SALTY DOG (DAY 3)

Yesterday morning Scott and Gillian called and asked if we wanted to join them at the beach in Port Aransas. An hour later we were in the car on our way! We arrived just in time to take the dogs on a beach walk as the sun set. Scott and Gillian have two labs and all four dogs loved running in the ocean chasing one another and trying to catch seagulls.

This morning, Sadie's tail was mysteriously immobile. Usually it is a curly cue and wags almost constantly, but today it just hangs limp. I remember that this exact thing happened to B,D,A&P's dog, Buck, and his tail came back online after a few days. I don't think she knows her tail is not wagging, so we're in a holding pattern to see how it's doing tomorrow. I miss her waggly tail.

We spent most of today on the beach and the dogs wore themselves out again. As soon as we got in the car to leave they conked out and literally did not move the entire four hour drive home. Not even to sniff a french fry when we stopped at Whataburger.

SPONTANEOUS (DAY 2)

This is me. On the way out the door to the beach! WOO HOO!

p.s. note my new shorter hair do

More tomorrow!

ATB ROCKS IT OUT WITH CRANKY BEANS

I was cranky a few times this week. I know, unbelievable. But it's true. I think I was a little stressed out about my big event at work. And there was also a little bit of After Taste from our weekend visit with family.

When I'm in a poopy mood, Aaron says I've been eating cranky beans. Then he cheers me up in a multitude of ways.

Once this week he asked if I wanted to jump on the bed. I did. So we did. Until we heard some cracking noises and then I got cranky again because I thought we'd busted the bed frame and we had to spend the next thirty minutes taking the mattress off, inspecting the cross boards, repositioning them and screwing them down, then putting everything back together. And Aaron was quick to do every bit of it with a smile on his face and didn't even wince when I might have screeched a little bit and he never pointed out that I was being unreasonable and none of this was really necessary.

Another time he got my super new camera and videoed me while I was making dinner. I would post it, but I have my poopy face on in the whole thing, which is not cute at all, and I also get a little crass a few times and I wouldn't want to shock my parents. I answer his questions with smart aleck remarks. At one point I ask Aaron "why are you trying to piss me off?" Then he asks me to do this hand thing that we watched on YouTube with Bryan and Andrea, and I might have skipped over most of it and given him a different hand signal. I think somewhere in there I also dramatically say "don't patronize me!" which I'm sure I picked up from a Lifetime movie and tucked away for an occasion just as this.

Aaron thinks all of this is very funny. And throughout the whole 5 minutes he's videoing, I burst into giggles and then go back to my poopy face. Because we have instant gratification-digitization of things, we watched the video immediately, and I really cracked up at how ridiculous I was behaving, and actually how funny I was being in my responses to his prods.

Later in the week, he made me this mini-koozie to fit on my special 8 oz. Halloween sodas.


And his new favorite way to cheer me up? He does the Aubrey-laughing-contest-face. I'm sorry for all of you who don't know how that face goes - but just imagine a 2.5 year old making faces to get you to laugh and imagine what she might come up with - then imagine Aaron making that face. (Dre, it's the twirly finger one)

I'm so thankful that I married a man who can cheer me up. For the days when I've had some cranky beans, he is there, ready with the Bean-O. And I love him.

THE DAY I OVERHEARD CRAPPER (DAY 1)

Last night my firm hosted its 9th annual fundraiser. Coordinating and organizing this event is a big part of my job, and every year all of the planning and preparation I have done over the last ten months culminates in a wonderfully enjoyable evening.

We hold the dinner at a swanky downtown venue every year. It's a fancy old club on the top floor of an office building showcasing spectacular views of Austin. It's a place where politicians and high-powered business people negotiate over cocktails and dinner.

Huge J. Harvey originals hang on the walls along side funky abstracts by local artists. Plush arm chairs, rich dark furniture, ornate lighting fixtures and jazzy lounge music add to the ambiance.

I always love primping in the huge bathroom before guests arrive. It's so lavish and makes me feel like I'm in Paris in 1893. The walls are upholstered and there are two seating areas with ladylike chaises. The stalls are in another area and are each very private. And as you can see, there are ample opportunities to view oneself from any angle.



Do you like my pose? I learned that from all those US Weekly magazines - the most flattering position in which to stand and be photographed.

And how 'bout that beautiful string o' pearls? Yesterday morning I was telling my boss how I had tried to channel my sister's accessorizing sense, but in the end I just didn't have a necklace that would do. Luckily my boss happened to have an extra string of pearls with her. Voila! I think this would have Renee's stamp of approval. I was glad because you kind of feel like you must be properly adorned to enter this bathroom.

After dinner, as we bid our guests farewell, two women were entering the lavish lavatory. Mind you, these are two mature women who have just attended a fundraiser where they donated a nice sum of money and are certainly properly adorned. As they pushed the door open, I overheard one of them say exclaim loudly to the other "Well, I've got to see what a $72,000 crapper looks like!" I AM NOT EVEN KIDDING.

REFELCTION

I was recently looking in the mirror at my thirty-year-old self and pondering what I saw. Okay, I was really investigating a new pimple, but it did inspire this post, not the pimple, but my reflection. And "looking in the mirror pondering my reflection" sets the stage much better than "looking in the mirror cursing adult-acne."

So, back to pondering and what I saw:

a woman, who behaves as such only most of the time
a daughter to two of the most wonderful parents to ever walk the planet
a wife to a man who loves her unconditionally
a sister, the luckiest sister alive
an aunt to three children who explode her heart and constantly amaze her
a granddaughter, niece, cousin and in-law who is infinitely thankful for the family with which she's been blessed
a friend inspired by her Lovely friends Every. Single. Day.
a Christian on whom God is still working
a doggie-momma, surprised by her capacity for love for these animals
a smile that I'm proud of
a few laugh lines, which I've earned
a strong and healthy body that I will not take for granted
a seeker who still has much to learn
a bookworm who delights in the weight of a story
an eternal optimist, a glass-half-full kinda gal
a singer, a joyful soul
a person who longs to be gentle with her Earth

What I mostly see, though, are reflections of all the people who love me and make me who I am. (and some frustrating skin issues.)

I've recently been in conversations about the art of a self-take picture, where the photographer is in the photograph - whether it be the hold-the-camera-out-in-front method, with the help of a timer or by capturing a reflection. Jessica is a pro at the self-take - I think she's probably who unintentionally inspired me to start doing more self-takes.

For the next seven days, I'm going to take pictures of myself and post them. I have this grand idea that I will think of interesting instances in which to take the pictures and that they'll be reflections of my daily life and show glimpses of who I am. I think it will be fun and I like doing things like this because it makes me pay uber-attention to my surroundings and what is going on in my life. And because I'm addicted to my new camera.

Of course, you could end up just seeing random pictures of me eating pancakes or standing awkwardly beside what seems to be a topiary but it's hard to know for sure because my teeth are taking up most of the frame.

Oh, and it would be fun if anyone else out there wants to do this too!

ATB ROCKS IT OUT AS A SNUGGLEMUFFIN

My husband is a snuggler. Or, when I really think about it, maybe he is just a very good snugglee. I like to hug and hold hands and sit on the same couch cushion as him even though the whole rest of the couch is available. I like to lean on him and stand with his arm around me when we're just hanging out. I like to crowd his elbow room when we're out to eat and I always find a reason why I need to sit on his lap and look at what he's doing while he's on the computer. It's true. Just ask him.

And the great things is, he doesn't mind having me all up in his biz. I even think he kinda likes it most of the time.

Aaron is definitely a hugger. We hug at all the usual moments, but he also hugs me a lot for 'no reason' - except the reason is because he loves me and he's sweet. This is really lucky for me because I grew up in a family of random-incident huggers and I start to have serious emotional issues when I don't get enough hugs. I remember my first semester in college, I drove home almost every weekend just to fill up on hugs from my parents because a week without hugs was seriously incapacitating.

I'm glad I married a snugglemuffin. A very manly, arrgh arrgh arrgh, snugglemuffin. And I love him.

SNEAK

Sadie: This looks like a good spot to eat my bone.
Scoop: Do de do
Scoop: Don't mind me, I'm just posing for the camera.
Scoop: Oh, hey Sadie. I didn't know you were over here. Whatcha doin'?
Scoop: Yoink!
Scoop: What? I'm just a baby.