Back to the grind

Well, I had a great few days in Abilene with my family. Wednesday I recovered from my cold, Thursday I cooked and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade with Mom in the kitchen, then ate dinner with everyone around 1:30 pm. After our guests left, my family decided to play Cranium Turbo Edition--fun times!

Friday started off kind of rocky. Mom and I had it all planned out that we would get up at 5:00 so we could be at the mall by 6:00 (unlike all those crazies who got there at 5:00!!!). So, then, why did I set my alarm to go off at 5:55? I was planning on getting ready, taking a shower, etc. What was I thinking? Was I thinking? I woke up at 5:53 am, looked at my alarm, thought "Oh, I still have 2 minutes" and then took another look and thought "I thought we were leaving at 6:00...OH NO!!!" I rushed downstairs where Mom was already dressed and ready to go, reading the paper. I explained the situation and, being the loving and patient person that she is, Mom said no problem as I raced upstairs to get ready. Let me just say, I got ready in record time--20 minutes (including a shower).

The rest of Friday was great. Mom and I walked around, bought a few little things, but I think mostly we're going to wait on a lot of our Christmas shopping this year until it gets closer to time. The lines in some of the stores were ridiculous! Then we went home, at lunch with the boys, then left to go pick up Sara and Kim (two high school girls that were going with us to the Abilene High finals game). We drove to Waco, scouted out the stadium, then went to the mall followed by dinner at TGI Fridays! Yum.

Unfortunately, the game was a massacre with Southlake Carroll beating Abilene High 52-0. Too bad. We drove home that night and got into Abilene around 1:30 am. I drove the last leg and it was very hard to stay awake even with the cappucino I got at the Diamond Shamrock--I had been up since before 6:00 am the day before!

Saturday was nice--slept in, piddled around, went to Wal-Mart for a few things, then the fam went to see the Johnny Cash movie, Walk the Line (it was excellent) followed by dinner at El Chico's. We walked around the mall a little bit then went back home for another game of Cranium! Love that game.

Sunday was good but sad as we went to church, came back home, ate Thanksgiving leftovers, then took family pictures dressed in red and green in front of the half-put together Christmas tree. I began to pack my bags and stress about all the things that I had brought to do this week at my parents' house and hadn't done. Oh well, too late now. Derek and I said goodbye, got some gas for the car, and started on our way back to San Antonio around 3:00 in the afternoon. We arrived around 6:45 pm and I attempted to do some homework to no avail. It's hard getting back into the swing of things after so many nice days of relaxing at home. Oh well, only three more weeks and I'll be done for the semester. Until next time, everyone!

Turkey Day, Turkey Day!!!

Hello everyone, I am writing to you from my brother's computer in Abilene, TX. Yea! Derek and I came to visit my family for Thanksgiving because they're leaving town for Christmas. We have to be able to see them for at least one holiday!

So, we drove in last night (got into town around 8:00 pm) and miraculously didn't hit a deer, as hard as we tried--there were certainly many along the side of the road. One even ran in front of the car in front of us, but no carnage...shucks. I asked Derek while we were driving why deer are always along the side of the road, and he said either because they are eating stuff people have thrown out of their cars or they are trying not to get shot. You see, it is against the law (and I didn't know this) to shoot a deer next to a highway or interstate. Why, you ask? Because, as Derek so eloquently put it, every hick in Texas with a gun rack would be stopping every few miles to blow away all the deer they saw (there are a lot this time of year). So, all you hicks reading this, go into the woods to do your venison shopping, okay?

Besides that, I'm still recovering from my cold. It has now moved into my chest, which means that on the plus side, my nose is no longer stopped up, but on the negative side, my chest hurts when I breathe. You decide which is worse. I just don't care that much as long as I can sleep at night--which I was almost unable to last night because of my chest pain. Mom thinks I have bronchitis, but I feel a lot better now...and I'm rambling. This afternoon we're gonna go see the new Harry Potter movie--I'm so excited and I just can't hide it!!!

Well, tomorrow I will be getting up to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on NBC (a time-honored tradition) and making my broccoli-cheese-rice casserole and new pasta pumpkin shells (we'll see how that one goes). Can't wait for all the good food!

Until next time everyone, good news and good night.

Coming down with a...something

Well, since my last post, not much has happened except that I seem to be getting a little sicker every day. Last night did not help the situation because I had to stay outside in the cold weather from about 2:30 pm to about 6:50 pm. It got dark around 5:30, so the last hour and a half was pretty awful. Why did I do such a thing, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

My office at UTSA was helping volunteer at the Diversity Event for November, a time of booths about different campus organizations and also a show with campus groups performing. UTSA even sprung for a semi-celebrity as the MC - Dat Phan from America's Last Comic Standing. He was pretty funny, but by the time he came on stage (6:00 pm), everyone was freezing and the hot cocoa had run out long ago. This was probably the first time I've ever been glad to leave something to go to my Legal History class!

Anywho, I've been kind of stuffy all day today, but I took a Cold-Eze, so hopefully that will help. I did get to sleep in today, though; since I worked all yesterday I got today off from work. Yipee! Until next time everyone.

PS--is anyone still reading this? No one seems to be commenting on my posts...just so ya'll know, I LIVE for your comments!!!

Fingers breaking off from frostbite

Hello everyone. The biggest news I have right now is that last night a lovely wind blew in some cold weather. Derek and I were very glad to have it because it has been in the upper 80s here since oh, about January (and we've only been here since August!). Derek left the window cracked all night to air out our stuffy and hot apartment. It was so nice to snuggle up between our thick comforter and down feather mattress. I loved it!

All of that changed when I got up this morning. I forgot that when you leave your window open all night during a cold front, you wake up to a freezing apartment! I mean, even Derek was cold when he got up. Right now I'm sitting at the computer, typing in grades on my spreadsheets. My little digits are flying across the keyboard, not because they are so nimble but just to stay warm!

Why is it that your hands always get so cold??? I can put on sweatpants, a sweater, even thick socks, but I can't do that for my hands when I'm on the computer--ever tried to type with mittens? Not doable. Well, they'll just have to toughen up or suffer this winter, along with my tootsies and litte nose. But I'm still excited to have cold weather--who wants to eat Thanksgiving when it's 75 degrees outside?

Until next time, everyone!

Pictures--if only!

Well, I am overwhelmed by the response already to my new blog (3 posts, although whoever deleted the one from this morning needs to 'fess up!). One comment by Dad was that I need to put up pictures. Believe me, I really tried to last night. I guess when I come to Abilene for Thanksgiving, Mark will have to show me what to do, because my attempts were pretty futile.

Speaking of futile, I'm at work right now but I am literally unable to do anything but surf the web. I'm supposed to be "proctoring" a test to some applicants to our teacher education program, so Julie suggested I bring our office laptop with me so I could continue to work on some things. Well, the program I needed is not working on this laptop. Luckily, though, the Internet is in perfect working order! So I've been doing what I always dreamed of doing at work--nothing but playing around...hehe. It's pretty fun, but also kind of aggravating because I still have a lot to read in my book, which is due tonight! I wish I had brought it...

Until next time, everyone!

Is this thing working?

Okay, so I decided to jump on the ever-expanding bandwagon of friends and family who have blogs and start one of my own. Who will read it? Probably about three people. Do I care? No. (But just so everyone who is reading this knows: my heart will get a small thrill if you post a comment.)

Well, to start off, I'm sitting here at my computer with my super-cool dial-up internet service. Yeah. I should be reading for my Tuesday night class. The book is sitting right in front of me...I should also be typing in grades on my spreadsheet from one of the many history professors I work for at UTSA. The scantrons sit expectantly beside my chair...but you know what? I've been doing that junk all day. I don't want to do it anymore! I'd rather sit here on the Internet and read other people's blogs until I become inspired to create one of my own! Yeah! So...here I am. Hmmm...well, I guess I better get to work (defeated tone). Until later, everyone! Yea, Mary has a blog!!!