today's challenge is

front door.  Since it's a little chilly out I decided to get the inside view.

What surprises me most about this picture is that there isn't a cat staring out the door.

the word of inspiration

is sun.  I was having a hard time finding any.  But of course after I got my picture and shared and tagged it, boom.  Here comes the sun.

In the process of trying to find something out in the yard that looked interesting, I decided it was too cold for a walk today.  I got in my car and drove to get the paper and stopped at the park along the way.  People walk on a path at this park so I probably looked a little creepy getting out and going to the playground without any children.  Looking even creepier is the only thing that stopped me from sitting on one of the swings for a bit.

i didn't get around to

yesterday's picture because the word of inspiration was dinner and it was a little late by the time it got here.

It was fried shrimp from La Casona.  Yeah it seems a little weird to get fried shrimp and french fries from a Mexican food place but the La Casona in town has really good fried shrimp and they're even better when dipped in hot sauce.

Today's inspiration for the photo-a-day is buttons.  I was filling the car up this morning and saw some buttons.

today's inspiration

was 10am.  At 10:00 this morning I was getting set up for pics so I picked the end of my lens for the photo-a-day.

After two weeks to prepare, we finally had Senior Serve last night.  We were exhausted.  Eric made it in from his trip to Austin a few minutes before the show started.  I know he was stressed not only from running late but also because it was left to his friends to set up his equipment and check it all out and he was wondering if he remembered The Star Spangled Banner.  Although he was a little irritated with how it went, I thought it went well.

Lauren left this morning, Cindy and Earl came for me to get pics of Bailey, Mom and Dad stopped by on their way back home and after everyone left I got on the couch and took a 1.5 hour nap.  It was much needed and totally enjoyed.  I think I could use another day like this one.

Here's a pic of Bailey from this morning.  She wanted the camera.  I wish we could have gone outside but it it was a little chilly and windy.

the word for the day is

stranger.  Considering this person died way before my time, it is a complete stranger.

On another note, I've been busy all day getting ready for Eric's Senior Serve.  I'm exhausted but almost ready.  I need to make one more trip to the store and that should be it.  I don't know what I'd do if Lauren wasn't here helping me.  Oh wait, I'd probably be crying and taking Nerve Tonic every few hours.  As it is, there was an "oh crap" moment but we solved the problem and avoided any meltdowns.  I hope the rest of the evening goes as smoothly.

today's inspiration is

hands.  So because it was raining cats and dogs earlier and I was running around like a dog and now I'm as tired as a dog (but I'm pretty sure I won't be begging like a dog to eat out tonight), I give you my hand... as a dog.

two days

in and I'm still on top of things.  I really hope it lasts.  Today's inspiration for the photo challenge is "words".

Lately, these are words I am VERY familiar with.

Apparently the groundhog saw his shadow so we'll have six more weeks of winter.  Considering the high for the next few days is 72, I say bring it.  It might extend the use of antihistamines but I'd prefer that over the 100+ temps coming up.

first day of the

month and here's my first for the February photo a day (challenge here).  The topic was "your view today".  Since it's only 8:30 and the day is just starting, I haven't seen a whole lot.  Where most people have regular morning routines, I really don't.  If there isn't a Real Housewives episode or Project Runway on dvr, I like to sit at the computer and eat my breakfast.  A lot of those mornings I get sucked into Pinterest.

As much as I'd like to wash my breakfast dishes and get back on the computer, it probably won't happen today.  There are clothes to be washed, floors to be swept, Senior Serve plans to be made and Netflix movies to be mailed back.  Guess I better get started.

tomorrow is the

first day of February.  I will try a photo challenge.  Remember how I wanted to do one for January but the month had already started?  Well, tomorrow I will do it.  It might not be with my camera and only with my Instagram app but I will do it.  Who knows.  Maybe I'll do it ONLY with Instagram and make that part of the challenge.  We'll see...

in about 1987

everyone (or at least a lot of people I knew) wore kung fu shoes.  I had some.  Although a lot of people wore the basic ones, I opted for Mary Janes.  Guess what I did.  I went and ordered me two pairs of kung fu shoes... Mary Janes, of course.  This time I got some with a print.

But I also had to get my 1987 basic black.

Next I think I might go for brown or leopard print.

excuse me for

my absence but it's been a little crazy around here.  You know those nights when you get in bed and you just think and maybe say, "ahhhhhh"?  I've had quite a few of those lately.  We've had Eric's 18th birthday lunch celebration, the actual birthday dinner, Mom ending up with pink eye, several trips to Houston and one of those trips being a full day of shopping and then there's the normal stuff that goes on each day.   I do have a couple of pictures from yesterday.

I heard clanking and knew the cats found something to play with.  I figured there was no harm in that.  When I made it to the living room I saw the clanking was a cup of water that had been knocked off the table.

After we got Mom into a doctor and back home with medicine, I drove to West Columbia to pick up egg rolls and a pan of noodles from our favorite manicurist.  I got to drive through this.

Last night we had Eric's birthday dinner.  He wanted Chinese food and banana pudding.  I ended up not making the dinner but drove to Pei Wei and picked up a family order of sesame chicken (his favorite dish) but we also had Vietnamese egg rolls and chicken with noodles that I picked up from the manicurist.  I know it was an unusual combination but it was his birthday and that's what he wanted.  If anyone is questioning why there aren't any pictures of the birthday boy then they've obviously never had a teenage boy.  Pictures are rare.

Now to get going for everything on the schedule for today...

i finally got the

picture I wanted... sort of.  Mom drove me around the block last night and I had my camera set but it wasn't going to happen.  I could've tried to work a little harder but we were stopped in the middle of the street in front of a stranger's house.  (Making us seem almost as creepy as the tree.)

Here's what I got with my camera.  You get the idea of how creepy this tree looks.  I really think this is the creepiest tree I've ever seen and the lighting only adds to the creepiness.  One could possibly imagine this tree coming to life, talking and grabbing a person.

As we drove off and got too far to back up down the dark, winding road, I remembered my phone in my pocket.  We drove back around the block and I got a better image.  It's not what I wanted but it's better than what I got with the camera.  Pretty creepy, huh?

To end this post on a lighter, cheerier note, I give you Strat.

okay, i did end

up with a picture for today.  Mom called and I made an unplanned trip to Houston to pick up a part for the RV.  I didn't take my camera since the battery needs charging but I did have my phone along with its many apps.  I pulled off on 521 and took this app enhanced photo of the dreary weather today.

If that doesn't make you want to curl up with hot chocolate, a blanket, the remote and lots of good tv, then I just don't know.

i have no picture to

show.  I wanted to show one but wasn't able to get it because the lights were out.  I'll try to get it tonight.  Even though I don't have anything to show, I do have a few things going on.

It's that time of year where I rely on Zyrtec D to get me through the day.  Sinus pressure, itchy watery eyes, sore throat from drainage, it's all here.  The problem with Zyrtec D is I can't take it at night because it makes me restless.  I have the same problem with Tylenol PM.  I toss and turn and feel itchy.  So since it's a 12 hour pill, I take one early and hope it gets me through the day.

Today is the first day of Eric's last semester.  I'm positive I'll cry at graduation because I'm a cryer.  I get angry and I cry.  I get sad and I cry.  I get stressed and I cry.  I get scared and I cry.  The strange thing is, sometimes I react by uncontrollable laughter.  I'm one extreme or the other.  Don't judge me.  Nobody's perfect.

I'm excited but feeling a little sick because we're getting rid of cable this week and getting AT&T U-verse.  I'm excited because AT&T has so much more to offer and U-verse sounds pretty awesome.  It has so many more channels and so many more HD channels compared to what we have.  And however internet awesomeness is measured, it'll have more of that too.  It makes me feel a little sick because I have to call and end the relationship with our local cable company.  I dread going in and turning in our equipment and facing them so I think I might send Eric.  They've always been nice and helpful and quick to respond to problems.  One time I had the cable guy come and fix whatever I messed up on with our sound system and wiring.  He came while I was out Christmas shopping and I called home to ask Eric if he'd come yet.  Eric told me he finished and they were playing video games.  Well, it wasn't just the friendliness of the cable guy because that always seems to happen to Eric.  Anytime someone comes to deliver or do work, they always start conversations with Eric.  He even made an online video game buddy with the pizza delivery guy.  He doesn't get that from me... or Cosme.  Anyway, I hate to break up with the cable company.  I don't think it'll be as bad as breaking up with the yard guy.  It's not like the workers at CMA have any control over what channels they offer or the quality of the reception.  For now though, I need to catch up on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  Speaking of which, next time I dvr it, it'll be in HD.  Woohoo!

for the past few

days I've wanted to go for an early morning drive with my camera.  I really thought it would happen this morning but it was way too cold.  I stay colder than everybody else so lately I've been doing a lot of layering.  Right now I'm wearing two shirts and one of those is warm and cozy like a big fleece blanket.  I was doing fine but my feet were freezing, as usual.  I remembered the emergency nor'easter friendly socks I bought in Boston and now I'm wearing those on top of my regular socks.  The bad thing is if anybody else was here, they'd be fine.  I'm sure they'd be wearing shorts and t-shirts.  The good news is that green is showing back up on the plants and winter will be gone soon.  The bad news is that green is showing back up on the plants and summer will be here soon.

i was carrying

the recycling things out to the garage but put them down for second.  I came back to this.  I think Lucille wants to be recycled.

here's a little back

story for you.  I have my grandmother's china.  I really like it and it looks like me.  A while back Mom mentioned some glasses that Grandma had that I also wanted.  When everyone came down for Christmas she found them boxed up in the shed.  Lauren brought them by and I knew something was up when she wanted me to get the box out of the trunk but had a smile on her face.  I could see the box had clearly been sitting in a backyard shed by certain debris left on it.  I did my best not to touch it and put it down just outside the garage door.  Once I put it down Lauren so kindly informed me of the snake eggs in the box.  AAUUGGHH.  The box has been sitting outside ever since.  I felt like anything that might have been living in it might be gone by now.  Plus, there is some nasty weather expected today and the glasses probably would be better off inside.

(Looking at the radar and out the garage, it looks like everyone but us is getting rain.  I know it has tornadoes and hail mixed up in it so I'm playing it safe.)  Anyway, bad weather and garbage day meant it was the perfect time for me to put gloves on and get the glasses out of the box and in from the weather.

This was mean of my sister but I guess I had it coming.  I've been known to do some pretty mean things...  which I've since apologized for and didn't really think something like this would be necessary.  I'm just saying...

This box apparently was nesting a whole village of snakes.  I put my gloves on and pulled the glasses out one by one and unwrapped them.  The newspaper was dated February 20, 1994 so these glasses had been packed away for a while.  I don't know how the whole snake egg-laying process works but that's a lot of eggs.  It was worth it though.  Although I haven't been able to bring them in from the garage just yet, the glasses are all unwrapped.

I don't know.  Part of me feels that letting them air out will serve a purpose.  I'm sure that's just some illogical thinking on my part but it makes me feel better so that's how I'm doing it.  Now I just hope they look good with my everyday dishes.

so i haven't

actually gotten around to the 30 day photo challenge.  At this point, being the 5th and all, I figure I should probably just wait until next month.  Only then I guess it won't be a 30 day challenge.  Oh well...

So here's the new lens towering over the 50mm that stayed on my camera 85% of the time.

I love it.  I haven't taken pictures of anyone in the house yet since that was part of my promise if I were to get it.  (You know, because everyone around here is aching to have their pictures made.)  So guess who the victims are.  Right.  After Lauren stayed in bed sick, I washed all the bedding.  First let me say I keep a plastic cover over the bed when not in use so the cats don't lounge around and get their hair all stuck in freshly washed bedding.  I got the sheets back on the bed but haven't gotten around to the quilt yet so the sheets are back on but covered with the plastic drop cloth.  (Give me a break, it's not like it's a room that people normally go in.  It's not like I have plastic on my couch.)  Anyway, the other day Eric noticed Lucille had pulled back the plastic to lay on the sheet.  I moved her and fixed it.  This morning I walked past the door and saw the same thing.

I reminded her she shouldn't do that.  (You know, because the cats understand everything I tell them.)  Then I look to Strat who is on the quilt that hasn't been washed.  He looked up at her and I asked why he let her do that.

He said, "HEY! How many times have I told you not to do that?"

Yeah, I don't expect anyone to believe that but you have to agree it kind of looks like that.  And it does fit into the story.  Anyway, he just looked up at me after that, knowing that he didn't need to get up from the quilt because now the sheets need to be washed again.

And those were the first few pics made with the new lens.

and...

photo-a-day fail.  Oh well, I came close.

And as fast as it came, Christmas went.

I asked for a new lens for my camera.  I opened a box to find this kid's camera inside.

I was sincerely stumped.  I know the look on my face was blank.  It was a gag gift and my lens is out for delivery.  Needless to say, I'm pacing today.  I keep walking past the door, knowing I'll have to sign for the lens.  I'm so excited.  And I think tomorrow I'll start with another photo challenge.  This time I'm taking baby steps and doing a 30 day challenge.

the topic for

this month's art group challenge is light.  Here are a few of my takes on light.  I have more ideas that I'll eventually get to.

This is a statue at church.

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This is the entrance to the Brazoria County Historical Museum.

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This is me lighting a candle.

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yesterday was a lazy

lazy day.  Did I mention lazy too?  I lounged around, napped and ate while an Ice Road Truckers marathon was on.  By the way, Bolivia is so much prettier in HD.  (I apologize for the next few photos.  I know I often use my phone's camera but the ones from yesterday were really not the best quality.)  While I was having a less productive day, I can say the same for Strat and Lucille.

Warning: cat pics to follow.  (What do you expect when they are my only "willing" subjects?)

I figure Strat was scoping out the presents to find an easy way under the tree.

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Then I figure he couldn't find a good route and gave up.

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Lucille was looking for affection, as usual.

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Approximately two minutes later she was dozing off.

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Approximately 50 seconds after that she was out.

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And that was how Sunday was around here.

you may recall

photo 286 and if you don't, scroll down and see the white Coke can for Christmas there.  Did you see it?  Good because it's gone.  Classic Coke has gone back to red.

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I'm pretty sure if the white can could talk, it would say, "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night." Is that a little overdramatic for you?  Yeah, same here.

i wonder what

could possibly be in this box...

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I actually know what it is because I ordered it.  I emailed a link to Cosme a while back, letting him know which mixer I want for Christmas.  I wasn't feeling good on Saturday and was in bed.  I was replying to a text when Cosme came busting through the door telling me not to read that text.  Too late.  He let me know the link for my mixer was giving him problems and that text was to have Eric check at Target or Walmart for it.  I'm so glad I caught it.  I got on the computer and ordered exactly what I think I want.  Now I just hope I can leave it in the box until Christmas.  I'm sure Cosme won't mind if I open it though, he already suggested last night that I take it out of the box and make cupcakes.

the cats are

taking over.  I don't let the cats in our bedroom and Cosme didn't close the door all the way this morning. I walked in and Lucille was in there.  I was out of biscuits so I ran to Shipley to get Eric a kolache.  I came home and Strat was sitting on the end table.  I came over to my computer, where my camera sits 80% of the time and I noticed bite marks at the end of the strap.

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Maybe they aren't taking over but have actually already taken over.

i went to walmart

yesterday.  I was picking up some charcoal and saw this little kennel in the corner.  I guess Walmart has a pet cat.  I thought it was weird but kind of interesting.

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yesterday morning

I saw a preview of a report to come on the evening news.  This was a special on The Blood Type Diet and how each body reacts differently based on the blood type.  Not able to wait, I searched the diet online and saw my type A should avoid lots of meat, beans, dairy and soft drinks.  Oh, the humanity!  These are all of my favorite things!  Anyway, I saw a link to the news report online this morning so I clicked and watched.  First they talked about type O needing lots of protein and low carbs with lots of high energy exercise.  Meh... I could go for the high protein but I really love my carbs and I'm not big on the high energy exercise.  Next was type A.  They said to go easy on the meats but to have lots of fruits, vegetables and carbs.  Oh yeah, carbs.  Although they did say that dairy was not the best for type A, the last part makes it all better.  Type A's don't need the high energy exercise but something along the lines of yoga or golf.  I think I'll go eat a clementine or two and maybe go for a walk.

Just when I thought the Photo Booth fun was over, I did it myself.

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The effect is Chipmunk so I don't know what made me imitate a rabbit.

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and the stockings

were hung by the chimney with care...

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But I can't say that so much about the ribbon on the tree

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or the ribbon on the wreath.

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I definitely need to make some adjustments to the ribbon.  Actually, I think the tree's ribbon is off because I was messing with a few ornaments.  As for the ribbon on the wreath, I guess I just wasn't paying attention.

For the record, my two obsessions this holiday season are obviously baking and ribbon.  Also, if anyone needs a real wreath, Costco has them for $15.  That's cheap.

And another Photo Booth participant.  (I was not hurting him, only holding his head still.)

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