The Toys Are Back In Town!

I am always on the look out for new toys that I can use on the SMART Board.  I found this over sized pencil in the dollar bin at Target a couple of weeks ago.  It was actually intended to be a pencil case, but I saw some more potential in it than that!  Everyone that comes in my office feels the need to pick it up and play with it.  The label reads, "The Toys Are Back In Town."  This catchy little phrase was actually used to promote Toy Story 2 quite a few years ago when I worked at the Disney Store, but it is still fun to use for the promotion of Toy Story 3... I am so excited!  June 18th is just around the corner and I will be there to see it!

It's All In The Details!

My sister-in-law was in town this past weekend.  My mother-in-law and I went to fill her car up with gas before she left Monday afternoon.  I was actually quite amused when I went to remove the gas cap!  Ford recommends BP... wonder if they are secretly going around with an industrial bottle of white out and fixing this new faux pas?  I also thought it kind of funny that the only American auto maker that did not take bailout funds was supporting British Petroleum.  I know that BP paid for that marketing spot, but really?  Ford couldn't convince an American oil company to brand their gas caps?!

Yikes!

Really dude?  Were you going to return those fancy shorts after just one use?  Yes folks, that is a TJ Maxx tag hanging off the back of his britches!  As if that were not bad enough, check out the plaid on plaid combo... AND the athletic no-show socks with his faux Birkenstocks!  Yikes, something out of Tim Gunn's worst nightmare I am sure... even he couldn't say, "Make it work!" to this one!  I am all for a bargain, but when you are fashion challenged, paying the extra money at Gap and letting someone pick out the entire outfit for you is a good idea!

The Best Part of Waking Up...

My new best friend is pictured above.  Keurig is his name.  Coffee is his game.  It is so nice to be able to make just one cup since Lana does not drink coffee.  My new best friend was a gift from some friends and I couldn't be happier with their choice of gift!  Love it!

Don't Be That Guy!

Don't be that guy... don't ever be that guy.  This guy was in such a hurry to get to work the other day (he must have an AMAZING job) that he decided the rest of us should just sit back and wait for him to go by.  He passed me on the shoulder to get in front of me, and nearly took off my front bumper in the process.  That made me mad.  His AMAZING job must pay him really well too...  you can't tell in this picture but there were lots of pieces hanging off of that fancy Scion.  I love commuting but some people make it no fun.  Don't be that guy.

Sun Worshippers

I love those dogs... Jake was out of the frame chewing on some grass.  He's not a sunbather like his brother and sister.  They love having a backyard... all three of them.  Jake loves being free to run and play and the others love just being able to lay out in the sun... can't say I blame them, yesterday was beautiful!

Booger's Bigger, More Colorful Relative

You may remember the car named Booger from an earlier post... well if Booger had a bigger and more colorful relative, this would be it.  This car was in... you guessed it... a Wal-Mart parking lot!  This car did not have a cute name... but I did get to see its owner!  She was wearing a much too tight yellow dress... the buttons probably put someone's eye out when they popped off, as I am most sure they did.  This is why going to Wal-Mart can be worth it!

Zoe on a Road Trip

Zoe got to go to Arkansas this past weekend.  Isn't she one of the three cutest dogs you have ever seen?!  She rode the whole way sitting in someone's lap... well really sleeping in someone's lap.  That dog can sleep... but she is so cute that you just want to eat her!  Love that girl!

My Flying Cubicle

The flight home from South Padre was uneventful until we took off from a stop in San Antonio... the sky was pretty as the sun was setting, but not too long after the sun picture was taken, the clouds started getting a little crazy looking.  The flight into Dallas was ROUGH... but I was glad to be home... if only for a few days!

South Padre Island

I got to go to South Padre Island for work a couple of weeks ago... I know but somebody has to do it!  The room was looking right out over the pool and into the Gulf of Mexico.  It was absolutely the perfect way to wake up!  I love my job!

Day ??... New Plates for the New Car!

We got a call in April that our tags for the Camry had finally come in.  When we got to the dealership to pick up the tags, we were a little mortified by what we got... the number ended with 666!  Yikes!  That was all it took... I ordered some specialty plates that I had wanted since moving to Texas back in 2005.  The Mavs didn't make it as far as we would have liked this year... but Lana and I still love our Mavs!  Go Mavs!

Day ??... A New Car! (Said in the style of Rod Roddy on The Price is Right!)

In March, Lana and I bought a new car.  We needed desperately to replace our Gaspedition... it was just not a practical car for the two of us.  We got a 2010 Toyota Camry and yes, we did take advantage of Toyota's bad luck with the accelerator pedals.  They needed to move some cars and we got a great deal with 0% financing!  They bought our Expedition sight unseen!  They really were desperate to move some cars!

Day ??... I LOVE Southwest Airlines!

A year ago, you could not have paid me to say that Southwest Airlines was my favorite airline... but today?  Today, I am a huge fan!  I LOVE Southwest... sure there are some things that drive my OCDness crazy... like the fact that I am not assigned a seat... I really need that assignment, but I still love it.  My 30th birthday trip was thanks in part to the fact that I got to fly to Orlando for free!  Yes, for free... all I had to do was fly 8 roundtrips on Southwest and I got a free ticket.  I am almost to my second free ticket in less then 8 months... I love it!

Day ??... You All Missed My Birthday!

For my 30th Birthday, my amazing wife took me to Walt Disney World.  WDW is my most favorite place on the planet.  She even surprised me by having my dad there to share that special time with me!  It was an amazing whirlwind trip to Florida.  We spent my birthday in the Magic Kingdom, complete with fireworks... who gets fireworks at the most magical place in the world for their birthday!?  I did!  My 30th birthday will not soon be forgotten it was awesome and I have my dad and Lana to thank for making it extra special!

Day ??...

Double rainbows!  Something I have not gotten to witness often in my life... double rainbows!  Last Monday night I flew back into Dallas from Houston in some pretty rough weather.  I was coming out of my seat on the plane... made me understand that I really needed to buckle my seat belt "Low and TIGHT across my waist."  After the storms passed and I was safely on the ground, I got to see the two rainbows and they were much more beautiful than this picture can even begin to show!  God won't ever destroy the world with rain again... that was His promise with the rainbow!

Day ??... I've Lost Count and Gotten Way Behind... So Let's Start Again!

Found out a couple of weeks ago that I was allergic to penicillin.  I wasn't allergic to it the last time I took Amoxcicillin... is that spelled right?  Anyways... I took 1 pill and all Hades broke loose in my body.  I ended up at ECare hooked up to an I.V. and popping all kinds of pills.  It was a crazy little adventure!  My lovely wife was kind enough to snap a picture of me with her iPhone, and here it is!

Day 55... He Needs Some Help!

I went to Chipotle for lunch today.  As I got out of my car, I noticed that the guy walking in front of me had some really short pants on.  It made me chuckle a little.  I had to take a picture... but the picture doesn't really do the site justice.  I could clearly make out his ankles just above his orthopedic preacher shoes (he was not old, in fact I would venture to say that he was younger than me!)... I am too tall to get a really good picture, not to mention that it is not the easiest thing to take a picture of someone while in a crowded restaurant without anyone noticing.  Clearly there is no break in his pants... there should be break in the front where your pants hit your shoes... and my personal preference is for the back of the pant leg to be almost touching the ground.  I used to dress people for a living... customers came back to me and wouldn't buy clothes sometimes if I wasn't working!  So when I see something like this, I feel a little bit sorry for the person, but clearly it doesn't bother him, so I got to laugh a little inside.  :)

Day 54... More of My Dogs!

My dogs are the cutest dogs in the world.  They have their own room in our house, as I have told you before.  Every morning on our way out the door, we tell the dogs to go to their room and we close the gate.  This way they do not have to stay confined to a crate all day long, but they don't have free roam of the entire house.  This morning we sent them to their room... I looked back and this was the site I saw... how cute are they!?

Day 53... 30th Birthday Trip!

Lana surprised me last week with the news that she had planned a trip to Walt Disney World for my 30th birthday!  The trip is 11 days away and I am SO excited!  Yes, I have been to Disney World a million times, but I am still VERY excited!  All I know is that we are going, I don't know where we are staying and Lana tells me that there are a few surprises up her sleeve.  I can't wait to get to WDW... I have always wanted to be there on my birthday and this will be the very first time ever!  Can't wait!

Day 52... Dreaming...

Most people dream of White Christmases and such... but I dream of new cars!  I want a new car... I always do.  New is a really cool concept to me!  My dream car is a BMW... any series, just a BMW.  It can be the least expensive to the most expensive... although if I am paying, it will never be the most expensive.  Did you learn something new about me today?

Day 51... Picture Coming! UPDATED!

I did not take a picture because what I wanted to take a picture of was a work in progress all day.  Lana made a few more beautiful canvases for our house and my office.  I will take pictures of the finished products and post them for you to see real soon!  UPDATE:  Pictures are now here... the above canvas is for my office, although it is not quite finished.  It's A Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies of all time, so the saying was quite appropriate.  The picture below is going in the dog room in our house.  Fun huh?

Day 50... All alone!

Tonight I was all alone.  Lana and her sisters, mom and step-mom were all scrapbooking until the wee hours.  So... I played with my iPhone all by myself.  Can you tell I was bored?  HA!

Day 49... I REALLY Love Zoe!

She is the cutest dog ever... besides my two other dogs.  Zoe loves to sleep in "the big girl bed."  That's what we call our bed.  When we say it's time for "the big girl bed," Zoe hops all the way to the bedroom and then waits for someone to put her up on the bed.  She is very patient waiting for everyone to get in bed.  I had to take this picture of her waiting for us to get in bed last night!

Day 48... Dora the Explorer

How can you not think that this picture is precious?!  Didn't you know Dora had a goatee?  Sometimes I like to embarass my wife in public places... well more than just sometimes, but I have been able to control myself lately.  I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to put on the Dora mask and pose for some pictures.  At least she was willing to take my picture!

Day 47... I forgot...

This has been a crazy week... coming down off the high of TCEA last week in Austin.  I have been running circles around myself, I feel like.  So Day 47 got left out!  So sorry to those of you that have been following the rambling blog for 47 days and are disappointed with today... I will get back on the horse, I promise!

Day 46... I Think I am Caught Up...

That's my girl in front of the Texas Capitol Building in Austin.  We stopped by on our way back to McKinney after the trade show in Austin.  We had a lot of fun walking around and taking pictures of the building, inside and out. 

Texans have ALWAYS been proud of their state... err Republic... well however you see it, they have been proud of it.  Way up in the top of the dome is our beloved Lone Star, around the five points of the star is the word Texas... just to be sure you know where you are.  Also, the hinges of all the doors are custom and says Texas Capitol... I'm telling you, don't mess with Texas, or Texans... they have some serious pride!

Day 45... Epic Snowfall

So the snow didn't happen on Day 45, but I had to share this picture that my sister-in-law took of our dogs out in the yard.  This was near the beginning of the snowfall... it would eventually be deeper than the dogs stood tall!  Areas of the DFW metroplex received 12.5 inches of snow... and I was in Austin!  Not a single flake fell in Austin.  I have always told Lana that I wanted to live somewhere cold where it snowed a lot, so of course I got to miss the historic snowfall in North Texas!

Day 44... The Finished Product

The booth became this over two days.  It was so much fun to be back in a "classroom!"  The coolest thing was that I had the use of any piece of technology I wanted for my classroom.  I used a SMART Board, SMART Response Clickers, and a SMART Table in my classes this week.  All in all I had a great time, and was happy to get to show off my talents to my coworkers.  Being right next to SMART Technologies, was a nice thing too... especially since I bleed blue and green!

Day 43... Gotta Have My Starbucks

Trade show in full swing, I made sure to hit Starbucks on my way to the convention center.  I was fortunate enough to have a Starbucks in the lobby of my hotel.  So, while waiting on my co-workers, I enjoyed a couple of minutes sitting down with a cup of coffee.  Sitting was not something I got to do much of in Austin!

Day 42... Austin Dinner

So, I am cheating just a little, but I really wanted to share this picture of dessert at Carmelo's in Austin.  It was a work of art... I love art, and I especially love functional art!  I went to dinner with two of my co-workers and we had great food and great conversation... the bottle of wine was a nice added touch!

Day 41... Austin

When I got to Austin this is what our booth looked like... it needed a lot of work!  Trade show did not open until Wednesday so there was no reason to panic.  This was a really cool process.  I got to see some amazing booths go from being nothing to being amazing in a really short period of time.  It is pretty amazing if you have never gotten to see it from that side.  This room would be my stage for the whole week.  It was a lot of fun and VERY EXHAUSTING!

Day 40... Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday found me still getting ready for the trade show in Austin.  Jake actually slowed down today and let us catch a picture of him at rest!  I am sure as soon as we were done taking the picture, he ran over to see what was going on... gotta love that dog!

Day 39... My Dogs are SO Cute!

While working on some things for a huge trade show in Austin, my dogs felt the need to be close by.  It was cold in the dining room and so Zoe cuddled up to Scrappy to keep warm.  Jake of course was circling me feet because he could not slow down.  I love my dogs!

Day 38... Home is Where Your Story Begins.

A couple of months ago, Lana went to a Scrapbooking retreat with some friends.  When she came home, she had made this canvas for our dining room.  The picture does not do it justice... it is a MASTERPIECE.  The quote says, "Home is where your story begins."  It is one of my favorite quotes of all time, and I just love that my wife is so creative and made this canvas for me.  I love walking in the front door and seeing this everyday!

Day 37... No Shoes with Wheels!

If you know me well at all, you know that I HATE this new trend of kids wheeling around public places on their Heelys!  When I had to stop by Mardel recently for some supplies for a trade show, I was greeted at the door with this sign.  It literally made my heart skip a beat!  I was so happy to see that a store has finally said what everyone else has wanted to say... Shoes with wheels are not acceptable!  I love kids, don't get me wrong, and I love when they are having fun, but there have been more than a few times when I wanted to trip a kid on wheels in the mall.  I said it... I know... you may think bad of me, but I haven't actually followed through on the thoughts!  Cheers to Mardel!

Day 36... CPAP in Action

So I posted earlier about my CPAP machine, and I posted the not so flattering pictures of me at the sleep study.  This is what Lana gets to see every night, me hooked up to the CPAP machine that keeps my airways open at night.  The good thing is that neither I nor the machine keep Lana up at night!  Here's to some restful sleep in my future... it's been a long time!

Day 35... Jake

Scrappy, our yellow lab, and Zoe, our Dachshund will pose for pictures... Jake on the other hand is another story.  He doesn't slow down for ANYTHING!  This was the best picture I could get of Jake.  Yep, the bone is bigger than him, but he loves it... and don't tell him that it is bigger than him, or that it belongs to Scrappy for that matter.  Jake is our classic middle child... he stays right by our side and "tells" on the other dogs when they are misbehaving.  Heck, he even gets on to them for us.  He is a great dog, although he does have some dog form of ADHD and OCD...

Day 34... Zoe Loves to Cuddle

Zoe, our miniature Dachshund loves to cuddle.  She loves to snuggle up in warm clothes fresh out of the dryer (see earlier post).  She loves anything soft and cuddly.  In an earlier post I showed you what happened to the dog bed we bought for their room before Christmas.  While picking up a perscription at CVS the other night, we happened upon these cute dog beds for $5.99... good deal.  So we bought two, one with pink stripes for Zoe and one with blue stripes for Jake.  Before you go feeling bad for Scrappy... he can't be bothered with dog beds, he only likes human beds.  Zoe loves her bed and Jake's bed.  She has dragged both of them all over the house.  It is a hilarious site.  Last night she curled up on her bed next to me while we watched American Idol... we love bonding over American Idol.  :)

Day 33... Kerri and I

Occasionaly, my sister-in-law Kerri and I will go to lunch together.  We are a pretty funny combination... not like make people laugh funny, funny because we can annoy the crap out of each other but we also love each other to death.  Today we went to Chili's for lunch and Kerri got a run in her pantyhose, so we went to Target afterwards.  As we were walking I stopped and told Kerri that she should get some of the fake Wayfarers.  She tried on a pair and then we decided we should try on some sunglasses and document the occasion.  We sent a picture to Lana and she replied that we are dorks.  We are, but we are lovable dorks!

Day 32... Monsieur Patate

As I mentioned earlier, I have this thing for Mr. Potato Head, or if you are in French speaking Canada, Monsieur Patate.  My new job has afforded me some fun and unique opportunities, one of which was a trip to Canada last year.  I went to Calgary to attend a training at SMART's world headquarters.  While there, myself and a fellow Education Consultant from my company got to meet some pretty cool people.  Since we didn't rent cars (we stayed right on the rail line about two stops from SMART), our Canadian friends volunteered to take us out and about at night.  One night we went to a big mall just south of Calgary, the largest mall in Alberta (it wasn't that big).  At the mall there was a Toys R Us... so I had to check.  Sure enough, there was a Mr. Potato Head that I did not have and the packaging was in English and French!  Too good to pass up!  While I realize this did not happen on Day 32, as the post would suggest, I did feel the need to share.  I was checking to make sure that the doors were locked before going to bed and I passed the guest bedroom where this Mr. Potato Head lives on a bookshelf and it brought back fond memories of a fun trip to Canada, so I snapped a pic!