Travels in February

Just got back from a traveling week-end to St. Charles where Vick, Ange, and I got to spend a little time and a lot of money with Shannon and Tyler Wheeler ... a cute young couple we know from that area.  First time we've seen them since the wedding.  We went to Ruth's Chris for dinner Saturday night.  It is amazing when your meal costs more than the air fare for three to St. Louis and back.  You can rent a small SUV for three days for half the price of your meal.  But 'WOW' is an understatement.  The only steak I have ever eaten that compared was a steak I got at another Ruth's Chris.  And the steak I ate was a steak Shannon ordered but did not eat because it was a bit overcooked.  She actually got another portion cooked to perfection.  What's crazy about the week-end is I ate healthy ... grouper, tilapia, mahi mahi ... oatmeal for breakfast, and ran on the treadmill saturday and sunday mornings.  But when we got home, I jumped on the scales and had gained 6 pounds since Friday morning.  I think I must have dieter's amnesia, forgetting the 4 pieces of sausage and the biscuits and gravy, and the waffle with syrup.  I did work up a pretty good sweat on the treadmill though.  

Vicki and I are leaving in the morning for a little drive to Winter Park Colorado (12 hours).  Warren and Nina Lehr are going with us.  Warren and I are going to ski for 3 days, while Vick and Nina do other stuff.  I'm excited.  The only problem though is that Nina said, 'Finally, Warren is going to ski with someone who can keep up with him.'  That is a little scary, because Warren is like in better shape than Lance Armstrong.  I'm packing two knee braces and a large bottle of Alieve.  I should knock off the 6 pounds and another 6 on top of that.  

Xanga Xanga, what happened to Xanga?

I just completely forgot about xanga.  I seriously forgot the word.  I tried to remember what it was, and could not remember anything about it at all.  I typed www.xanga.com and entered my user name and password and low and behold, the internet took me to a site I haven't posted on since 2007, after claire's 2nd birthday.  It blew me away.  does anybody still xanga?  I went to Amanda's xanga site and she posted something in september 2008.  OK.  Anyway.

bad dreams

I had a dream last night that I went to St. Charles, MO to see Shannon on her 21st birthday.  When we first saw her, we were shocked at how skinny she'd gotten, weighing only about 80 lbs!  Her and Tyler were into the fad-diet of eating only raw food ... nothing cooked, so vegetarian raw food only kinda people.  I really got in their faces and tried to convince them that they were going to die if they didn't start eating a balanced diet of protein and fat with their COOKED vegetable carbohydrates.  They would not listen to me.  I remembered the first time I fasted for 7 days ... water only.  No vitamins, no pain relievers for my headache.  My mom hastled me so bad ... she even cried, but I did not pay any attention to her.  But I still was frantically trying to convince them to eat.  I even tried to force feed Shannon with some peanut butter pie and ice cream but she would not open her mouth.   I woke up panting.  It was only a dream.

Reading (listening to) The Edgar Sawtelle Story ... 566 pages if you actually read the book.  Like 23 hours of audio.  A mute boy and his dogs ... his Sawtelle dogs (like a special breed his grandfather made).  Anyway, murder, ghosts, psychics, and dogs.  lots and lots of dog stuff, training, comunication, devotion, and who knows what the last 8 hours have to hold my attention.  It is a book that I can't wait to find out what happens next, but I don't want it to end.  If you have a year or so to read a book, I suggest you experience The Edgar Sawtelle Story.

I thought that I'd surely heard of the Sawtelle breed, but I wasn't sure, so I googled it, and do my deep disapointment, it is a fictional breed.  I wanted to get me one of those Sawtelle dogs, but there ain't no such thing.  :(