Waving White Flag

I wasn't going to write a july 4th post, then I was, but then decided not to. And I can do that kind of wavering cuz it's my blog :)

I did however want to show you the non-beach beach that we are now going to since we have nothing else. Remember this post? Same suits...nice life.

So....we surrender.

I have to tell you, it is growing on me. I don't know if it's because the girls don't care that it's brown/grey, or because it is a big open space that the girls are entertained for hours on end. No land lubber can argue with that.









Do they look like they care, even a teensy weensy bit?

Things I love about Houston, Texas

I will not talk about the heat, traffic, or crime. I will not talk about the heat, traffic, or crime.


Off the top of my head........


1. I am able to buy freshly made tortillas at the supermarket's bakery. There is literally a lady making tortillas there. Incredible.

2. The rodeo is a really. big. deal. It's in Feb and the WHOLE city gets revved up. I love it. There are even trail riders. Riders start off like 300-400 miles away and they actually ride through Houston.....for the rodeo.

3. The skyline. I just love it. *swoon*




4. The diversity in food. Really phenomenal. I could and should weigh 400 lbs. The food in this city is sublime. Whatever you fancy, it's here.

5. The Space Center, too cool.

6. Miller Outdoor Theater offers the most diverse season of professional entertainment of any Houston performance venue, and it's all FREE! Classical music, jazz, ethnic music and dance, ballet, Shakespeare, musical theater, classic films.

7. Discovery Green-an urban park in downtown. All events at the park are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted. Discovery Green presents Houston's diverse world-class performing, literary and visual art in its Art Series. Discovery Green's Entertainment Series offers movies, Extreme Wii competitions, and concerts by talented musicians that showcase a rich variety of Gulf Coast and Central Texas sounds. For the health and fitness-minded, the Healthy Living in the Park series offers a weekly urban market and exercise classes such as Pilates, Yoga, and Zumba as well as a Hip2BFit exercise class just for kids. The Families & Children Series offers hands-on workshops and activities suitable for children and their parents. On weekends, families can visit the park, put their pets in one of two dog runs and watch their kids play on the playground while they discard their newspapers and cans into recycling bins.

8. The Galleria

9. Dive bars, all over town. Fabulous.

10. Bellaire China town, the food (dim sum, malaysian, korean, vietnamese)

11. Good salaries and cheap living.

12. People use "y'all" even in a professional setting.

13. I could seriously go on and on.



Do you know Houston? Woudl you agree, disagree, add, substract? or would you like to brag about your own city?????????

Take 2

Well, you all remember my post baby body break up right? Well.....we didn't completely break it off like I said I had. I was ashamed to admit it but the constant emails, texts, flowers (cookie bouquets of course) and all out reconciliation attempts finally got to me. We got back to together.

But, I am here to say that we have broken up for good this time. For reals. She has moved on to someone who really appreciates her and needs her (someone who doesn't know what a drag she really is yet). Someone else, not me.

What am I doing to remind myself that what we had together was just an illusion, a mirage, a downright downer you ask?????.........roller derby boot camp of course.

Yes, tonight I begin exercising with the Machete Betties. 2 hours of hard hitting fun. I will learn basic skating skills and derby skills such as falls, stops, and contact. I am in for a raucous good time, I just know it. I will need skates, pads (elbow, knee, and wrist), and a helmet. Doesn't that just scream fun?

Anyhow, I am going to try it out and try to get in shape with these gals.

Don't they look sweet?

If I don't make it back to the blog, you know what happened.

Yoo-hoo???....it's *still* a Beach

I am from Miami, my children, are not. We live *near* Galveston Beach, Texas.
This is not like a beach from Miami (please, don't be mad at me Texans).
I am not dogging the beach, or trying not to anyway.
Anyhow, it doesn't matter, look at them....they don't seem to care that they are swimming in yoo-hoo.

Hurricane Yikes

I just wanted to quickly blog and let all of you who are out of the proverbial loop that Hurricane Ike is coming to town. I have not been able to blog today b/c well, we've been sorta preparing for the storm. Everyone in the city (I think I am generalizing) was let out early from work and the streets were packed. We decided to go to the store and it was pandemonium. It was not nearly as bad as my Miami days, but, kooky nonetheless. The queuing systems are better here and the people are more calm and organized. We bought.....

• water
• batteries (C, AA, AAA, D, 9V)
  
• a battery operated radio
  
• canned foods (soup, beans, fruit, etc)
  
• almonds, and other nuts
  
• boxed milk
  
• flashlights
  
• candles
• toilet paper
• board games
• matches
• chips, cookies, bread, salsa, you know, essentials :)
• diapers and wipees
  
• new crayons, crafts, markers, and cardboard for the toddler without tv
  
• martini fixins for the adults with a toddler without tv
  
• fueled up the car
  
• got cash (shhhh, don't tell anyone)

We will surely have power outtages and be without our beloved computer and possibly our cell phones due to busy towers and all of that. This will all begin tomorro win the early AM but we are already feeling it in teh air. Gasoline stations are out of gas, restaurants are closed (Old McDonalds as Athena calls it was closed), retail stores are closed, Home Depot, Lowe's, home away from home (yes, Target) is closed.

We are ready though. We have some pretty cool neighbors and we'll all just help where need be come Saturday. In the meantime, I made buttons for all of us to wear and they look like this....

Love,
Tina Turner

Galveston Beach...blech

Thank God that Athena is too young to remember the beautiful beaches of Miami that we have taken her to. Even the Cocoa, Destin and New Smyrna beaches are better than what we have here in Houston. Galveston beach pales in comparison to anything. Up to and including mud. I know it is just the sediment but golly gee, it is gaaaross looking. Besides my commentary on the water we had a blast. Very, very fun. If you know "Parent Barbie", you also know how crazy I am about "the schedule" and certainly about naptimes (aka....off time for us). Well, we were having so much fun that we decided to skip *gasp* naptime and spend all day out in G-town. We truly had a great time. Even Michael said how much fun he had. Athena loves the water and couldn't give a rat's ass that we weren't near her. If it were up to her she would hop on a surfboard or kayak and "be right back" like she says. This girl would get hit by the waves and get right up (sand in eyes and mouth) and do it again, and again, and again. I reapplied sunscreen three times too. We plan on going out there more often b/c Athena really enjoyed it. Saylor was happily either in the car seat napping, on me or in the water with us all.

Sorry, no pictures of Saylor cuz I can't carry a baby, watch out for the toddler and take pictures...will work on it though :)




Love,
Bar-b

Smash and Grab

No, not what Saylor does with her avocados. This is actually a post about what happened to me yesterday at Athena's school. I went to drop her off at her classroom as I do every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Upon my return I see some glass under my car (on the passenger end) and say to myself, "self, you drove over glass, I can't believe you didn't hear it or feel it when parking". Kept walking towards the car, opened it and sat inside. I looked over to my right and there was a pile of glass on the seat and no purse. Looking more clearly, my ipod was snatched as well. I couldn't believe that the 8-10 minutes (this is including chit chatting with a fellow mum) it took me to get Athena in her room, this brazen person had the audacity to smash my window and grab my purse. I was soooooooooo angry. I immediately went back into the school and called the police. Luckily, my bird brain left the cell phone on the counter in my house so I didn't have to try to get a hold of like 150 people for their numbers and lose some very cool pictures that I have taken (which reminds me I need to download) with my camera phone. Besides that little bit of good news, it was a morning filled with calls to our creditors and health insurance people, Blockbuster and even the Houston library (I didn't want anyone checking out books or dvd and not returning them...you know it isn't 5 cents a day like it was in elementary school). I went from angry to sad thinking that I had lost all of the pictures of Athena that I had gotten done at studios. You know being the first born and all I had and obscene amount of pictures....3mos, 6mos, 9mos, baptism, 12mos, 18 mos, 24 mos and a great picture of michael, Aidan and Juliana :( Wah. This is why you should sear your memories onto your brain so that you can't lose them. Oh well, don't feel too bad, I still have over 2000 pictures on my computer (we bought a separate drive).

Now, I am driving a car without a window on the passenger side. I did (after there was a wasp hovering over cars at the red light and I nearly died.....stop laughing marisa) cover up the gaping hole with a trash bag and moving tape. Ghetto fabulous fo' sho. Damn my deductible and damn the vandals (no, not the insurance company) who did this to my car. My mojo is slowly seeping (long month so far) and I must find a way to fix it before it is too late.


Love,
Wind strewn Bar-b