Photo of the Day

For all the Hollywood Douches here, as Craig Ferguson would say.

Lion Cub Video

Here is a video of Ross playing with the lion cub. If you listen closely at 0:12 you can hear a puny little growl/roar. There might also be one at the very beginning.

Another Visit to the Snake Farm and Animal Zoo

We met Monica and Richard at the Snake Farm and Animal Zoo and had a grand old time.

Unlike the camel, the buffalo couldn't stick his head through the bars, so to touch I had to reach out my hand and he reached out his tongue. It was slick.

If Benjamin Franklin had had his way, the turkey would have been our national symbol. This guy kept puffing up and gobbling. He was fun, but that red stuff on his nose/neck is creepy/icky/gross.

There was only one peacock, and maybe 6 peahens. This was the most flamboyant peacock I have ever seen. He kept spreading his feathers and shakin' em as he approached the ladies. I got my best peacock pictures ever today. He just kept showing off.

Princess, the lesser anteater (or Tamandua), is off at a breeding program while they are remodeling. The zoo now has two white lion cubs. So adorable! And one of them was growling/roaring--it was too cute! The lion cubs were definitely the best part today.

One of the cubs (the female we think) was very spunky and interactive. She would run back and forth in her pen chasing Ross.

I was doing the football shuffle and it became unclear who was running who. She wore me out!

After spending two and a half hours at the zoo we had late lunch/early dinner at the tea house in Gruene. The food was delicious and afterward we were stuffed. We walked around town...they were having a little art festival/sale thingy (Guene Market Days.) Both the Zoo and Gruene were totally different from when we last went in September. In September both were empty. Today both were really bustling--the goats in the petting area weren't really interested in being fed. I had a great weekend and can't wait to go back. The lion cubs are currently 4 months old and weigh 45 pounds each. The keeper said they are gaining half a pound a day. I am looking forward to watching them grow up.

Cause for Celebration

Yesterday was an awesome day.

It was a beautiful day out. I hung out some laundry and ran my errands with the top down. One of my errands was going to the bank to pay off my car. Yep. Now it's alllllll mine. I'm super happy because now we don't have any car payments. I was ready to celebrate.

When I got back from running errands I found these on the table. Flowers and unsweet tea. My booboo knows what I like.

So yesterday was Valentine's Day. I have plenty to celebrate on this totally kitchy, doesn't mean much to me holiday--and every day. I have a great husband. He puts up with my craziness. He loves me. He supports me in everything I do. All that and he's got the cutest bum ever. I also have Bailey, who comforts me when I'm sick, and snuggles with me--even if it is just to steal my warmth.

So to celebrate the car being paid off and it being February 14th we went to Five Guys. It's just what we do. When we got there we found a line, which was a little surprising. The funny thing was there wasn't much of a line at Amy's and The Cheesecake Factory had a very long line and at least an hour wait. I'm sorry. I'm not waiting in line to eat overpriced, mediocre food. And if I wanted to eat some place that bad, I'd just wait until the next day if I walked up on a line like that. What makes February 14th the Ultimate Day to express your love?

After our burgers and fries we laughed at the people standing in line at The Cheesecake Factory, skipped the long line at Amy's, and went home to celebrate with caramel popcorn. Nom Nom Nom. It was a perfectly sweet and salty end to a great day.

This is what was left:

Happy Valentine's Day!

This year I was so attracted to the Valentine's stuff in the stores. I normally hate that crap. This year I bought tons of stickers. Luckily I found some blank red cards at the dollar spot in Target. I made a whole bunch of stickery Valentines for my kids. I had a lot of fun and used up most of the stickers. Yay!

Awesome Weekend

Valerie came to visit this past weekend. When I picked her up at the airport on Friday it was 29 degrees and I was sporting my fur coat. This photo was taken on Saturday. It was at least 70 degrees, and I got really warm sitting in the sun. We shopped and ate our way around the city. We had a great time. Sunday's weather was awesome and we ran around with the top down. Thanks Valerie for coming to visit!

Sickness

Poor Ross has been sick--but Bailey has been comforting him.

Vanilla

So, I'm laying in bed the other night, thinking about Molina--which is a brand of vanilla, and I realized that I have a lot of vanilla. I have golden vanilla cane sugar (which makes the best steamed milk), vanilla bean paste, home-infused vanilla, two different kinds of vanilla beans, two different brands of Mexican vanilla, and some Madagascar vanilla that I bought most recently. Dang. I guess I likes me some vanilla.

The home-infused stuff never did turn black. Maybe next time I'll try to make it with a higher-alcohol content liquid. It does make for some nicely-flavored marshmallows.

Celebrity Visit

Last night's celebrity visit was Sir Kenneth Branagh. I wish there were more Wallander episodes to watch.