Blogging 101

The rules of blogging clearly state that you must blog in order to have anyone read your blog...or something like that.

I don't have any really good excuse for not blogging but once while on my trip to Texas ... or do I?

Ummmm. That was worth pondering for five seconds.

Here is what happens when you don't live where everyone but you considers to be your home and you just come in to visit for a month.

1. Even though you have been officially and completely retired for a year you suddenly had to employ the use of a day planner to keep straight all the things you planned or scheduled.
2. You went to no less than six medical appointment check ups.
3. You met with your attorney and your financial planner to clean up some odds and ends.
4. You spent one entire day in your jammies at your mommas house doing nothing but going through mail and making follow up phone calls on weird letters received in the 14 months since you were last here.
5. You spent at least one, if not two or three or four days having AWESOME retail experiences as only Brighton, Dillards, a jewelry store or two, and, dang it, even HEB and Walgreens can do for you.
6. You managed to finally, after ten or more years, have all of your jewelry repaired! I actually have choices in what I wear now. Plus all the gold from Saudi, plus all the charms of the last fourteen years on my bracelet! This was a major accomplishment (and did I mention fourteen years in the making). I would tell you if you need a good store for this type of thing look no further than Fairmont Jewelry in Pasadena. They did a great job(s) at a reasonable price(s).
7. I went out of town, or at least across town for seven nights and nine days of the trip.
8. We or I scheduled approximately 15 lunches and or dinners with various family and friends while in town.
9. We had one big party one night!
10. We spent quite a lot of time at my mom and Jim's just hanging about and or eating!
11. I had three separate spa experiences in a four week period of time. What can I say? While super inexpensive to do here, they just don't do spa pedicures that I love from Nail Club. I am a sucker for hot stones.
12. The best thing I had to eat while I was there? Hands down would be the grapefruit my mom ordered from the valley. There were 24 to start with and when I left there were four not eaten. They were divine!
13. I've decided the food I have missed the most was not Mexican food!!! It was Texas bar-b-q! I didn't actually realize I liked it so much. And, truthfully, maybe I don't, but I sure know I LOVE the sides! Macaroni and cheese, greens, beans, potato salad, cole slaw, and cornbread. Yep, move over Mexican! Bar-b-q has taken your place.
14.  I found that surprising someone long distance is very rewarding!  Before I left KL I did a crafty Valentines surprise for Mr. Ken.  I left it for him to find when he got home.  Is this a super cute idea for saved ticket stubs or what?  Not to mention old ties!  Mr. Ken has saved every concert ticket stub since 1968, and every major sporting play off event as well.  The outside two are music and the middle is sports.  Love the ties to hang them with!  He was very surprised ~ particularly since I've been going to "do something" with all this for the past five years!!  (Okay, so this doesn't count in the whole why didn't I blog...but it sort of does because I didn't blog it either on Valentine's day as was the plan!!)

I can't wait to see the DES this evening!!!  I went back later and added the black lines to give more focus in all the white.  (I looked for these shadow box type frames for 18 months!  When I found white I snatched them up...)

15. I found that while I loved every over scheduled minute of time spent in Texas, it is no longer my home. This fact depressed me quite a bit at the onset but I just realized my home is where Ken and the DES are. My mommas home is in Texas and that is just as good of a reason to visit as there gets.
16. I found that even proper prior planning did not prevent me from having to purchase a last minute throw down suitcase because I couldn't fit all the groceries I had (this was in addition to the new Brighton suitcase I had to add to the stable, because!) End result, five checked bags (two of which I had to pay for) and three carry ons. Please note that my clothes fit in one suitcase, one! Here's what made up the other four bags I checked: girl scout cookies (thank you Tami!), Martha White white cornbread mix, Zatarains red bean seasoning, camellia red beans, white corn meal, crazy janes mixed up salt, Briannas poppyseed and French vinaigrette, 100 corn tortillas and 50 flour tortillas, two cans chopped hot chiles, two cans Rotel, some Velveeta, grapefruit spoons, a couple of spatulas (because they cost about $20 each in KL or so went the reasoning, all said and done they cost about five times that if you figure the trip cost, but hey they are cute colors), plus deodorant, Advil, Allegra, Benedryl, teeth whitening, and bath products ~ lots and lots of bath products. Oh, and lots of gifts from friends! And what might you ask did all of these basic Texas girl necessities of life cost....don't make me say it ~ PRICELESS. Or at least it will be when I take a long bubble bath and then dine on crock pot red beans and rice and white cornbread which I shall use my new lime green spatula to mix!

So, to recap, there just was not a lot of opportunity for blogging because I spent too much time eating, shopping, visiting family and friends, running errands, and YES, having my feet done!

But I am (almost) back now, let the blog posts roll...I fly home today at five.  Did I mention I can't wait to see the DES?

Love, spajunkie

Comments

[Danice]

I stand corrected! I posted three blogs while in Texas! It seemed so little I thought one...

[Angela]

what are camellia red beans and what is crazy jane mixed salt...considering I do live in TX I should know about such things.

I remember after being in the hospital for a month that the only thing I really wanted, other than to be home, was to see my cats....so I totally understand my friend!