i'm definitely back in texas

The other day as I was driving around town trying to charge the car battery back up, I saw a truck and I just knew I was back in Texas.  My camera was buried in my purse so I didn't get a picture of it and I was bummed.

Today I was driving around trying to purchase a Coke Zero (seriously, I'm trying to get off of them) to get rid of my headache and figured out that the convenience store I usually go to has closed down.  This caused me to have to go to another convenience store.  To my surprise, there was what looked like the truck, parked all pretty, just waiting for me to take it's picture.  After further looks I determine it really wasn't the same truck.

Now, I grew up with a baby brother that was really into cars and trucks and tricking them out and stuff.  He even had a lift kit on one of his trucks that my Mom would have to use a step stool to get into (like the truck pictured here).  But, she would seriously need a ladder to get into the other truck I saw.  Actually, I think the truck in these pictures would fit under the truck I saw (ok so maybe that's going a little overboard...)  I'm still on the look-out for it and will share it with you when I see it again.

What's the most non-functional car or truck you've seen driving around town?

24 hours of change

With such short notice, and leaving a week earlier then I had planned, Sean and I decided to try out a new restaurant for our last night together.  We went to Cleonice Mediterranean Bistro.  The waitress and wine were great and the food wasn't so bad either.  I think we've finally found a new restaurant to frequent!

After dinner we finished packing up the suitcases.  The next morning Sean took Duke and me to the airport for an early morning flight.  Since I made Silver Elite on Delta, my 68 pound and 48 pound bags flew free!  I was glad to see limited clouds and the sun already up so I could see how different the trees were compared to when we did our leaf peeping in style.

After 8 hours of sitting in airplanes and airports...

...we arrived in Texas to be met by Tamara and Elizabeth.  Duke couldn't contain his excitement in seeing them and immediately jumped out of his bag and into their arms - tongue just a going crazy with kisses.  After spending a little time setting clocks, plugging things in and unpacking the suitcases I headed out with some friends for my FAVE - margarita swirls and Mexican food.

We had such a great time talking and laughing that time flew by and I got home WAY too late!

I know it wasn't nearly as exciting as the move up to Maine but I'm definitely glad to be back (especially since I went from 39 to 89 degrees during this 24 hours).

So now I'm back to the land of:
space
no trees
trees that are here are still very dark green
being able to buy whatever toilet paper I want (without caring about septic safe)
garbage disposals
walk in closet
bath tub
not having to share an office
room to store and do crafts
my sewing machine
DVR
so many projects just waiting to be started and completed
routine
Bunco
Supper Club

...and loving every minute of it!

crazy week

Let me give you a little taste of what the last week has been like...

Tonya:  I have to go to Chicago for work next week but how will Duke get to Texas?
Sean:  I don't know.  I guess I can take him when I go.
Tonya:  My trip got cancelled but I may have to go to Tampa instead.
Sean:  That doesn't fix our problem with Duke.
Tonya:   Well, I don't have to go anywhere now so I can just take Duke.
Sean:  Cool, so when do you want to go?
Tonya:   I don't care.   This place is making me claustrophobic since everything from outside is now inside and this place wasn't built to be inside it all day, though.
Sean:  Here are some flights - one for Saturday, one for Wednesday or next Saturday.
Tonya:   If I go on Wednesday I'll have to take vacation cuz it will take all day to get there.
Sean:  Here, you're going Saturday - I've booked the flight and got Duke reserved.
Tonya:  Cool.  I'm going to Texas, I'm going to Texas! (in a sing-songy voice, jumping up and down)

With that and trying to finish up a craft project for a blog exchange I'm participating in I just haven’t gotten to blog and catch you all up with what's happening. 

Look how the trees at the Camp looked right before I left.  Everything in Texas is still dark green.

leaf peeping in style

I heart flying!  It's probably a good thing since I travel so much for work.  The problem is, I'm spoiled now!  No weather delays, no TSA, no liquids rule, looking out the front window, no leaving the house 2 hours before take off, pulling up to the plane door in a car, no flight plan needed, sitting next to the pilot, amazing leg room...I could go on and on.

I know this sounds impossible, but it happened to us yesterday morning.  Let me start by telling you a little about this plane.  There are only about 500 of these planes in the world and of those only 50 have a plastic nose on them (of which only 2-3 are privately owned).  Our particular chariot started out it's life in the South African army, was then owned by a man in Canada and now by our friend.  Now let me show you around.  First we have to get it out of the hanger - the little machine starts up like a lawn mower.

Remember that plastic nose I was talking about that makes it so unique?  Here's a close-up for you.

Here's Sean with all his leg room.

It even has a Garmin...

I was so good at flying the plane I could even take pictures while doing it.

Here's Sean trying his hand at flying (he even got to land it - well except the last 20 seconds).

I was able to take some really neat pictures during our flight.  Remember when we went to Southwest Harbor with Susan?  Here's Cadillac Mountain/Bar Harbor/Southwest Harbor area from the air...

Remember when we took Duke to Fort Knox?  Here it is from the air...

We even flew over the Camp.  Remember how we recently sunk the dock for the winter?  You can actually see it in the water from the air...

Here are some of my favorite pictures I took of beautiful Maine coastal scenery.

Sean and I actually had other plans for Sunday.  We were going to go leaf peeping - but the old fashioned, in a car, way.  The colors aren't nearly as vibrant as they've been the last couple of years I've seen them but still beautiful.  See for yourself.

We flew between 200-600 feet for most of our trip and probably went to about 1,000 feet at the highest point.  Most commercial planes I fly on fly at 30,000 feet to give you a comparison.  It was so much fun to hear all the other planes, private and commercial, chat over the radio with the tower.  The biggest problem with the experience...now I'm going to want to leaf peep this way EVERY year!

How are the leaves doing where you're at?  Have you gotten out to peep them yet?

best seat in the house

Last weekend we didn't just tailgate, but we actually attended the game too.  Sean has a season ticket to the Patriots and he traded another game so I could go with him to this game.  Now most people I know that have season tickets have them on the 50 yard line or something - not Sean.

After walking and walking and walking until you can see the blue sky...

you get to our seats on the very last row of the entire stadium!

You may think it's the worst seat in the house, but I have to say, the crowd is great up there and how can you go wrong with this view?

Where do you like to sit when you go to sporting events?

tailgating with the best of 'em

I heart football - the Cowboys to be exact.  This love even dates back before I moved to Texas 12 years ago.  The season just so happens to open right around my birthday, too, which makes me happy.  Sean keeps trying to make a football trip my birthday present, but it's to here...

Don't get me wrong, at least it's not the Redskins, but doesn't that sound more like a present for Sean???  Well, he tried it again this year.  We headed to Boston for the game and a little tailgating.  In case you've never been tailgating at Foxborough, or any other professional football game, before let me give you a little run down on what happens.

First of all, got wheels, will travel to meet up with fellow tailgaters.

a little of this...

and a lot of this...

and a motto like this...

can lead to this...

not with us but IS using the pizza box to hold up his own head

or even this...

again, not with us!

But look at this clan...do you think that would really happen to any of us?!?!

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Oh, and for those of you that realized today is September 30th and the end of my birthday month, Sean pulled through in the last seconds of the game to score a touchdown on the birthday front - and it didn't involve the Patriots (actual prezzies were involved!!!).  So none of you will have to beat him up, at least not this year.

i feel smarter already

Do you think just being on a prestigious campus can actually make you smarter?

or give you inspiration for what you want to do when you grow up?

or make you wish you could go back to your college days?

or make you get a whim to actually go back and get more education?

or make you put on another freshman 15?

or make you want to join a sorority?

I always imagined the campus to be architectural.  I have to say I wasn't overly impressed from that aspect.  I think the architecture actually in Boston is much better to look at.

Oh, and I think I did leave smarter - I now know what Presidents got their degree from Harvard - thanks to google and my blackberry!  I still haven't cracked the meaning of life though...have you?