Wreck 'em, Tech (and get me some cocoa!)

Last weekend was Texas Tech's homecoming game. This year, I twisted Amy's arm and convinced her to come with her family and to stay in Lubbock overnight on Saturday. We were planning on meeting our friends Chris and Karen and their girls and just enjoying a great weekend in Lubbock with friends and family. Little did we know that a "mock-Arctic front" or some such meteorological term would definitely put a damper on all our plans.

When we left ABQ on Friday afternoon, it was nearly 70, sunny, and beautiful. When we arrived in Amarillo, it was 45, cloudy, and drizzly with little chance of it getting better. There was discussion as to whether or not the front would dip down to Lubbock so we were cautiously optimistic that we might be able to go through with our (limited) plans on Saturday.

Mother Nature had other plans. The weather definitely put a damper on our plans but I don't think our spirits--while we did go to Spanky's, the hamburger place across from campus, for fried cheese and burgers, we didn't walk around campus at all on Saturday. The hotel's swimming pool was indoors but the atrium area wasn't heated so swimming was off as well. We went to Raider Alley around 4:30 for dinner but it was cold to be standing around outside. Plus the band that was there was playing slow, mellow, moody music--not exactly what we'd like to hear to get pumped up before a game. We were bundled up but it just wasn't as much fun as it could have been.
Looking tough although she later decided that she didn't like these--they made her shy when the cheerleader was talking to her. Amy found the Double-T tattoo stickers and the kids switched out the eye black for the tattoos.
There's pretty much anything you can think to eat at Raider Alley including meat on a wee-little stick.

We headed into the stadium about 20 minutes before the game and went in search of hot cocoa. There was no hot chocolate to be had in the stadium. There was coffee and cold drinks. Plus, while we were searching for something warm-not-coffee, we missed the band coming onto the field which is easily the highlight of the game, especially this one.
Amy and Benjamin bundled up before the game got started.
Abigail watches the action on the field.

Apparently, K-State forgot that they were supposed to show up for a football game and by halftime, the score was 38-0 and the fans were beginning to leave in droves. We hearty souls made it until after the halftime performance. The band's show was a bit of a let-down as well. Who knew that Boston had more than one song? I didn't until the band decided to play four of them.
Yep, that says Texas Tech 38, K-State 0. The final score ended up being 66-14.
We'll say this was during "More Than a Feeling" which is the only Boston song I know.
Bundled up but ready to go. We were glad we had a blanket in the car to bring with us into the stadium. Thankfully, the wind wasn't blowing too much--it was just the rest of the weather that wasn't much fun.

By this point, the children were restless, we were restless, and the game was pretty much in hand. We left in search of something warm to drink at the Starbucks across the street from the stadium. As waited at the streetlight, a carload of college boys were yelling "Raider!" to which all the pedestrians were replying "Power!" I'd "taught" this to Abigail earlier as we were walking to the stadium. She thought it was a silly cheer until everyone at the crosswalk was participating--then it was more fun to do.
Goofing at Starbucks--Paul opted not to get something warm but continue to eat the kettle corn we'd gotten at the game.
Little arms make it hard to do rabbit ears, even when your mama ducks down some.
No one to help out didn't deter Abs from getting in the rabbit-ear action. She'll just do it herself.

From Starbucks, we headed back to the hotel to watch the rest of the game on the television while flipping around between some other, more competitive, games as well.

Sunday morning, it was still cold and drizzly and the indoor swimming pool was still closed. However, the hotel's breakfast did feature make-your-own Texas waffles. So we all had waffles shaped like Texas for breakfast, including the non-Texan who just thought it was fun to make his own waffle. More hanging around the hotel since it was too chilly to do much else and then we headed down to Gardski's for lunch because Paul had commented earlier about their onion straws and David likes it as well.
Quite the look from the four-year-old.
Picture by Abigail. She's getting much better than some of the past pictures I have. She even asked us to move the glasses so they wouldn't be in her shot.
Yep, David was there too. He's just hard to catch in a picture.

We left from there to head home, driving through some light fog and drizzle until about Santa Rosa. By the time we got home, it was about 70 and sunny again. The weekend wasn't quite what we'd hoped for and not exactly the experience we'd hoped Abigail and Benjamin would have for their first Texas Tech football game. Hopefully there will be many more games and much better weather for future football weekends. And if the children ever whine, we'll all tell them about this one game in 1992 when it was so cold and rainy and windy and that they just need to toughen up a bit.

Balloons! The 2009 Edition

(I wrote this last week and didn't post it at that time. Not sure why but here's this year's balloons recap.)

This year's Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta kicked off on October 3 . Paul's cousin and his wife and almost-4-year-old daughter were in town on their way to Ruidoso and stopped over on their way in order to see the balloons. Because I love the balloons, I was happy to go with them and Paul (happily? begrudgingly?) tagged along with us.

Figuring it up, this is probably the 10th time I've gone to the balloons in the past 12 years. This was the *craziest* year I've ever seen at the balloons. Not the balloons proper but getting to the balloons was an ordeal. We left my inlaws' house (where Doug, Michelle, and Beth were staying) a little before 6:00. We took our normal route (Tramway) over to the balloon field. We got stopped near the casino. And we ended up sitting for almost TWO HOURS. Generally, there are cops out directing traffic and the lights at the intersection of Tramway and I-25 have been overridden to allow for better traffic flow. This year, there was none of that. Well, cops were there but the lights were still cycling normally. Grrr. . . Talk about frustrating. We were discussing skipping the balloons as it was nearing 8:00 before we even neared the parking lot and just heading to breakfast. Thankfully, the weather was cooperating and the balloons were hanging around for quite a while.

Driving to the parking lot after 8:00, we missed the first two waves of balloon launches. Paul and I had been telling Doug and Michelle about our friends who never quite make it to the field before the first balloons go up. We were laughing that this is what they must see--it is pretty but nothing like being on the field.
Walking down to the ticket booth--it was definitely the farthest out we've ever parked and not at all like the time with my parents when my dad insisted we leave the house before 5:00 and were the second car in the parking lot.
At the ticket booth finally but we missed the bees taking off.
Watching the balloons as we got our tickets, we spotted the jack-in-the-box. I don't know if we'd seen him before but he was a fun balloon to see.

Finally on the field with the third wave of balloons going up. Lots of balloons from the previous waves were still in the air near the field. I don't think the "Box" was working but the wind wasn't blowing so the balloons hung around. I think we saw one I {heart} NY balloon that went up with the first wave as one of the last balloons still in the air.

Doug, Michelle, and Bethany on the field. We waited until after watching the balloons go up to get our burritos and hot chocolate so that Beth could enjoy the whole experience. She was definitely a trooper during the long wait in the car. We kept promising her that it would be worth it in the end.

Paul goofing around on the field "enjoying" the balloons.

YAY! I LOVE THE BALLOONS! (Totally cheesy posed picture courtesy of Paul)

More balloons just hanging around as the last goes up.

Love the witch balloon. There was troubles getting several of the special shapes balloons to the U.S. from China where they'd been for a balloon rally a couple of months ago (they were stuck in customs). Darth Vader made it but not until later in the week.

Bethany has a couple of Zebras by the tail. She was given the "job" to cheer and wave whenever the balloons took off which she took very seriously and did a very good job of doing.

10 years married and we still like each other pretty much OK.

10th Anniversary

Our 10th anniversary celebration was pretty low-key but exactly what I had wanted/hoped to have. We took the Rail Runner up to Santa Fe which was something I'd been wanting to do since the rail was extended up there. Paul isn't a fan of Santa Fe so normally, I can only get him to go once or twice a year, generally around our anniversary and my birthday. I'll definitely recommend the train to anyone who comes into town and wants to go up to Santa Fe. $7/ticket round trip and children under 10 are free. It was an easy, fun way to go. Oh! And our favorite part of the train is that as the doors are closing, the warning is a roadrunner's "meep, meep." We were laughing about the meeting in which that was pitched as an idea.

We studied out the schedule and decided to leave ABQ on the 4:20 train to Santa Fe which got us to the Santa Fe railyard about 6:00. We'd decided to eat at the Mexican food restaurant at the railyard. It's a fairly popular tourist haunt and we had about an hour wait after we put our names on the list. I'm not sure it's worth the hour wait but it was good and I've waited that long at generic restaurants.
Since we had time to wait, we opted to walk around a bit before sitting in the restaurant. The area is building up with more shopping places although most were closed by the time we were there. We noticed that there are shuttles to the Plaza and I've heard it's a 10 minute walk or so over there. So, very easy to do with visitors.

Not many shops were open although there was one cute little shop I noticed that was that had housewares and advertised Fiesta dinnerware in the window. Against Paul's better judgement, we crossed the street (it was busy but I was smart and waited until there was no traffic--the incident in London when I stepped out in front of a taxi still has him spooked. That one was coming from the wrong direction though.) And it was the cutest little shop indeed. Lots of vintage dinnerware and dinnerware made from vintage patterns, dishtowels and other kitschy kitchen items. Stuff totally up my alley. After much discussion between us and with the owner piping in his opinion on whether they should be the same color or not, I bought new Fiesta salt and pepper shakers in bright blue. It's the first pieces I own in this color which is probably my favorite shade of blue.
By this time, it had been about 40 minutes since we put our name on the waiting list so we headed back to the restaurant (again, safely crossing the street). I think we waited another 10 minutes before being seated. The hostess asked if we'd mind sitting on the patio. It was chilly but since it was out of the wind and because there were heaters out there, it was a pleasant place to sit. We both ate way too much and after we finished, we lingered for a bit, chatting, waiting for the train at 8:00, and trying to figure out how the people at the table next to knew each other since it seemed of the 9 people there, only 2 people actually were acquainted.

We walked back over to the waiting train and opted to head to the upper level for the ride back to ABQ. All in all, a very pleasant evening and a good way to celebrate our anniversary. In fact, it was pretty much a perfect fall weekend in my opinion--beautiful weather, our anniversary, time with some family, and balloons!

18 weeks

Yeah, my eyes are closed and it's not a great picture because I was goofing off with Paul and Michelle (Paul's cousin's wife) about this being Baby's first Balloon Fiesta. But that's 18 weeks and Baby is definitely making himself known. A coworker came into the library with her class this week (she'd been in last week as well) and told me, "I'm going to be really embarrassed if you're not but are you?" I said yes, yes I am weirdly fat. I'm also starting to feel Baby more although it's not very strong movements--just an odd sensation every so often. I saw the OB this week--it's probably the first time in my life I've ever been congratulated on gaining weight. I still feel really good--lots of energy, nothing too bad as far as food aversions or cravings. I still feel the need to take naps every afternoon but I felt that way even when I wasn't gestating.

I find myself thinking in terms of how old Baby will be when we do __fill in the blank__. It's crazy to imagine we'll have a 6-month-old in tow if we go to the Balloon Fiesta next year.

October 2, 1999

It's crazy to think it was 10 years ago that we got married. One bit of advice I got before the wedding was to really take it in as I made the walk down the aisle because that was truly a special moment. I don't remember who told me that but I think they were absolutely right and it's the bit of advice I pass along to brides-to-be. I remember walking up the aisle with my parents and looking at all our friends and family who had made the trip to Canadian and feeling incredibly loved at that moment. Knowing that at no other time would all these people be gathered in the same room together and realizing that Paul and I are truly blessed and lucky to have so many wonderful people in our lives who love and care about us.

We've got little plans to celebrate our 10th anniversary--we're going on the Rail Runner to Santa Fe to eat dinner on tonight and will be going to the Balloon Fiesta on Saturday with Paul's cousin and his wife and daughter. Next weekend, we're going back to Lubbock where all this fun started 14 years ago to take in the Homecoming game with Amy and her family and our friends Karen and Chris and their daughters. We talked about taking a trip, just the two of us since this will be the last one that it is just the two of us, but in some ways, being surrounded by our friends and family during this time of celebration seems more appropriate. We are still truly blessed and lucky.

So, here's to 10 years and to many more. I'm lucky to have had 3650 happiest days, give or take one or two.