Back in the Saddle Again

Well, we made it back safely from Waco. It was a nerve-wrackimg, somewhat dangerous drive, but we made it.

Of course, we both ended up sick and feeling like crap by the time we got home. To be fair, I'm pretty sure he was coming down with the flu before we even left. I, however, managed to come back slightly more congested & sneezing more than when we left.

Tomorrow I plan to update with a Thirsty Thursday post. For now, I'm going to make friends with a bottle of Nyquil. I hardly slept at all last night, and it's catching up with me.

*SJ*

Starting Over

So, I guess I pretty much sucked at the whole "blogging every day" thing in January. I'm giving it a go again starting today, so here's my first one!

I am blogging today from a hotel in Waco, Texas. I am tagging along on a business trip with my beloved. I was joking around with a girlfriend today about our little adventure. I said, "Our first out-of-town trip somewhere, and it's to Waco!" In case you're not familiar with it, Waco is not exactly the biggest or most exciting destination in Texas. I am, however, thrilled to be here with the Love of My Life.

We had a fantastic dinner tonight at a steakhouse here in town. Well, I had a fantastic dinner. Poor thing, he is feeling pretty sick (probably the flu) and didn't have much of an appetite. After dinner we found the Coldstone Creamery. Did I mention it is 17 degrees here today? Umm, yeah, we were the only ones eating ice cream in the freezing cold!

Tomorrow he is taking me to visit his two new properties. We should head back to Fort Worth by late morning, early afternoon. I really hope the roads have cleared by then; we had an interesting ride down with all the ice on the roads!

In the month since I last updated here, I've been cooking and baking a lot. I will be updating with recipes and reviews in the coming days. I also have a new career path to look forward to, and will be returning to school (again!) in May. Whew! I'm going to be busy!

*SJ*

New 101 List is Up!

As prep for NaNoWriMo, I have a list of writing exercises to perform each day. Today, I decided to tackle one that I should have done a long time ago. It's my "101 in 1,001" list.

101 in 1,001 is a list of 101 things I'd like to accomplish. Then I have 1,001 days to check them all off my list. So without further ado, I give you my new list! It's over in the right-hand column of my blog, and I'll be posting about each item as I check it off my list.

I already have a few things planned, like #30: Float the river with friends. We're planning to go September 25, so check back around then for that post. I'd also like to check off #29 soon: Go to a game at Cowboys Stadium. Last season was the first season in the big beautiful new stadium, but we were pretty strapped financially and didn't get to go to a game. This season I really want to make that happen!

There are some fun items on the list, too, like #81: Take a photo with a random stranger. I'm gonna get a real kick out of checking that one off my list! Of course, I had to put some things on the list to challenge myself. See, for example, #90: Go vegetarian for one week. I'm not sure what I was thinking, but surely I can survive one week, can't I? CAN'T I?!

You can read the whole list for yourself at the right. Which ones stick out to you? Which would you like to see me accomplish first? And of course, please share what you have on *your* list!

*SJ*

Word Count: 1,292

I Believe I Could Have a New Addiction

So, I was cruising around the interwebs today, and came across a blog that mentions geocaching. Wanting to find out more, I went to www.geocaching.com. What a wealth of information!

According to the site, what geocaching is, in a nutshell, is a treasure hunt. Sure, you use more high-tech gadgets than you did when you were a kid, but it's the same basic concept. People from all over the world hide treasures ("caches") and then give the latitude/longitude. Once you find the cache, you sign the logbook & record your experience online. Sometimes there is something to trade, such as a trinket or a note.

I definitely have more to learn about geocaching, but so far I'm intrigued. Any experiences or helpful hints would be appreciated.

*SJ*

Let the Countdown Begin!

In approximately 96 hours, I will be with my sister, Steph, my niece, Zoe, and my mom in San Antonio. I can hardly wait! It's been a really long time since I've seen my mom, and I miss her terribly.

I'm also excited to spend some time with my sister and my niece. When Zoe was first born, I spent a lot of time with her baby-sitting, playing, teaching her to shop... In the last couple of years, though, things have changed, we've all gotten busier, and I haven't been able to spend as much time with my family as I would like.

We're going to see the Alamo, ride a boat down the river, and be tourists. I plan to take a ton of pictures and will try to upload some when we get back. I'm so ready for a vacation, and ready to see my family.

What are you looking forward to? Any special summer plans?

*SJ*

San Diego Zoo

So here's a picture of me at the San Diego Zoo, complete with camera and giant souvenir cup! We looked like total tourists, but we had a great time. We took a bus tour, which covered about 75% of the zoo, then took the "Skyfari" air tram to see more of what we missed.

We loved getting to see all the animals, and we learned a lot about the Zoo's conservation efforts.

They are widely known for their efforts, and are very proud of their accomplishments.

We also got to see two of the baby pandas in the Panda Research Facility. They observe the pandas very closely, and monitor their behaviors and eating habits. The San Diego Zoo actually has the most successful panda breeding program outside of China! Here's a video of the youngest panda eating. Unfortunately, the zookeeper monitoring the pandas kept shooing us along, so please excuse the amateur video and the abrupt ending.

I do hope to post more photos soon. I just haven't had time to get that film developed since we got back. These are stills Jay shot using the video camera. I shot many more with my camera, but...well, we're still waiting on those. Enjoy!

*S*

Craving something sweet? Bring your appetite and head over to my baking blog, Cupcake Toujours

All My Bags Are Packed...

OK, that's a little bit of an exaggeration. If you know me, you know my bags won't be packed until 11:45 on Monday, since we're supposed to pick up our car at noon.

We're headed to California!! Jay and I are taking a road trip. We're heading out Monday at noon, then making a stop at the Grand Canyon. From there, we'll head to Vegas for a day, then on to San Diego, where we have booked a beautiful bed and breakfast. We'll be staying at the Casa Granada for three nights before we head back.

Our return trip will include a stop off in Tucson, where we will explore the old mission churches. We'll then stay in Carlsbad, NM for one night. Next morning, we'll get up and take the tour of the Caverns before we head back to Texas.

Whew! It's going to be a busy trip. We're both really excited to be going. It's been three years since we've had a real vacation together. We've definitely earned this one!! I can't wait to post pictures when we get back.

*S*