Monday, August 4, 2008

And the kitten's name is.....

Today we picked up the trio from the vet's, and it was time to name the smallest member of the bunch. Both Leigh and I decided on "Theodore", which comes from the Greek origin meaning "Divine Gift". We liked this name because of it's meaning as well as the flexibility in calling the kitten "Theo" or "Teddy" (just like the charming and fun-loving character Theodore "Laurie" Laurence in the book Little Women).

The trio of furry friends were excited to see us once again (just as we were!!!!) After picking them up from the vets, we got them settled in. Then it was time for me to attend Flamenco dance class.We learnt the many different ways to move our hands and body--using the correct rigid posture, that is. I loved it!!!

This Weekend

Hmmm…Many things have occurred since I last blogged on here. First of all, after being a hermit crab on Friday, Leigh’s boss invited us up to his ranch for the weekend. So on Saturday, after a whirlwind of packing and preparing our three pets for a trip to the veterinarian’s, we finally left the house. The two older pets misbehaved more than our lil’ one, who was a curious cherub riding in the vehicle. When we got there, all three were taken to the adjoining room, and by that time, I missed them, especially the kitten who began meowing when he heard our voices. By then, I wanted to change my mind and stay at home instead of going away for the weekend.

We finally met up with Leigh’s boss and his girlfriend, and we drove and drove until we reached Kerrville. Then we went on the outskirts of town and entered the ranch, which seemed like a totally different world with all of the beautiful wildlife there. We picked up the trailer and headed into Ingram (or Harper, I can’t recall) to pick up the Polaris. Then we drove back to the ranch to ride on the Polaris. Leigh and I rode on the backseat of the Polaris, and since the seat hadn’t been stabilized, I felt as if I was riding on a rollercoaster with too much turbulence. I was petrified on the Polaris!!!!!!!!! LOL! Leigh hugged me to keep me feeling a bit more safer, especially since I had one injured elbow that stifled me a bit from holding on as tight as I liked. Plus, I’ve never ridden in a vehicle like that. I did, however, enjoy the freedom of riding all over the ranch grounds, whether the terrain was rocky, at an incline, or full of cacti. That was pretty cool, especially when you were able to see a Rhea, Llama, Jackrabbit, etc up close. That more than made up for the terrifying ride..lol. But, if you ask me, I much prefer riding on the front seat of the Polaris---it feels less intimidating because you’re closer to the ground. Haha.

We took zillions of photos of the animals at the ranch, but one photo that I would have loved was the baby raccoon hugging the tree when we spotted him. Unfortunately, at that time, my camera’s battery expired so we only got a pic of momma and baby raccoons posterior view. Then the camera shut down and that photographic opportunity vanished like smoke.

At night, we managed to drive to Fredericksburg for dinner. We ate at a place called Auslander Biergarten Restaurant, and the food was delicious! It was first time I had eaten Pumpernickel Bread, Sausage, and Sauerkraut, which I loved!

We searched for a hotel to stay at, and we ended up at the Budget Host Deluxe Inn since the Super 8 was completely booked. The place was quaint, and I thought it appeared to be very homey. I settled into the room while Leigh dashed across the street to buy some ice cream (yes, he spotted a Dairy Queen..lol). I removed my contact lenses, and I was in the middle of changing clothes so that I could sit outdoors with Leigh, his boss, and Patti. All of a sudden, I felt dizzy and nauseous. I held onto the sink for stability, and I got sick. I couldn’t focus my eyes at all, and I held onto the wall until I reached the front door to call Leigh.

He came inside and helped me get dressed. By that time, my fingers had twisted into an odd curve and I couldn’t move them. I was so frightened because I couldn’t control my hands—much less feel them. My breathing pattern was very quick, and I felt as if I couldn’t get enough air. I never felt so ill (or so horrified because I felt helpless!) However, Leigh massaged my fingers, and I was able to move my hands again. Yet, I still felt ill and strange. I got sick one more time, and then all of a sudden,my body felt better. My breathing grew normal again, and I felt normal once again. I was able to drink some tea after awhile, and then I felt good enough to take shower. After this ordeal, I was too scared to fall asleep, so I remained awake until 2 a.m. watching Dominik Dunne’s tv episodes of Power and Privelege.

I do not know what caused this reaction. Maybe it was the sun since I had spent most of the afternoon outdoors? Was it a combination of the meds I’m taking and the food I ate? Was it an allergic reaction of some sort? Who knows? I wish I did.

On Sunday, Leigh and I roamed around in downtown Fredericksburg while Glenn and his gf went to the hardware store. We stopped at the Fredericksburg Bakery, which had homemade bread and an assortment of pastries. I barely ate (since I was still wary of last night’s episode) but I did drink my soda. After this, we went window shopping, and then we found the public restrooms, which was when we stumbled upon the beautiful gardens that they have in the town square. Ohh, this place was full of crepe myrtles, sage, vines, an enormous Whomping Willow (yes, it’s a Weeping Willow, but I prefer the Harry Potter connection…lol),etc. Plus, there was a wheel being turned with water, and this looked so rustic.

Glenn and his gf met up with us, and off we went to the Longhorn Restaurant in Harper before heading to the ranch once again. As before, I got on the Polaris, and as before, I was hanging on for dear life…lmao! I should have felt more comfy, especially since the backseat was stabilized. But, you know me, I’m a stickler for worrying. So I held onto the bars at all times. I finally managed to ride in the front seat, and Leigh laughed at me when he saw me belted in tight with my seatbelt. I was as proud as punch and ready to sightsee. I was also the only one wearing a seatbelt…lol. But, hey, I like feeling safe.

Patti and I stayed by the watering hole while Leigh and Glenn fixed a water pipe. Patti forgot something at the truck so she walked back while I stayed alone at the watering hole. I was getting ready for photograph some birds in the tree when I heard a loud noise. And there I saw the Llama who was just as curious of me as I was of him. He came by a few times to observe me. It was quite funny.

After a few hours, Patti and I went in search of Leigh and Glenn. They were still fixing the pipes, but they were almost done. At 6:30ish, we finally left and headed back home. We stopped a few times along the way, but we finally got home at 1:00 a.m.. We had to unpack, clean, and shower before heading to bed. Then it was 2:00 a.m.

And that about sums up our trip. Leigh and I really loved the places we saw ,and we’d love to go back to Kerrville, Harper, Ingram, and Fredericksburg.