Christmas Song Quiz - Link

Click here to view the song list.

The Halls Have Been Decked... kinda

Working full-time and doubling up on classes has proven to be a little much to tackle during the holidays. As many of you know, I am usually knee deep in creating handmade gifts and creative Christmas messages by now and the Christmas tree would have been set up right before Thanksgiving.

Well, I finally found a few hours of time a few weeks ago to put up the tree. At this rate, the house should be in full Christmas spirit by Easter.

I do love my tree this year. I found a slim 9 foot tree that would fit in the front room without having to rearrange and remove the furniture. I added a few more berry and twig things this year, but the big change is the spanish moss. I collected a bunch of spanish moss during one of our hiking adventures at the ranch and used it as garland for the tree. I love it! - plus, it helps fill in all of the bare spots in the cheap tree.

Now... I wonder how I'm going to get all of that moss off the tree...

(click photos to view larger)

Poster Child for Pet Insurance

I think Mr. Magoo should be the poster child for pet insurance.

$1,200 knee surgery... $250 candy bar... and now this...

I've always known that Magoo has "selective" hearing. Over the past month or so it has seemed to get worse. He stopped waking up when we walked in the house, he started barking at nothing, he wouldn't come inside when you called him unless he saw you standing there, etc.

So... I took him to the vet on Wed. just to have them look at him. I figured it was just old age and there wasn't anything you could do about it. The vet confirmed that thought but when she tried to look in his ears he freaked out and wouldn't let her. He's never done that before with an ear check. They took him in back and tried again, saw some gunk, and tried to swab it. Then he REALLY flipped. She said that it looked like there was something in his ear but it could just be dirt and gave me the option of having them sedate him to take a closer look. I gave my o.k. and now I'm glad I did.

After they got in there she saw a chunk which she thought was just debris or a piece of glass. When she removed it, it turned out to be necrotic tissue with pus below it to his ear drums. BOTH ears were like that! She was able to fully flush the left ear, but the right ear had tissue that wouldn't come out. I've had to tackle him for the past two days to put drops in his ears and then took him back this morning for a follow up appointment. They ended up having to sedate him again and to try to flush the right ear again and see how his ears are healing.

The vet said that his eardrums are damaged, but hopefully they will heal. We are seeing a minor improvement in his hearing already. He met me at the back door yesterday when I came home - he can hear the garage door again. :)

As for what caused it, the vet suspects that he had ear infections when he was younger that never quite cleared up, causing a blockage that built up in his ear canal and eventually led to the necrosis. In her opinion, this has probably been years in the making.

If Magoo's hearing does considerable improve, I may take a few other people to the vet and see if it helps. ;)

Gone Country

Stephen, Tyler and I spent this past weekend with Stephen's parents at their ranch. What a wonderful weekend! We didn't leave until after dark on Sunday and Stephen had to drag Tyler and I out of there - we didn't want to go home! Tyler had fun just being a country boy, and I felt like a kid again. :)

Tyler has shown an interest in bow hunting, so Grandpa Woody got him a bow and gave him lessons. We found yet another use for the "Texas Grape Pickin' Machine" when Tyler wanted to try out the new bow and it was already dark.

The rest of the night was spent laying in the backyard looking at the stars. There are so many more stars in the country! Tyler, Mimi, Magoo and I had to cuddle together to keep warm, but the chilly air was worth it. We even saw a few shooting stars! We were all surprised at the interest Tyler showed and how long the stars kept his interest. He even made us go outside again on Saturday night. We'll be back laying in the grass in a couple weeks to watch the meteor shower. It should be amazing!

Sunday morning after breakfast Tyler was back out practicing with his bow and arrow. Both Stephen and I tried it as well and ended up with matching bruises on our arm where we snapped ourself with the string when releasing the arrow. During all of the fun, Goo was in his favorite element - bathing in the sun.

In the afternoon we all put on our hiking clothes and headed deep into the woods. Tyler and I climbed mud covered cliffs, crawled across downed trees, caught a baby frog in the creek, and hunted for the perfect walking sticks. (Yes, that is me in a John Deer hat.)

And, if I had any doubt left in my mind after all of the weekend adventures, I knew Tyler was a true country boy when his first experience driving a vehicle was driving Grandpa Woody's tractor out into the woods!

Weekend in the Hill Country

This past weekend, Stephen and I managed to sneak off for a long overdue few days alone... without an internet connection. :) We decided to head for the hills to a bed and breakfast in Canyon Lake called Biscuit Hill. This place was WONDERFUL! There are six rooms in the main house and the owners live in a house next door. The only time we saw them was for the amazing breakfast each morning. The first morning was an egg bake, mixed fruit, baked spiced peaches with a cake bottom, and biscuits. The highlight of the second morning was the apple dumplings. I brought a cookbook filled with her recipes home with me.

Besides the view, comfortable rooms, and amazing food, another thing that made this place special was the interaction with the deer. They had a container of corn for the deer right off the deck. As they heard you fill a bucket they came running. We sat only a few feet from them and watched them eat! (click here to see video)

Besides relaxing and enjoying the beautiful weather, we spent a few hours in Wimberly visiting Bella Vista Ranch - the first, and one of the few commercial olive orchards in Texas. It is a small, family run business run by an old, retired computer guru. You would have never guessed his background from the looks of him, but he was one of the most intelligent and entertaining people I have ever listened to. From his ranch, we brought back fresh, cold-pressed olive oil, wine, and handmade soaps - all produced, bottled, and packaged on the farm.

Biscuit Hill Bed & Breakfast




Bella Vista Ranch
<-- olive press

Yes, we're still alive...

Since it's currently 20 minutes past midnight, and Shanda's still working, I thought I would just post to let all of you know that we're still alive. Shanda's holding down her full-time job and -- just so she doesn't get bored -- is now taking TWO college classes over the next few weeks. She's currently in Biblical Christianity and starting Macroeconomics. It's gonna be a fun September.

Tyler is now one month into 7th grade and hopefully is getting the hang of it. I'm not sure *I* could manage the schedule they have him on: football practice at 6:30AM, different classes on "red" and "green" days, a new school to navigate...well, you get the idea.

Me? Travel for VMware has slowed down quite a bit now so I'll be doing a lot from home.

More pictures on their way as soon as we have the time. Which may be a while!

School Pictures Gone Bad

This is what happens when your 12-year-old son forgets to tell you that today is picture day.

By the way, his shirt says "MAYBE I WANNA LOOK LIKE THIS"
...how appropriate.

Grow, garden grow!

After three years on my "to do" list, I finally have my salsa garden!

$250 Candybar

Magoo has been known to dig through the trash for a chicken bone or scrap of meat. We've returned home to find pizza crusts laying in the hall. Once, he even covered the kitchen floor in trash trying to dig out some meaty scrap (see photo). But, he has never touched any candy or snack food left on the livingroom table... before today.

When Stephen and I left the house for lunch, there were two giganto, Easter-sized candy bars sitting on the living room table - one dark chocolate and one milk chocolate. Now, if Magoo was feeling the need to go on a chocolate binge, it would have been in his best interest to opt for the milk chocolate. (Chocolate is poisonous to dogs, and the "darker" the chocolate the more toxic it is.) Magoo is a smart dog and understands many words like "treat," "wanna go?" and "squirell," but "chocolate is bad for dogs" was probably beyond his comprehension. Fortunately, somewhere along the way, this knowledge had been engrained in my head and I knew to take him to the vet immediately.

At the vet's office, I was informed that the amount of chocolate that Magoo ate was lethal. One technician took him into the procedure room while another explained what they would need to do - basically, induce a whole lot of vomitting and then coat his stomach with active charcoal to absorb any remaining toxins. I sat in the waiting room and tried to remain calm, which is not an easy thing to do after hearing the words "lethal amount." A few minutes later, the vetrinarian came out to introduce herself and tell me that Magoo had puked up piles of chocolate. This was very good news. I later found out that the bad news was that he puked all over one of the vet techs.

When I was finally able to see Magoo, he was all hopped up on morphine and looked quite pathetic. He laid in my lap whimpering while the vet explained the medicine and special food I would need to give him for the next few days. We were nearly ready to leave when Magoo suddenly jumped from my lap and barfed all over the floor. You know that embarrased feeling you get when your kid is picking his nose in public? Well, this was worse. Magoo had already puked on the vet tech and now he left a pile at her feet.

After a short rest period to make sure he wouldn't puke in the car, we were finally allowed to go home. Unfotunately, there was one last stop to make on the way out. When I got to the receptionist's desk I learned that my $2 candy bar just cost me another $248. That was definately the most expensive candy bar of my life.

And the lesson in this story - when you buy a chocolate bar, eat the whole thing right away. Saving part of it for later may nearly kill your dog.

Rocky Mountain Sunset

Christmas 2006

Tyler with his cool, new video chair.

Carmel by the Sea

After realizing that the sun begins to set around 5pm here I made Stephen get up early today. We were up and out of the hotel room by 8am. If you know us well you know that is quite the accomplishment. :) Our first stop was a little cafe in the center of Carmel. They had Starbucks coffee (my main reason for going) and GREAT cranberry scones. After a quick breakfast and a quick review of our gameplan for the day we headed out for our first stop, Point Lobos State Park.

Point Lobos State Park is located just a few miles south of Carmel. We stopped to see the Sea Lions hanging out just off shore but the real highlight was the increadible views of the ocean crashing against the rock cliffs. We hiked through the rock cliffs for a bit before continuing south on highway 1 toward Point Sur.

The views from highway 1 were incredible. We drove far enough south to see Big Sur but didn't continue south onto the island. On the drive back north to Carmel we stopped to take a photo of Bixby Bridge - one of the world's highest single-span concrete arch bridges and probably the most photographed landmark on the coastal highway.

Upon returning to Carmel our next stop was the Carmel Mission. The mission was established in 1771. The founding priest, Father Junipero Serra, is burried at the mission and the room where he died has been restored to it's original condition. Eventhough my religious beliefs may not be in sync with the Catholic church I have a true interest in the history of the church and it's architecture. This visit was definately the cultural highlight of the trip.

The remainder of our day was spent wandering around Carmel. The one thing to note about Carmel is that EVERYONE brings their dogs with them when they visit. The boutique shops in town will not allow you to bring a cup of coffe in the shop with you but your dog is more than welcome. Even the restraunts in town have pet menus so that your dog may dine with you.

While it was sunny and somewhat warm we walked down to the beach (which was definately easier than the uphill walk back). From Carmel beach you could see the Pebble Beach and the golf course.

On the long uphill trek back to the center of town we passed a handfull of houses for sale. Stephen and I played "name that price" and were consistantly floored by the realestate prices in Carmel. A small, somewhat rundown, beach house with less than 2,000 sq. feet of living space would easily list for well over $1,000,000!

As much as we loved Carmel we both agreed it was way out of our price range.

Alcatraz

Stephen had to fly to the bay area in California for work this week so I decided to tag along with him. After spending a couple days in a hotel room while he worked I was excited to get out and about today.

We were in San Francisco over the 4th of July and saw most of the touristy stuff then. The one thing I wanted to do in July that I wasn't able to was to go out to Alcatraz. So, that was the first item on our agenda today. The tour was really interesting and the boat ride over wasn't nearly as cold as we had anticipated. After visiting Alcatraz we made the necessary stop at Boudin bakery to pick up a few loaves of sourdough bread to bring back home with us and a couple of the best sandwiches you can find. I had bay shrimp salad on a sourdough roll. Mmmmm...

The remainder of the afternoon was spent driving down California Highway 1 - the pacific coast highway. It's a gorgeous drive but unfortunately we ran out of sunlight. I think we may drive back up to San Francisco that way on Sunday when we return to the airport. Hopefully I'll be able to get some better photos then.

We are staying the next two nights in Carmel-by-the-Sea. It's a small town on the coast just south of Montery. The town is filled with art galleries and boutique shops. I plan to see them all tomorrow! :) In the meantime, enjoy a few photos from today...

View Alcatraz Photos

Christmas Song Quiz

SONG TITLES

1. Quadruped with crimson proboscis
2. 5 p.m. to 6 a.m. without noise
3. Miniscule hamlet in the far east
4. Adorn the vestibule
5. Exuberance directed to the planet
6. Listen, aerial spirits harmonizing
7. Monarchial trio
8. Yonder in the haystack
9. Assemble, everyone who believes
10. Hallowed post meridian
11. Fantasies of a colorless December 25th
12. Tin tintinnabulums
13. A dozen 24-hour Yule periods
14. Befell during the transparent bewitching hour
15. Homo sapien of crystallized vapor
16. I merely desire a pair of incisors
17. I spied my maternal parent osculating a fat man in red
18. Perambulating through a December solstice fantasy
19. Aloft on the acme of the abode
20. It's fixin' to appear extremely similar to December 25th.
21. Boppin' while circling the tannenbaum

LYRICS

1. Slumber in ethereal quiet.
2. Hey there! The announcing celestial beings carol
3. Greetings of ease and happiness.
4. On commencement of Yuletide my honey bestowed upon me.
5. Decorate the passage with branches of evergreen sprigs
6. Once upon a misty night prior to Christ's birthday.
7. Ooh, celestial body of marvel, celestial body of strength.
8. With a vegetable stem smoker and clothes fastening snout.
9. Come on, come on, come on, get moving.
10. Scared darkness, the asterisks are brilliantly shimmering
11. Small children with their optical aids entirely illuminated.
12. Loyal buddies that are important to ourselves collect closely to ourselves again.
13. Approach, y'all devoted happy and victorious...
14. Urban walkways, congested walkways, trimmed in a festive manner...
15. Ah! The atmospheric condition beyond is terrific...
16. Percussion instruments jingle, are you harking...
17. Remarked the evening breeze to the tiny sheep...
18. Wishing your dates be gleeful and intelligent...
19. Ourselves bid yourselves a joyous Noel and a cheerful neoteric 365 days...

ANSWERS
SONG TITLES

1. Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer
2. Silent Night
3. O' Little Town of Bethlehem
4. Deck the Halls
5. Joy to the World
6. Hark the Herald Angels Sing
7. We Three Kings
8. Away in a Manger
9. Come All Ye Faithful
10. Holy Night
11. I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
12. Silver Bells
13. The Twelve Days of Christmas
14. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
15. Frosty the Snowman
16. All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth
17. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
18. Walking Through a Winter Wonderland
19. Up on the rooftop
20. It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas
21. Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

LYRICS

1. Sleep in heavenly peace (Silent Night)
2. Hark! The herald angels sing (Hark the Herald)
3. Tidings of comfort and joy (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)
4. On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me (The Twelve Days of Christmas)
5. Deck the halls with boughs of holly (Deck the Halls)
6. The one foggy Christmas Eve (Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer)
7. Ooh star of wonder, star of might (Star of Wonder)
8. With a corncob pipe and a button nose (Frosty the Snowman)
9. Giddyup giddyup giddyup, let’s go (Let it Snow)
10. Oh holy night, the stars are brightly shining (Oh Holy Night)
11. Tiny tots with their eyes all aglow (The Christmas Song)
12. Faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us once more (Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas)
13. Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant (Oh Come All Ye Faithful)
14. City sidewalks, busy sidewalks, dressed in holiday style (Silver Bells)
15. Oh, the weather outside is frightful (Let it Snow)
16. Sleigh bells ring, are you listening (Walking in a Winter Wonderland)
17. Said the night wind to the little lamb (Do You Hear What I Hear)
18. May your days be merry and bright (White Christmas)
19. We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year (We wish you a Merry Christmas)

First Day of School

Today was Tyler's first day of 6th grade. So far we're off to a good start! :)

Texas Grape Pickin' Machine

The muscadine grapes were ready to pick this weekend so we headed out to the ranch and fired up the fancy Texas grape pickin' machine.

A Beautiful Minnesota Weekend

Stephen, Tyler and I spent a long weekend in Minnesota hanging out with Grandma Judy. Since Tyler has only been to Minnesota in the winter he was in for a surprise. The weather was GORGEOUS - perfect for spending time outside in the garden, resting in the hammock or visiting the local wildlife at Sibley Park and Spring Lake Park.

Friday we ventured up to Bloomington to go to the largest indoor water park in the United States where I failed to embarrass Tyler with my surfing abilities (video). Guess I'm just a natural. :)

Another hour car drive Saturday took us to Walnut Grove where we ate at Nellie's cafe and toured the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and location of the Ingalls dugout site on Plum Creek. As interesting as the Little House on the Prarie history lesson was, it just couldn't compete with the in-car entertainment. Tyler figured out how to spell words on a calculator. I never knew an 11-year old boy with a calculator could be so funny! His favorite was 5318008.

I drove "the boys" back to the airport last night to catch their plane back to Houston. I'm in Minnesota for another few days to catch up on work and meetings while I'm in the office. It's nice to see everyone again and spend some time with my family, but I think Texas has captured my heart as my home.

View Minnesota Photo Album

Galveston

Today was a fun day in Galveston. We ate DELICIOUS seafood at Gaidos (http://www.gaidosrestaurant.com) and spent an impromptu afternoon at the beach. We hadn't anticipated a beach outing but after a quick stop at Academy to pick up swim clothes and towels we were ready to go! Unfortunately, the water wasn't as refreshing as it looks. With a series of days approaching 100 degrees the mid-summer surf felt like warm bath water. This didn't seem to deter Tyler and Greerson from having an afternoon of sandy fun!

View Galveston Photo Album

Old Entries

Someday I'll be completely organized and have all of my entries in one place, but until then please visit http://www.freewebs.com/stephenandshanda to view the following entries:

Tyler's 10th Birthday
Rodeo 2005
Let's Go Fly a Kite
Horse Trail Ride
Big Sam
Hawaii
Wedding
Fredericksburg
Galveston 2005
Father's Day 2005
France

Galveston

Hotel Galvez

The Hotel Galvez was known as the "Queen of the Gulf" on the day she opened in 1911. For nearly a century, this charming hotel has been the choice of guests as demanding and diverse as Teddy Roosevelt, Howard Hughes, Frank Sinatra and the Shultz family.

A Day at the Beach

Tyler spent most of the day digging a hole while Greerson dug a canal from the hole to the ocean to fill it up. The rest of us lounged in the sun and watched the physics lesson in progress.

Moody Gardens - Aquarium

View Moody Gardens website

Moody Gardens - Rainforest

View Moody Gardens website

1877 Elissa

As one of only three pre-20th-century tall ships in the United States that has been restored to full sailing capacity, Elissa has already been declared a National Historic Landmark and one of America's Treasures by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Built in Scotland in 1877, Elissa was a rusting hulk when she was rescued from a Greek scrap yard by the Galveston Historical Foundation in 1974. The foundation purchased the ship in 1975 and restored her over the course of eight years and at a cost of nearly $7 million, bringing a vital link to Galveston's maritime past back to life.

Read more about the Elissa

Visit the Elissa website