Meet Ruby

I'm so excited about Ruby!! One of my best friends Tony, decided to rescue a Vizsla after being our unofficial dog-sitter when were are out of town and my parents are busy. He's been around Zoe since she was a puppy and often takes her for fun weekends. He picked up Ruby the day after returning Zoe while we were on our South America vacation.

"I know there' are birds in this tree! I can smell them!"

Since Zoe had her surgery right after we returned and I've been swamped studying, I hadn't had a chance to hang out with Ruby much or introduce the dogs.

Fortunately, Tony had to travel out of town this week, so Ruby got to hang out with my super-cool parents and their Vizsla sitting service.

She had an awesome time in their backyard, with all it's bugs and birds and things to explore.

I couldn't distract her long enough to get her to look at me! She was after something in that bush.

I had to take her inside to get some good shots. She's such a sweet pup, but I'm so spoiled by having Zoe trained to my liking. I'm sure Tony will do an awesome job teaching her all the doggie-ways in no time at all.

I can't wait till Ruby & Zoe can hang out some more at the park! They got along fairly well so far, but I'm sure they will be buddies in no time at all.

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: I'm sooooo excited to have a puppy "niece".

Visiting Springfield

Two weeks ago, another week of travel hell with delay flights, missed connections and lost luggage, I had the joy of traveling to Springfield, Massachusetts. Instead of driving from Boston, we decided to connect in Newark and land in nearby Hartford, Connecticut.

It was actually pretty cold, windy and rainy when we arrived, but I enjoyed the short drive down the New England back roads. The town itself had some neat buildings and I missed lots of fun stuff with my camera since we arrived so late.

We did however stay at the hotel next to the Basketball Hall of Fame. I had no idea it was there, and unfortunately it closed before we even got to our hotel. Maybe next time.....

I caught a few shots of fun old buildings and unique things, but it made me a little more eager to head to New England sometime on a vacation to take in all the quaintness and history of the area (and also glad to live where it doesn't snow).

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: I've got to much sleep this weekend and it's awesome!

Spring Picnic in the Park

Last Friday, Good Friday, we both worked a few hours and then had an early afternoon date in the park. The weather has been great here lately- not too hot yet! We decided to head to an old favorite park called Stude Park.

The park is quintessential Houston to me for many reason. Of course White Oak Bayou, which winds so many other places through the city, is the closest we've got to a scenic lake or river around the parts.

It's also set right next to the freeway, but it does offer some beautiful panoramas of downtown. The area is under going an incredible revival in the last 5-10 years, as many people are moving back into lofts and condos downtown to avoid the traffic and be closer to city life.

We sipped on wine, munched on wheat thins & indulged in Kebler chocolate graham cracker cookies. If I hadn't forgot the cheese, it would have been the perfect picnic.

It was great to just chill out after a long week of traveling and work. We talked politics and current events, watched families bike and jog along the trails on the bayou and enjoyed the spring flowers all around.

Just having some fun with my camera! This park is in the area of where H grew up and also near my Grandparent's house, so it was a fairly important gathering place for us both growing up. Also, when I lived in the Heights, it was a great place for Zoe and I to jog.

I really do love all the older homes in the area. They have such personality and character, and most of them have been really well maintained. In many of the older areas, it's more common to bulldoze the house and build a new one, but this area is retaining it's chart quite well.

We dropped into King Biscuit for a little dinner out on their patio, and then continued driving around the Woodland Heights area. I was amazed at how beautiful the homes were & how much the area has changed recently. The schools have been remodeled and the area was in full spring bloom.

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Meet Ruby!

Building Updates

The hotel is coming along, slow but sure. I can actually also see it from the back when I drive down my street now. Not only a hotel, practically in my back yard, but a HUGE hotel!

We've also been spending lots of time and money on the rent property. I've had 2 tenants move out, so we're fixing the place up. This is the side I lived on, and we added a nice coat of paint throughout the inside.

We also got rid of the horrible black & white checker linoleum in the kitchen and put in a nice tile floor.

And they are almost finished with the building behind our house :( The final last touch was some swell flood lights that are very bright at night!

I thought I they wouldn't bother me, since I can fall asleep with lights on in the room, but they always made me think I'd overslept into the dawn when I'd roll over at 2am! So this is our temporary, awful solution. Guess what we'll be working on this weekend.....

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Ran my 11 miles this morning & I'm sleeping in tomorrow!

Bad Work Things

The last few weeks of traveling for work have been some of the worst I can remember. Here's why.... 2:30 flight CANCELLED

4:00 flight CANCELLED

5:00 flight CANCELLED

6:00 PM flight lands at 2AM!!

7:18 flight CANCELLED

~~ Glad I just drove home from Dallas last Monday. ~~

Other things that made for an interesting inspection. What is that??

Oh I hope what ever is in THOSE doesn't come out anytime soon!

Any why?? Why is there all this mud all over the car?

More YUCK!

And another threat! At least it didn't sting me!

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Travel & work in April will be much better (hopefully)!

International Falls, Minnesota

Welcome to the tiny border town of International Falls, Minnesota. Look as I might, I never found an actual waterfall, but Canada was just a stone's throw across the river.

On my trip to the frozen tundra, I was actually able to do a mini-tour of a mini-city. It was pretty much an industrial, working town. We arrived around dusk, so mostly night pictures while driving.

The railroad was fairly impressive, even if I missed snapping a photo of the full 18-wheeler they had lifted into the air and were dumping into a train car.

The big thing is town is the Boise Paper Plant, where pretty little trees are shredded and made into useful things.

After legally winning the title "Icebox of the Nation", the town is often seen on the weather map as the coldest place in the continental United States and boasts (why??) about having the coldest average temperature in the country.

It was neat to be in a small town, with a main street and old-fashioned buildings.

I think the snow clears for a few months & they might actually get some use out of those basketball courts. ;)

And of course, the highlight of my visit was a fabulous dinner at the Chocolate Moose. With $4 glasses of wine, we feasted like kings for a few bucks. Unfortunately, I was too full for a chocolate moose on a stick. :(

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: Half way through the week!

Rodeo: Rascal Flatts Concert

And finally - the BIG SHOW! After the grand entrance, calf roping, bare back riding, team roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing, bull riding & the calf scramble, it was time for the concert.

I was so excited to see Rascal Flatts & that H was actually able to score some suite tickets.

Such a great cross-over band, with lots of pop sounds in their country music and their style. Many of their songs, especially These Days & I Melt, took me back to my last days in college in Austin.

Their hottie guitarist was fun to watch too- so young & spunky!

They really put on a great show and sang many of their hit songs. Reliant Stadium isn't always the best place for a concert, but I still really enjoyed it.

No respectable country band doesn't have a totally killer fiddle player. This guy was GOOD & I love hearing some real musical talent.

Near the end, the Gary LeVox brought (I assume) his daughter up on stage. She was super cute & I'm sure very overwhelmed by the huge 70,000+ crowd!

GOOD NEWS OF THE DAY: The new floor is finished!