Wonderful Wednesday

Well, I have no big surprises for you today. The new network has a little hitch in the get along but we have figured it out and hope to have it resolved before the end of the week. We continue to settle into a daily routine that accommodates all of our needs.

One funny thing to report is the fact that Eraser loves SF. Case in point, last Friday SF had the day off. After my "normal" morning routine (I will spare you the very boring details) I told everyone good bye and left for work. I got a call around 10:00 AM with a morning check-in and was advised that when SF awoke, Eraser was curled up around her feet. When they both were a little more awake, Eraser went up to SF and plopped down and wanted love. SF was able to rub her like I showed her how and even got purring from her. Stephanie was dumb-founded but glad.

Sassy is still not fond of Ambre, but she likes Frankie because he is calm and does not chase her. Both cats actually prefer Frankie more for that same reason and Eraser will actually lay on the tile beside him in the evenings if SF and I are on the couch together watching TV or talking. They lie just close enough to be together but do not touch each other.

The WNBA Season is off to a good start and we have been watching as many games as we can. That is hard to do when you go to bed as early as we have to in order to maintain our sleep and our routines. There are three games on tonight but they are all web casts, so I doubt we will watch.

I do have a few temptations to share that all relate to the upcoming July trip. I bought this last week and they will be delivered tomorrow. I also ordered this dress Monday to wear to the renewal of their vows. I am torn on shoes and could use a vote. I have picked the following pairs:

1. Bandolino Yinta3
2. Franco Sarto Fancy
3. Franco Sarto Dash
4. Nine West Mocha
5. Ralph Lauren Teagan

I need something with a decent heel but not too high. SF is taller than I am (5'10") so I can have a 3" heel but I don't think that would be practical for the event or to wear to work later, as I will be able to wear the dress to work as well. So all you fashion conscious peeps need to tell me what you think.

Okay, that's all for today....getting ready to shut it all down and head for the casa and a dip in the pool before dinner...

Where did six whole days go?

I can't believe that I have not posted since last Thursday. I have been very busy but I will do the Reader's Digest version for your sake....

Friday I was able to leave at 1:30 PM. It was a blessing. I was able to get the last load of belongings from the apartment and get the payment to the maid for cleaning it so well. That was the best $50.00 ever spent! Sunday I turned in the keys and the final utility payment. It was bittersweet.

Hard to believe that one year ago Saturday I was moving into the apartment. I was full of loneliness and fear about what would happen in my life. I was wrought with depression and self-doubt. I was floundering, separated from my house and the life I had known for the last ten and a half years.

I am pleased to say that I have come full circle. After seeking professional assistance I have learned to control what I need to, to ask for help when I need it, and to accept myself for who I am. I have accepted the past as the past and will continue to learn from it as I grow and move forward.

I skipped over Saturday and need to back-track. We both got much needed cuts, color, and high-lights in preparation for the July trip. I have pictures of the new "do" and will be finally able to download them from the camera tonight. After the hair, we ate at Hooters and rode the motorcycle the rest of the day. It was amazing! I wore my new helmet for the first time and what a difference it made!

Sunday after I returned, we did some light house work and laundry and spent the evening watching TV and talking about some issues that we needed to resolve. Nothing major, just normal stuff that pops up when two people try to merge different lifestyles together into one.

Monday was a long day, as I did not sleep well. I am still getting acclimated to the noises of the house and my head wouldn't stop thinking of stuff either. We had breakfast for dinner, which was a real treat for me.

Tuesday was easy. I had to get some groceries before I got home and then I made a light dinner. We have been watching the Women's Softball Championship and last night we watched part of game two between Florida and Washington.

Bed time rolls around early (8:00 PM) most nights because we are up at 4:15 AM Monday through Friday. We are getting into a routine that works for all six of us and still allows SF time with Frankie and Ambre while I have time with Sassy and Eraser. We are also still working out our "down" time so that we both have time alone to re-charge and let go of issues that followed us home from work.

Hopefully the network I designed and set up last night works tonight and I will be able to post Thoughts on Thursday from my new location and share some pictures. Keep your fingers crossed but do not hold your breath....

Thoughts On Thursday

Hard to believe that this week is rolling by so quickly. The last two nights I have been by the apartment and picked up almost all of the remaining contents. I have a small load for tonight and the maid will be there Friday to get the place ready for me to turn in the keys and the final walk-through.

The house is starting to settle down as well. I had told SF that it would take the cats and dogs a week to get settled and develop a routine that worked for them. Sassy has her routine in place now and the only thing she needs is the cat chair from the apartment. Eraser is just now getting her turf set. She has been lurking about and has developed a morning routine that seems to be the final pattern. She loves the dog beds and spends as much time as possible in them. She is also fond of plopping down on the tile in front of the bedroom door and keeping the dogs in or out as the case may be.

For the most part, Frankie and Amber are resigned to the fact that the cats and I are now permanent fixtures in their house and lives. They follow me around and are getting better about accepting commands from me as well. Amber is still jealous when I get more attention from SF than she does, but that will settle down too. The only hurdle that remains is the leash. Amber does not walk well with me yet and that can be a challenge when we are trying to get them accustomed to my lead so I can take them to the vet if there is an emergency.

I do have pictures on the camera. Why haven't I shared them yet? Well, I have not set up the PC's yet and I cannot locate the camera cable yet either. Hopefully I can locate the cable tonight and get the PC's set up to the network as well. I would have attempted it last night but I was late getting home and we watched the tribute to George Strait last night.

The longer commute and the newness of the living arrangements have not yet provided me with enough quality sleep, so bear with me a little longer and I will get it all together...., or so I hope. Funny, it seems so odd to be saying that I am having adjustment issues, but I am having to learn how to share a bed with someone again and get accustomed to the issues that go along with that as well. I am also having to re-learn sharing a space with another person. Hard to imagine that in one year that I would learned to love my single space so much that sharing provides new challenges.

A special thank you to AHJ for her lovely card. SF was touched by the gesture and wants to learn more about my interwebz friends....

Okay gang....back to work....have a wonderful Thursday and get ready for Friday!

Tuesday Temptations

Greetings! First, I want to take a moment to thank all the Veterans for their services. I was unable to post this weekend, as I still do not have the PC's hooked back up after the move.

The move was fairly uneventful, as far as moves go. Nothing was broken and nothing has been misplaced. Now before you think I am a miracle worker, it is all moved, but not all unpacked and set up. SF had the room almost ready for me to work in but there are still a few things that need to be relocated with the other areas of the house before I can begin to set up the area.

I still have to retrieve the remainder of my clothes, the contents of the kitchen, and a few items from the living room. I should have all of that accomplished by tomorrow night and then I will get the maid in on Thursday so that Friday I can turn in the keys and be officially done.

It will be a slower process with unpacking and getting settled in at the new house. Do not read into that statement. SF and I have agreed that we want to go slow and not put any undo pressure on ourselves to get it all finished. We have plenty of room in the house and one chaotic room with a closed door is not a pressing issue. I will have the critical items all unpacked and put away by the end of the month.

My temptations for this week are simple. Sunday, SF convinced me to walk here. Sounds harmless right? Wrong! We made it there in about 10 minutes but not before a huge downpour. We were soaked to the bones but it was fun. The rain only lasted about ten minutes. Afterwards, we walked around the mall area. I like the way it is laid out with the stores built like an old town center. I can promise that there will be more temptations from this place because they have several stores that I love.

From there, we walked just a little bit further to BJ's Brewhouse. We were hunger and decided to order the AVOCADO EGG ROLLS (Crispy golden wontons wrap a tantalizing blend of avocados, cream cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, pine nuts, chipotle peppers and spices. Served with a sweet tamarind sauce). Of course, since it is a micro brewery, we had to order a beer. Of course, I had the two darkest ones on the menu. We also ordered a turkey burger and an Angus roast beef dip sandwich.

When we were done, we headed back to the house. We were so full and sleepy that we laid down on the floor with the dogs and the cats. We fell asleep until around 6:00 PM when another storm hit. The thunder and lightening woke me and then there was hail. We decided that we should actually get showered and got some staples from the grocery store.

Now, we all know that everything is bigger in Texas. The H.E.B. near the house is no exception. In fact, it is the largest H.E.B. in all of Texas. It even sells furniture. I was amazed. It was sensory overload. The coffee isle alone was a wonderland. And the beer and wines were almost as plentiful as a liquor store. We picked up the basics and I plan on a complete investigation of the store in the very near future! They even have sushi and cooking classes.

Monday was the best day. After getting a good night's sleep, we got up and did a little look at the yard and got the pool ready. Yes, SF has a saltwater pool with a door from the bedroom right to the hot tub. How convenient?! I will have to get some pictures this week so that all of this makes sense to my visual friends. We swam and lounged most of the day, even eating our salads on the patio.

I was even able to convince SF that I needed to cook dinner on the grill that had never been used. We had grilled chicken breasts with grilled veggies. Simple but very healthy and I cooked it all outside so that we did not heat up the house. We even ate dinner poolside since the weather was so nice.

Before I forget, I am also happy to report that everyone has gotten acquainted with each other. Sassy has been bossy and exploring the new digs since Sunday. Eraser had me worried at first but she was back to her alpha position today. She hopped right out of her cage and went straight to the dogs' bed and plopped down. She dared them to come to her and then they figured out that she was now the total queen of the roost. SF left for work at 6:00 AM and the four of them were underfoot until I left at 7:00 AM. It will be interesting to see what transpired while we were gone.

There will be pictures later this week of everything!

Tuesday Temptations

Garden has been planted in very colorful pots. I have planted Opal Basil, Sweet Basil, Rosemary, Yerba, Spearmint, Portulaca, Torenia, Zinnia, Texas Star Hibiscus, Flowering Maple, and Lantana. The Spearmint is for Mojitos. I bought a muddler and I read this on how to properly use it. As soon as the plants have bounced back from the transplanting I will take pictures of them.

SF has been telling Frankie and Amber about Sassy and Eraser for the last two weeks. I'm not sure if they get it, but I have been telling Eraser and Sassy about the dogs as well. She has also been getting the house ready for the three of us. Really adorable actually. She has her own set of temptations that she has hinted at wanting to make our collective lives easier.

She has listened to my cooking escapades the last nine months and she has decided that we need this. I have this one and I love it but it will only cook enough for the two of us with little or no leftovers. She is also looking forward to me acquiring a tagine. She has been curious about the Moroccan food since I took the class. She is also looking forward to the clay pot cooker. Funny part about all of this is the irony.

Let me explain. When I was married to the girls' dad I cooked every night. I cooked what he wanted in the same manner that his mother taught me so that her baby boy was happy....yes, I loved cooking. Hrumph. When I met LG/SWCNLBN she cooked because she got home at least two hours before I did. I cooked on special occasions and for certain parties but not much over the last ten and a half years. Then, blammo I am right back in the kitchen. For the last year I have had to get up daily and fall in love with cooking all over again. SF can cook, but I think that for both of us, we will enjoy sharing the opportunity to work together daily to prepare food that is good for us and is exciting. Yes, there will be the old faithful standbys but we will have adventure.

I have been looking at a few gadgets that I will need since my drive time just doubled. I have an IPod Shuffle that needs to be better utilized. It has been my faithful companion for running since it clips onto whatever I wear. I also have a Sony NW-E005F Walkman that also love. At 2GB it holds a ton of music. I need to clean her up and load her with driving music. Suggestions are officially solicited! The Caliber has an awesome sound system and she needs to be utilized. Of course, CD's are also fun, and I love mixes. So, if jam mistress mel is lurking, I could use some of your special magic again. You are my secret lover...hehe...ooppss, I guess it isn't a secret any more...

For safety, I think I need a Bluetooth headset and this one looks like a good fit and is recommended for my phone. My car has an AC/DC slot in the console so I don't really need any chargers. I can simply take the one for the house with me if needed. And a real bonus is the console. I can flip open the top and the slot will hold the phone so I don't need any other add-ons. A chauffeur would be the only other thing I could ask for....

Okay...I need to get myself to bed so I can work out in the morning....I have more temptations but they will have to wait....