Dixie

Jacob and I flew to Houston on Thursday. About an hour after taking off from cool, overcast, and windy Detroit, the clouds cleared and we were able to see the ground. We were shocked by the sight of extensive flooding below. Rivers that typically appear as ribbons cutting through the landscape looked like huge lakes overflowing their banks. We weren't able to get a good picture of the floods because the setting sun was shining directly into our westerly-facing window. Who would have thought to choose seats on the east side of the plane when on a mostly north-to-south flight in the evening? Lesson learned.

Jim and Jacob went golfing this afternoon. They had a great time, despite the fact that a bird snatched their baggie of cookies right out of their cart while they were on a green putting. Houston has been very dry & drought-y lately, and everyone here is hoping for rain. In the meantime, I am enjoying the sunshine and warm temperatures. As usual, the humidity feels like it is about 900%. Jim has managed to hold off on turning the house air conditioning on this year, even though the neighbors have been using their units since February. I think I will have to crank it on tomorrow, as it is predicted to climb to 90 degrees.

This was taken somewhere over southern Tennessee. I wish it had come out better because the flooding was really quite spectacular-looking.

While out and about today, we saw several groups of people selling puppies on the side of the road. This is not unusual in Texas, as there are very few zoning laws. Sometimes the folks display their dogs in playpens or in the beds of pick-up trucks. These breeders must have been classy ones - they actually had their puppies in cages.

Our lilies are abloom in the yard. Unfortunately, this palm tree seems to be a goner.

Our banana tree is being eaten by squirrels this year. Yes, we have seen the pesky critters climbing up the stalks and chewing on the leaves. Crazy. Luckily, this palm tree has come back to life after the brutal winter. And these pretty, unidentified purple flowers are starting to grow again.

Happy Easter

We had a wonderful Easter celebration today. Despite the holiday falling later in April than usual, the weather was far from ideal. We did get a peek of the sun this afternoon, but the ever-present clouds and rain lingered on, too. With all of the precipitation we have had lately, the May flowers ought to be absolutely gorgeous around here this year.

Jim, Jacob, Irma, Nancy, Richie, and I went to church in the morning. Afterwards, we rendezvoused at Irma's house with the rest of the family. (Minus Adam, Jean, and Jenna, who were out of town.) We ate, chatted, and engaged in a lively game of girls vs. guys Taboo, where the girls came out victorious thanks to our shrewd recruitment of Norm onto the ladies' team. All in all it was a very enjoyable day.

April Showers

When I woke up Monday morning it was snowing. This was not unexpected - in fact the local meteorologists were fairly accurate with their predictions. We received about 2 inches of wet snow, which could have piled up to 5 or 6 inches had the ground not been so warm. (Warm meaning above freezing, not actually 60 degrees or anything like that.) I must say that I was excited to see the white stuff. It has been cold and cloudy and dreary in Michigan lately and the snow brightened the gloom somewhat. Unfortunately, it didn't stick around for long and we are right back to cold and cloudy and dreary.

Snow on our balcony. The wind had tipped over the chair.

The view out front as the snow was beginning to melt. Notice that the neighbors had already planted some pansies around their trees over the weekend. Amazingly, the flowers survived.

No Substitutions

Almost every Saturday morning I go out for breakfast. If I am in Michigan, Jacob and I meet up with Nancy and Richie at a local eatery. If I am in Texas, Jim, Jacob, and I visit some nearby restaurant. One of our favorite places to dine in both states is Denny's.

The $4 "Everyday Value Slam" is one of my preferred breakfast choices. It includes eggs, meat, and pancakes. Unfortunately, I am not a big fan of pancakes, so I always ask if I can substitute toast for the flapjacks. Usually my request is granted, no questions asked. One particular waitress at our Michigan Denny's, though, is a stickler for rules and is very adamant about not allowing any substitutions. For me, anyway. When I informed her last weekend that other waitresses in the restaurant have let me switch the pancakes for toast, she gave me a rambling lecture about why she is not able to do it. Sighing, I gave her my alternate breakfast choice, then she turned to Jacob to take his order. He picked a lunch item and told the girl that he did not want the cole slaw that was included with his sandwich. Smiling sweetly, she asked him if he would like a salad instead of the slaw. Huh? Next, Nancy was allowed to substitute hash browns for her pancakes. What?

I wrote to Denny's public relations department last week, but have not heard back from them yet. I certainly understand if their policy states that they cannot offer substitutions (and it does not say so anywhere on the menu), but they should really be more consistent. If I had never been able to get toast in lieu of pancakes, I would have accepted defeat long ago. But, 80% of the time the waitress will happily respond, "No problem at all." And, just for the record, my appeal for toast has not been turned down at our Texas Denny's. Only at our Michigan location.

Forever Young

My friend, Tree, called me one day last week to invite me to Sunday's Rod Stewart/Stevie Nicks concert in downtown Detroit. Tree does a lot of work with Joe Louis Arena and was given some complimentary tickets. I am so glad that she thought of me when deciding who to bring to the concert because it was awesome. Really awesome. Stevie is still a beauty and Rod has more energy than most guys half his age. The two sang exquisitely and put on quite a show.

Tree and I found this sign to be hilarious! Each girl in our group took a turn holding it, snapping a picture, then texing the photo to her husband. I was amazed that - as technologically incompetent as I am - I was somehow able to transfer the shot from my phone to my computer.

Plateau

Back in November, I became aghast at how much I weighed and decided to do something about it. The week before Thanksgiving I started riding my exercise bike for 30 minutes a day, at least six days a week. The bike sits in front of our upstairs tv and, although I usually find any sort of exercise incredibly mundane, I eagerly hop on and pedal away while watching something on the tube. I was pumped and motivated when I lost 10 pounds before Christmas and was certain that if I continued my routine, I would easily drop another 10 in the next six weeks or so. January came and went and my weight stayed the same. Jacob and I went to Texas in February and the weather was so nice that I was able to walk or bike outside every day. At the end of February I had not lost any more weight. March. Still not a pound. A week into April. I am very frustrated. Jim - always full of diet and exercise advice for me - tells me that I have to "take it up a notch." I guess I'll start riding for 45 minutes a day to see what happens. But, UGH! Working out is so much more exciting when you actually see results.

Side note: Even though I have failed miserably with my weight loss efforts since December, my blood pressure and cholesterol numbers have both dropped dramatically in the past four months. A bonus benefit of regular exercise, I suppose.

The Grass is Always Greener . . .

When we were in Texas last month, flowers were blooming, trees were green, and grass had to be mowed. Many of our neighbors were already using their air conditioners back in February - which I found to be weird because the weather was perfect for opening windows & enjoying the fresh air. In our 17 months as southern homeowners, one thing we have learned is that people in Houston do not open the windows of their homes. Ever. In Michigan, after enduring cool autumns and downright frigid winters, we look forward to any hint of spring and fling our windows open as soon as the outside temperatures reach 60 or so. And, unless it is over 85 degrees and we need our air on, we keep our windows open through September.

So, it was nice to be able to work in the yard in Texas. In February & March. Wearing shorts. Now I am eager to tend to our tiny garden at the condo. I plan to plant a shrub or two and prepare a new area for my flowers. Unfortunately, the average last frost in southeast Michigan is not until late May, so my annuals will have to wait another 6 or 7 weeks to be planted. The ground is not too frozen anymore, but it is still a bit cold to work in the dirt. Besides, it is supposed to snow tonight! Only an inch or so, but snow nevertheless. I am kind of excited and hope that we get even more of the white stuff than predicted, although most folks around here do not share my enthusiasm. If it is going to be cold and look dreary, I would just as soon see the brown grass covered with pretty white snow.