Mike and Erica are at an orienteering meet at Texoma this weekend.  They left Friday morning (it’s about a 10 hour drive up there from here) and should be home sometime late Sunday night. I talked to Erica this afternoon and she came in 1st place today.  She’s competing in the age category 19-39 female, running a brown course, I think.  I’m sure she’ll do as well tomorrow, too.  Even though she hasn’t been running a lot lately, I guess it’s kinda like riding a bicycle.  Once you learn how to read a topical map, and pace yourself when you run, you never forget.
So since Mike and Erica are gone, that just leaves me and Beth (mother-in-law) here all weekend … oh joy.  I know she’s hoping and waiting for me to go somewhere so she can invite herself to go along.  While I’d love to get out of the house for awhile, I’m not going to do it because the whole point of getting away is to get away from her.

Anyway, I’m using this “quiet” time to catch up on some reading.  I’ve been reading books by Dean Koontz lately … they have weird scenarios and plots but they’re interesting. And of course, tonight is when we “fall back” an hour in time.  Somehow, even though we technically get an extra hour of sleep, I never seem to feel like I actually get it.  Is it that way with you?

I guess I need to go finish my laundry … since I have an “extra hour” to kill …

It rained again today.  Here are some pictures I took of the street in front of the office:

On our way back from Giddings yesterday, Mike happened to ask Erica if she had ever seen the “Water Wall.”  She said no, and asked what it was.  What the Water Wall is, is an architectural piece of work by Gerald Hines.  It’s a waterfall down a wall of concrete … hence a water wall.  Here are some pictures.  They really don’t do it justice, though.  Obviously the still picture doesn’t capture the movement of the water.  It’s an awesome thing to stand in front of … when you stand in the middle, between the two ends, and when you stare at the water, you feel as if you’re moving up.  Anyway, here is my feeble attempt at showing you what an amazing piece of architecture it is:

This is a picture of it from a distance.  Notice the people standing in front so you can get an idea of it’s size:

This is another picture of it I took up close.

Here’s a picture of the back side

And here’s the plaque that tells about it

I got a vase of roses and carnations from my boss on my birthday …

. . . taken my digital camera to work today.  Why, you ask?  Because we had some tremendous thunderstorms roll through, dropping a ton of rain on our little city.  The weather guy predicted 100% chance of rain today and that was truly what happened.  Around 3:30 this afternoon it started raining really hard.  By 4:00, the streets around the office were flooding … water climbing over the curbs … past the sidewalks …

I tried to leave about 4:30 to go home (less than a mile away from the office) and couldn’t get out of the parking lot in my Mustang because the water on the road was knee deep.  I wasn’t about to try to drive it through all that water.  I would have floated and probably ruined the engine, too.

Some stupid drivers were trying to drive in the water and there were numerous cars flooded out.  One guy drove his truck (a dooley) up on the esplanade and when he went to move it, it was stuck in the mud and grass.  He ended up having to get someone with a Hummer to pull him out.  It was 7:30 before I got home tonight and that was only because Emily had a truck and offered to drive me and Erica home since some of the water had receded … probably just barely under knee level by that time.  Then Mike finally made it home about 9:00 and he drove us back to the church to pick up our cars.

Like I said … I wish I had taken my camera today so I could post pictures of the street for ya’ll to see.  Now … well, I’m pooped and heading to bed.  Talk to ya’ll later.

This little cutie is Chase’s latest.  He, his sibling and the momma cat showed up where Chase works.  Then the momma cat abandoned the babies.  Karen took one home and Chase took the other.  It’s a “boy” and he doesn’t have a name yet.  Any suggestions??

“A Woman of Strength”

 A strong woman works out everyday to keep her body in shape … but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape.

A strong woman isn’t afraid of anything … but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear.

A strong woman won’t let anyone get the best of her … but a woman of strength gives the best of herself to everyone.

A strong woman makes mistakes and avoids the same in the future … but a woman of strength realizes that life’s mistakes can also be God’s blessings, and she capitalizes on them.

A strong woman walks sure footedly … but a woman of strength knows God will catch her when she falls.

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face … but a woman of strength wears grace.

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey … but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong.