make entries about what happens in my life so people who read my ramblings don't get bored when I have nothing to say about my goals.

and it has absolutely nothing to do with anything in my life. Lol! But today I saw an article on Yahoo! news. Apparently there really did used to be R.O.U.S.’s! (Rodents of Unusual Size).

No one ever told me that Las Vegas is the static electricity capital of the world. Lol! It’s so dry here and it’s been so cold that lately I’ve been walking around with hair that would rival Albert Einstein’s. Every time I get out of the car I fear that one of my fingers (or worse, an arm) is going to be zapped right off of my body. I’ve formed an elaborate, goofy little dance that helps me step out of the car without touching it with any portion of my anatomy. I even close the door with my hand tucked inside my jacket and when possible I make contact with only the glass. No one put this little aspect of Las Vegas living in their travel brochures. Oh no, it’s a joy you get to discover all on your own.

_{If I ever change my username to “Stumpy” you’ll all know why. :P}

We successfully moved out of our apartment today. The approximately 4 billion hours I spent cleaning it seem to have paid off as we passed our incredibly picky apartment manager’s white glove test. We’re still in Texas for a few more days. Dh and a few hardy volunteers will be leaving for Las Vegas in the morning with all of our stuff while the munchkin and I’ll be staying with my parents for a few days. I still feel as if I have an incredible amount of work to do, but it’s nice to know that at least one substantial hurdle is behind us.

_{On a side note, my parents have terrible internet access so I’ll probably be scarce around here for yet a few more days.}

As my little 43Things headline states, we’re back in Dallas. After visiting a bazillion apartment complexes, we finally have a place lined up. It’s in a nice safe neighborhood far away from the traffic congested strip.

Getting to Vegas was not what I’d call an enjoyable time. We had to catch an insanely early flight so I only had four hours of sleep the night before. I was grumpy, the munchkin was grumpy… One of our flights was delayed. The munchkin’s diaper managed to leak while we were on the plane and I got peed on… : /

Yesterday, when we were out and about the most, the temperature was only in the 40’s and it rained all day. It never rains in Vegas (they get like 4 inches a year) but they must have seen me coming and someone opted to open up the floodgates. It was a cold, miserable rain. To top it all off, the heater was broken in the car we were borrowing so I never felt like I got warm. But we did find an apartment that I really like and am looking forward to living in so that part was good.

I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that we’re going to be Nevada residents in just a little over two weeks. :O I have a feeling that with everything I’ve got to get done, time is going to fly.

We just got back from a Dallas Symphony Orchestra concert. Dh’s school gets a number free tickets for students to use on certain concert days. Because the tickets are free, and we pick them up when we get there, we never know where we’re going to be sitting. We’ve been in the nosebleed section once, and on the floor once. Tonight we got to sit in the choir loft, which is right behind the orchestra. It was kind of fun sitting there, except the seats weren’t all that comfortable. We had a great view of the performers, and we got to see the conductor (Markus Stenz) in all of his musical fury. (He sort of reminded me of a gray-headed Viggo Mortensen. lol.) The selection for the evening was Beethoven’s 3rd and 4th symphonies. It was nice to go out with just dh for an evening of beautiful music performed by immensely gifted musicians. I only wish we could do it more often! :P

Nature seems to have some sort of a vendetta against me today.

This morning while we were out running errands, I happened to notice a spider shimmying down from the rear view mirror in our car. I tried to escort him outside but he managed to evade capture and is still running free there even as I type this. I hope he’s able to escape soon. There really isn’t much in the way of spider food in our vehicle—unless he happens to be the kind of arachnid that can subsist on cheerios.

A bit later, a “blister bug” went flying by me and landed close to the front seat passenger side window. (I happened to be sitting in that seat.) Blister bugs are rather scary looking if you aren’t expecting them and I certainly wasn’t looking for him in our Mitsubishi. Dh rolled down the window and out went Mr. Blister Bug. I’m still scratching my head as to how in the world he got inside—and wondering how long he’d been in there.

While driving down the freeway on my way to work, a pigeon narrowly missed becoming intimately acquainted with my face via the front windshield. If I hadn’t tapped the brakes when I did, things could have been much more interesting.

I’m really a little nervous about going outside now. If the pigeons don’t band together and ambush me on my way to the car, who knows what other insects the spider could have let in while I’ve been away? I might open the driver’s side door to find a grasshopper sitting on the steering wheel. Or even worse, a cricket! _Gasp! I don’t know what I did to make the natural world my enemy, but I hope we reconcile soon. If I’m not here tomorrow, be very, very suspicious. :P

Perhaps my irrational fear of swimming in murky water is justified. Brain-eating amoeba kills six in U.S. lakes. :O

we’ll be taking a trip back to my hometown. My grandparents are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary and those of us whom geography will permit are all getting together for a small family party.

While it can sometimes seem like a desolate place, I’m looking forward to the wide open spaces and front row seating for thunderstorms. I’m looking forward to the fact that my hometown has only one or two stoplights and there are no such things as traffic jams there. I’m looking forward to the obvious lack of chain restaurants and the abundance of home-style cooking. I’m looking forward to a good Texas high school football game and brisket tacos from the concession stand. I’m looking forward to reliving childhood memories and visiting my old stomping grounds. I’m looking forward to hearing the wind sweeping over the prairie and the smell of gin smoke in the air. But most of all I’m looking forward to the time I’ll be able to spend with my loved ones and the laughter and fun we will share. What a great place to come home to.

_{Photo by RaunL.}

where to put this. But I thought it was too funny not to share. If you’re in need of a good laugh, go here. John Bistline has compiled some of the funnier headlines from The Tonight Show for our reading pleasure. (There’s ten pages total, but you obviously don’t have to read them all.) Even if they don’t crack you up, they’re probably good for a smile or two. _{Personally, my sides are still hurting. lol.}

for far too long now. I just found myself trying to cheer an e-mail I’d received! lol.