Long Weeks and Short Weekends...

Well - it is Sunday again and I don't know how your week went, but mine was long. So long. You'd think that when you only have to go to work 4 days instead of 5 that the week would be shorter, but this week was just long and stressful. Maybe starting my Monday by separating from my family and then having a bumpy flight from Dallas to Jackson just set me on edge. Maybe I was out of whack because of the time difference from Colorado to Mississippi. Both are unlikely, it is most like this was just one of those weeks. Whatever the reason, I was glad to see Friday at 5 and I am really not looking forward to Monday morning. I took several pictures this week and I even wondered the other night if I put too many pictures on my blog; but then it hit me that it is MY blog so if I want to post 100 pictures every day, I guess that is totally cool, huh?

Here's hoping that this week is a vast improvement over last week - because I'm not a fan of last week. I'm so over it.

On to the pictures interspersed with some anecdotes about the week....

Glad to have me home on Monday night and already begging for a bite of my supper...

The office went to Cheri Barry's re-election announcement at the carousel. While that wasn't exactly riveting (I can't even vote for her because I live in the county...) it was fun to see the carousel again after such a long time.

These are coming right along - although the tag in the pot said they were pink and white. Obviously, that is wrong.

I got mail on Tuesday! Fun! Fun! I love to get mail.

Wednesday was where the week really went from seeming really long to being stressful as well. When I got home from work on Wednesday, my dog was fine, playing in the yard like he always does and just having a grand old time. Five minutes later when I go to let him in, I discovered that he'd been bitten in the neck by a newly acquired neighbor's dog. A dog that is about 5 times his size. Firstly: he is fine. Thank the Lord. He was very pitiful for most of Wednesday night and I would be too if I'd been chomped in the neck by a 100+ pound Husky. Secondly: this just opened up a world of problems. I don't feel safe letting him outside to play anymore because all I can think of it that if the dog had bit a little bit harder, I might not have a dog anymore. Watson has Small Dog Syndrome - in that while he only weighs about 19-20 pounds, he thinks he weighs about 120 pounds and so he has no intention of backing down from any dog that comes at him. It's just been an added stress that I worry about now - sigh.

I had my dog's blood on my hands - not cool. He got some chicken and spinach as part of the healing process...

Bright spot on Wednesday? Bath & Body Works had their candles on sale and I had a gift card. Now at least the house will smell like Spring until the weather catches up permanently. 

Not feeling so great with a hole gouged in his neck...

Thursday was pretty dismal mostly because it rained for a large portion of the day and that always tends to make a person dreary. Watson and I caught up on our TV shows while a storm raged outside the house on Thursday night. I don't remember lightning being so bright as it was on Thursday night but luckily while it sounded ferocious outside, it wasn't actually ever too bad.

Raindrops keep falling on my head...

Watson hopes he can beg for some supper since he is still recovering from having a hole bitten into his neck.

Thursday dessert - leftover Valentine candy from my parents!

I discovered on Thursday night that Watson is more afraid of thunder than of bath water when he crept into the bathroom after a particularly loud clap of thunder and settled himself on the rug until I was done in the bathtub. 

Watson now gets driven to Nanny's each morning to avoid getting munched on again.

Friday night I was really lazy - which is saying something because if I don't have plans on Friday nights then I usually try to do laundry or clean up a little bit while I watch a movie. I didn't do anything but watch movies/TV on Friday night. I was a completely lazy bum and I actually really enjoyed it.

On Saturday, I discovered just how very hard it is to keep your pet entertained when he'd really rather be outside. You see, I'd let him out with caution on Saturday morning but it made me a nervous wreck... especially when minutes after he came back in, the dog that bit him was walking through the middle of my yard. I've seen the dog that bit Watson no less than 5 times in my yard since Watson was bit and so just letting him out for a few minutes makes me a nervous wreck, but at the same time I can't exactly walk around with him leashed all day long. It is crazy and causes unnecessary stress to say the least.

Trying to get him to play with his monkeys - as you can see, he is like "no way."

We now have to be leashed in our own front yard to prevent getting eaten...and as I would learn on Sunday, sometimes even that isn't enough.

Signs of Spring? I hope so!

Kisses from Watson while we are outside on our walk. Sweet puppy. 

Getting his owie cleaned - he was very good about this all week long.

Daffodils - again. 

Watson and I walked outside about 4 times on Saturday, I did laundry, cleaned the house and read. I made waffles on Saturday night and we watched more movies: Argo and Battleship. Argo was the perfect example of what an excellent movie should be; Battleship...well let's just say it had Alexander Skarsgard and that was about it's only redeeming quality.

The best part of Battleship...and spoiler alert; he doesn't even survive for a full hour of the two hour and fifteen minute movie. Fail.

I thought I'd chop up some Dove chocolates to go in my waffles. I chopped my finger too. Chocolate in waffles - good. Blood in waffles - not good. 

The fiery sunset on Saturday night.

Chocolate chip waffles with coconut syrup. And don't worry, I gave Watson a bite of regular waffle and not the chocolate infused flavor. I've already been working too hard this week to preserve his life.

The full moon over the trees while Watson and I were walking before bed.

I was trying to catch a picture of him stealing a Frito from me and this was what I got - it is actually pretty hilarious. He looks really thrilled about his bite of Frito.

Sunday...today has seemed fast and slow at the same time. Sunday morning came too fast for me and the afternoon has gone by too fast as well, but other times have seemed to drag. I played with my boys at church and tried to take a Sunday afternoon nap but when Watson started staring out the window and crying to go outside, I knew we had to make a change of plans - so we went to the lake for a little while. And now the headache that I started to get after lunch has grown with each passing hour and since I'm about done here, I'm going to take more headache pills and lay on the couch in anticipation of watching the Oscars tonight. I'm not too invested in any one person winning beyond Jennifer Lawrence - she has swept it so far at every awards show and I hope she wins Best Actress tonight for "Silver Linings Playbook". I'd love to see Bradley Cooper win Best Actor as well, but I think Daniel Day Lewis probably has that category all tied up for "Lincoln". I could get behind "Argo" or "Silver Linings Playbook" winning Best Picture and I'm pretty shocked that Ben got jilted for Best Director because "Argo" is amazing. That being said, that's all I've got when it comes to the Oscars. A little over 2 hours till it all goes down...

Two of my favorite little people, who seem to understand every week that they should come sit on my lap so I can take out picture. They're both so smart!

Going to the lake to escape the terror of taking a walk in our own front yard....

More signs of Spring...I can feel it, it's coming!

Gatsby? What Gatsby? - I don't think I appreciated this book as much in high school as I do now.

At least somebody got in their Sunday afternoon nap.

Colorado Springs: Part Three

The third & final post about the trip to Colorado Springs - because I know you've all been waiting with baited breath. All 3-4 of you that read this. :) We ate a light breakfast on Sunday morning because we had lunch plans with some friends and then we went back to the Academy to get some pictures and let Lindsey show us a couple more things.

She gave my Mom and I a small replica of the class ring she will be getting in the next couple months (month? It is soon, I know that...) as a way of thanking us for the love and support we have given her over the past 4 years she has been at the Academy. It's hard to believe that we only have one more Parent's Weekend to go before she graduates. It seems like only yesterday we left her at the Prep School and now she is just a little over 15 months away from graduating and being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force. It's mind-blowing y'all. I've worn my necklace every day since she gave it to me.

It's so tiny...but still so detailed at the same time. Amazing.

Mom and her new jewelry - and by the way, this is a great picture of my Mom!

Posing on the Terrazzo...Sunday was another beautiful day!

The marble stripes on the T-zo...Squadron 20 had performed a spirit mission & dyed the tiles green, so there was a little bit of mint spirit residue was left behind, ha-ha!

The chapel is never not beautiful...

I love it. That is all.

We met our friends the Goebels at Olive Garden for lunch. My parents met the Goebels back when they were all stationed at Vandenberg AFB in California; I've known Lisa since she was born, since I was born just a bit before her. We attended each other's earliest birthdays before we all parted ways when our parents were stationed all around the country. Lisa is married now and has the most delightful little dumpling of a baby boy named Hudson. I was so glad we all got to have lunch and I got to meet sweet Hudson, he was just the sweetest little guy!

Getting some Hudson cuddles - they were delightful!

Lisa turned me on to this - it's orange soda & vanilla cream mixed together. She learned about it when she worked at Olive Garden during college. It was good stuff.

We decided after we ate that we were going to just take Nanny on a tour of some of the sights in Colorado Springs; that way she didn't have to get out and walk around if she didn't want to, but she could see all the great things that there are to see in the Springs. I took quite a few pictures at this point because the scenery in Colorado Springs is just too beautiful not to be taking pictures - I don't know how people who live there get used to seeing that every day. Maybe it just becomes habit, but I'd hope if I lived somewhere with views that beautiful, I'd be thankful every day. All I see out my front door is scraggly trees, bramble and the street. It's not exactly thrilling.

On the grounds of the Glen Eyrie Castle - which borders Garden of the Gods...

Glen Eyrie Castle - just as awesome as the last time I saw it, because hey...it won't ever quit being a castle and castles are awesome. That is all.

We stopped in the bookstore for a minute (bathroom break!) and Lindsey found this little "yam"...which yes, I know is called a ram. It's an inside joke from when she was about 3-4.

The Rocky Mountains - Pikes Peak is on the left of the picture, all topped with snow!

Catching a breeze at the overlook - this kid always looks like she is trying to soar away!

Okay - maybe I took more pictures with my actual camera than with my phone. I know I took all these scenery pictures because the scenery is too great not to photograph. After we had cruised around town, Lindsey suggested we go to Lulu's to get yogurt because my Mom said that was something she'd like to have. I got some delicious lemon yogurt with strawberries on top and some coconut yogurt with chocolate flakes on top - delicious. Lindsey got some kind of crazy mixture of red velvet cake with cake batter and then swirled in just about every fruit topping they had, along with some chocolate toppings. It looked like sludge to me...but she ate every bite. I just don't know about that kid sometimes...

We went back to the hotel again because we watch "Once Upon A Time" on Sunday nights and we were pretty excited that the 3 of us would get to watch it together. We hung out in the lobby, I checked Nanny and I into our flights (too soon...too soon!!) and then while Mom poked around on the computer, Lindsey and I talked to Dad and then plotted and planned what the next vacation would be. You see, we've made this pact with one another that no matter what, every other year we will go on a vacation together - just us. No matter what. And I kind of love that about our relationship. I'm really blessed to have such a great relationship with my sister because I know everyone in the world doesn't get along with their siblings like we do. It's just one of many blessings. After "Once Upon A Time" went off, we went to eat a later supper at Cheddars and then it was back to the room to pack up, get some sleep and head home. All too soon.

Plotting and making pacts. We're very good at these things.

Monday morning dawned early and cold - our flight left at 10:25 and it was really all too soon, but as with any vacation you have to take the moments and store them away to cherish. Which is what I've done.

It snowed a little bit overnight. Brr!!

Good-bye Colorado...until we meet again, I shall miss you!

Airport artwork in Colorado Springs - it was light and airy, probably because it's in an "air"port...hehehe

Saying see you again soon - not goodbye!

The flight from Colorado Springs to Dallas was smooth and easy, which was really nice. I can't say the same for the flight from Dallas to Jackson - it was like being jerked around on the end of a string. Way too much chop for my taste and it made the 55 minute flight seem like it was an eternity. I was so glad to see the ground in Jackson and ready especially to see my pup!

The almost alien looking landscape somewhere in between Colorado and Texas...

The weather was gorgeous in Dallas - if only I could have left the airport to explore...

A bumpy flight...but I got a couple nice pictures.

He was happy I was home and excited to ride about 100 yards in the car to the house. Silly pooch.

Well - I guess that's it for now. Even though I've only had work 4 days this week, it has seemed like one of the longest weeks ever and to be honest, it hasn't been so great. I'm thrilled that today is Friday and I have big plans for tonight: DOING NOTHING. And I'm going to do so with my lovely little dog, because like me..his week has also been pretty rough. Hope you have had a better week than me and hope that you have a wonderful weekend because I'm certainly going to try.