Tuesday, August 19, 2008

LOTS of rain = floods! (and new records!)

Ok, so I know I just said I don't know what to post about... But I've got something!
This last weekend and the last couple days, it's been... how shall I say it... COLD & WET!

I know it won't sound cold to all of you people from Idaho, but for us, who have just gotten (sorta) used to the above 100 degrees, 70 is super COLD! It is currently 71.4, according to wunderground.com, as opposed to the 84 degrees it says it is in Victor, ID, today! How is it possible that it's warmer at my parents house in Idaho than it is in the middle of the desert in Texas?!

And in other weather related news... remember a while ago I posted about being woken up in the night by a big old thunderstorm that ended up lighting our neighbors house on fire? (See my post on June 22, called "Wow")...
We had a killer awesome (unless you wanted to be sleeping, that is) loud thunderstorm last night. It poured rain all night long! And, consequently, today, we have flooding in Wichita Falls. This morning some of the roads in and out of the city (highways and such) were all flooded over!

I heard two neat stories at work this morning:
The first one is: one of the ladies I work with has horses. Apparently her pasture is kind of lower than the surrounding area. It was flooded last night. Bad enough that some of the horses were STUCK in it this morning! She stayed home from work today to try to rescue some of their animals!
The second one is: another of the ladies I work with has this son-in-law... who went to go get in his brand new car (he's had it almost 2 months) this morning. And found that it was surrounded by a lake. The water was about halfway up his car doors. (Teach him to park in the middle of a parking lot, huh?)

We more than doubled our previous rainfall record! According to the statistics that I found, on Sheppard Air Force Base (a couple miles from our house), the previous record daily rainfall was set in 1961 (on this day). It was 1.26 inches. Today, so far, we've gotten 2.67 inches. Cool, huh?!

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Please help me!

I've been curious, but only today feel inclined to TRY to find out, as to how many people read my blog. Regularly or occasionally.

So, I'm going to try something. If you read this, would you mind letting me know?
Leave a comment! Telling me you read it, just saying your name, if you'd like me to answer some questions in future posts ask me those, or if you'd like me to add you to my "blog link" list, let me know that too!

If you don't know how to leave a comment, I'll explain!
If you don't have a "google/blogger identity" IT'S OK!!! You can still comment on my blog! (Even if you can't comment on some other blogs.)

Here's how: (in very descriptive terms for people like my wonderful Mom, who doesn't know how to comment... or at least didn't before I tried to show her while I was up there... I love you, Mom!)

Right below this post (but before the next one) there's a line that says "Brought to you by Hal and Dani at 4:50 PM" (followed by) "__ Comments"
CLICK ON the "Comments" word.
It will bring up a new screen, which has on the right hand side a box that says "Leave your comment" above it. Click on the box and type what you want to say. Then right below the box, it says (in orange) "choose an identity." If you DON'T have an identity click the "button" in front of "ANONYMOUS". Then click the "Publish your comment button". (Just to be kind, I've copied these instructions to the comments section, too. So if you get there and get lost, just read the first comment!)
Easy cheesy! *BIG SMILE* :)

Thank you for playing along, everyone!!!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Ummm...

So, I don't really feel like anything exciting is happening to blog about... (Well, not that most people would be interested in, anyways.)

Cocoa (our "new" little girl ferret) has decided punish me, or something. She's decided she has no use for litter boxes, and can poop anywhere in her cage she wants. That human girl (that's me) will clean it up for her... Grrrr....

And I've caught two geckos lately. I opened my front door and some little tiny critter ran it. So, I chased it and stepped on it. (It was a little tiny gecko.) No, I did not squish it. I was able to pick it up (with a paper towel of course! Ewww!!!) and throw it back outside. I think I pulled off it's tail somehow, though... hmmm.... And then the other gecko suddenly appeared on my wall. So Hal helped me corner him (we snuck up from both sides) and I caught him and flushed him away. I've also caught a few more in my sticky traps, but that's not very exciting.

And it's been nice and cool the last few days! Downright pleasant! Under 100 degrees! Wahoo! It's actually like 83 today! Talk about "cold"!

Anyways, that's all I've got to say today... Have a great one!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

My trip...

I've been back in Wichita Falls for two weeks now, and I'm finally getting around to posting about my trip! I'm such a slacker!

One of my old roommates, Sheena, got married July 18th, in Idaho Falls. I had promised that I'd come back for her wedding before we moved... so I had to go! :) (I did want to go, too!) And I really wanted to see my family! So, I got to go home for a week. Wa Hoo!!!!
The plan was to fly from Wichita Falls, TX to Jackson Hole, WY, by way of Dallas and Denver. 3 flights each way. Wichita Falls to Dallas, Dallas to Denver, Denver to Jackson Hole.

The trip there was OK... until the end, when it got really frustrating!
In Dallas, my plane was delayed because, apparently, there were "some mechanical failures" (wonderful thing to tell a bunch of potential passengers, huh?) that they were trying to work out before we got into the air. Hmmm... thanks? We finally took off 1/2 hour late, and made it to Denver late, of course. (But it's OK 'cause I had an 1 1/2 hour layover in Denver.)

When I got to Denver, I read the departure board and found, much to my horror, that my plane was delayed. By 2 hours! And then a little later, found out that the departure time had been bumped up an hour. So it's only 1 hour delayed. And then the gate changed, so we all (there were a lot of people waiting for this plane!) headed on down to the other gate. And then it was delayed again. And the gate was changed again. And then the flight was bumped back up again. And then it was delayed again.
Apparently the pilot was in the air circling the Denver airport. He couldn't get permission to land... (What? How does that happen? And where had he been for the last hour and a half?) I finally made it to Jackson 2 hours later than I had planned. (My little brothers, Jake & Zac, were just in heaven! It meant they got to swim at the Rec center in Jackson for even longer! Yay!) I was so relieved to finally be done traveling to get there! It was so great to see my family!

Anyways, I had a blast! I went to Pocatello, where I hung out with my old roommates (Sheena and Maria) all afternoon Wednesday. We got our kids meals (that's what we do for fun. This time Artic Cirlce had fish shaped squirt guns! Sadly, I seem to have misplaced my green shark somewhere in my travels... I hope whoever finds it enjoys it!) and talked and shopped and talked! It was awesome! I miss my girls!

While in Poky, I stayed with my brother and his wife (Skyler & Lacey). And played with my adorable niece, Abigail Joy, every chance I got! (All day Thursday!) She's just too cute! My brother and his wife sure make a cute kid! (And soon to be kids!) I'm so excited for this next one! I don't think I can say here what their expecting, but lets just say I'm super excited!

On Friday, Sheena got married, in the Idaho Falls temple. (That's where Hal & I were married.) And I just have to admit... It's awfully sad to go to a wedding without my husband! During the sealing, I cried. It could have been that it was so beautiful watching Sheena and Travis get married. Or it could have been that it made me miss Hal. But either way, I cried. Sheena was so pretty & Travis adores her. (At least, it looked that way to me!) It was really sweet!

Then we did 'girl pictures' (Mom, Lacey, Me, Memorie, and Abigail) and played for a couple hours together before Sheena's wedding reception. I made Abigail giggle so hard and so much that I gave her hick-ups! I felt so bad!!! I hope when we come up for Christmas, she remembers how fun her Aunt Banani is! :)

After the reception in Pocatello, and dinner with Sky, Lacey, and Abi, Mom & I (and Mem and Maria) all drove back to Idaho Falls, where we dropped Maria & Mem off at their cars. And Mom and I went shopping! (It was almost midnight, but so?!) Anyways, we finally got home to Victor at about 2 (or was it 2:30? I forget...) And stayed up talking 'til all hours of the morning. I think we finally fell asleep at like 4 or 4:30 or something...
Whew! Big day!

The rest of the time I was there was a lot slower paced and more relaxed!

Saturday, I was feeling ambitious! And did yard work... It was a great day for it! All nice and cool! (Read 75-80 degrees.) Poor Mom came out with me... I think I about roasted her alive! Then we went to a bridal shower for Serenity Woolstenhulme. (Yay, Seri!) I was so tired! But it was fun and cute and yummy! :)

Sunday was church and we played games as a family. It was fun!

Monday... well, I don't remember... But I'm sure it was full of talking, laughing, and games!

Tuesday Mom and I (and Jake for a while, and Ben for a while) made beads. They were gorgeous! Until they dried... And then all the colors went all yucky and weird! Grrrr!!!!
And we invited Ben's girlfriend Chelsea over to play with us. (She's great! We all love her to pieces!) We tried to weed the garden... and got hailed out! We had hailstones - no exaggeration - the size of quarters. Neat! (Luckily, I don't think it ruined Dad's grain!) It was so cool!
And we made more beads. And played games. It was super fun! It's great to have whole crowds of people who will play card games with me!
By Tuesday night, I'd developed a migraine. (Surprise! I didn't have one all week! So, it was about time...) So, I'm not sure how nice or fun I was, but I have fond memories of it...

Wednesday morning Mom had to take me back to the airport. It was hard to say goodbye, but I was excited to come back home to see Hal again! I'd missed him like crazy!!

This time all my flights were on time, so I got home OK, but...
The flight from Jackson to Denver was uneventful. Denver to Dallas was OK...kind of bouncy! (turbulence filled) They did change the gate on me -twice- before my flight. Two gate changes in 1 1/2 seems like a lot to me... Anyone agree? The most eventful part for sure was when we were going to for a landing. The pilot must have been dropping too fast, or something, 'cause he hit the "gas" just before we went in for a touchdown. I don't think I've ever landed going that fast before! What a rush!!! Wow! We were flying down the runway so fast! ...for far enough that I seemed like we'd end up taking off again...

When I got Dallas, I was waiting for the plane... and one of the cleaning crew came in and told the lady running the ticket counter/boarding that they were cleaning some vomit from the back of the plane, and to verify that they were finished before sending people out to board. Ewww! Anyways, by the time we landed in Wichita Falls, the entire plane of people were sick. I actually heard someone say "if that last flight was anything like this one, no wonder the person threw up!" No kidding! Wow!

Anyways, I was wonderful to visit, and it's wonderful to be back home. I'm so excited for Christmas to come visit again! I never knew I'd be some homesick... *sigh*
I wasn't sure where to fit this in at, so it's just here at the end. Huge, huh? I don't think I've ever seen such big hail! After the hail stopped, everyone (Jake, Zac, & Chelsea were all running around gathering up the big hail pieces. They were all melting! :( So we had to get pictures quick!