Dwight Yoakam Concert

I was finally able to attend a Dwight Yoakam concert! It was not very far away and the tickets were a decent price. For some reason, he is one of my favorite artists. I am sure it has to do with my addiction to Buck Owens and Classic Country. Anyhow, it was a wonderful concert and I would do it again, in a heartbeat. :)

Amazing!!!! :)

The Honeymoon

We went to San Antonio for a belated honeymoon, the week after Christmas. It was a wonderful time and we were able to see so many different things while we were there. Luckily, we were able to stay right on the river, so we parked the car when we got there and didn't have to move it until we left. I learned that walking in heeled cowboy boots is one of life's greater challenges, but it was a great workout for the calves! :)
The drive down went wonderfully....until we hit DFW. Oh my goodness, traffice was stop and go from Dallas to Austin. It took  us 6 hours to get from DFW to San Antonio! It should have only taken 4. However, we made it and were able to go out for some wonderful Tex-Mex at Rosario's. AMAZING!

We also ate at Casa Rio, while we were there. They had umbrellas, I think, so the pigeons would stay out of the food. They were like little beggars. The busboys kept having to slap them off the tables when they were cleaning them. It was hilarious!

Amazing Mural/Mosaic about the historic river crossing. There were so many 'hidden' treasures allong the river walk!

This gigantic building was amazing. Supposedly, it was built in 1929 for 5 million dollars. Do we remember what happened in '29? Yep, the market crashed and they had to sell it for 27K. Sad, yes? Anyhow, it was neat because it is built like a ship, with a huge mast. it also has real gargoyles on the top and a row of grotesques on the second floor. Beautiful!

Here is the view out the back of our hotel. We couldn't have asked for better!

Our hotel. We stayed on the second floor in  a room that looked over the river.

I believe this pic is outside the Hemisfair Tower of the Americas. Cute, huh?

I am not sure what this place was, but it was beautiful. I couldn't belive how green everything was there! The weather never got below 40 at  night and the highs were in the mid 70's. It made me want spring to get here in a hurry!

Okay, I have a lot more pics, but I need to make some lunch! More to come!

Horses and Horsepower

Thomas and his friend Derek have decided that they need a Figure 8 car, so they bought one. They have also decided that I should race it in the Powderpuff division. Hmmmm. I can't decide if I am super excited or super scared, but it will undoubtedly be a new life experience!
Also, I had the opportunity to ride the colt, Jack, for the first time outside of the roundpen, while the boys were working on the car at the farm. It was a fun day all-around!

This is Jack's first ride out of the round pen! He did wonderful! He is still a little iffy about what exactly he is supposed to do once I am on him. However, he has yet to buck or spook!

Jack looks like a typical colt in this pic. He just is not quite strong enough for much riding. I have NO idea why I am sitting so crooked.

Derek's adorable kids - Taylor is leading her big brother, Hunter, around on Dan. Both kids rode Dan at least 3 times each. They were in love!

Drumroll please......



Yes. Yes, folks, that IS a Caprice. Beautiful, isn't it? Thomas is posing quite nicely. He said he felt as though it were senior pics all over again! LOL. This is the Figure 8 car, by the way! Oh, and he will probably kill me for posting this pic! :P



I was in charge of interior demolition. I managed to tear out the headliner and most of the plastics. Thomas and Derek had to finish it off!



Serious demolition! :) The boys had the front end and the engine off of the car in under two hours. I helped for an hour on said interiors, then became distracted. LOL.

Stay tuned for updates on Clarence the Caprice! :)

The End of a Great Year

Since I haven't blogged for a while, expect a series of blog posts to catch up on everything! :) Lots of pictures in these posts, as well. I didn't put up as many Christmas decorations this year, as I was very busy finishing up my degree. I am officailly a college graduate, now! Yea! :) I now have a B.A in English and Secondary Education. With any luck, I should be able to gain a teaching position in August. In the meantime, I plan on subbing as much as possible.

Mo and I have been enjoying the wonderful Fall weather. This semester of student-teaching went pretty quickly, despite the terrible KPTP assignment. Somehow I made it through it, along with passing all licensure exams, successfully.

Yes, another picture of ME. Haha. Anyhow, I was having an absolutely wonderful hair day and that is what prompted the pic. Since then, I have dyed and cut my hair, but nothing drastic. :)

This is the picture of my tree without any ornaments, I only put on a few this year, since we left for a week right after Christmas, and I didn't even get the tree up until a week before Christmas. An upside of less decorations is that it is easier to put up after it is all over.

Okay, I need to get off the computer for a bit. Stay tuned for more pictures from December 2011. :)

Hemi

My little Hemi puppy is all better! :) I get to take him home from the vet at 4:30 pm! It was rat poison that he got into and Thomas has now picked up every single one that he set out. he promises to never again set out poison. Thank Goodness!!!! Today is also my last day of student-teaching. Oh, and I passed one of my teaching exams, only one to go! :)

Silver Bells. Jingle Bells. School Bells.

Brrrr....It is finally snowing outside. It is absolutely gorgeous, of course. Snow is one of my favorite things, as long as I don't have to go out in it to work. Luckily, I am about to graduate college with a degree that will insure that I stay inside during the winter. Good planning, right?
Anyhow, it has been a little while since I blogged, as I have been super busy trying to finish everything up for the semester. This is my last week teaching, so I should have more time for blogging, woodcarving, cooking, and anything I so desire. Still haven't heard anything on the job I am seeking. Winfield High School has posted an opening for an English teacher which would start in January. I submitted all of my application materials on Friday, so I am praying that I will hear something soon. If not, I can always substitute teach. Now, for some bad news. Yesterday was a pretty crummy day. I had to take our puppy, Hemi, to the vet. Kip (my vet) said that Hemi had most likely gotten into some rat poison, which means it is No Bueno. Poor little guy. Hoping to hear some good news about him, this morning. Will keep my fingers crossed.
Well, I should probably return to doing something productive, or semi-productive...To heck with it, I think I will just read a book....

Chip Carving

It is about time to get back to my other wonderful hobby - woodcarving. Throughout the semester, I was only able to steal brief moments with my carvings, but in two weeks, my time shall once more be mine. Currently, my woodcarving endeavor is Chip Carving. It is an amazing process that creates intricate designs on flat surfaces, such  as wooden plates and ornaments. I am slowly improving at this venture and am finally starting to enjoy it more. It is such as calm and quiet form of woodcarving that requires very little space and energy. One thing that I have noticed, however, is that it starts to wear on my eyes. I should probably try a magnifying lense to carve under. Anyhow, I have already created 5 oraments for christmas presents, the most recent two, are not that bad, honestly. I need to get my own knives for this, instead of using my grandma's. I cannot use my usual carving knives, as this requires a different blade, which faces the opposite direction. Okay, I am tired of typing...TTFN!