Well.

Hi there.

I just got back from trying to run around a small, natural lake at a park just outside of town. Today would have been my third day to do so. There was just one problem:

Spiders.

With each step I took, I inhaled, become wrapped in another web. Web after web after web. Pretty soon, I was a jogging, portable web catching little bugs as I trudged along the path.

Normally, I can handle some spider webs.

But this, this was just too much.

I couldn't take it.

So, I ran out of the woods as fast as I could, spitting and rubbing my arms the whole way. I looked like a mad woman. But I looked even worse as I was running along the path...I held my hand in front of me, occasionally waving it as I passed trees and high grasses, while spitting and sometimes rubbing my arms. Had someone come across me they would have thought I was either: 1) waving hi to them in a really weird way and for a really long time 2) praising our Lord Jesus Christ with a scowl/fear on my face as I ran or 3) telling them to stop while not looking at them and if they did, I would have run right by them, not realizing I was motioning for them to stop. I just didn't want to swallow anymore spiders!

I came back to the house, where a psycho kitty was running in circle and doing weird flips while a dog glared at me because I didn't take her to the freakin' park.

Well, Brandy honey, I am sorry but you are very old. Much older than me, technically, and you don't run anymore. Sorry. I want to get in shape, not stroll through the woods.

She really doesn't have much to complain about though because Chris and I take her on a walk every night after dinner. We shaved her last week so she must feel cooler. And she is the only dog in the household now, which must be nice for her. She only has one crazy animal to deal with now!

Lucy is fine. Cute and bored. Good God, that kitty is so bored. For the first two months of her life was spent in a household of kitties and cats. The next two months was spent in our house with one cat who adored her (although she pretended not to at first), three dogs and five people.

Now, sometimes, it is just her. All. Alone.

At first you could hear her crying. It was the saddest thing. But I think she has acclimated pretty well though as now she just ignores everyone and does her own thing. Pretty much like a normal cat will do.

I work at Spicewood this weekend, it's the Harvest Wine and Trail festival as well as our Grape Stomping fest as well as harvest time! Whew! A lot is going on. I work Saturday in the tasting room and Sunday I will be harvesting Semillion grapes in the morning, watching the destemming process for the last part of the picking and then running the tasting room until we close at 5pm.

I am excited. I love it.

Then, from Monday to Thursday, I am working at Whole Foods in Austin. Just to get a little padding for money. Moving expenses completely wiped us out. I had forgotten how much moving can cost. Next time, I will start saving for about six months so this doesn't happen again.

Luckily, I am on Seasonal status with the store so as long as I don't work 60 hours a month (I think), then I can work. So, I will be there working until Thursday, then Friday I have a dentist appointment and then Saturday I have my first class! I probably won't have the book yet (gots to wait for more money) but at least I can get started.

In the meantime, I have been trying to get the house situated, but that gets old fast and I end up playing on the computer for way too long, taking little naps or crocheting (which is good).

We have so much random stuff. I don't wanna say junk because most of it is not. It's just...well...random...and I have to find a place for it. And we gotta wait until we get a bookshelf before unloading the books. Poor things, they are just sitting in the boxes still.

Ok, I think I need to go to the library. Yeah...that's productive!

Bye.

Lazy

Hi.

Umm...how are you?


Good! No, that's great...I'm glad to hear it.

Yeah, yeah, I am fine, doing great.

Look...no, you go first...no you...I insist...

Well, okay.

I'll just come right out and say it. I'm sorry. So sorry for not keeping in touch with you.

I know! June 28th was a long time ago and especially with so much going on, I am sure you wanted to know how we were.

I'm back. Back in the saddle. The blogging saddle, if you will.

Oh, you won't.

Then fine. I am just in the saddle.

But before I go on and update you with what's going on, will you ever forgive me?

(Waits patiently)

Sigh, thank you.

Now, onto business.

We are here in Sherman. Chris got a job with Sherman ISD as a high school math teacher. Good pay, great benefits, etc...I finally figured out the school schedule system at GCC and dropped her previous classes and is now signed up for Gen Chem I, PRIN of Vinology, Prin of Enology and Winegrowing Regions of the world.

The classes should be interesting. The vinology one is an internet class. The Enology and Winegrowing classes are done seminar style whereas one meets Fri/Sat once a month and the other meets the following Sat/Sun once a month. The program is designed so people with regular jobs can just travel to this area over a couple of weekends a month and still get credits.

Well, since I want to be as holistic as possible in my studies, I also signed up for Gen Chem and next semester I plan on taking at least another chem and maybe a math course. I want to see how this semesters works out first though. If it happens that I have a lot of time on my hands then I will go ahead and sign up for one more class next time.

I will be working part time somewhere though. I am even thinking about Starbucks. I have heard that they love former employees of Whole Foods because our training systems are similar and, well, Whole Foods team members rock! Plus, if I did get a job at Starbucks, they offer benefits for part time and maybe I could do that instead of being on Chris'. We'll have to see which one works out to be cheaper.

We have moved in, but we are not completely unpacked yet. Our books sit sadly in their boxes, waiting for when we can afford a bookshelf to put them on.

But the duplex is cute. The living room is our favorite part of the house because of the vaulted ceilings and great light. Brandy seems to like it here, we take her on walks a lot. And it's so much easier to ride on a bike in a small town, especially when you live so close to the downtown area. It took us 2 minutes to get downtown and to the library. Awesome.

Must run, Tom Robbins calls.
love,
Michelle