Backyard - end of day 2

The backyard is about 80% done. When I got home today, they had put in a lot of the sod, and the edging was all done. It's hard to tell from the photos, but it does make the back yard look really big.

You can see clearly the area that was our grassy area before - it's the section where the grass is darker green.

Landscaping progress

Some photos of the progress on the back yard. I didn't know that they were going to be starting Friday, so I came home that afternoon to everything being ripped out. Today, it seems they might get it all done - new edging, more grass.






And some photos of the front walk. This isn't quite done yet. We need to install the edging pieces (which we weren't sure that we were going to do), and some path lighting.

Rick Steves in Austin

One of my very favorite authors/TV show hosts came to Austin this week. He was doing a talk and book signing at Book People. The topic was "Travel as a political act." He spoke passionately for about an hour and a half on the mind-broadening power of travel, and how seeing other countries and cultures, we can both appreciate ours better, as well as discover other ways to improve.

It was a great talk - if anyone gets a chance to see him, I highly recommend doing so.

He also recently traveled to Iran to both visit the country and make a TV special. It is going to be airing on PBS starting in January. I can't wait to see it. He talked about some of the things he learned while there. Fascinating stuff.



It was a completely packed house

Meet Mr. Turkey

This is our very favorite Thanksgiving decoration. I think it's the hat that makes him wonderful.

Walk construction - Day 1

Noon on day one.

Finally re-doing our front path

Today we got some materials delivered to finally re-do our front walkway. We ripped out our nasty 70s vintage courtyard a few years back, and that is also when we did the primary part of our front landscaping. At the time, we elected not to do the front walk, because honestly, it's just expensive.

But finally, we've gotten tired of the remaining 'fast food restaurant' tile at the entry way to the house, and the crop-circles in the middle of the path. Besides, the current stuff just looks nasty.

Here are some before photos, as well as our very classy front yard, covered by all sorts of crap.

For me, this was the most memorable moment on Election Night

As I get most of my news from the Daily Show as Tom watches it religiously...it seems apt that I was watching Jon Stewart as polls closed on the west coast.



For the last election, I was at the International Quilt Festival in Houston when I heard the news of the outcome. This time, I was at Andy and Monica's house.

Halloween, 2008

Well, we had over 600 trick or treaters this year. We ran out of candy around 9 pm, and they continued to come. We put a sign up when we were out, and they still kept coming. It was really fun.

We offered beer to the adults, and got looks of incredulity when they realized we were serious.