dalthauser

* Yesterday we had the monthly potluck at work.  I really should call in sick on this day since I have no self control at the buffet table.  I made a relish tray with homemade dips.  Everyone else brought things that were 5,000 calories per serving and up.



I went to visit my cousin Mellie in Austin today. 

* After a delicious lunch at an Indian restauratnt we went to Texas Natural Supply which turned out not to be an actual store but just a warehouse where you could pick up the order you placed online.  They had a PC in the lobby, and I placed my order online there - and we came back to pick it up.  I'll know better for next time :-)  I bought Lye, Coconut oil, Palm Oil, Almond Oil, Lavender flowers, Tomato powder, Epsom Salt, and a couple other things - mostly to make soap with (though the epsom salt is for the garden).

* We then stopped at a cactus & ecclectic art shop where I bought an awkward looking baby ponytail plant.


* Next we went to The Natural Gardener which should be off limits to people like me.  We walked arount the grounds and checked out the various gardens and farm animals. Since I'm pretty much broke I limited myself to 5 baby Lavender plants and a solar chinese lantern.  I could have spent soooooo much more. 

(you saw them here first - give them a year or two..... they'll be big beautiful lavender bushes)

*  In the early evening we went to Mellies Church where she was speaking that night.  This is a spiritual community I can very much relate too.  It's too bad it's so far away.  I might still find a way to attend services once a month.

* On the way home I couldn't resist stopping and figuring out what the "PLUS" was at HEB Plus in Kyle.  Turns out it's a bunch of extra stuff people who are grocery shopping don't need.  For instance................

This was a full display of well over 100 cans of Scorpian killer; what I caught in the camera was only the top of it.. When I saw this I wondered if there was some plague of scorpians happening in Kyle that the rest of Texas wasn't aware of.   My next thought was what do you need spray for - they don't fly..... they don't move very fast - can't you just squash them underfoot and leave the atmosphere with a few less chemicals?

* So I made it home safe - a few dollars poorer - - but well worth it.

Been down in the dumps the last several days.  Not sure why; there's nothing particularly wrong.  I forced myself to go to the Pet Chicken's of Texas club party in San Marcos yesterday.  It was nice to get away - and the everyone was very nice, very real - I liked them a lot.  I even scored a new gate for my coop (the previous one I made with a slab of plywood - and it was already beginning to warp badly).  

Today the plan was to hang out with my friend Bea.  Got stood up - apparently her kids showed up unexpectedly last night.  No biggie though - I wanted to see the new Indiana Jones movie, so that was my outing.  It was worth paying Matinee prices to see - since I gave myself plenty of slack timewise I was able to stop off at CVS and get a bag of cheetos and a bottle of green tea instead of paying $$$$$ for the theater crap.  This is a great summer for the kind of movies I like. First there was Ironman - now Indiana Jones.  Next up Hancock and Batman: Dark Knight.  I usually rarely go to the movies, but these I have to see on the big screen (well, maybe not Hancock).  Get Smart, the new Narnia movie, and Speedracer, etc. I'll rent from RedBox.

Tomorrow I go to my new cousins in Austin.  I really don't feel up to it, but I'm going to do it and like it because I get to meet my other cousin Marcie who is visiting Melly.  Ack! the gas money - but it's not something I do often.

Hopefully I'll get myself out of this funk.  It sucks.   

 *  My cousin canceled - again.  She mentioned Tuesday - we'll see :-)

*  I ate several ripe delicious blackberries from my vines this weekend.  I took pictures, but I forgot to bring my camera to work so I can upload.

*  My chickens now want to roost (previously they were happy to sleep in the bedding of the coop).  Last night it was a disaster - I designed the roosts all wrong.  Tomorrow I'm off - and I will re-design into something they can use.

*  I don't have any more vacation days until October.  I don't know how I'm going to make it that long.

*  I have a new friend Wanda who lives a couple properties down.  She's my mom's age, but it's cool to hang out with her.  

*  I think I'm getting Carpal Tunnel in my wrist (or Arthritis).  Need to get the company doc to see if I can get a brace.  Or I might to to my local doc for advice.  Want to nip it in the bud.