On the record.

It has taken a while, but now, only eight months after moving in, we're finally getting around to unpacking some of the last boxes in the garage. Part of the delay came from the long ordeal that was creating my Longhorn Library (a.k.a. Tacky Texas Room). And then there were furniture pieces that had to be in place before we could unload other items.

That was the case with our record collection. Now I realize that most normal people have given up their vinyl, but since when have we been normal? Besides, we still get a kick out of listening to LPs occasionally. You gotta love that gritty sound.

So that's why we found ourselves sorting through all the albums we had moved from our old house to storage and then to our new house. Thankfully, they all survived the unairconditioned storage rather well.
In my stack I had an Eve's Plum picture album and a vintage Longhorn Band record. And then there was this time capsule:

Surely I'm not the only one who bought a Ronco record! All of those Ronco TV commercials were bound to work on other '70s kids! And speaking of Ronco commercials:

It's an ad for Mr. Microphone! "Hey, good-lookin'! We'll be back to pick you up later!"

How many times during my childhood did I see this:

Wigging out.

The kids usually reap the benefits from bunco leftovers. When our hostess gives away props or costumes, I tend to pass them on to Ryan and Katie. But this time, the bunco freebie really needed to go to ChaCha:






She wears it well, don't you think?

P.S. - Thanks, Tonya!

Monkeying around.

Brett and I are pleased to have passed our Beatlemania down to Ryan and Katie. When I saw that Me & My Monkey, the tribute band, would be playing nearby, I knew we were so there.

After school on Friday, we picked up our traditional picnic-in-the-park food (Popeye's) and found ourselves a good spot.

We explored the crafts area for a bit before settling in for some tunes. Many more people filled the parking lot by the time the band took the stage.

The guys don't look all that much like the Fab Four, but they sound SO much like them. It was uncanny! The "Paul" guy was a real sound-twin.


It was unbelievably pleasant that evening! We had been afraid we might get rained out.




At different times during the concert, people would get up to dance. One lady in particular was REALLY feeling it.
And to think, no alcohol was permitted at the site!


The encore, "Twist and Shout," really revved up the crowd. We were sad to see the concert end.


What a fun night! Now that we know how good these guys are, we'll be looking for our next opportunity to catch their show!

I think I'll go for a walk outside now...

The summer (well, SPRING) sun's callin' my name. I hear ya now.

Just can't stay inside all day. Gotta get out, get me some of those rays!

Everybody's smilin' (sunshine day). Everybody's laughin' (sunshine day).

Everybody seems so happy today.

It's a sunshine day!

Fearless.

ChaCha seems to end up on this particular ledge fairly often.

That would be great, but that ledge just happens to be

WAY UP HIGH.

I mean, WAY up high. Makes me crazy!

Pano-kitty.

(Insert she's-so-big-it-takes-a-panoramic-frame-to-hold-her joke here.)

Letter to an old friend.

Dear University of Texas campus,

I know it's been a while since I've visited you, but you know how it is: busy, busy, BUSY! At least work gave me the excuse to pay you a visit. Isn't it convenient that you host our state high school journalism convention?

It's nice to get to go "home," to walk your hallowed ground and spend some time learning once again inside your classrooms.

It made me more than a little wistful to see the stadium, some five months to go until football season. But hey, you and I both know this structure will ensure my return to you come September.

I love the way we can reminisce when I visit. In one building I saw this reminder of my former employer (the Clayton Foundation) and landlord (Dr. Bill Shive). It's nice to have that since the Experimental Science Building where I worked for so long was razed a few years ago. Do you miss the ESB as much as I do? That building held a lot of history and was one of my favorite bits of trivia: The ESB was as long as the Tower is tall. Cool. Anyway, I'm sure you smell a lot better now that the ESB is no more. Wow, did that place stink!

Your ol' biology pond has been cleaned up a bit since I walked the Forty Acres, but even when it was scruffier, I loved to check out the turtles.

And the Tower? It still looms large—in my memory and my pictures! A friend asked how many pictures I've taken of the Tower, and I'm certain that number's in the thousands by now. But really, it speaks to me, and I answer by pressing the shutter button.

Until next time, my dear campus,

XOXO,

See-Dub

Katie in the hiz-ouse.

That's our beat boxing girl at the HCC Coffeehouse!

I may be weird, but...

...I'm not the only one who takes pictures of my food!

Check out the story in today's New York Times, and you'll see that I'm not even close to that level of obsessive food-shooting!

For a little backgroud: Exhibit A is here, and Exhibit B is here. And then there are all the other random food pix scattered throughout various posts.


P.S. I know that this isn't much of a post after such a long absence, but it takes a lot of time (not to mention sore muscles, sweat and the urge to go postal at IKEA) to turn an Aggie room into a Longhorn one! Stay tuned...

Hunting season.

Hunters need FOOD.

And there's no food like Nana's special feasts!

With full bellies, the hunters await the signal.

With their prey in sight, the hunters must bury their primal instincts and put on civil airs.

Then they're off!

These hunters must have keen eyesight.

Just watching the hunters at work is entertainment in itself.
SUCCESS! One hunter finds the prized prize egg. (The Christmas "camo" must've given him the edge.)

Meanwhile, the hunters' elders observe the activity from their safe perches:




At hunt's end, the eggcellent hunters assess their haul.