Wednesday, August 8, 2007

The Animals


All right, the Natural Bridge Wildlife Park isn't just for rabbits or even kids for that matter, but for all of us. Here's a few snapshots from our recent trip to see Alyssa's true relatives...
If you haven't been, take the 2 hour trip to New Braunfels and take the short tour of the Wildlife Park. It's amazing to see how close the "wild animals" come up to your car if you have some thing to feed them.

Serenade


"If I said goodbye to you tonight, there would still be music left to write..." OK, maybe that's not the song they sang or even the artist they choose to copy, but Julia tried and I guess that's what's important. No, it wasn't Billy Joel, but at least it didn't hurt my ears like Celion Dion. The point it that Julia tried to join the mariache band and do her own rendition of La Cucharacha (or however you spell it) and did a great job!

Julia has always been a showman (or showgirl) as is probably more accutately titled. Julia loves the limelight! She loves to be the center of attention (unlike myself). She craves attention and hopped up the second the mariache band offered to sing a song for $10 to our table, that I couldn't resist. How could I not let her showcase her skills even though it might set us back and force us to eat Taco Bell the rest of the trip :) OK, not really, but as much as Julia craves the spotlight Alyssa and myself shy away from it. I'm perfectly comfortable not being noticed in a room of 50-100 people and neither is Lys, but I wasn't going to hold her back, so.. she made the show. Besides, I've got to encourage her, as she is in the dual language program in school.

Kudos to our very own Selina, I mean Julia. Cheers J!

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Family Vacation


We got an opportunity to get out of town for a few days last month and take our first "2/3 family vacation". I call it 2/3 since Hunter and Palmer stayed with their grandparents. We took over 100 photos on our 3 day trip so I'll break it up into a few posts since it takes so long to download the photos onto this blog page.
Here's the first stop! The Snake Farm...
The Snake Farm is a hole in the wall stop on the side of I-35 on around New Braunsfels. It's got hundreds of exotic animals, but it's primary focus is on snakes. Because Alyssa is so in tune with the animals we thought we'd start our trip off right by taking a tour of the Snake Farm. Right off the bat we were excited to find out that there were two new baby lemurs on display. They even let you pet the lemurs and Julia and Alyssa got a special treat of having one climb on their shoulders and head. The average person may not know too much about lemurs, but for Alyssa this was kind of like the holy grail. Alyssa enjoys all animals but is especially partial to lemurs (due to the children's show Zoobamafoo where they became her favorite animal). Alyssa "the lemur girl" at the Snake Farm in New Braunsfels with a baby lemur pirched atop her head.

The same lemur just seconds before it bit Julia.
Alyssa really knows the different animals and told us the names of two that neithe Lisa or myself even knew their names. The first was a capuchin (a type of small monkey) the second was a capybara (the world's largest rodent). Sometimes I'm concerned that maybe she watches too much TV, but apparently some of the educational TV is sinking in.

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Welcome Home Stevie Franchise!


Steve Francis once a proud member fop the Rockets is headed home. 3 years and three different teams later the man Bill Worrel dubbed "Stevie Franchise" is back.

The Rockets traded Francis along with Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato to land T-Mac, but now Francis has made a full circle coming back to the city he calls home.

The Rockets have the NBA's most improved roster this off-season. Adding Scola, Wells (who did not play most of last season), Mike James and now Francis. Houston held the fourth best record in the West last year, but was ousted by Utah in the first round.

I'm excited that Stevie is back, so much that my brother and I decided to split season tickets - the first time I've had them since Olajuwon, Barkley and Pippen were on the franchise.

Go Rockets!

Sunday, June 3, 2007

Some things that men generally take for granted, and fail to realize that women cannot.

Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
You can never be pregnant.
You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just 'too icky'.
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental - $100.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood - all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat..
You know stuff about tanks.
A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack.
Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You almost never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
Your belly usually hides your big hips.
One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can 'do' your nails with a pocket-knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a moustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for twenty-five relatives on 24th December in forty-five minutes.

Saturday, June 2, 2007

The Sweet Old Couple Story (dangers of making assumptions, understand before you intervene)

A little old couple walked into a fast food restaurant. The little old man walked up to the counter, ordered the food, paid, and took the tray back to the table where the little old lady sat. On the tray was a hamburger, a small bag of fries and a drink. Carefully the old man cut the hamburger in two, and divided the fries into two neat piles. He sipped the drink and passed it to the little old lady, who took a sip and passed it back. A young man on a nearby table had watched the old couple and felt sorry for them. He offered to buy them another meal, but the old man politely declined, saying that they were used to sharing everything. The old man began to eat his food, but his wife sat still, not eating. The young continued to watch the couple. He still felt he should be offering to help. As the little old man finished eating, the old lady had still not started on her food. "Ma'am, why aren't you eating?" asked the young man. sympathetically.
She kindly responded, "I'm waiting for the teeth."

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Awesome One-Liners by Steven Wright


1. Right now I'm having amnesia and deja vu at the same time. I think I've forgotten this before.
2. Lots of comedians have people they try to mimic. I mimic my shadow.
3. I was once walking through the forest alone. A tree fell right in front of me -- and I didn't hear it.
4. He asked me if I knew what time it was. I said, "Yes, but not right now."
5. I put tape on the mirrors in my house so I don't accidentally walk through into another dimension.
6. I've been doing a lot of abstract painting lately, extremely abstract. No brush, no paint, no canvas, I just think about it.
7. My watch is three hours fast, and I can't fix it. So I'm going to move to New York.
8. I like to reminisce with people I don't know.
9. I like to skate on the other side of the ice.
10. I'm so hyper... (Said with a very dull voice.)
11. If you can't hear me, it's because I'm in parentheses.
12. Four years ago... No, it was yesterday. Today I... No, that wasn't me. Sometimes I... No, I don't.
13. Is it weird in here, or is it just me?
14. A friend of mine once sent me a post card with a picture of the entire planet Earth taken from space. On the back it said, "Wish you were here."
15. Every so often, I like to stick my head out the window, look up, and smile for a satellite picture.
16. I'm moving to Mars next week, so if you have any boxes...
17. Sorry, my mind was wandering. One time my mind went all the way to Venus on mail order and I couldn't pay for it.
18. I have a map of the United States... Actual size. It says, "Scale: 1 mile = 1 mile." I spent last summer folding it. I also have a full-size map of the world. I hardly ever unroll it. People ask me where I live, and I say, "E6".
19. It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to have to paint it.
20. Cross country skiing is great if you live in a small country.
21. Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time.
22. You can't have everything. Where would you put it?
23. I have the world's largest collection of seashells. I keep it on all the beaches of the world... Perhaps you've seen it.
24. It's a good thing we have gravity, or else when birds died they'd just stay right up there. Hunters would be all confused.
25. When I die, I'm leaving my body to science fiction.
26. I went to the bank and asked to borrow a cup of money. They said, "What for?" I said, "I'm going to buy some sugar."
27. I saw a bank that said "24 Hour Banking", but I don't have that much time.
28. I went to the museum where they had all the heads and arms from the statues
that are in all the other museums.
29. I like to go to art museums and name the untitled paintings... Boy With Pail... Kitten On Fire.
30. One time I went to a museum where all the work in the museum had been done by children. They had all the paintings up on refrigerators.
31. Last time I went to the movies I was thrown out for bringing my own food. My argument was that the concession stand prices are outrageous. Besides, I haven't had a Bar-B-Que in a long time.
32. One time I went to a drive-in in a taxi cab. The movie cost me $95.
33. I went to the cinema, and the prices were: Adults $5.00, children $2.50. So I said, "Give me two boys and a girl."
34. I went to a restaurant that serves "breakfast at any time." So I ordered French Toast during the Renaissance.
35. I went to this restaurant last night that was set up like a big buffet in the shape of an Ouija board. You'd think about what kind of food you want, and the table would move across the floor to it.
36. There's a pizza place near where I live that sells only slices. In the back you can see a guy tossing a triangle in the air.
37. I went to a general store. They wouldn't let me buy anything specifically.
38. Years ago, I worked in a natural, organic health food store in Seattle, Washington. One day a man walked in and asked, "If I can melt dry ice, can I swim without getting wet?" Two days later I was fired for eating cotton candy and drinking straight Bosco on the job.
39. I went to a 7-11 and asked for a 2x4 and a box of 3x5's. The clerk said, "ten-four."
40. I was in the grocery store. I saw a sign that said "pet supplies." So I did. Then I went outside and saw a sign that said "compact cars"...
41. I went down the street to the 24-hour grocery. When I got there, the guy was locking the front door. I said, "Hey, the sign says you're open 24 hours." He said, "Yes, but not in a row."
42. I love to go shopping. I love to freak out salespeople. They ask me if they can help me, and I say, "Have you got anything I'd like?" Then they ask me what size I need, and I say, "Extra medium."
43. I went to the hardware store and bought some used paint. It was in the shape of a house. I also bought some batteries, but they weren't included. So I had to buy them again.
44. I went into a clothes store the other day and a salesman walked up to me and
said, "Can I help you?" And I said "Yeah, do you got anything I like?" He said, "What do you mean do we have anything you like?" I said, "You started this."
45. I saw a small bottle of cologne and asked if it was for sale. She said, "It's free with purchase." I asked her if anyone bought anything today.
46. There was a power outage at a department store yesterday. Twenty people were trapped on the escalators.
47. I bought my brother some gift-wrap for Christmas. I took it to the Gift Wrap Department and told them to wrap it, but in a different print so he would know when to stop unwrapping.
48. Friday, I was in a bookstore and I started talking to a French looking girl. She was a bilingual illiterate -- she couldn't read in two different languages.
49. For my birthday I got a humidifier and a dehumidifier... I put them in the same room and let them fight it out. Then I filled my humidifier with wax, and now my room is all shiny.
50. Ever notice how irons have a setting for *permanent* press? I don't get it...
51. I have a microwave fireplace in my house... The other night I laid down in front of the fire for the evening in two minutes.
52. My VCR flashes 01:35, 01:35, 01:35, ...
53. I have the oldest typewriter in the world. It types in pencil.
54. I couldn't find the remote control to the remote control.
55. I invented the cordless extension cord.
56. Under my bed I have shoe box full of telephone rings. Whenever I get lonely I open it up just a bit and I get a call. One time I dropped the box all over the floor and the phone wouldn't stop ringing, so I had it disconnected. I bought a new phone though. I didn't have much money so I had to buy an irregular phone -- it had no number 5 on it.
57. I saw a close friend of mine the other day... He said, "Steven, why haven't you called me?" I said, "I can't call everyone I want. My new phone has no five on it." He said, "How long have you had it?" I said, "I don't know... My calendar has no sevens on it."
58. I plugged my phone in where the blender used to be. I called someone. They
went "Aaaaahhhh..."
59. Today I dialed a wrong number... The other person said, "Hello?" And I said, "Hello, could I speak to Joey?"... They said, "Uh... I don't think so... he's only 2 months old." I said, "I'll wait."
60. I got up one morning and couldn't find my socks, so I called Information. She said, "Hello, Information." I said, "I can't find my socks." She said, "They're behind the couch." And they were!
61. Last week I bought a new phone. I took it out of the box, hooked it up to the wall... Pressed redial. The phone had a nervous breakdown.
62. I got an answering machine for my phone. Now when I'm not home and somebody calls me up, they hear a recording of a busy signal. I like to leave messages before the beep.
63. I don't like the sound of my phone ringing so I put my phone inside my fish tank. I can't hear it, but every time I get a call I see the fish go like this...
64. I bought a self-learning record to learn Spanish. I turned it on and went to sleep; the record got stuck. The next day I could only stutter in Spanish.
65. I was going to tape some records onto a cassette, but I got the wires backwards. I erased all of the records. When I returned them to my friend, he said, "Hey, these records are all blank."
66. I got tired of calling the movies to listen to what is playing so I bought the album.
67. I was reading the dictionary. I thought it was a poem about everything.
68. What's another word for Thesaurus?
69. Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song? The guy who wrote that song wrote everything.
70. My grandfather invented Cliff's Notes. It all started back in 1912... Well, to make a long story short ...
71. I'm writing a book. I've got the page numbers done, so now I just have to fill in the rest.
72. I'm writing an unauthorized autobiography.
73. I wrote a few children's books... Not on purpose.
74. I just got out of the hospital. I was in a speed reading accident. I hit a book mark and flew across the room.
75. I installed a skylight in my apartment.... The people who live above me are furious!
76. All of the people in my building are insane. The guy above me designs synthetic hairballs for ceramic cats. The lady across the hall tried to rob a department store... With a pricing gun... She said, "Give me all of the money in the vault, or I'm marking down everything in the store."
77. While I was gone, somebody rearranged all the furniture in my bedroom. They put it in *exactly* the same place it was. When I told my roommate, he said: "Do I know you?"
78. In my house there's this light switch that doesn't do anything. Every so often I would flick it on and off just to check. Yesterday, I got a call from a woman in Germany. She said, "Cut it out."
79. Doing a little work around the house. I put fake brick wallpaper over a real brick wall, just so I'd be the only one who knew. People come over and I'm gonna say, "Go ahead, touch it... It feels real."
80. In my house on the ceilings I have paintings of the rooms above... So I never have to go upstairs.
81. One time the power went out in my house and I had to use the flash on my camera to see my way around. I made a sandwich and took fifty pictures of my face. The neighbors thought there was lightning in my house.
82. All the plants in my house are dead -- I shot them last night. I was torturing them by watering them with ice cubes.
83. Winny and I lived in a house that ran on static electricity... If you wanted to run the blender, you had to rub balloons on your head. If you wanted to cook, you had to pull off a sweater real quick.
84. I've never seen electricity, so I don't pay for it. I write right on the bill, "I'm sorry, I haven't seen it all month."
85. My house is made out of balsa wood, so when I want to scare the neighborhood kids I lift it over my head and tell them to get out of my yard or I'll throw it at them.
86. I bought a house, on a one-way dead-end road. I don't know how I got there.
87. The other night I came home late, and tried to unlock my house with my car keys. I started the house up. So, I drove it around for a while. I was speeding, and a cop pulled me over. He asked where I lived. I said, "right here, officer". Later, I parked it on the freeway, got out, and yelled at all the cars, "Get out of my driveway!"
88. My house is on the median strip of a highway. You don't really notice, except I have to leave the driveway doing 60 MPH
89. A lot of people are afraid of heights. Not me, I’m afraid of widths.
90. There’s a thin line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.
91. What a nice night for an evening.
92. I busted a mirror and got seven years bad luck, but my lawyer things he can me five.
93. Curiosity killed the cat, but for a while I was a suspect
94. Do Lipton employees take coffee breaks?
95. Don’t you hate it when your hand falls asleep and you know it will be up all night
96. Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time
97. I bought some batteries, but they weren’t included
98. I got a chain letter by fax. It’s really simple you just fax a dollar bill to everyone on the list
99. I’ve got this powdered water – now I don’t know what to add
100. I had some eye glasses. I was walking down the street when suddenly the prescription ran out
101. I had to stop driving my car for a while – the tires got dizzy.
102. I hooked up my accelerator pedal in my car to the break lights. I hit the gas, people behind me stop, and I’m gone
103. I poured spot remover on my dog, now he’s gone
104. I put instant coffee in the microwave and almost went back in time
105. I saw a bank that said “24 hour banking”, but I don’t have that much time
106. I think it’s wrong that only one company makes the game “Monopoly”
107. I used to work in a fire hydrant factory, you couldn’t park anywhere near the place
108. If it’s a penny for your thoughts and you put your two cents worth, then someone, somewhere is making a penny
109. If you were going to shoot a mime would you use a silencer?
110. I Vegas, I got into a long argument with the man at the roulette wheel over what I considered to be an odd number
111. It doesn’t matter what temperature a room is, it’s always room temperature
112. When I die I’m leaving my body to science fiction
113. When I was a little kid we had a sand box. It was a quicksand box. I was an only child…eventually
114. When I was crossing the border into Canada, they asked if I had any firearms with me. I said, “Well, what do you need?”
115. When I woke up this morning, my girlfriend asked me “Did you sleep good?”. I said, “No, I made a few mistakes”
116. Whenever I think of the past, it brings back so many different memories
117. Why don’t they make the whole plane out of the black box stuff?