dog days

Here bacon bacon

I made bacon.

Now I smell like bacon.

And I don't mind.

Is that going to be a problem?

Pre "Labor" Day

This chair project with my grandpa has been in progress for about 2 years.  We're refinishing 3 farmhouse chairs that have been in the family since the 1800's way back on a farm in Tennessee. They have been through a lot in the last 100+ years, so it's taking some time and there are the pauses for life, summer heat, etc.. As the chairs come together with some elbow grease, stories of old are set loose in the garage; I am getting an education invaluable in all this. This last time, I heard about his adventures speaking before Congress on behalf of then Brown & Root, and making the trip to DC with George Brown on George's Gulf Stream (so what's flyer than a G6? being on the G6 with George Brown)...and he tells me about my dad's career at Brown & Root..and all the major projects dad was put on even as his health declined, how respected he was at work for so many qualities I admire....like bridging divides in negotiations, bringing people together even in disagreement, diplomacy, and so on.  It makes me wish I got to know him as a grown up, and makes me wish I was more like him.

When the chairs are progressing well, grandpa says things like,
"Two heads is better than one, even if one of 'em is a cabbage head."
"It's almost like we know'd what we was doin"
"Happier than a bug on ice"
I think I'm the cabbage head. I don't know why a bug on ice is happy.  But I do love hearing the phrases uttered from another time.

Last week Lilly and I played hooky at the butterfly exhibit, followed by Marysia's yummy dinner, followed by Marysia's even yummier homemade sangria, followed by quality patio time and Lilly negotiating bedtime like a pro. Truth be told, I'm not sure it gets much better than days like these.

The moment my heart melted to my toes? Picking Lilly up from school I peek into her classroom to find her sitting, backpack ON, at a table by the door while all the other kids are playing.  She is just sitting quietly there, waiting for me. Because I said I'd be there, and she still thinks I'm cool :)

Not athletic.

It's the end of sand volleyball.  To celebrate, we won both games yesterday! Maybe the wins had something to do with my lack of participation (Not Athletic)? I forgot the clothesI'moksweatingprofusely in and played cheerleader on the side. And ate pizza. And drank beer. And maybe also ate chocolate cake. I was very busy. Don't go into Whole Foods if you are having a low blood sugar moment, cause that one slice will turn into three. But you probably already know better.  Some photos of the season from Fren Mark, thanks!

No, I don't know why I am making that face.

Hey Regulators are you ready? 

We're alllllways ready!

Anyone? No? 

You can do it yes you can, if you can't do it no one can!!!

Still no?

Sigh.

Shenanigans. 

Thanks Regulators :) 

Not even close.

Final score: 4 Astros, 12 Diamondbacks.  But we had fun anyway :)

so overt it's covert

We need a new name, this one won't do. 

And I need your suggestions, please.

Also, I am daydreaming about returning here sometime this fall....

Who's comin?

Summer summer summertime

My friend Kristen invited me to a catamaran race a few weeks back.

The last time I was with this bunch of sailing people, I went out on this boat, and it flipped. Ironically, I was with Trey, the catamaran safety guy in the group when this happened, so he felt especially bad.   

I came out a little bruised after falling into the boom (BOOM!) but it was good times.  While treading water and waiting for someone heavy enough to help right the boat, I tried convincing him I really felt it was all part of the adventure..

Hi Kristen!

This summer I can't get enough of this scene.  

It's just an effective salve. 

We didn't win anything.

Liars!

Happy birthday Brett, you're looking pretty good for 3am :) 

Good company.

Death by Maths

Sweaty. White. Spandex. Reason numero uno why you should bypass Bikram (hot) yoga.  To be more specific, old men sporting white spandex shorts. Did I mention this is hot yoga. And I can wring out my clothes, literally wring them out, after class. OKokok! Half an hour in, I could wring out my clothes. We’re talking 90 minutes in this sauna. Did it have to be white, is all I'm asking? I can't help thinking of a certain old school SNL skit with Alec Baldwin (right?)....oh I have to stop there.  As much as I'd like to continue down THAT road...

Now, if that’s not enough to deflate ridiculous enthusiastic notions you yoginis (I) have (had) of finding  inner peace, consider an old man in black spandex shorts with a thong (and not the shoe kind) peeking out at you in the midst of, oh yes, Camel Pose.  

Camel Pose makes me woozy, which I’d attributed to the blood rushing to my head mid-backbend…..but perhaps there is a more….visual explanation. 

NAMASTE.

In other less exciting news, I thought I might go ahead and take the GRE since I’ve always told myself I would at SomePoint.  And I do believe I have arrived at SomePoint. 

My favorite vocab words, so far, include:

Quaff

Ebullient

Ephemeral

Axiomatic

Prodigious

Burgeon

Paean

Emollient

From the practice tests, it seems the verbal will not be my main problem…. the MATH (or, the MATHS as some say) will obviously Kill Me; a fact that anyone knowing me more than five minutes or with whom I have split a bill more than 2 ways, can readily confirm. 

You see, I have smartly surrounded myself with friends who thrive on the MATHS, which is how I have survived thus far. Unfortunately, the only formula sticking I learned from a certain engineerinlondon. That’d be 4/3 x pi x r cubed (the volume of a sphere just in case you were wondering)….. and a little more than irksome if you ask me.

Wanted: Patient Maths Tutor

recent life in pictures

found this gem from a few years ago on my phone

...and now she's 3 going on 13

few months ago some friends and i did a little bike ride to Austin

a few months before that, half of this stuff returned from England

....and made me feel a little out of sorts. much like this melon.

we've been working on some chair restoration

Steve retired and his colleagues shed tears....he seemed to manage ok though :)

president's club passes put to good use enroute to Ixtapa with Amy

disproportionate

Texas.