Bacchanalia, Texas Style

Yesterday we went to the 9th Annual Wein and Saengerfest hosted in the lovely old German city of New Braunfels. Basically it’s a very large wine tasting featuring mostly wineries from across the state, though some out-of-state wineries were also featured. I didn’t bother much with those, since I was interested in the local stuff that I can get at the grocery store easily. Ok, I didn’t bother with them because I was too busy looking for the Sangria tent.

Which we found right off the bat!!

The way the fest works is, you purchase five tickets for five samples and get a free wineglass. You then have the option to purchase more tickets for $3 each. Total ripoff, but worth it when you consider you are away from the house and having semi-adult conversations with friends your own age. Wait…. Hm…. ok, close to your age. I just realized I was the oldest in the group. Had I realized that yesterday, I would have bought more tickets.

Ignore the manicure, look at the glass!

As soon as we find the Sangria tent, sponsored by a local favorite, Dry Comal Creek Vineyards™, we fork over two tickets. Yes, it cost two tickets, but you get a full glass of cold, delicious Sangria. And though the temperature was only 88* F (31* C for my Metric friends), the humidity was at about 1,890%, which explains the hellacious storm that came through the area last night, dumping roughly 2 inches and scaring the everloving life out of the dogs and Little One. So at least I can scratch “water the lawn” off my chore list today.

All in all, we had a great time. I only had to buy one extra ticket, so that was good. Like I said, the Sangria was worth two tickets, and I was rather thirsty. Besides, I didn’t have to drive at all. The stars don’t align like that very often, you know 😉

Back to Earth

Well, Hubby has been back almost a whole week. As expected, the euphoria is starting to recede a bit in favor of the mundane. That always happens. The trick is to make the mundane fun.

I’m talking about home improvements, people.

I am ashamed to say that my patio looks like a tornado hit it. Today I am enlisting Hubby’s help in cleaning and repairing stuff, as well as helping me get some pretty flowers for the pots outside. Right now he is having fun playing a videogame keeping busy, but sadly, his relaxation is coming to an unfortunate end.

YAY!!! Petunias!! I love them, and they love Texas heat. Hopefully they will come back the way the ones from last year did. Those are in the front sidewalk, and are doing very well. With my luck, Hubby will want to get something more exotic. He always tries to push the bounds of my black thumb 🙂

Stolen Hour

I hate this time of year: Daylight Savings Time. Last night I reset all the clocks for which I am responsible and wondered why it is that most states still adhere to such an antiquated policy. Arizona seems to cope quite well without it. So do a lot of other countries.

And it never fails…. any important change inevitably brings on anxiety, for no reason. So, last night as I settled into bed, feeling sleep overcome me, only to wake up suddenly. And stayed up until 4 AM.

So, not only do I fall asleep at 4 PM after the time changed, I had to get up at 7 AM to tend to the dog, which necessitated another pot of coffee. Three hours of sleep does not make for a nice Aggie. It doesn’t make for a pretty one, either, but that’s why I have Mary Kay™.

And as I sit here in the peace and quiet before everyone wakes up, my only thought is how to go about making a Daylight Savings voodoo doll. I could make a killing with that 😉

I Need to Invest in a Rake

I have temporary custody of my sister-in-law’s sheltie. It is a very pretty, very fluffy dog.

It also barks a lot.

Anyway, I usually sit with her and comb her coat before Eldest gives her a bath. One thing about this dog: she LOVES getting a bath. She also LOVES being combed. And finally, she LOVES getting her coat blown dry. I think she was a princess in a former life. But boy, does she ever shed.

I know you can’t tell very well, but that pile was the stuff I combed out. And it didn’t even make a dent, people!! She fluffed herself up again, and I could see little bits of fluff floating down to the ground. If I can’t use a rake, I will start using the vacuum on her coat.

At least she was happy!

Dog Days

I am not the most knowledgeable when it comes to dogs. I feed them, and make sure they are bathed, and give them their heartworm medicine, and whatever else needs to be done. But lately I have noticed that I am no longer doing the training.

About a month ago I noticed my big dog, who is still a puppy, sit over by me and whine to get my attention. So, I would get up to take her outside, thinking that she needed to relieve herself. But no…. she would just lay down by the kitchen doorway and just look at me, and I would close the door, come over to her, and give her a “momma hug”.  Things would be fine for a while after that, and then the cycle would start all over again.

Now, I know I am spoiling her. I know that! But she is so devoted to me! So it came as no surprise for me to notice that she no longer comes to sit near me and whine. She goes straight to her spot, whines, and I automatically go over to her to give her a hug.

My dog has trained me.

But I figure I owe her in some small way, for all the joy she gives me. Besides, I am still mistress of my domain, and she respects that, especially at feeding time 😉

Rainy Days and Mondays

I only wish it would rain. That would lift my spirits, not bring me down. I never did understand that song by The Carpenters. Living in a tropical area growing up, rain was always punctual and always welcomed, and living in such a dry area now it is always appreciated when it falls. And now that I’m a mom, Mondays are a BLESSING. There is nothing more relaxing than drinking a hot cup of tea while watching rivulets of rain dance on your window.

I used to drive my mom crazy every afternoon while living in PR, because as soon as it started to rain, I was out the door. Eventually I stopped that habit, but I still love to watch the rain fall. It’s better than Prozac, and cheaper than therapy 😉

I Love My Dog

I do. She is such a sweet natured thing. She only barks when the door rings, or when she spies a stranger in the front. She never nips at food you give her, but instead she takes gently from your fingers. She loves to get a hug from anyone, and will lay down with you to cuddle. When you hold her, she will give you the sweetest “kiss”, and sigh in contentment.

She is also Destructo.

She has never grasped the “Fetch” concept, seemingly content to go fetch, and keep item to chew. She has even destroyed Kong balls, chewed bits off and swallowed them, only to magically reappear on the carpet among the multitudinous echoes of her stomach leavings. Thankfully, she doesn’t chew on anything in the house. But gift her with any toy, and it’s Goodbye, Charlie:

That’s about 25% of the leftover stuffing in her little chewtoy. Hubby was right: never give a dog a toy that resembles anything YOU may own. Otherwise socks, shoes and dolls will be fair game. And you see how Berber carpet kinda looks like a chewtoy?? Yeah, I do go around clipping the little threads that she seems to find so entertaining.

But I can never be mad at her for long.

Look at those eyes!! Just look at them!!!

She might not be the brightest dog out there, but she lurves her mom 🙂

Captain Obvious

Today it was TruGreen’s day to “treat” my lawn. Of course, I couldn’t water the back because the gentleman placed some Miracle Beans™ on the lawn. However, he did take the time to give me a scolding:

No kidding my front yard is under heat stress! All watering resources are being diverted to the sod!! I swear, sometimes pointing out the obvious is a fruitless endeavor with some people.

A Study in Contrasts

I was so lucky! I had the chance to speak to Hubby while he was on a tour of Egypt. Skype is not very dependable in *ahem* certain Middle Eastern countries. But he was very excited to have toured Karnak and Luxor and cruised the Nile River. This is where he is today:

And this is what I’ll be doing:

Sometimes, life can be so funny….

Does anyone know if napalm is good for mold??? 😉

First Day of School

The long awaited for day has finally arrived…

Kids dragging, mom herding, and all is right with the World!! Of course, soon enough they will begin with lists of supplies for each class (velcro and a hammer??), the itinerary for each activity, and of course, I plan to be more involved with AFJROTC this year. But for now, I shall enjoy the angst.

courtesy NY Post

I feel a little bad from taking enjoyment out of this. My sadness can be measured with an electron microscope, but I assure you, it’s there. I wouldn’t be lying if I said I was really, really happy.

I did a search for “ecstatic mom” and this came up. Eh, close enough 😉