Day 96

A most excellent sunday! Watched Charles Osgood, my favorite show, then made a healthy homemade hash browns, onions, mushrooms, scrambled eggs, yogurt with blueberries and green tea. Took a long walk on the beach and then gessoed three canvases to paint soon. Made german potatoe salad from scratch to have with sauerkraut and sausage and baked beans. Yum. Finished spraying the two cardboard sculptures and they look great. Spent time working on a pink barnacle mirror that is truly magnificent. Then, we took a 2 hour drive south through san luis pass, surfside, freeport and discovered Quintana, Texas which was founded in 1532 only 40 years after columbus founded america. It has not progressed much since then, but what a find! Stopped along the way to photgraph the pink rosate spoonbill birds. Came home and Doug made pumkin soup and we watched the academy awards. Great photography day--horses on beach, bad to the bone sign, etc!

Day 95

After reading the Galveston Daily News online, we rushed out to Mechanic Street next to the Strand and went to the Antiques Warehouse Sale. Bought a small table and 2 baskets CHEAP. Drove over to The Carnival Cruise Ship and asked about the DEAL for cruises. Yes, they didn't want to admit it, but did say come back on a slow week the moment before they sail and they have offered $99 cruises on standby!!!!!!!!We need to figure out a time to do this one!

Mosied on over to The Mosquito Cafe for a delicious Zuccini Cake and papaya mint tea. Then I went grocery shopping and Doug headed out to play afternoon golf at Moody Gardens with his buds. Took photos of the latest cool kites flying over the seawall. Returned Julie and Julia to the REd Box and spent the afternoon watching people get stuck in the sandy road in front of the house. We had to put up posts and rope to keep drivers from turning in our area and creating a bigger problem that would cause us to stick our vehicles in the sand. Photographed Aerial the Mermaid Cat when she snuck out on the deck and had to brace herself against the sea winds. Used lots of patience to sign in on apple for my new I phone and then register. It was hard, okay!

Day 94

TGIF. Wore my stingray t-shirt (our mascot) and my flip flops to work today. Stopped after work at an antique store in Texas City and bought a very unusual fall basket for $3. Passed on the wooden heart with bluebonnets painted on it. I will regret that one, I know. Met Doug at Joe's Crab Shack on the Seawall for happy hour. The pina colada was delicious and the rum did not make my heart race...like that ol devilwater tequila. We dined on tasty crab enchiladas....then... I pulled out the 10 pieces of cardboard (you thought I was going to say pieces of eight, huh?) from my purse and challanged the dougiggles to building a miniature sculpture....errrrr..thought I was going to say chess, huh? So right there at the bar with the pirate bartender looking on we went to cutting and notching and Doug's really more impressive than mine. The onlookers liked the sculptures and I shall paint them this weekend and photograph for posterity. These will be my miniature armatures for classroom examples next week.

Then we proceeded down the seawall to Murdocks to check out their rebuilt souvenir stands on piers over the gulf of mexico. They were totally demolished during hurricane Ike. Saw lots of cute beachy and pirate objects...but resisted and only took most excellent photos. Stopped long enough on the way home to rent Julie and Julia for this evening. Errrrrrrrrrr.

Day 93

Taught texture today. But before that, photographed the most gorgeous sunrise. The sun, ol sol, was orange. In the seconds it took to recognize that I wanted a photo, pull over, wait for traffic to pass, get out and snap on the camera the sun went from halfway up the horizon line to being fully out of the water...so to speak. By the time I drove 4 blocks to my turn, it was one inch above the horizon line. After Doug returned from work, we took a stroll along the beach and picked up a few shells in my purple bucket. Took a few shots and saw some pelicans gliding in the breeze. I didn't have the rebel camera, only the small red one today for pics. Spoke to Teresa and Dad seems to be recovering from quad bypass and is in ICU for the next few days. They don't want him to have company due to fear of infection. Mom says don't come for a visit yet. Sent a card this morning with a small angel book.

Day 92

I was tortured today. Sequestered in a room with 13 13 year olds that would not be quiet. Noises of all types came from each one of them and it was not pleasant. It would not have mattered except the REAL TAKS test was being administered next door and it was serious that we be quiet. But a large Dr. Pepper, M & M's, and Cool Ranch Doritoes made me BETTER!!!!! Bought 9 canvases at Michael's after school and then upgraded to the Apple I Phone at AT&T. Yippeeeee. Came home, photographed Doug jogging on the beach and then made Chili Mac for dinner. Comfort food!

Day 91

The GRI real estate test was hard! I did study but was tested on new material at the critical time as well as the past 3 days of material. Of course, I passed. Just don't think I was perfect. But speaking of perfect, take a look at these photos from this morning. Some were pink from as the sun came up, but I love the one 30 minutes later. Anyway, supper was wonderful with corn on the cob,breaded flounder, fresh salad and french bread. Chocolate ice cream will be when I get offline! Now we're talking.

Day 90

Rainy days and Mondays. Short drive to day 3 of my GRI Finance REal Estate Course at the Galveston Board of Realtors with Barbara Straghan as instructor. Wonderful and informative info. Morgage Lender Chris Nunney from Prime Lending gave additional info this afternoon. We sat and ate chocolates and discussed real estate. Tried to pick up Fajitas from Taco Cabana for dinner but they gave me the wrong order and got hard nachos instead. Grilled onions, squash, mushrooms and garlic and tried to make the best of it. Studied for an hour for my test tomorrow. Still struggling with Picassa that hides and won't let me manipulate my photos from the rebel camera. The microsoft photo gallery is eazzzzzy and I use my small canon power shot with it, but somehow picassa invading my rebel and I can't download them the same way. I have gorgeous shots that I am unable to paste on this site.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Trying not to be frustrated. But may assasinate picassa without a moment's notice. If I could find the so and so who invented it, I would give HIM a piece of my mind! I did pull out my powershot camera from my purse on the drive home along the seawall and photographed clouds.oppps...when I downloaded, the photo I took of Teresa and her 1st place with horse, Elvis, did move to gallery....will try one more time for the horse action shot....stilllllll on lookout to bury the inventor of picassa.