Estoy Nueces

Well, my senior class is going to have a reunion! I'm so excited. I had heard rumors it would be around July 4, but when that came and went I was disappointed. Now it is set for Homecoming weekend (appropriate) and I will be there. Since it is during the fall book, I might not be able to get the time off I would like, but we will see. If I can't, I will just fly up on Friday night or something. I will be there, for sure. Mark probably will get a pass this time, I haven't decided how much I would like him to be there for me.

This has been a FULL FULL week and I haven't taken the time to write. It is raining and dark and quiet this morning, so I need to catch back up.

The visit with the kids, my nephew and his girlfriend, was so nice. They are such good guests. I let them go to do dinner on their own and they toured the Capital. Then we went to see Uncle Mark play. We all enjoyed that, but we got there a few minutes late and could not get a seat and the place was packed to the rafters. We decided to leave after the break. Big mistake, Mark says. James Cotton, legendary blues man, sat in for the rest of the night and even talked to Mark about the band touring with him. That would be a cool cool experience. We missed that. But the kids and I came home and I made Special K cookies by request. She had never had them and was impressed. I had maybe four or five, not on the diet, but sent them home with them on Tuesday.

Tuesday we all dragged up eventually and then went to Threadgill's for lunch. That was our best "here is what Austin is all about" restaurant. Mark and I had to have some bread there, but mostly went back to the diet.

And the diet has paid off again. I finally hit a full 10 pounds today. Tomorrow will be four full weeks. With the notice of the reunion, I had better get on the stick and take off another 10 or 20! That is a good incentive (along with family reunion in a couple of weeks). I need TWO more pounds to get down into the next set of numbers. Right now I am 22 pounds over wedding weight, I guess. I'm at least back down below where I was when Daddy got sick.

Oh, the biggest news of the week, speaking of Daddy. I went to the doctor Wednesday morning and picked up all of our mail when I got home. I noticed a letter from my mother and then another and was thinking "How much have I missed from Mom?" Then I got home and sorted and realized there was a letter to Mark and a letter to me. I knew immediately what it was. It was our "inheritance" that we can receive tax-free. Mark was just absolutely blown away. BLOWN away by her generosity. We have had a fun couple of days of planning. No, no big trips or spending sprees for us. We are paying off a lot of debt and working toward getting Mark's CD out and available. The biggest payment is going out today so our bank balance will drop back to "normal," (nothing), but we will be saving a heck of a lot each month now in finance charges. I have a plan now, too, to keep sending out the same amount of money that we were, but now it can really eat away at principal instead of just keeping us afloat. Now I have a goal for us to be out of debt before Mark reaches 50 (just over two years). We might even be able to do it sooner. It will be a wonderful day.

We sent Mother flowers as soon as we got the checks. My sister emailed "you one upper you!"

Mark and I have cried several times over the money and Daddy and Mother. I hate it that Daddy had to die for this to happen, but then I laughed and was glad Mother didn't die first or this never would have happened!

Currently, I am missing my biggest diamond ring and I'm a little panicked. I pull off my rings around the house in weird places, so I'm sure I did that and it is just hidden, but it worries me. Once Mark is up this morning, I will hunt.

We went out last night to see Raul Malo. What a show! It was extra fun to go with Mark. I had mentioned to him earlier this week that I wanted to go to see him because I had heard a new song from him and I was sure he would be good. Mark just nodded. Wednesday night my friend M&M said she was going to go to see Raul, did I want to go, and if I did I needed to get a ticket pronto because it was sure to sellout. So I called home to leave myself a message and Mark was home and answered. He said he had already put us on the guest list through his friend, the drummer. How exciting! A date!

So we went and did end up going upstairs and sitting with M&M and Frenchy. It was an incredible show. Not flashy, no pyrotechnics, but well planned and executed and what a beautiful voice. And he just didn't stop. The band took a break while he sang a couple of acoustic songs, but he never stopped for two hours or more. Beautiful. I was ready to go down the street and get the new record, but Waterloo was closed. I don't want to download it because I want the liner notes, too. It is a great record, though, I know that.

Wednesday we had Doug on the Series. It was a great show. Big storm in the afternoon threatened to rain us out, but it just cooled things off a lot. The show was killer and then the after party was fun, too. Skinner opened the show and I had had him in on Tuesday evening for an interview for both afternoon and weekend. It was really nice to visit with him a lot. I talked to him more at the afterparty, too. I have never had so many women ask me if a guy was single. I can see why they were asking!

Oh, and it would have been the highlight of the week if we hadn't had the inheritance: My traffic girl had her baby boy on Monday afternoon at 5:35. He is a adorable in his pictures. I sure miss her at work. I will visit them at their house tomorrow for a minute on my way to a remote.

I sure have lots to get done (it is POURING outside right now). Texas show has to be edited and put together (and Mark suggests the name the Lady Bird Flower Hour and I am growing to like that idea a lot), more logs must be done because I'm leaving town, gifts for sister and brother-in-law because we will see them for their birthdays this weekend. And I need to go find that ring!!