Friday, June 22, 2012

Friday Mishmash

Here in Texas, we don't get rain, we get RAIN.  I've never seen it come down so intensely like it does here.  They call storms like these "gully washers" and are usually brief, but with really heavy bouts of rain.  A couple days ago we had one - it was pouring so hard I opened the front door to take a good look.  Immediately, Paco and Kip ran out and stopped dead, which made me laugh and grab my camera:
They stood there, frozen, for a few minutes, just disgusted at the rain, before turning back inside.
 One minute you could see across the street...
 ...and then?  You couldn't.  This was a short storm - just enough to keep everything green and cool us down for the rest of the day.  It dried up pretty quick, and Paco and Kip got to run around the front yard like nothing had happened just a few hours later.

********************

I've been rather attached to this cheese lately - Sam's Club sells it in a big bag, and I make half a sandwich with two slices, a piece of multi-grain bread, and mustard.  That and a bunch of watermelon, and I'm good for lunch!
Each slab has 90 calories...I like the instant portion control.  Pictured next to my cell phone so you can get a true idea of how much you get - decent bang for the calorie buck!

********************

The other morning I noticed a man riding a Segway zipping around our street.  That's pretty unusual here and I wondered which neighbor this was, until he came on my driveway and I realized that he was the meter reader.  Riding a Segway while doing your job?  Now that's what I call fun!

********************

No mas dolor es muy bueno in my book!

In Sit and Knit news, I've been knitting much more happily lately, ever since I started using a product called Thimble-It.  It's a self-adhesive little oval that keeps the dang knitting needles from puncturing my poor index fingers...no joke, I drew blood about four times last week.  And while my needles aren't even that sharp (they make some stiletto needles, which are gorgeous but I don't DARE try), I'm a "tight" knitter, and pay the price with very sore fingertips.  Debby told me about these (I was using bandages, but still managing to poke through the pads - hey, at least I didn't have to worry about getting blood on my piece since I already had the bandage on, lol) and they do the trick.  Plus, they're super-sticky and I've been able to reuse the same two for going on six days now, which makes them cost practically nothing.

********************

Last Saturday was our 28th wedding anniversary - I woke up to find these pretty pink baby roses on my desk!  Then I left to go run 5 miles, while Jeff and Max left for Missouri, where they were going on a canoe trip.  Pretty normal for us, actually.  We'll go out to dinner to celebrate next week, in Austin...before I leave for California for two weeks.

********************

Tomorrow is a big day, with the start of running club AND the opening of our town's first running store!  I'm not sure which one I'm more excited about, to be honest!  The really cool thing?  Running club will be meeting at (and starting our runs from) the new store!   As a shopper and a runner, my worlds are colliding in the best possible way!  A group of us are meeting early in the morning, before running club starts, to get our long run in - it's not that we are that fanatical about running, but tomorrow the official run is only 2 miles, and we all want to get in our longer distance since we've worked hard to get up to it, plus with the sign ups, announcements, etc, the official run probably won't even start until closer to 8:00 am, and it will be pretty hot by then.  I figure I'll go ahead and run the 2 miles as well - hopefully I'll have recovered enough to make it through that run.  And then?  Shopping.  Breakfast.  Nap.  Sounds pretty good to me!

Have a great weekend!

18 comments:

  1. That rain right there? That's what it was like in St. Martin! Rarely do we have rain like that here and when it happens everyone is scared of flooded basements.

    Mmmmmmmmm cheese! Haven't seen the Tillamook brand around here but Cabot makes something similar. As much as I love cheese, I probably should invest in the portion control packs.


    From what I've seen on Facebook it looks like your new running store is going to be the bomb! Gotta love a new business that jumps into the community they are going to serve.

    Have fun on your run - can't wait to hear all about it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Worlds are colliding--LOL! That is going to be a very fun day, I can tell.

    And I agree. There is no rain like the rain in Texas. It was just amazing. Pretty funny about the animals stopping short once they saw it.

    I'm glad the thimble-its worked for you. I've never been able to use them. I like to feel the needle on my underneath finger. I just get a little callous on the end of it. But I'm only using a little quilting needle.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Congratulations on your anniversary Shelley and Jeff.

    I had to laugh at Paco and Kip because Bella does exactly the same when it rains. She doesn't like it either. Your rain looks like the ones we had in Umbria. It rained so much harder there then here at home.

    I hope Jeff took your credit card with him otherwise he will be surprised when the bill comes LOL. Have fun tomorrow and try not to buy too much :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We only have a debit card, so whatever I buy comes right out of the checking account - luckily that stops me from going too hog-wild. Although...

      Delete
  4. Wow - that rain did look pretty intense. Wally does the same thing - it's like he's saying "WTF??" And they can't carry doggy sized umbrellas! :(

    Pretty cool about getting a running store. I predict they'll know you by name very quickly.

    How is your shruggy sweater coming - been thinking about it. I have 2 more squares on my baby blanket and then the border. I'll post a pic when it's done. I'd have only 1 square but discovered this morning at my mtg that I put the next to last rectangle in the wrong place. #$*&#! Have a great w/e.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry I'm laughing at your cursing, but I SO GET THAT. The shrug sweater was put in a time out for misbehaving, but may be repentant enough to come out over the weekend. ;)

      Delete
  5. The rain is pretty scary! It doesn't get humid right after that rain?

    Have a great weekend and love that the running store and the running club are colliding!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If it cools down enough, then the humidity isn't bad. If it's a really short rain, though, then you can see steam rising off the street, and that's HUMID, ugh.

      Delete
  6. I actually love rain like that, but we don't get it often. It rains a lot here but it's usually more drizzly than downpouring.

    I wish my town had a running store, Momma needs some new nikes.

    ReplyDelete
  7. We haven't had rain in over two weeks - but I am glad the heat is gone - the overnight temps last night were 60 degrees - perfect sleeping weather!

    Hooray for no more stuck fingers - ouch! I am confident you will find some sort of matchy product at the store tomorrow - have fun and good luck on the run! :D

    ReplyDelete
  8. Happy anniversary!!! Wow. 28 years of bliss. :)

    You have a lot going on!!! The running club, California, new running store. I love that your runs will start at the store. That is tres cool.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Happy Anniversary! Belated...


    We usually get all day rain when it does around here. Those big fast downpours cause a lot of havoc when they happen. When I lived in CO, we got those a lot as afternoon thunderstorms, then they pass and bright and sunny again.

    Enjoy the running store!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Belated Happy Anniversary!! WOW....that really is RAIN!!! LOVE the pic of the animals! So funny!!! OOOH...a running store!!!! FUN!!!!! Have a great weekend Shelley!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I'm finally current, so can read your posts in "real time."

    I want a Segway. Since I can't do much walking (much less running) at this point, I want one to walk my dog. Wouldn't that be a sight? But they cost too much. Wish I could run!

    Happy Anniversary! I love that you and Jeff run together. Need to find me a good guy....

    Have a great trip!

    Sheryl
    http://500daystowhereiwanttobe.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. I am so glad to be back in Houston. You realize how amazing a storm is until you move to Northern California. No thunder, no lightening for an entire year was very odd to me.

    Happy anniversary.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I grew up in Northern California, so I completely get what you're saying...and it's also why, after nearly 20 years of living in Texas, I am still fascinated by the storms here. P.S. Welcome home! :)

      Delete
  13. I love gully-washers. We get 'em here in the summer. I like it whe the rain bounces high off the pavement. I was always disappointed in Seattle area rains--soft drizzle all day long. Great for the plants, but not exciting.
    Love that your worlds are colliding tomorrow. Running stores are fun. Reading about your running club, I am tempted to go back to my local store and join their group.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love running stores! I have to hide my wallet whenever I go in one of them, they can be so dangerous. Have fun, and don't spend too much!

    ReplyDelete

Comments are now moderated to prevent spammers from leaving, well, spam - but rest assured that as soon as I read a real comment, I will publish it. So please, comment away, even though the blog is officially closed. Thanks!