The Family

Christina’s mother visited us a few days ago (she had a TSR meeting in the area) and she recommended that we try out a place called ‘Flores Mexican Restaurant’. It’s on anderson lane right off of Mopac (ie, north loop 1). Not noticing the place as you drive by is rather hard, just don’t look for the ‘Flores’ part; instead, it’s the big building with a huge, well lit marquee of ‘MEXICAN RESTUARANT’ around the building’s top.

Anyway, they have excellent hot sauce with their chips. Christina’s mom describes this place as ‘the Mexican place with hot sauce like mine’. Their queso is likewise tasty. In fact, I had the queso on my fajitas. MMmmm.. tasty. I’m going to be taking everyone who wants Mexican food to this place at least once. I also had a shot of Patron Anejo tequila with the meal. First time I’ve tried it; will be buying a bottle in the future. In the future I’ll also switch from ‘tea and shot’ to a Dr Pepper with the meal. Less expensive and this place has food that is so good it just has to have a cola with it.

Christina and I have begun spring cleaning. We’re doing it to A) clean house B) toss out things we don’t want to pack C) because we should.

We’ve got the living room/dining room looking good. (Ignore the fireplace area though). Since those rooms are rather un-interesting, I’m not going to show you pictures. If you want to see them in their clean states, you’ll have to visit. Ok, well, the fish tank is interesting and also cleaned up… but I’m sure ya’ll have seen enough fishy pictures.

Still, I am going to give you some pictures. See, while I was cleaning I decided to do some dusting. I saw that the area where I keep all our alcoholic beverages, also known as the NO YUO! area for Christina(1), was getting dusty. So I pulled down all the bottles, dusted them, and put them on the table. Seeing an opportunity, I took a picture.

I didn’t think my collection would take up that much space. Oiy.

Next the (small) collection of wine…

Well, ok, we’re not every interesting when it comes to wines. But they are all tasty wines!

Then I just had to dust all our glasses…

I had no idea the cabinets held that many glasses. I think I could keep a small party going for while with that collection. And that doesn’t even touch the glasses we have for day to day drinks.

Of course, I put it all away after that and it no longer looks as imposing. All stored away: nice, neat, and happily compact.

Now all I need to do is clean the computer area…..

(1) – Christina has been very good about avoiding all things alcohol. She is also looking forward to enjoying a nice, cold Guinness.

Much as I like my front doors, i am tired of seeing them here. Must post.

It is spring. We have the air conditioner on. 🙂 In the mornings it is beautiful outside. I have resolved not to spend any money on plants this year because they will just die when summer comes, but the temptation is strong. It happens in the spring. Perhaps if i liked it outside in the summer i would take better care of my plants then. Perhaps between the concrete driveway and the brick wall radiating heat the heat of the afternoon sun, nothing would make it along the drive-way anyway. Luke had a landscaper over the other day… someone working a couple of houses down… He suggested cactus. We have thought of cactus, but there are some pretty mean spines on most cacti.

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My diet – It was going so well. I don’t know why it is so hard now. It wa so easy before. I will be on for a few days, and then not for a few days, and on for a few days and not for a few. Unfortunately the nots are getting longer than the ons. I will gain 2 pounds and lose 2 pounds and gain 3 pounds and lose 2 pounds…… I know that if i continue like this i will lose ground.

Luke is worried about himself too. He was doing pretty well for a while. He and i were dieting differently… or thinking of dieting differently. I was trying to eat smart and not think of it as depriving myself. Luke was trying to concentrate on eating as little as he could. I think we messed each other up. I kept telling him he did not have to starve himself till he went back to eating all he wants and he kept talking about how little he was eating till i felt like a pig…   unhappy with myself.  That was just a factor in my decline; i was already having trouble. We are talking about needing to get back on track. We both want to… but we need to do it individually, not together.

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I have been buying fiesta again and my cabinet looks so pretty. I bought some cups and saucers and I feel so feminine drinking my coffee now. Something about a pretty shaped cup on a saucer… and the fiesta cups are plain and heavy enough that they don’t make me feel like i am pretending when i use them. (I keep thinking how pretty the juniper one would be with a green tinted tea,) We are expecting mugs for Luke. He likes the fiesta too.

Now if i only had enough cabinet space for my pretties. 🙂 I drew up plans for a piece of cabinet-like furniture to go under the kitchen window. We have given it to a cabinetmaker who lives up the street and he is going to give us a quote. Crossing my fingers that the price is good. Should have asked him about the same unit minus the 3 drawers. I want the drawers. I am shorter on drawers than i am on shelves, but i am sure drawers cost more. Oh well. We will see. One thing this new unit will have is vertical space for cookie sheets and cooling racks. That will be cool.

And the rest around here is pretty much the same as always…… 🙂

We have new front doors!!! They look so much better than the old ones. We do need to paint them and are debating the color. We also need to paint the house and have been debating the color for that for a while. As soon as it it sunny I intend to take a picture of the house and see if i can play with the trim color, but for now we need to get some paint on the doors. If we don’t like what we come up with, we will eventually be repainting anyway. So, what do you think? Match the house or white?

Well, I don’t know how I’m going to manage it, or when. But it looks like I’ll be visiting Toronto sometime in the not-to-distant future: http://www.lotr.com/intro.html

OK, i love stumbling!!! I admit it. I don’t spend all day doing it… but when i do, i always find something interesting. in the past hour while leno is on i have flown a heicopter into walls (not the intent of the game. The intent is to fly around the walls). I have read about lucid dreaming and looked at a 30 year picture history of a family…just one picture a year, bookmarked a site that promises only healthy recipes, and played with this kaleidoscope. You have to try the kaleidoscope and look at the pictures……..

Interesting Idea 

Educational 

Good Advice 

True

Also True 

Myths 

Explain This! 

Information Overload 

Great Photo

Well I downloaded Mozilla. I was happy with firefox, but i was told that mozilla comes with a wysiwyg web page writer that writes good code and i wanted to check it out for my sister in law who wants wo sell online and needs a site and is not up to writing the pages.

I really really like mozila from what i have seen of it. Of course that is not a lot so far. I did try the wysiwyg but i need to play with it more before i can if i like it (It seems well laid out.) I have spent most of my time with an add-on called StumbleUpon. It is so cool. You have to sign up to use it because they modify it to your interests. Then you click the button and “stumble” onto web pages that are highly rated and match your interests. I sent you all the table of condiments that periodically go bad. It amused me. Most of the sites i have looked at amuse or interest me.

Just what i need…. another way to waste time…….

I spent the weekend learnig from Chris and improving the look of the message boards on the White site……  (I enjoyed having Chris and Christina here.)   I used the tree picture i have had in mind for the front page on the whole bunch message board.  I can still use ot on the front page……   I made a picture of what i have had in mind for the front page.  I do not have it clearly in my mind yet…  I am not sure of where to put the trees and the links…   But i have had in mind the placement of the picture and the black bar with the name of the site and thought that if i could look at it, the rest might fall into place.
I am uploading it and linkind to it here.  I would like any of you to give me your thoughts and make suggestions.

How far do you take it?  When do you just let it go?

Another vet visit.   Officially this was to take everyone in for their vaccines.  But of course there was a Grailing evaluation.  The tumor is growing so fast, so very fast.   And it was a strange feeling, walking out of the office with only two rabies tags.

I’ve been looking online, and there are other treatments.  I could get a $300 kit to lower pH.  I could add specially tuned crystals to his water dish.    I could … well, I could be doing these things.   And I’m not.

So have I lost hope, given up?  Am I failing him by not pursuing all options?   There’s no way to know.   If one of those options worked, it would be worth whatever it took, but if they don’t, I’d feel bad for ruining the quality of his final days.

There’s one supplement that’s actually listed as a cancer cure.   Grailing doesn’t like the way it tastes and won’t eat his food if this supplement is in it.   So I’ve stopped adding it.

I know there’s no way to know what the right call is.   I just really wish there was.  I know I’d go to the ends of the earth for him .. and yet I’m not, saying that the ends of the earth won’t do him any good.

I wish I could know if I was failing him, or helping him transition with his dignity intact.

I hate the not knowing.  That’s just about the worst part of it.