HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HUSBAND!

Happy Birthday, honey!

Here's a little blast from the past...

This was a Jerry Jeff Walker concert, Soap Creek Saloon, April 1980.

(You and I were, obviously, looking at different things in this picture!)

It was 175 degrees in the building.

And the Lone Star was really cold.

And JJW's handlers had to keep putting him back on stage.  

And we were with good friends.

And we had SO much fun.

I remember that!

I like you more than cheese enchiladas!

xoxoxo

THINGS I WISH I HAD... THE SHORT LIST

There are a few things I wish I had.

The basic things, I've had.

The important things, I've had.

I've been lucky.  And I tell myself that every single day, when I wake up.  Even considering.

BUT, there are a couple of things (three) that are always are on my list of things I wish I had.

#1 - 10 MILLION DOLLARS, or more.  But that's on everyone's list.

#2 - Less body mass.  But that's on lots of lists also.

#3 - CLAVICLES.   These things......

I've never had them, even when I weighed 65 pounds.  I know.  I've looked at pictures.  Well, I know I HAVE them.  They just don't show up for me.  They stay hidden under the skin.  And I notice other women.  Some have them showing.  Some don't.  I just wish mine did.

They make every woman's neck look better.  They look younger.  Their necklaces look prettier.  And even their earrings.

And on men, well....

Yeah, well, it's been on my list for years and years.

I'll send my complete list of things I wish I had sometime soon.

But the top three will stay the same.

I ALMOST BECAME A DOG PERSON RECENTLY

I was rolling out our huge trash and recycling dumpsters to the street a few weeks ago, so the Angels of the City could swing by and pick up our shit, and haul it away for us.

I'm always SOOOOO appreciative and amazed that I don't have to haul it away myself.  I WISH I could give them all gifts, and second homes in Colorado, because there's NO ONE who deserves it more than those Trash/Recycling Angels.

But, anyway, here's what I'm trying to get to......  As I was putting the dumpsters out, a beautiful brown and white, highly active, enormously friendly, dog came bounding up to me, licked my feet, took a rub around my legs three times, and picked up a stick... basically saying, I don't know who you are but I'm ready to play and you better throw this for me.

I'm SO not a "dog person".  I'm a "cat person", big time.  But I think this dog was like a border collie/lab/poodle/cow mix. I'm just guessing.  And she stole my heart immediately.

Dogs do not like me.  Probably because I'm not a "DOG PERSON".  But this one did.  I'm sure she did.  And especially when I gave her water and rubbed her stomach and called her by her name (which was on her tag).  The only reason I know she was a she was because her very responsible owners had tags on her, with her name, and their phone number.  They even had an extra tag, for the person who sometimes takes care of her when they're out of town.

I could have probably figured out she was a she anyway.  But....

Husband was watching my amazing dog skills from the back door.  I could see he was impressed!

My wonderful friend, M, adopts special needs dogs - she loves dogs so much.  She has dogs who are blind, and have commitment issues, and ADD.   (She has a cat too, Spot. I think M wouldn't mind if Spot got run over by the Angels of the City truck though.  She's not a cat person.)  She would have been so proud of me!  She would have been proud of my dog skills.

My found dog's name was Abby.  And when I called her Abby, after holding her down long enough to read the tags, she licked my hand.  And looked at me, in the eyes.  I so wish I could have gotten to my camera, because I would love to put a picture of her here.  One that I could look back on as the dog I ALMOST had.

There's no double about it, if she hadn't been claimed, she was mine!!  Husband didn't have a say in it.

Her sweet owner came to claim her.  She asked me, on the phone, where I was keeping her.  I told her she was in the garage.  The owner said DON'T LET HER OUT.  Which I had already, definitely, processed.  Owner showed up with a leash in hand.  We gently let Abby out of the garage, just long enough to attach her to that leash, and then she bounded to the car, dragging Owner behind.

Husband asked me if I asked Owner what kind of dog she was.  I told him it never occurred to me to ask.  She was a dog.

But Abby was special to me.  And if I ever find her reincarnation again, that specific border collie/lab/poodle/cow mix, I'll adopt her.  On the spot.

And I'll become a dog person.  My cats will be ok with it, I think.  If I am.  And, again, Husband won't have a say in it.

GREAT BUMPER STICKER - GREAT CAUSE

I just love, love, love when I'm driving home from my but-I-have-a-degree-job, and see things like this......

One of my favorite bumper stickers.  I love the cause, the dedication, the motivation, the imagination, the creativity.  Sooooo much better than "Help Fight Breast Cancer".  Although, that gets the message across, too.

And, every time I see the ta-tas bumper sticker, I want to immediately donate money - pull over into a Starbucks parking lot, whip out the iphone, credit card.....

And I smile when I see it.  Even knowing that it's a horrific disease.  But, how can you NOT smile - at least anyone who has ta-tas.

And if everyone had my sense of strangeness, and if everyone donated just a dollar every time they saw the ta-tas bumper sticker.... well, that would be something.

Anyway, I love it.  And I'm getting my own ta-tas bumper sticker.

Unfortunately... where I work, I don't think I can put it on my car.  Because Big Brother monitors that parking lot.  And "ta-tas" would be considered inappropriate.  But I'm getting one, or several, anyway.

I like creative people.  And this is creative, and makes you pay attention.

Sort of like an Armstrong bumper sticker that would say "We like our balls".

Equal attention needs to be paid to ta-tas as balls.

Ta-tas UNITE!!

Anyway, I like their bumper sticker.

So, donate a couple of bucks for our ta-tas.  Wherever you choose to do it.

I like seeing the bumper sticker on my way home from my but-I-have-a-degree job.
I also like seeing a cute guy on a Harley.

HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO BLOG LATELY

Just to let you know why I haven't posted anything lately....  We're in Aruba, having a wonderful, sun-filled, moon-drenched, gloriously relaxing vacation.

Here is where we're staying......

And here is the view from our balcony..........

HEAVENLY!!

Hopefully, I'll find time to send more pictures soon!

Love to all!

REAL MEN OF SOUTH AUSTIN

I live in SOUTH Austin now.  After a billion years in CENTRAL Austin.  Husband and I started out in SOUTH Austin, and I truly feel like that's where I belong.  I'm not sure I was CENTRAL Austin material.  I like that these people crank up the grill at 4 in the morning.  And they love statues.  And the color red.

AND BECAUSE I LOVE STUFF LIKE THIS.........

I was at a red light at the notorious William Cannon / Manchaca intersection.  Many lives have been lost at this intersection, so I say a tiny prayer every single time I make it from one side to the other, alive.

Well, last weekend, as I was waiting my required 2 hours to get through that intersection, I saw THIS..........

I was 3 miles away, considering the intersection, and I did the best I could with my Blackberry camera.  I wish the picture was better.  But let me explain what you're seeing.......

The front guy, as you can tell by his body language, was a South Austin TOUGHGUY.  He had the muscled body (yes I noticed!), the appropriate amount of facial hair, the tattoos, the do-rag on his head.  And the don't mess with me bitch attitude.  You could just tell.  Problem was, he was on his girlfriend's PURPLE VESPA.  Not his Harley.  He was desperately trying to maintain his TOUGHGUY image, though.  I would not be alive today if he had seen me taking this picture, I'm pretty sure.

ANYWAY.......  He was fun to watch for the 2 hours I was at that intersection.

The second guy in the picture, was just sad and pathetic.  Here's the picture again. 

                                

First of all, he was BEHIND harley-guy-on-his-girlfriend's-purple-vespa, and I'm sure he knew that he paled in comparison.  I'm sure he was thinking, oh shit, I'm stuck at this 2 hour intersection behind this harley-guy-on-his-girlfriend's-purple-Vespa.  

And, second of all, he was on a BICYCLE.  On Manchaca.  In South Austin.  Without the rest of his group of bicycle buddies.  Bicycle people have to stay in packs in South Austin.  And they have to yell loudly at each other when they go through intersections like this.  Protect each other.  They just do.

And, third of all, he was WIPING SWEAT off his forehead.  No do-rag.  Bummer.  He probably noticed that harley-guy-on-his-girlfriend's-purple-Vespa in front of him was NOT wiping sweat, and why.  The do-rag.  And maybe the TOUGHGUY thing.

Again, the picture.....

                              

So hopefully, purple-vespa-girlfriend was nice to harley-guy-on-his-girlfriend's-purple-vespa and fully appreciated what battlefield he went through for her.  Who knows why he was on it.  I just refuse to accept that the purple Vespa was TOUGHGUY's.  Just not.

And hopefully bicycle-guy found his manhood and stapled them back on.  He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.  And, maybe, he might consider a do-rag.

I LOVE SOUTH AUSTIN.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!

Today, Aug. 3rd, is Husband's and my anniversary.  We've been married for 36 years.  I've said that over and over in my head all day long.  Fearing I'm sounding like my long-gone grandmother, but, it seems like just yesterday.  It really doesn't seem like it was just yesterday.  But it's been quick.

So, because I can, I'm going to share some (more) wedding pictures.

This was 1974.  We were both 19 years old.  But in OUR heads, we were 25.  And we knew everything.  Everything.

Husband and I planned every single detail of our wedding ourselves.  Our parents just knew that there was nothing they could do to stop us.  So they let us plan our life and smiled.

Here is Husband and BOTH mothers.  One of the FEW times these two women would EVER be in the same picture, believe me.  Let's just say, different personalities.
My mother is on the right, Husband's the left.  Our wedding "colors" were blue and yellow. Husband's mother wore winter green - in August.  I NEVER figured that out.  It was a beautiful dress and she was elegant, as always.  She had a presence about her.  She was a lovely woman.  But, still, winter green?  She passed away six months before her first grandchild was born.  I think about her everyday. And what about my mother's hair???  It was the 70's and BIG hair was in, and hers was big.  My mother did everything perfectly for the wedding.  The last time that ever happened.

My dad, on the other hand, couldn't have done anything wrong if he had tried.  If I had something to tell my parents in my life, I always told it to my dad first.  He'd tell me when I should tell my mother.  That included the night I got my engagement ring, and the day we decided on the wedding date, and the day I found out I'd been accepted to UT.  Daddy told me how to handle things, always.

I wish he was here now to tell me how to handle a few things.

I can't even imagine how hard it was for my hard-working, WW2 vet, dad to wear a tux with ruffles on the shirt!  He never said a word.  He was 49 in this picture.  He loved me more than anyone ever has, probably.  Except, maybe for Husband.

I'll just hurry on through this.....  more wedding pictures........
(Sidebar - This two-hour period of my life is the ONLY time I have EVER been this thin.  Just have to say that.)
And, golly, how handsome is Husband here!!

I haven't mentioned that this was a mixed marriage.  Southern Baptist and Methodist.  So, we had to have two ministers (or as my folks call 'em, Preachers).  The "Preacher" is on the left in this picture, and you can tell that he is thinking, oh, gee, why are you kneeling?  Get Up!  We don't kneel in this church.

Wedding over!  And we had 3 bottles of champagne iced down in the car!!!!!!

This is my brother with my mom.  He was 4 years older than me and he was DRUNK, big time, in this picture.  He dealt with things his own way.  My dad is walking behind.  My dad and brother both passed away 5 months apart, a few years ago.  I miss them both so much.

Our friends.  WHAT a picture.  Wow.

And all these guys agreed to wear ruffled shirts also.  They loved us.  They might have been drunk, also.  The 70's.  There was NO event that didn't involve alcohol.  Our "Preacher" made sure he told us the night before, that there could be NO alcohol at the wedding.  So, I feel pretty sure that all these guys planned ahead on that deal.

AND, we're off.  To a hotel in Ft. Worth for the night.  Then on to Red River, NM for our honeymoon. I love that Husband looks so intent on getting me IN THE CAR in this picture.  Protective.  We were thinking about the 3 bottles of champagne iced down in the back.  And other things.  We were so young.

We came back from the honeymoon to our tiny home in Austin, and went to college, and work.

And proceeded to grow up.

Happy Anniversary, Husband.  I love you.  Still.  So much.