This Car Stops...

Good morning!  Well, I HOPE its a good morning, anyway.  It's been a CRAZY morning here, but good so far.  :)  (this is my neighbor, CB, by the way - isn't he handsome?)

The first thing I want to say is how grateful I am that I live in a small town and don't have to deal with rush hour traffic in Austin every day.  I would lose my mind (or whatever's left of it!)  I had to take Jackson to a doctor's appointment in Austin yesterday afternoon... we got done at 4:45... oh joy.  Just in time to join the hoard of people sitting on Mopac!!!!  Yay me!  BUT... at least I had something to ponder during those long minutes... (where's Arsenio Hall when you need him, hmmmmmm?)

Hmmmmm.  Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm...

WHEN?
...when it's out of gas?
...when there's a cow in the road?

For WHAT?
...for garage sales?
...for baby ducks?
...for the heck of it?
...for NO reason?
...in the middle of busy intersections?
...at railroad crossings?
...randomly?
...low water crossings?
...for Bunco?
...obviously on Mopac during rush hour


At least we know it DOES stop - it's not a Toyota... hee hee.

 

Obviously...

We went to Universal Studios yesterday.  We figured the boys would have a better time than at Disney (??? what kind of logic were we using?)  I do have to say that the Hulk rollercoaster was AWESOME!  So was the other big one that I can't remember the name of... at the other park... ummm ummm ummm... ROCKIT!  That's the one - VERY intense.  MIB was fun - shot a lot of aliens.  Got to meet the Grinch (although the boys were on another ride and Kelly wouldn't pose with him... grump!  LOL) 

I did get the boys to pose with Wolverine (didn't take much convincing - he's pretty much cool!!)  and we ALMOST got a pic with Captain America... but he had to leave.  sigh...

We got to wear funky nerd 3D glasses on the Spiderman ride.    The special effects were great but it made me motion sick... blech!  :)

Harry Potter wasn't open... it opens next week, I think.  :(  They also had the Dueling Dragons ride shut down - will reopen as part of the HP stuff.

The Jurassic Park River Adventure ride wasn't open either, so Justin & Jackson just stood in the splash zone to get wet while they tested the ride.

Even though the boys are all too old for us to play in the Dr. Seuss area, Jackson did get a Cat-in-the-Hat hat - such a cutie!

All-in-all it was a pretty good day.  Not a bad place... but Universal is NOT Disney.  Not by a long shot. You'd think that would have been obvious.  :)

What do they have against chickens?

Day 3 of vacation with the family.  We have discovered something disturbing at our otherwise AWESOME rented house on the beach here in Anna Maria Island, Florida.  Apparenty there are giant chickens roaming the area.  No, that is not the disturbing part... that would be that it seems they bury these giant chickens with their feet sticking out of the ground.  Maybe to scare the others away?  Hmmmm... giant beach chickens.  As you can imagine, the other birds are concerned about this brutality...  I met gulls and sand pipers and pelicans (oh my) convening on the beach to discuss.  

(I also discovered beach doves hiding in the sea grass...doves on the beach???)  I would be worried about this if I weren't reasonably sure that chickens are NOT carnivorous. 

Tune in to our regularly scheduled vacation blogging later...

Two Facts & Two Questions

Just a few quick thoughts tonight...something that just occurred to me.

Fact #1:  My home phone number is very close to our local police station's number.  The last four digits of MY number are 1136... the police station is 3611.  I learned this within 2 days of moving into our new house in 1999.  We moved in on a Thursday, got our first call Friday night about midnight.  It went something like this:

Me - "Hello" (veeery sleepy voice)
Caller - "Is this the police?"
Me - "ummm, no???"
Caller - "This is not the police station?"
Me - "No, this is my house."
Caller - "Did the police station change their number?  What is the number for the police station?"
Me - "I don't know.  All I know is you called my house.  What number did you dial?"
Caller - "Are you NEAR the police station?"
Me - "No..."
Caller - "Is this 693-3611?"
Me - "No - this is 1136, you switched the numbers."
Caller - "Are you sure?"
Me - "Well... I think so..."

Anyway... this has happened many, many times.  Usually on weekend nights, especially on Holidays, and ALWAYS after midnight.  Why do people call the police station after midnight, anyway?  Wouldn't they dial 911 if there was an emergency?  It used to aggravate me, but now, even in my sleep, I can tell them the correct number to dial.  No problemo.

Fact #2:  I am the registrar for the local soccer association.  Approximately 57 billion people in Marble Falls and surrounding towns have my phone number (give or take a few...lol) and it's posted on the association's website and registration flyers, too.  A lot of people call me... a LOT... mucho lotto.

Question #1:  If so many people who are trying to call the police station call ME... how many people who are trying o call ME, call the police station?  Hmmmm???  I never stopped to think about that before.  Until tonight.  Tonight when I got home from soccer practice (and, God help me, "Junior Parent Night" at the High School which-I-am-totally-not-prepared-for-but-that's-another-story) and had TWELVE, yes TWELVE new soccer voice mails.

Question #2:    Should I call the police station and see if I have any messages?????