy Birthday to her and she told me I had pretty candles and that she didn’t remember that she’d gotten them for me a few years ago for my birthday.

She almost didn't get all six candles out with one breath!

And finally we ate some cake and everyone was happy.

Photo bombing cake pictures

Being the normal girl that she is.

Green is her favorite color, and pink is her signature color.
Duh, she calls herself Cupcake!

The end.

I’m a Loud Baker

Happy Belated New Year. 

I have been busy pretending the internet does not exist. This might otherwise be known as procrastinating.

Today’s Exploit:

The other day I made some cookies and some rolls.

We were not busy and I wanted something to do besides trying to stay awake while sitting in an office chair surrounded by computer monitors.

So I made some Amaretto Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and was told that I know what I’m doing because the cookies were not to chewy and not too crispy.  Not sure how I managed that, but I am getting better at pretending it was on purpose.

After I finished kneading the bread and washing dishes the directional driller, Dane, who had been sawing some serious logs the entire time I was in the kitchen told me I was too loud.

Dane: I wanted to take a nap, but you guys were being too loud.

Me: (trying not to laugh) Oh, I’m sorry.

Chris: It sounded like you were sleeping pretty well.

Dane: Why, was I snoring?

Chris: Yes, a little.

Dane: I guess I might have fallen asleep for a while.

And later to the other directional driller:

Dane: I got a good nap this afternoon, I missed the whole [football] game.

SO EXCITED!

I have a new helper:

Klay is wearing his PPE for cooking bacon, and ready to demolish some waffles

Today’s Exploit:

I got a package in the mail the other day. It came from my second mom, Tammy. I was really excited because packages are fun, but I made myself wait until I finished my errands to open it. 

When I finally got home I dropped everything by the door and got my scissors out. She sent me so many fun things. 

So many new toys!

I got pieces for another quilt, Grandma Catherine’s cake pans and so, so many icing tips and toys for making cakes pretty. I immediately threw them in some soapy wanter and cleaned a few years of sticky coatings from them. I had to scrub a few of the better used ones a lot and use baking soda to cut through the grease. But now they are all shiny and clean and ready to decorate some cakes. Now I just need to decide on an occasion.  

Some baking soda and water, after scrubbing a bazillion icing tips.

All shiny and clean and drying in the sink.

The cake pans were still in the original box, one that has definitely seen its share of use.
However, the instructions for making a party cake are still in good shape.

Walking, Because Running Equals Death By Overwhelming Heat

Today’s Exploit:

I have been going for long walks lately. None quite as long as my eventful walk about a week ago, that one was 8.5 miles, I checked. 

However, with the heat and me being lazy, I have spent more time on long walks with a few bursts of running when I’m feeling super motivated. 

Other times I am far more interested in things like Speedy Gonzalez, here.

Or the endlessly boring, flat landscape.

And the baby cows that can’t decide if they want to play, or if I’m some horrible monster that is going to attack.

Also, last night I met the driver for the landowner. And had 4 other trucks stop to ask what I was doing and if I needed a ride. In the process of getting out of the road so that one of said trucks would not kill me I stepped on a thorn. The first one ever to go through my shoe and poke my foot. Stupid Texas plants and their pokeys.

Did you know that it takes 21,000 steps to walk 8.5 miles? And 12,000 to go 5.5? Yesterday I did 7.5 miles and that was 16,000 steps. 

Classic Love Stories Are Pathetic

Today’s Exploit:

I started reading Romeo and Juliet. So far I have understood about a quarter of what I’ve read and I’ve had to look up about 68.13 words. 

So far Romeo is completely consumed with love for someone he won’t name, and is pretty pathetic. Every other phrase is “Woe, is me”. 

Juliet has been asked to check out the suitor that has been talking to her dad, but she’s skeptical. 

As of right now, in the middle of Scene IV, it is nearly as pathetic a love story as Pride and Prejudice has been so far. And I still have not been able to bring myself to finish that one, yet. 

My Growing Family

Today’s Exploit:

My family has mutated and grown and shrunk and gone through many transformations this year.

I got Pete for Christmas, and the poor thing still has glitter stuck to him from the store. Then I got Jack from one of the roughnecks. Eventually I was motivated and put Pete and Jack in the new pots I’d gotten a while ago. 

Then I got this little guy, from the same roughneck. This little guy doesn’t have a name because it made me mad on the trip home because it bit me when I tried to throw a wrapper in the trash. 

So now it lives with H. because Klay really wanted a plant the last time he visited.

Myrtle and Maya have gotten several haircuts because I leave them in the SUPER hot sun for too many days without water.

I was even afraid I’d lost Myrtle for a while. She needs...something. I guess I need to break her into pieces so that I can add some real dirt to the pot, instead of a mess of roots.

And most recently, I have two new additions to my family. 

Allie has a baby and Pete has a baby. The babies do not yet have names, because they don’t have their own pots. 

Now I just have to figure out how they’ll fit into the crate with 2 new pots. 

The Great Mouse Hunt

Did you know that you can make flax seeds into granola? I didn’t. I want to try it but I can’t find flax in the middle-of-nowhere.

Today’s Exploit:

We have mice.

It appears that we have many of them.

We saw 3 in about 10 minutes the other day.

That is when the hunt began.

Matt and George and Reed take turns with the BB gun, they have set out a multitude of sticky traps and all the doors are blocked with towels to keep them out of bedrooms.

They do this because the mice seem to like to cuddle with me.

They managed to shoot one and catch another on a sticky trap. 

Another got caught in a sticky trap when they were all gone.

It was so sad. 

I hate sticky traps.

So I took the trapped mouse outside and dropped a brick on it so it wouldn’t have to struggle and eventually starve.

I didn’t like it.

I almost cried.

And there was no one there to give me a hug.

Cookies For Sale

I finished Accounting. I think it was the first really useful class I took. Some others have given me new points of view, but the majority of the information has been worthless. Yay for hard Accounting.

Today’s Exploit:

I sold some cookies today. 

I have been spending my free few days between turning in my final project for Human Resource Management and the start of my next classes reading and making cookies. Also I have been avoiding cleaning, but that is not important. 

I sent some cookies with H. one day. And one day I took some to his rig myself. While I was there H’s friend Slick ate six cookies. I heard a rumor that he at most of the rest of them later that evening. 

Then H. came home and said his driller had requested some White Chocolate Macadamia cookies. I assumed that they were the new favorites since I hadn’t made any oatmeal ones in a while. 

But no. 

He wanted some to take home to his family and wanted to pay for them. 

So I did my first ever calculation for how much to charge for cookies, which took longer than the making of the cookies. I might have to add a few cents for calculation costs. 

Then I made a bazillion cookies, because the recipe made a lot. 

And I sent them to the rig.

I feel silly having sent them in a ziplock bag instead of a real cookie bag, the way we used to get them from the Donut Ranch Bakery. Also, I need to design some stickers for the cookie bags! 

Agh!

So much to do. 

And I already had 731405 things on my list.