Vacation...

All I've ever wanted. My first activity is a much deserved nap.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Real smarts, doggie style

Found my PC hosed when I came back from New Mexico last week, so light blogging for now.

Am currently reading Moving Pictures by Pratchett, and the whip-smart mutt Gaspode reminded me if something I always wonder about the way we quantify intelligence in a dog. There are the Laddie/Lassie types that do tricks and the circus dogs which obviously delight in showing their skills and agility, but I think there are myriad unsung and much smarter dogs all over the place. I think the really smart dogs are the ones who know what you want them to do, but have sussed their person out enough to know they can get away with defiance. I think they understand us more than we understand them. Or ourselves.

What do you think?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Met with surgeon and orthodontist yesterday

Looks good. Orthodontist said that due to NE religiously wearing my retainers at night, my teeth have remained aligned. He said he'd have no problem with me having the surgery tomorrow, but the surgeon needs bands mounted on my back molars for anchor points, so I'm probably looking at about a month of braces prior to surgery. The only thing I'm waiting on now is approval for the procedure from the insurance company. Still hoping this can be done this year so I can be in school next semester. Fingers crossed.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Somewhere on NM Scenic Highway 14

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone


This house had a fabulous array of bottles festooning its fence. I took this picture near sunset on the way north and the bottles look interesting and a little kooky as the backdrop for the El Camino. However, on the way back through it was earlier in the afternoon and the bottles-- particularly the blues and greens-- looked absolutely brilliant illuminated from above.

Love this stuff. :) Will try to get a photo in better light and earlier when I go through next time.

Sunday, Puppy Sunday: do u make you horny, baby?

Ok. I couldn't come up with a crap antler pun, so horny will have to do. The puppies are SO besotted with the antlers I got for them at Pet Pangaea in Lis Alamos last week. Good clean fun!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tee Hee

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Highland Fresh Atomic Balls

It would seem I said that when I was visiting Greater Nerdlandia last week, I snapped a photo of Stingray at the Valle Caldera and declared "Highland Fresh Atomic Balls." In truth, I think FarmGirl or DM said the "highland fresh" thing first, and then Atomic Balls seemed the obvious chaser. Low-hanging fruit, presumably. :P

I had an absolutely splendid time visiting the Nerds. Stingray rustled up a marvelous goat dish and the company was very fine, indeed. LabRat has a marvelous cooking library which has inspired my next 3 culinary book purchases. I got to cuddle some beautiful little fluffball puppies, and made a little swing through Santa Fe for some jewelry in the Plaza.

I love New Mexico!

I also spent some wonderful time with my girlfriend Lin of If The Creek Don't Rise, and she fed me marvelous Tortiere and French Onion Soup that was superb. She has a lovely home and she has such impeccable style and taste-- it was a delight to see how she put it all together. I fell in love with her fence, too-- I'll show a picture soon. I want one just like it, now. :)

Was a lovely trip, and I look forward to traveling out west to see them all again soon. :)

it's gone all wonky.

Forgive me if timing is a little off of late. My work schedule has changed from 10:00 AM - 7:00 pm to 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. I like the change, but it's got me all throw'd off.

In the meantime, consider this:




How can something so incredibly sexy be so amazingly cute? I love it!

In one of my fantasy other-lives...

...I would open a bar playing only ambient music. Maybe I still will... and this would be on permanent rotation:




Mezzanine by Massive Attack is one of the best albums eVAR. Elizabeth Fraser's ethereal sweetness is a delight of which I never could tire.

So, my ideal ambient bar would be in a converted old church, preferably with stained glass and a massive humidor. It would specialize in brandy and cigars. You may smoke a pipe or a cigar, but never a cigarette indoors, unless it is a Sobranie. (snobbery much? Why yes, make mine a double!)

My bar is called "Holy Smokes"

What's not to like? I'm searching for the perfect former church, and then: look out.

This Old Porch - Robert Earl Keen

It was almost cosmic. Monday on the way home in eastern New Mexico I heard some great radio, but when the last good station faded out, I hit the scan button and it was silent and I completely forgot it was searching for a station for me. I drove along, thinking of the miles and the dear friends I'd left in New Mexico and the sweet little puppies waiting for me at home. Then I ascended the last long sweep up the escarpment of the Llano Estacado, I crested the rim and then the scanner found itself a station and surprised me with this song that welcomed me back to Texas.



Robert Earl Keen/Lyle Lovett-- always a good idea, even for bad hair days. :)

Home.

I got home lAte in the afternoon after a pleasant, uneventful drive. Am in my own bed, languorously dragging my toes through pup fur. Longer post later but for now, it's good to be home with my doggies. :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A grand time had by me

Sunday afternoon I sadly departed Nerd Ranch and moseyed over to Santa Fe. I spent a ridiculous time parking, but I sort of have a custom of always buying a certain style of Indian earring when I'm through there, and I did not want to part with tradition. I spoke to several artists and got earrings for myself, my sister and niece, and treated myself to a couple of gorgeous copper bangle bracelets.

Santa Fe is better on a middle weekday morning, but it's a nice place to see, even if only once. There are oodles of arty-farty clothing/jewelry galleries, and I really need to come back wearing some of my glass beads into some of those places and see if I can't generate some interest and get something going there. Maybe next time.

After another nice night at my friend Lin's house, Monday morning I hop onto I-90 and make my way back on the path that parallels the vagrant remnants of the storied Route 66. It's kind of sad to look over from the ultra modern roadway and to see little bits of old pavement with jaunty tufts of grass and weed bursting through here and there. There's signage of Route 66 all over the place, but it's fading into memory. The memory is still a sweet one, though. Some photos to come when I am back home.

The Vibram Five Finger shoes have been wonderful for schlepping around in rocky terrain. Love these. Recommend them highly. :) I also got stopped in Santa Fe by folks wanting to know about them. :)

Sunday, Puppy Sunday: homesick/pupsick

Missing my little furballs, but got some proxy furball therapy from Brou, Kodos, Kang and the Wonderpups. Looking forward to being home tomorrow night.

Attitude sickness

Achingly beautiful weather here in the Land of Enchantment. Like 70 degrees and clear-- perfect.

Yesterday I went to Tinkertown with lovely Lin and we had a grand time. Longer post on that when I am home and can upload my Canon Rebel photos. I was buzzed by some hummingbirds and I didn't mind it.

After Tinkertown, I drove myself up National Scenic Byway NM Hwy 14, which certainly merited the description. I had to pull over several times to snap photos. What a gorgeous place. And it rained yesterday morning, so the sage, cedar and piñon all were releasing their oils into the air and it smells so amazing. I told LabRat and Stingray that it smells like God's own urinal cake. So pine-fresh. I want to live here, y'all.

There's just one wee bit of unpleasantness: after a delectable dinner I was feeling fine and all, when suddenly my left eye made me to know it needed to shut. I Suddenly felt enervated and had to make my apologies and head to bed disappointingly early. I think it's very mild, but this does seem to be some degree of altitude sickness. I awoke in the night with a teeny headache and bizarrely felt hot and cold at the same time. At that point, I did what any sane woman would do and painted my nails, after which I was feeling perfectly normal. I then went back to sleep and slept like a little lamb, and awakened refreshed. Looks like today will be another beautiful one! More to follow.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Nerdlandia