I'm Heading Outside. I May Be Awhile.

Princess nominated me for my first ever blog award. A huge big ole bear hug to that girl! I thought I was in some sort of a contest, but then Princess kindly pointed out you win just for being nominated. This was good news, as I read the competitions blogs and I didn't stand a chance. . . . I am genuinely flattered! This also means I get to nominate others to pass on the love. Check back soon!

Know that when someone receives a sting from a sea wasp. . . You. Don't. Pee. On. Them. You use vinegar. And definitely do not rinse with fresh water. The good news of this is that sea wasps only come out of the deep at night, are attracted to light and can be "blown" away with a clearing of the regulator. No, I didn't get stung, but another diver did. Unfortunately for her, it stung her on her lip and down her chin. It looked like a very bad botox job on half of her upper lip. I almost cried for her. It seemed painful.

Swimming sixty plus feet down in the ocean is thrilling. Having a wild Nassau Grouper named, Loretta rub against your fingers because she wants you to pet her is awesome. Yes, she is wild. No, we do not pet her. It could harm her, but she desperately wants it. It was all I could do not to give her some human touch.

Having Reef Sharks as well as Nurse Sharks swim around you, under you and over you is unexplainable, amazing and somewhat anxiety producing. No, we were not in a "cage". We were free diving in these parts. Besides, I always thought Nurse Sharks were like big Labrador puppies - always sleeping on the ocean floor. Seemed harmless enough. It is a bit different when they are swimming around you. Add in some Reef Sharks and you have yourself a mighty fine time with a bit of a fast heartbeat. Do you think sharks can sense fear?

The husband and I also watched a 7-foot wide Eagle Ray. Now, that is a beautiful creature!

A shipmate taught us about Geocaching. The husband and I have spent hours together in search mode. People play it around the world, in the mountains, forests, deserts and even oceans.

I quit my job yesterday. Yeah, I did. My last day will be November 9. If something looks like a duck, acts like a duck and quacks like a duck. Well, it is a duck.

I have missed a week of my marathon training. I felt it yesterday when I had to do a 4-mile run. I only completed 3.5-miles and briskly walked the rest. That made me sad. I felt totally out of shape and completely disappointed in myself.

Today was a 2-miler. I finished that. But not easily. Still disappointed in me.

This past Sunday, the husband and I went to the museum with friends to view the Ron Mueck displays. These were just astonishing, if even a bit disturbing at how life-like they were. I was irritated later on upstairs when I came to paintings of lines. Thick lines. Little lines. Straight lines. Colored lines. Black lines. And one total blue canvas of the same blue hue. Why? Because I did things like that in high school/college art class and it was considered crap. These are worth 100's if not 1000's of dollars. And. they. sit. in. a. museum.

For the second time ever, the husband made me dinner this past Monday evening. Baked salmon, broccoli and mojito's. I did not think I could love someone more than I already love them. It is possible.

It's been cold here in our Longhorn City. Really cold - as in 40-degree Fahrenheit cold! 70's during the day, but 40's at night. That's chilly here for this time of year. I've pulled out my sweaters. Even the dogs are not moving much. They curl up into a ball of fur with their noses tucked out of sight and stay that way.

Why is it lately that all I seem to be doing is dealing with animal poo? I smelled dog poop tonight while rambling in this post. Hence, I began a huge witch hunt for a pile of dung. I never found it. I kept smelling it. I finally located it. . . . on the bottom of my shoe.

I had an English muffin and Boddingtons Pub Ale for dinner tonight. Can you tell the husband's working?

Finally, I get to purchase new eyeglasses for myself this weekend! It's been 2-years since my last update and I am more than excited for new face fashion! In fact, I've already picked them out. I was at the eye doctor before our Provo's trip picking up one last pair of contact lens' when a few of the staff members decided to help pitch in for the new look. Coming soon . . . .

I'm off for a shower, a good book and bed. Thanks for playing.

Enjoy the slide show. It is not as long or as exciting as the Jackson Hole production, but it does have Sting vocaling it out. So, turn it up or down depending on your preference.

Scuba Love

Picture taken by Larry Davis. A cool guy from Ohio.

Dammit, He Put My Stapler in Jell-O Again! Dwight Schrute

I forgot. The husband and I are off to Turks and Caicos tomorrow. We won't be returning until the following weekend. There may or may not be a lot of scuba diving involved.

Cowboy State Memories

I have finally gotten the slide show together. If you have 10 minutes, enjoy. It has sound.

As a quick recap, we went to Jackson Hole, WY to enjoy the mountains. To hike, to breathe fresh air, to take in beautiful views, to see wondrous wildlife, to relax, to drive, for time and to do all things as a couple once again. Words, even pictures, cannot do this part of the world justice. You must go. You must experience. You must make judgments on your own accord, but I believe you too will fall in love and awe.

Jackson Hole is a place that you can travel by foot to most everywhere. I absolutely adore that and wish whole-heartedly that our Longhorn City was more pedestrian or even bike friendly. It just seems cleaner and safer. This is exactly what we did upon our arrival after checking in. A few hours later we ordered a take home pizza from Mountain High Pizza Pie - right across from our hotel, The Sundance Inn.

Up early on Sunday, we headed to the Grand Tetons National Park for a hike up to Paintbrush Canyon. Two hours into our nine hour (16.3 mile) hike, it began to rain, which was eventually followed by snow. The husband and I did not care; it was beautiful. It was clean. You could smell the pine, the grass, the rain and even the snow.

On Monday, we traveled to Yellowstone National Park. Three million visitors a year pass through this fantastic ecosystem and you need to be one of those in your lifetime. Summers are crazy busy, but fall and winter are slow, if even existent at all. The park has only one road open in the winter and if you want to stay at Yellowstone Lodge during that time, you have to take a snowcat to get there.

Tuesday was another 9.6 mile hike to Surprise Lake and Amphitheater Lake. Same altitude as Paintbrush Canyon, this time it took switchbacks straight up the mountain. Less time was needed, but as you will see the snow still hadn't melted. This is a hike that you will see either a grizzly or a black bear on almost every hike. We did. He was about 100 yards away and we were mighty fine with that. Though, without a telephoto lens, he makes some tough viewing in the photos. Amazing!

Wednesday was another day at Yellowstone.

Thursday was a day of shopping in Jackson Hole. Christmas is just around the corner.

Friday was a day of travel home in order for the husband to be in a wedding. A beautiful wedding it was. It reminded me exactly of ours with a couple of different twists.

I hope you are entertained by the slide show. I loved taking the pictures as much as sharing them. I cannot; however, take credit for all of them as the husband is pretty good with the camera as well! He took several that are in the slide show. We decided to make it a yearly anniversary gift to one another, so we'll be back. I'll leave you with this: go to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. You need to. You will not be disappointed.

To 2 Notes to Self:
1) A telephoto lens is a requirement. Next year, for sure. You would then be able to see the black bear.
2) Water resistant/proof pants are a must. Hypothermia is not welcomed. Neither is death.

Where Do People Look When They Eat Alone

So, the husband and I just made it back to our Longhorn City from the Great White North. We no longer have the 4-year-old with us. I am sad. Really sad. I walked into the room the husband was in from having put my suitcase in our bedroom, of which where it will most likely stay unpacked for 2 weeks:

the husband: what's wrong?
moi: I just. . . . I just . . . . miss her. ***don't cry, don't cry, don't cry***
the husband: I do too. ***great sadness***
moi: [blink, blink, blink, blink] ***eyeball leakage***
the husband: don't cry!Don't cry, honey!Don't cry. . . .
moi: I know. I really miss her though. ***deflated***
the husband: ***big bear hug*** don't cry, it'll be okay, hon.

I hope she knows that her Mintie, "mucho, mucho loves her."

Up2D8

So, I've checked and apparently there is no full moon this week. The recent craziness as well as non-bloggingness in our Longhorn City home is not due to expansively full moonlight or lack thereof. Nope. It has nothing to do with the moon orbiting the sun. Nor the stars, astrology or alignment of the planets either. The delirium is wa-aaay outside of our planetary paths, worships, assumptions and our galaxy itself. I'm here to tell you it's 100% 4-year-old madness. A 4-year-old who knows of the world and it's entire going-ons where thy cannot be told any different. Fits of rage, while rare, can beseech thy creature if you decide to be brave enough to tell thee otherwise. It's sometimes a hysterical situation while other times it's very distressing condition. And I'm sure that there is logic to a 4-year-olds thought processes. I'm just sure of it. The only thing is is that I need to find it (and its place of zen). Maybe it's locked within ice cream - this seems to be the cure-all detail. Or M&M's. Maybe I should just spoon feed the kid sugar. . . . ?

Furthermore, you get loads of hugs, kisses and "I love yous" just for being the Mintie [AKA: Auntie]. It comes with complete adoration of an bonkers 4-year-old. I can't say this isn't nice, as it is wonderful. It's also commendable to have the kid want to do dishes and take 90-minutes to wash only 3 bowls and 4 spoons. All I, the Mintie, had to do was make sure she didn't play with knives and lose a finger, toe or hand in the process. It's pretty cool that a 4-year-old sees toys in almost anything on the planet, including chores. I suppose that won't last too long in life. . . .

Finally, all I really have to say is that things get a little bit nutty when there is a 4-year-old-going-on-40 in your home. That's for sure. The kid is the Energizer Bunny on sugar x 102-to-the-tenth-power. I'm so not kidding. Maybe ice cream, M&M's and sugar isn't such a good idea. . . . ? Note to self: must revisit 4-year-old cure-all.

Anyhow, right now, our Longhorn City house consists of:

4-furry legged dogs
2-kitties one lovable and one completely pernicious. . . ahem. . . .just 2-kitties
1-the husband
1-Nana, but only until Friday morning. . . ***the end of the world is near***
1-moi
unknown amount of toys
3-suitcases
6-bouncy balls
1-Indian tepee
unlimited amount of 4-year-old spunk
sidewalk chalk
frozen bag of chicken fries ***mmmm . . . compressed processed meat***
swimming lessons
unlimited amount of crazy-time

One week down and one more to go. Will the husband and I make it until next Friday?

******************

P.S. How cool is it that Uncle Thomas and Mintie got the kid to eat baked Alaskan Salmon for lunch today? And. . . . she LOVED it! 4-year-olds just don't do that! The kid never ceases to amaze. Never.

Oh. One last little tid-bit before I bid you adieu, she also put her head fully underwater for about 10-15 seconds while swimming with her arms this morning at swim lessons. That's pretty darn fabulous if I do say so myself! Swimming lesson number 5 on Monday.

Last of the Mohicans

The last photo's of our South Beach trip. . . .

Our Home for 3-Days The Ritz (formally known as di Lido) and our room with a view

Fun at Ola's

Proof!

Summing it All Up!

Where Has All The Godiva Love Gone

Once more, it's gone to the great white north. It was a last minute deal. Explanation to follow at a later date and time.

I return to my longhorn city (& the husband) tomorrow very. early. in. the. morning. I'll have something genius to say then, I'm sure. Actually, the husband and I have to lay sod in the backyard (come to think of it, maybe I should just stay here). Say good-bye to the mud, the mud puddles, the alligators and the gigantic prehistoric mosquito's as well as having to walk the four-legged's 18,000 times per day. [Yes, in case you are wondering, we still have an actual concrete swimming pool that will remain under the new sod. Jackhammering can only go so far before one begins to feel like Muhammad Ali after 20 years of boxing . . . ]

When We Remember We Are All Mad . . .

I am in the great white north (AKA: America's Dairy Land State) until next week - visiting the parental units, other family members, participating in two epic bike rides and loads of other whatnot's. The husband joins me tomorrow. There is much to tell, such as the husband digging up our backyard, to then discovering a concrete swimming pool in our backyard, in turn leading him to rent a jack-hammer and now having a backyard swamp which is heavily guarded by southern alligators and prehistoric mosquito's. But that is a story that will wait until my return to the Longhorn City . . . .

Unfortunately, the [Tanning] "Butler" had nothing to do with it.