don't play games with me...unless they're word games, then by all means! especially if there's music!

i think winter finally came to dallas...hopefully just for a short visit. it is so hard not to be envious of my friends in florida right now, as i see their pictures from the disney run, enjoying the incredible temps.

i don't think that i will be able to finish this post tonight, as my eyes are getting tired. *update-i finished*

i can't believe we've only been back to school for a week, last week seemed forever-long! perhaps it was because of the two pd/work days, and three days of data-hashing...mixed with map testing/trouble-shooting...whew!

my necessities last wed-fri for data meetings! kanakuk tervis courtesy of trish! 

fortunately we were able to go out friday night to the truck yard...unfortunately, someone had huge black x's on her hands because she didn't have her id with her...so we left and found another fun little restaurant on greenville...which is fine, because it was a great little joint, and now we have a great reason to go back-when the weather is a bit warmer.

before we met, i came home, and i was so excited because i had a package! i didn't open it yet, because i'd planned to go walking, and i had time to take my walk-i have a route that i am becoming particularly fond of, the only part that i don't like is that the 'ramps' that bridge the sidewalk to the street (like handicap accessible or bike-friendly, not sure which) are not as gradual as i would like, they are rather abrupt, and not great on the knees- i find myself opting for the step off the curb instead. anyhoo, other than that, it works well for me.

it was a late night, so i was surprised that i was actually up at a decent time the next morning. i am pretty sure i went for a walk around mid-morning, and then i got a little work done when i got home-particularly i was able to really clean up the kitchen area. i also got a start on the laundry. then i got a text from a friend about the possibility of playing scrabble later-not gonna' lie, i was thrilled because i love word games! but even more, it was just the gesture of 'hey, let's hang out' and i needed that-good timing. what made it even better timing, was that we played at dunn bros coffee house, and they had live music-a guitar/singing studio, so there were several performers, and there we were right up in the mix of it. good-times. interestingly enough, for obvious reasons-live music, we didn't really talk much-didn't really need to; it rather reminded me of hanging out with some of my other long-time friends who can just 'be,' and that is refreshing.

may there be more of this in the future #relaxing

ready to overcome the world!

ok, so i'm sure you may be wondering about that package. if you recall from this post, i shared how i came to learn of the aeropress...well, finally it had arrived!! i didn't get a chance to actually try it out until saturday, and i think i may have had a little more coffee than necessary because i just wanted to keep using it! smooth. so tonight, i decided i was going to go ahead and get an electric kettle to warm up the water more quickly and get the keurig out of the way. i am still not ready to be rid of it completely (hard to cut the cord..we've bonded over the past 6 years), but it is on the other side of the counter. (nobody puts baby in the corner...only, keurig is no dirty dancer, so it doesn't apply here).

 and yes, i ran errands with a friend tonight and made the leap to the electric kettle. while it is not nearly as cute as an ornate 'real' kettle, it sure heats the water up fast! it works for this apt-were i in an actual house, or NICE apt, i might be more inclined to get a cute kettle. (but really, am i sitting here babbling about kettles? who does that? least of all me-i didn't think that was where this post was going, but there were some really cute ones at teavanna in the galeria!) 

the sunset tonight was gorgeous, like a painted canvas

 umm...so yeah. it was a good weekend, i cannot believe we are back to school tomorrow! yikes. and it is much too late, i should be in bed. g'night!

julie

project going strong...just a few days, and lots to do!

this morning was a bit chilly out, but i decided i was going to try to run anyway. i do not enjoy the cold...i was breathing into my sleeve half the way around the park-must invest in a scarf or something like..i don't know, maybe a miniature heater for my face! (needless to say, it was rough going-ready for dallas weather again).

i heated up a tamale and took it with me so that i could eat on the way to my next stop...

courtesy of ms. samarripa's lady who does tamales--they were not bad, not bad at all!

i was going to stop at an antique store to look for some drawer pulls, but unfortunately, they were closed, so i drove down i-44 because i knew that i'd seen a billboard for one the other day. unfortunately it was further than i thought. and they didn't really have what i was looking for. so on the return, i stopped at lowes for some additional materials that i needed ... i asked this one employee if he could help me with some hinges..i should've known better than to ask anyone for help, because the guy came over, looked at all of the hinges, and pulled out a regular old hinge and said, "this should work, you just put it on the inside like this..." i smiled, nodded and thought, 'please leave so i can look this up on google and get it right.' should.have.known. anyhoo-got my things, came home, and mom and dad had already left to go drop of Christmas things for some of the families at the trailer park-church ministry. 

so i jumped right in and got to work on my project. i finished sanding and started painting...i kinda' changed up my original plan and it morphed into something artistic--sorry dad. he put up with these changes, and i certainly do appreciate that he is working on this with me, because i would've gone strictly by: OH, THAT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD...whereas, he, being the perfectionist that he is, and math person, measured everything-fractionated (new word for whatever he was doing with the fractions...don't judge). and then did the major cuts...he was having a hard time envisioning what i had in mind, so i had to do a mock layout for him, now we're on the same page...and i'm a mess.

oddly enough, the colors are not that indicative of what i am working on...i know..weird, right?

had to share a pic of the boys for jo anne, because i couldn't leave them with her (my parents would have been disappointed!)

they are thrilled to be at mom and dad's they cozied right up to the new house.

so after working all afternoon, i ran out of something, so i had to sneak back into town, and when i came out, there was a beautiful sunset, and i'm so glad i didn't miss it! i am a sucker for beauty, and sunrises and sunsets take my breath away!

even at the lowe's parking lot!

i'd be lying if i said i wasn't missing my people in dallas a little...but there are still things to be done here, and time to be well spent! i am going to make my best effort to get down to nixa on saturday afternoon to see the rest of the rees family--it's been a long time trying to connect, so i am going to do whatever i can to make it happen this time! (carmen's family)...i was reminded by chris that they have been storing my flip flops since the last time i was there! i'd clearly forgotten about them, but i am now somewhat excited to be reacquainted with this stellar footwear. i'm pretty sure they kept them hidden away in the back of the closet as a way to tempt me and lure me back...it worked! saturday, it's a date!

and tonight i had the sweetest voice message from my 'lil sis' sheryl...we have been trying get a call together via skype, but timing just hasn't worked out, so she sent the most endearing message. to the moon and back, dear friend, to the moon and back! 

happy Christmas Eve! get to bed, or santa can't leave toys...go! now!

julie