New Sister

My parents lost Lucy earlier this year, and now they've arranged to bring a chocolate lab home in mid-April.  This yet unnamed female lab will join my parents' (currently pack-less) Jack Russell Terrier, Annie.   I'm looking forward to the energy and excitement lab puppy will add to my parents' household. We miss Lucy, but life goes on...onward and upward!

Sharing

After work yesterday I drove to suburbia to see my nieces Presley and Paxten.  We were really enjoying this beautiful weather.  We played at the park, created chalk art on the sidewalk, and after several false alarms, Presley finally flagged down the ice cream truck.  They ate ice cream, and Presley even shared a few bites of her ice cream with the dog, Cady, and I got in trouble for letting her eat after the dog.  It just seemed like part of her routine.

My brother and his wife have a pretty spectacular life.

Black Beans and Dirty Rice

While it was chilly outside I made a pot of black beans and dirty rice.  Sometimes simple and inexpensive meals are the most satisfying.  (Of course my meat-and-potato-eating husband did not, would not try black beans and dirty rice.  It still makes me laugh when he refuses to try something.)

Early Spring in Dallas

The tulips are blooming in Dallas.  Isn't it a little early?  We had a warm week.  However, this weekend was mostly cold, wet, and rainy until the sun came out on Sunday and warmed things up.  I guess we're having an early spring.

The Jason Ellis Show

I had to make a day trip to Austin on Friday, which means I was in the car for over six hours.  (Hooray for four dollar gas!) I listened to a lot of radio.  My hetero buddies always talk about The Jason Ellis Show on satellite radio.  I listen to two hours of the show and I was really entertained.  It is not the kind of show you'd want to listen to in polite company, and I'm certain very few ladies would be entertained by his show which is fueled by guy humor.

Interestingly enough, one of Jason Ellis fans sent in a comment via Twitter to the show that used the word "fag."  Jason took the time to educate him, and he told the fan he shouldn't use that word because it is offensive to gay people like the "n-word" is offensive to black people.  Jason said you can't drop any "f-bombs" or "n-bombs" on his show.

Also at another point in the show, Jason said he wanted to fly in a helicopter over Chick-fil-A and take a dump on top of their building to protest their anti-gay stance.  (I told you it was a show full of guy humor.)

I'm a Jason Ellis fan.  This guy (similar to Howard Stern) is reaching an entire generation of straight males, and he's using his platform to speak up for gay rights- in his own way.  Thank you Jason.

Two Years of Yoga

I was a fat kid growing up.  (In fourth grade my mom and I enrolled in Weight Watchers together- no joke.)  I grew up.  I played football. I added some strength to my body.  Being fat was no longer an issue for me.  To this day I still pay attention to what I eat.  However, because of my fatness as a kid, I was chased out of my body at an early age.  I was never fully present in my own body.  (That might be something only fat people can understand.)  While I look nothing like the guy in this photo, I am approaching my second year anniversary of practicing Bikram Yoga, and I have learned to love the practice for the way it makes me feel afterwards.

It's also trained me to be fully present in my own body, which is a tremendous gift.  Being present is essential to happiness.  Think: "stop and smell the roses."

I'm so glad my husband introduced me to yoga.

Oh No, They Know Me

My husband is at a business conference for seven days and I have to keep myself busy otherwise I end up on the floor in fetal position pounding my head against the floor.  I miss him.  This weekend I walked into Williams-Sonoma at North Park and the associate greeted me and said: "Aren't you the one that likes blue?"  Christy helped me the last time I was in the store, and she remembered that I like blue and I don't need a gift receipt.  She pointed out all the new blue items they had in stock.

So of course I had to purchase the measuring cups that match my bowls.

It it wrong that a sales associate at the greatest kitchen store in the world knows me and my purchasing habits?  I hope not.