Training for the Half Marathon (September 25, 2023)

Glowing (because women don't sweat--we glow) after 3 miles/45 minutes on the treadmill. Still not fast enough for the Half. You must complete the first 10.8 miles in 2.5 hours so they can re-open those streets. That equals 13.33 minute miles, assuming no zigzagging, no water/pit stops. Gotta do better!
 

Our biggest hail ever (September 24, 2023)

After a 103 degree daytime temperature, the rainstorm was refreshing. Until the hail pounded our roof! Sounded like someone slamming baseball bats against the house!

OK, not quite baseball size. But State Farm has approved total replacement of our roof and gutters.

Luckily we had enough warning for Papa to fling boxes of Styrofoam intended for the hazardous waste center and other items out of the garage to make room for most of Max. Thanks to the pecan and elm trees, the uncovered part of Max survived with no dents. Papa's 23-year-old Mazda pickup already had hail damage. Now, a few more dents.
 

Brentwood Park in 103 degree heat! (September 24, 2023)

Leeloo's first slide ride. We should have checked the weather. It was 103 degrees! Later that day, nearly baseball size hail at our house.

Leeloo is so easy going. She was game for the slide ride.

 

Cat naps (September 17 and 21, 2023)

Nighty-night with Colette.

TC's routine is to walk over to me and kiss me goodnight, then to cuddle up next to Papa after kneading for a bit. Hence the shirt on Papa's arm to protect him from TC's claws.

Brentwood Park with Amon, Fox, and Leeloo (Sunday, September 17, 2023)

We took Leeloo to our neighborhood park on a Sunday afternoon. She interacted beautifully with other dogs and kids. Fox climbed on the playground.

Amon climbed too.

 

Happy second birthday to TC and Colette! (September 10, 2023)

Their birthday was September 5. They came to us as foster kittens with two litter mates and their mama Rainbow on September 10, 2021. First present: a new feather bird ball to chase.

Fox tried to coax TC out from under the bed. Colette liked her foil ball. Leeloo was visiting so the kittens stayed away from her behind the closed door in mine and Tom's room. 

TC was less interested in the birthday bird ball than the fact that Leeloo was in the kitchen. Colette joined him in safety under the bed.

Leeloo got love and attention too.

 

Girl Guitar at the Saxon Pub (September 9, 2023)

My Girl Guitar teachers Avery and Mandy performed at the Saxon Pub on September 9, Mandy's birthday. I've learned so much from them in just 12 weeks of lessons. I can actually play any song now, using power chords. Admittedly, with power chords, you use the same fingering shape on only three of six strings. But on my electric, the sound is strong enough. In typical inclusive Mandy fashion, she passed out homemade chocolate chip cookies to everyone--students and Saxon Pub regulars alike--before the show.

Meet Leeloo! (September 3, 2023)

Meet our newest grand-dog, Leeloo, named for the heroine of The Fifth Element. She's about 16 weeks old, a pit bull/rottweiller mix. 

According to the dictionary of the "divine language" that Fifth Element director Luc Besson put out, Leeloo's full name "Leeloominaï Lekatariba-Lamina-Tchaï, Ekbat de Sebat" loosely translates as "Precious Stone of the Earth, Defender of Light and Life, the Honorable".

Rottweiler pit bull mixes tend to be very affectionate toward their family members. They love cuddling but also have a silly, playful side. They're very intelligent and, when they take after the Rottweiler, are eager to please. Usually the pitweiler is friendly toward strangers, but some pitweilers may be more aloof.

Fox and Leeloo. Other names for the pit bull/rottweiler mix are Bullrott, Prott, RottenPit, Rott-N-Pit, Rottbull, Rottpit, and Rottie Pit. We'll stick with Leeloo, thank you!

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Work Hard, Play Hard 10K (Saturday, September 2, 2023)

My first 10K ever! That's me in the cute red skirt, in a tribute to the August Red Dress Run. 

We ran from park to park along the San Gabriel River in Georgetown. Ah, memories! About 39 years ago here at Blue Hole 6-year-old Ryder and his Uncle Martin jumped off the cliff (20 feet? 30 feet?) into the river. The city has long since banned jumping. Sigh. The cliff isn't in the photo.

Oh happy sign!

I was the last on to finish. 6.2 miles in 1:54. Very slow 3.1 mph. Going to have to speed it up for the Half Marathon in Charleston in January! 

I love the medal design. Given that I was the only person in the 70-79 age group, I guess I'm first in my group even though I was last in the run??? There were only 69 runners.
 

Advocating for adopted persons at the Capitol (Thursday, August 31, 2023)

Joellen Peters, president of Support Texas Adoptee Rights, and me in the Capitol rotunda preparing to distribute STAR's first quarterly newsletter to legislative offices.

Rep. Cody Harris sponsored HB 2006 which passed without objection in the House. Unfortunately the companion Senate bill didn't get as far as a committee hearing. The new law would have given adult Texas-born adoptees unrestricted access to their original birth certificate. Jeff Carlson (left) is Rep. Harris's chief of staff and Robert Moncada (right) is his legislative director. 
 

Blue supermoon (August 30, 2023)

 

The closest supermoon of 2023 occurred on August 30. The average distance between Earth and the moon is 240,000 miles. This moon was only 222,043 miles from us so looked bigger. If a month has two supermoons, the second one is called a blue moon. A closer moon causes higher ocean tides. There won't be another blue supermoon until 2037.

Papa and I tried to get a good photo of the blue supermoon, but there is too much light pollution in Austin. Too many buildings blocked the horizon as it was rising, when it would look its biggest. We should have gone to Cornerstone. OK, we will in 2037.

Machinal (Saturday, August 26, 2023)

Hanging out at Crickets after Danny's performance in Machinal at the Waco Civic Theater. Described as Sophie Treadwell's masterpiece of expressionist theater, the play is based on the true story of Ruth Snyder. She was executed at Sing Sing in 1928 for murdering her husband. An infamous photo of Ruth was taken just as the electricity coursed through her body. Hard to believe the play was written in 1928. Very edgy! Great performance, Danny!

Home from NOLA (Sunday, August 13, 2023)

Welcome to the Real World of Houston, Barbie. She exchanged the Corvette for a Toyota.

T.C. is crazy about paper of all kinds: toilet paper, paper towels, brown wrapping paper. He dragged this out of my closet. He was so excited to find it and rip it to pieces.

Indoors looking out to the railing where the cats usually stop to let us know it's time to let them inside or to sun on chilly mornings.
 

Serious historical moment (Saturday, August 12, 2023)

Solomon Northup, a free man in New York, was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841 at the Theophilus Freeman slave pen, located near here until it was demolished after the Civil War.
 

The Red Dress Run has begun! (Saturday, August 12)

On our way! Some people actually ran, through the Quarter. Others peeled off the route to imbibe at nearby bars.

Papa and me at Royal and Esplanade. How did a guy in gray end up in the run???

The Sistas. Cutting out early from the Run (leisurely walk, really) to go for po' boys.

We missed Destry and Colton Saturday morning because they were waiting for us toward the end of the route. (They didn't run). In the meantime, Craig, Martha, Donna, Tom, and me had cut out midway through for the Parkway Bakery and Tavern for incredible po' boys. Colton returned to Donna's after we got home that afternoon. Destry stayed in the Quarter with friends then Ubered to his Dad's. We met up with Destry late that night at John and Patty's.  John is almost done building their new home on the same lot. 
 

Lining up for the Red Dress Run (Saturday, August 12, 2023)

Drunk and Hairy Barbie lines up.

"Come on Barbie, let's go party!" says the label.

The Victorian era (?) was represented too.

OK, the "run" is only about 2 miles, but in stilettos?

Red dress, red hair

Start/finish line

Papa walked a little too close to the announcer who gave him a swat! Micah saw this photo and wondered if being shirtless in a kilt counts as wearing a red dress. Ah, it's New Orleans. Rules are open to interpretation.

 

Hanging out at Crescent Park, waiting for the run to start (August 12, 2023)

Rocking the miniskirt. Thinking Papa and I need to up our red dress game.

Inspired by Tina Turner

Classy! The peony reminds me of a Georgia O'Keefe painting

More flowers

Safety first, drink with a nurse

 

Red Dress Run morning (Saturday, August 12, 2023)

Thank you, Donna, for the beautiful charcuterie to start our day!

Me, Martha, Donna, Colton, and Tom. Thanks for the photo, Craig. Note Donna's new deck, courtesy of Destry and Colton.

Arriving at the French Quarter starting point at Crescent Park on N. Peters Street. I wonder how long this guy's "enhancements" will last? Martha smiles on.

Pre-run fun with the Sistas. The 29th Annual Red Dress Run began at 9 a.m. with the tapping of the kegs and free beer. 

Papa in a red miniskirt for a good cause. Money raised in the annual run goes to local non-profit organizations. Lunch was served by several restaurants and cooking clubs at the end of the run but we cut out early for po' boys at Parkfield Bakery and Tavern.