weekend recap

We had a great weekend!

Our a/c is still out and its getting warm again...Kevin's brother saved the day by bringing over a window unit that he owns.   We set it up in the bedroom and have been able to sleep in a cool room -- very good so that we can all get a full night's sleep.  I'm sure it looks hilarious from the outside, but don't really care - it gets the job done!

Saturday evening we met my sister and her boyfriend at the Melting Pot for my birthday dinner.  Since my birthday falls during the week we decided to celebrate early.  It was a great evening!  The Melting Pot is a special occasion place to me, kind of pricey but worth it occasionally for a special night out.  We easily agreed on a cheese, cooking style and chocolate and each had different salad, drink and entree choices to make the meals exactly what we wanted.    Jill - Thanks for suggesting the bacon and brie cheese, delicious!

The restaurant was taking complimentary photos, so we have a cute photo of all 4 of us to commemorate the evening.   Very good since even though I brought my camera I often forget to actually TAKE photos and K is usually behind the camera (where he prefers to be) so we have very few photos of us together (something we need to remedy).

The green box is my gift from them, a salad spinner!    It'll help me to eat more clean veggies.  I know I need to clean my greens and this should help me thoroughly clean them.

Hint: Join the fondue club -- no cost and you get coupons, I redeemed a coupon for 6 chocolate covered strawberries and we'll enjoy them all week.

Sunday was another great day.  Kevin and his family attended the Texans game.  I watched from home, I wish I could've been there.  The stadium was fully BATTLE RED and they kicked Raven-butt!

Sis started a blog of her own, you can read about their adventures on the new blog Gourmet & Gamer, cute title!

no a/c

Our a/c hates us....I don't know why, but this is the second time we've had to have the same parts repaired in just over 3 years. Thankfully this time the parts are under warranty, but its still no fun.

Wednesday evening we heard a strange sound - sort of a rhythmic thumping. It was a brand new sound since our house (minus the tv) is usually pretty quiet. It was coming from the attic and it was the a/c. We let it run for part of the night but then turned it off and didn't get much sleep that night since it was warm out. I got it in my head that it could explode (doubtful I know) and was freaked out and just wanted it off for sleeping, thankfully I have a very understanding hubby -- thanks for being understanding of my irrational fears!

Luckily for us a cool front came through making it cooler and drier so its not too bad. We've got the windows open and are making do.

The repair man came on Friday and confirmed its the same thing we had fixed before - blower wheel and motor. The part won't be in today like we'd hoped, so we'll have to wait until Monday to get it fixed and so we're a/c-less for the weekend.

Having the windows open is interesting, I keep hearing sounds I'm not expecting and have to figure out what they are -- this morning I hear running wate (fountain in the backyard) and we can really hear the planes coming in to the airport near us.    The planes remind me of my grandmother's house.

Its  probably the best weather of the year to be without a/c if we have to be without it...

listy list

Its been a hectic week (read: month) at our house, so you get a bullet list :)

• I'm already thinking about Christmas, I shouldn't be I want to just enjoy this fall but I can't help it.. we already have 2 family gatherings on the calendar and I am still wondering where to put up our tree. We've put one up 2 of the 3 years we've been at this house and I still don't feel like i have a good place for it. We skipped it one year since we wouldn't be here at Christmas.
•  I want to make my life easier at Christmas so I'm really thinking no Christmas cards this year (I may change my mind, not sure).
• We sent the kids in our lives some little Halloween cards I picked up at Target (hello impulse buy!) and I really want to know if they got them, I don't want to ask since they are a surprise to almost everyone we sent them to. I say 'almost' because I had to ask mom-in-law for an address and told her what I was up to, so niece and nephew's are a surprise to them but not to their daddy. One card is there the other isn't, come on post office! 
• I am getting excited about my birthday, and as K says ...I WILL celebrate all week!!! 
• K is a grading machine this week, he gave all 3 classes midterms and so has been grading them all week, and breaking up the work with his new kindle....the paper white is very nice, makes my old-style kindle look older than it is.....

Finbaby

There is a new member of the Tucker family!  We may never see this member of the family again, so I took a picture before we put it in its home.

It’s a plecostomus.   We got the fish to eat the algae in the pond we have as part of our backyard landscaping.  The fish eats algae and there is LOTS of food available to him (or her?).   The lady at the store was right, it looks prehistoric.

We put the fish in the pond last weekend and haven’t seen it since, but the pond is beginning to look cleaner.   When it gets cold we'll get a heater for the pond, don't want the poor thing to freeze- though that isn't much of a worry in Houston..

We’ll give it a name, right now we’re calling it Slimer, like Ghostbusters.

Since Smokey is our furbaby, I guess this one would be our finbaby.

Happy October!!   I love this month, the weather is cooling off, football is going strong and my birthday is coming up soon!

We had a great weekend.  On Saturday, I did a little shopping and found some burgundy capris that I am loving!   They were on clearance even though in TX I can wear them for probably a few more months this  year.   I got to wear them on Sunday to a brunch with my good, good friends -- thanks to Gwendolyn for hosting and Delena for getting us organized!   It was great to get together with my favorites ladies and to celebrate the good, healthy steps we've taken with our September challenge.    I'm even thinking about a new October challenge - setting the goal and telling others keeps me honest!

A bit of fun news for Kevin -- he's on a committee for work.   He went to a meeting and was one of only a few adjuncts that attended, and so he's been pulled into the committee work.  He's excited about it, and I'm excited for him.  I remember when I wished I had meetings at work, boy to go back to those days!   Just today I was appointed to another committee.  I know its important work we are doing and am happy to pitch in, I just wonder how I'll fit it all in, and my first thought was more of a groan than a yippee..

Here is a funny image I saw (and pinned) about meetings.  Its my first time to share a pin, here's hoping it works....

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