Pants

Me, Jesus "Light of the World" Christ, and Jeremy drinking something

Jeremy and I are officially crazy. (But not as crazy as our friends who are currently camping in the Serengeti.)

We registered for a marathon. Fortunately, we've given ourselves 6 months to prepare for it. We started our training last week and bought some fancy running shoes yesterday. I think the shoes really do make a difference. I got some Brooks running shoes that are lighter than air and support my foot and ankle so well I can run without pain in my ankle/tendon/knee. Sometimes it pays not to be cheap, I guess.

We were a little bummed because we intentionally shopped at a specialty running store called Run-Tex, and the service I got was underwhelming. We sort of figured that part of what you pay for at a specialty shop is a helpful salesperson. The guy who worked with Jeremy was fine, but the person who helped me out just looked bored and barely said anything apart from "you are flat-footed and have wide feet." I actually left feeling a little worse about myself than when I went in. He found some good shoes for my fat flat feet though, so that's what's most important I guess.

This past weekend was spent in Katy, Texas with some of our favorite people. We had a great time - except I DO NOT RECOMMEND RUNNING/WALKING/GOING OUTSIDE IN HOUSTON. It is so darn hot and humid! I'm still a little sweaty. We got to see Harry Potter 5 at the Alamo, which was fantastic. As you can see in the photo, I also found Jesus.

All In A Day's Work

If a slightly sweaty, dirty, and red-faced woman holding a brick knocked on your door yesterday, it was probably my mother.

Apparently she got locked out of the house after both my dad and my sister went to work/school. (That's what you get for doing yard work, I suppose.) Mom didn't initially panic because she was wearing pants and had access to the outside hose. After digging for metal like an odd person at the beach, she found nothing in the flowerbeds that could be used as a file to force the door open. I think it was at this point she wandered the 'hood seeking access to a telephone, but either no one was home to answer her knocks or she looked too crazy. :)

Given that plans A & B failed, Mom moved on to plan C. She grabbed a brick and tried smashing the windows. She smashed and she whacked but after a half hour, the windows refused to give. Having enjoyed whacking stuff with the brick, she decided to smash the doorknob until it fell off. Which it did. 45 minutes later. While still locked. :)

Don't worry folks, my mom managed to get in after jimmying the lock. She is a resourceful lady and a Class A burglar!!!

I love you Mom! Glad you got back in the house and thank you for making me laugh harder than I have in a long time!

1:52 am Haiku

Jet lag keeps me up
Maybe I'll re-mow the lawn
Need Benadryl now

Our Triumphant Return to Texas

Well, not really triumphant, but we did indeed return.

Since we are now home please note: if you were planning to break into our house and take stuff (you would be disappointed unless you are into cat hair and books on prison reform), go with your plan B and take a nap or a shower instead.

We are happy to be back in the land of wireless internet, wash cloths, watermelons (the fruit) and water parks. The trip to New Zealand was terrific. Our time there was not long enough because the longer we spent exploring, the more we wanted to do. We returned with some good pictures, a few souvenirs, one cold, and one less cell phone than when we left Austin last month. I have NO IDEA where my cell phone is but I am certain it fell out somewhere in New Zealand. If you've tried to call, I'm so sorry I haven't gotten back to you. Shoot me an e-mail because I'd love to hear from you.

The contrasts between the U.S. and New Zealand were both subtle and stark. Based on the Customs inspections, it is clear that Kiwis prioritize environmental contamination prevention FAR more than counterterrorism. We didn't even have to show IDs on our domestic flights. The security screening we went through didn't require the removal of shoes, pants, or my gold grill, etc. Hooray!

Another political/cultural difference between N.Z. and the U.S. is that there were very few people living in extreme poverty or sub-standard housing. In fact, on our return flight I overheard an Air New Zealand flight attendant warning fellow New Zealanders (and first-time visitors to the U.S.) that there are "about ten homeless people on every block" in San Francisco and that "they can been seen in the clear light of day!" The flight attendant then went on to recommend the visitors seek out a "really smart" store called "WAL-MART" for its great selection of jeans and athletic socks at really cheap prices. I pretty much had to sit in my seat with two hands over my mouth in order to prevent some sort of outburst. Perhaps there is a connection between copious amounts of cheaply produced stuff we don't need and widespread poverty? One of the reasons New Zealand was such a delightful place to visit was because it did not have "really smart" stores like Wal-Mart or the same culture of stuff.

Now for some pictures!


The Southern Alps


Mom, me, and Jeremy at the Arts Centre in Christchurch


Christchurch had a very British feel to it


Three doctors, one nurse, a dolphin trainer and a penguin walk into a bar...