Some things just don't mix

For example . . . winter weather & Texas driving! :) Tuesday morning, as the 'terrible winter weather' was approaching, I was trying to get home. Now, to be perfectly fair, there was sleet/ice on the roads about 30-45 miles north of here as I was leaving work. Fort Worth, however, was just getting some really cold rain. This didn't hinder people from driving 20 miles below the speed limit, though. How happy did that make me?!? :) So, yesterday evening, thinking it would be bad outside, I left for work early. It really wasn't bad until the middle of the night, which made my evening commute easy. The fear started to set in at about 2 or 3 this morning when most of the day shift workers were calling in 'sick' or 'bad weather'. :) One of the drawbacks of my job is that we can't just leave . . . someone has to be there when I leave or else bad things happen. (to put it lightly) So, needless to say, I was overjoyed when my replacement showed up close to on time!! The drive home wasn't too bad, and because of the late caffeine shot (thinking I was going to be at the hospital for a while), I had plenty of energy when I got home. :) I walked around outside to get some pictures of the pretty white ice . . . looks a lot like snow, but it's very slippery.

You can't see it very well, but there's steam coming up from the water fountain. It was really cold this morning!!!! :) I hope you're warm & safe wherever you are!

"Shoot me a Waco!"

Long overdue, but I finally went on an exploration/road trip today. Hard to believe, but I haven't really gone exploring outside of Fort Worth proper since moving here. Several years ago, my sister went with a friend to the Dr Pepper bottling plant in Dublin, TX. For those of you who aren't Dr Pepper fans or experts, this is the oldest bottling plant in the world and it's the only one that still uses pure cane sugar instead of the corn syrup that the corporate bottling companies use. Ever since she told me about it, I've wanted to go, and today I did! :) Turns out, it's only a couple hours from my apartment - no big deal for me!

Dublin . . . The Irish Capital of Texas . . . is also home to this Dr Pepper heaven. I wasn't sure exactly where I was going (other than the city name), but it wasn't really a problem. Dr Pepper

was located on the corner of main street. YEA!!

Unfortunately, they weren't actually bottling the sweet nectar today, but I did get to take the tour. By the way, if you're thinking about taking the tour:

• it's VERY inexpensive!
• free parking
• free Dr Pepper with your tour
• they only bottle drinks on a couple of Wednesdays each month . . . call ahead!!

This is Kenny, our tour guide, explaining part of the bottling process. :) I didn't realize it, but Dr Pepper was created in a pharmacy in Waco. The inventor combined 23 flavors of soda to make this little piece of heaven. At the time, you could only get it in his drug store, and to order it, you said "Shoot me a Waco!" He had it on tap, so you could only get it in a glass, and had to finish it in his store . . . no 'to go cups'. (a little paranoid? . . . maybe!) :) So, long story short, the next generation started bottling it in Dublin, it went corporate, went to the corn syrup recipe, and is now available all over the country.

After touring the bottling factory, we went into the Dr Pepper Museum. No pictures are allowed in that part, but it does have some fun Dr Pepper memorabilia! Especially the last room of the tour . . . HUNDREDS of Dr Pepper clocks!!!! Needless to say, this was my favorite part of the tour. :~)

Then, it was time for the after tour fun . . . lunch! And yes, I did have some real food, but the real reason for eating there is their floats. . . Dr Pepper (with sugar cane) and Blue Bell ice cream . . . does it get any better?!?!?!? Talk about a SUGAR RUSH!!!! happiness :) After lunch, I walked around Dublin for a little while. Another little fun fact, the 2nd week of June each year, Dublin officially becomes 'Dr Pepper, TX'. They actually switch out the city limit signs. On the bottling company's birthday (or close to it . . . the 2nd Saturday of June), they throw a big party. Apparently thousands of people come to celebrate . . . and possibly for the free Dr Pepper! Good times. Gotta make sure I'm free (& in Texas) for that weekend!!!!

On my way back home, I decided to stop at a few of the interesting places I'd seen along the way. The first stop was at a family farm where they make their own cheeses. (And no, I don't have a clue on how to pronounce that name.) :) The woman in the shop was a fellow Aggie, so we visited for a little while. It still amazes me how just seeing someones ring can create an instant bond. . . but I digress. She showed me around where the cheese is actually made and explained the process. I had no idea that you could "make different cheeses". The man who actually makes the cheese at this dairy has created some different flavors of cheese. Now I'm the first to admit that my palate isn't good at distinguishing different ingredients in foods, but I tried a couple of his cheeses. I really liked the 'Texas Star' cheese. So much so that I brought some home and had it with dinner! :)

After we finished talking, I hopped back in my car . . . on to Stephenville. This is the home of Tarleton State University - my dad's alma mater.

Stephenville is a nice size city, with a beautiful town square. The courthouse is amazing! And, to top it off, 'Moolah' (a statue of a cow made from what appears to be fiberglass ) is right in front of said courthouse. My dad said that it's been there as long as he can remember. hmmm Sadly, I didn't get it in any of my pictures.

The final stop on my journey today was at a winery in Dale Bluff. I really enjoy visiting small, family owned shops!! The lady at the counter told me about their vineyard and the different special activities at the restaurant.

The coolest part is that they have picnic tables all around the vineyards. She said that people often bring a picnic there. They obviously serve food there if you don't want to pack your own, but picnics are always fun! :) She said that the vines would be in full bloom by April, so I'm thinking there will definitely need to be a return trip for that . . .

So, I'm finally back home after a very long and very fun day. I hope you enjoyed the 'mini-tour' of Midwest Texas. :~)

Have you ever . . .?

I copied this from a friend's blog. The thing said to bold ones that applied.


1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars (in a tent)
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper (too many to count!)
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold shower
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Survived a Hurricane
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant about your ancestors
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name (tried once, but it didn't last) :)
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep . . . HAPPY moments! :)
105. Dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people (at least I hope so!)
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child (none of mine, but lost several that I cared for)
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt (not by myself)
129. Lived in a historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage

131. Asked for a raise

132. Made a hole-in-one

133. Gone deep sea fishing

134. Gone roller skating

135. Ran a marathon

136. Learned to surf

137. Invented something

138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunch box (LOVED Holly Hobby!!!!)
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hotel
184. Been a cashier (my dream job as a kid . . . until they invented the scanners)
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a camp fire
189. Kept a blog (um . . . yeah)
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
198. Built your own PC from parts
199. Written your own role playing game
200. Been arrested

Happier Thoughts

Last night . . . NOT the best night at work. BOO on mean people!! So, after a couple of hours of sleep today, I decided to go do something fun as a little 'self-reward'. :-) I went to walk around downtown Fort Worth, AND they still had some Christmas decorations up!! BONUS!! :)

Can you believe it's 2009?!?

I can't! In some ways, 2008 went so quickly it seems like just a blur. In other ways, I was ready to say 'Adios, 2008!!' . . . time to move on! :-) I hope you had a spectacular Christmas and were able to spend some quality time with the people you love. I had a wonderful and relaxing week off between Christmas and New Year's Day.

Since I worked the nights leading up to Christmas Day, I didn't get to enjoy Christmas Eve celebrations with my mom's half of the family. But, my sweet parents came to my apartment to stay Christmas Eve night so I wouldn't have to come home to an empty house Christmas morning. It was SO FUN to walk in and see my tree all lit up! (it's the little things in life that make it wonderful!) :-) So, after I cleaned up from work . . . no one wants to baste in hospital funk for too long! . . . we had a yummy breakfast, I packed for the upcoming week away from Cowtown, and we headed out to my Papa Joe's house for the big Christmas lunch. To be perfectly honest, most everyone was dreading this day in one way or another as it was our first Christmas without our First Lady of Christmas (Mema). It's just not the same without her, and missing her threatened to dampen our joy that day. But, God's grace came through, as always (2 Corinthians 12:9), and allowed everyone to have a good day visiting with each other and catching up on life happenings. Most excitingly . . . we'll have a new baby to cuddle next Christmas!!!! My cousin & his wife announced that they are expecting the arrival of the next member of their family some time in September! Just another way to remind us that life continues even in times of loss and sorrow. I'm SO excited for them!!

We left there to go to my parent's house around 3 or 4 that afternoon. I'd hit the 'awake for 24 hours' coma, so we left. :) I crashed pretty much as soon as we got home! The next morning, dad & I made a big breakfast for everyone. Then, it was Santa time!! Amy & Ronnie were able to be with us again that day, and she was feeling pretty well that morning - another little Christmas gift from God. After exchanging gifts, they headed to Houston to spend some time with his family, and my parents & I headed to Target. :) Yep, we were some of the insane that ventured to a store on the day after Christmas. Originally, we were just going to Lowe's to get some last minute supplies so we could start on the deck. Then, I decided that since we were out, we might as well go by Target! (shocking, I know!!) Other than the fact that I just like to shop there, I'd gotten money for Christmas so that I could buy a new camera . . . which just happened to be on sale at Target. (a third Christmas miracle?!?) :~) So, I picked up the camera that I'd been wanting, we went to Lowe's, and then the project began!

Dad with the post hole digger

Mom with some measuring/straight edge tool

The pictures are dark because I forgot to adjust the flash - fun times learning a new camera!! :) My dad dug the holes for the deck frame posts, and mom & I were the 'tool & wood getters' . . . which basically means that we handed dad the things he needed. I was photographing the action when he wasn't using the noisy tools. When he was, I was off plugging my ears! :)

Saturday was yucky outside, so we worked on some indoor projects my mom wanted finished. Well, we got it started and ran out of time. (Translation: made a bigger mess & left it!) Oh well, it was a good effort. :-) She wanted to pull out the family pictures from days gone by and get some of them hung on the walls. It was fun (& sometimes a bit scary) to see the old pictures. Mostly, we pulled each one out and laughed at the oh so cool hairstyles we each had! Good times!! That evening, we met some 'family' (family by choice as opposed to by blood) for dinner in Lufkin.

Sunday, after church, we went to my Granny's for a fish fry. YUM!! As I've said before, my Papa Art makes the BEST Crappie!! One of my cousins & her husband were unable to make it for the Christmas Eve celebration, too, so we all got together on that Sunday to visit. Monday was a day of shopping for mom and me. NOT that I needed (or planned) to buy anything, but I think I bought more than her that day!! Tuesday, she brought me back to Fort Worth so I could flip back to being a night owl.

New Year's Eve was a fun day. After running a few errands (like buying some black eyed peas for New Years!!), I met a good friend of mine & her two little boys at Build a Bear Workshop. I'm not sure who's idea it was to have small children faced with so many decisions just to get a stuffed animal, but it's entertaining for the adults! First, you have to pick the shell of the animal you want. Then, you pick a heart to go inside. Then, you decide if you want it firm or soft. Then, you decide whether or not to dress your new friend. This decision is often made more by the person holding the money than by the child, but still something for the little mind to consider. Finally, you have to pick out the animal's name to put on the birth certificate. WOW! That's a lot of decisions to make in a short time!! A good time was had by all! :~) After hanging out with them for a few hours, I met my sister at our favorite place - Studio Movie Grill. It's dinner & a movie in one spot! We went to see the new Will Smith movie . . . Seven Pounds. VERY GOOD!! I can't tell you more without giving it away. Suffice it to say, I was mostly lost during the movie up until the last 20 minutes. It hints at what's going on without giving it completely away. We gave it two thumbs . . . AND a BIG TOE up!! (the next to highest ranking on the Poe Sister Movie Scale!) The only drawback to the movie is that it seems to end abruptly. Other than that, it was really good!!

Are you a 'new year resolution person'? Growing up, I was, and then I quit sometime - not really sure when. Most likely it was because I didn't really keep most of them past January. But, I started again two years ago (2006). The difference, though, was that I only set 3 . . . one of which was to actually keep the other two. Is that cheating? :) Also, I REFUSED to put weight loss anywhere near that list!!!! Why set myself up for disappointment?!? Again this year, I sat down to set some goals to strive for in 2009. It's funny how actually writing these down makes them seem more 'real'.

The Sunday after Christmas, the pastor at my parent's church taught about 'making a difference' in 2009 - the inspiration for my 2009 goals. He shared the back story for the following poem that morning:

"It Matters To This One"

As I walked along the seashore

This young boy greeted me.

He was tossing a stranded starfish

Back into the deep blue sea.

I said, Tell me why you bother.

Why you waste your time this way?

There's a million stranded starfish.

Does it matter anyway?

And he said, "It matters to this one.

It deserves a chance to grow.

It matters to this one.

I can't save them all I know.

But it matters to this one,

I'll return it to the sea.

It matters to this one,

And it matters to me."

-Anonymous

So far, it's been a great 2009!! :-) Today, we even had icy weather today - not bad enough to mess up the roads but enough to make ice cycles on the trees & the buggy corral at Target. (one more opportunity to play with my camera!!)

I hope you're having a wonderful first week of 2009!