Wandering around in New Orleans...

Day two of our mini vacation began with breakfast at Brennan's! We had a great time with a fabulous wait staff! The delight of my morning was fruity-licious!! Strawberries with double cream and Bananas Foster---> YUM!!! We won't discuss the insurmountable amount of calories consumed during this meal...OF COURSE!!!

We enjoyed a pit stop at our favorite Bienville Street Gallery! Always things to learn for the artistically challenged!

Midday found us walking the streets in the good company of my Dad :)! It was fun to show M. many parts of the Quarter he hasn't experienced before...

Street musicians & soul of the French Quarter

Balconies of iron

Shady Esplanade

French Quarter living

One of my absolute favesies!! Where else can you purchase spiked Koolaid for ridiculous prices in a crazy glass you don't need singing at the top of your lungs in the piano bar???!!! Rest in peace dear Eddie!

Scenes from the park...

I'm backdating again but bear with me life is as busy as ever! :)

M and I had a fabulous two days soaking up the city I love! I got a rare chance to share some of the places dear to me with my sweetie. After our usual mishaps and shenanigans, we actually made the park in time for a terrific picnic....a nice walk...and a drive by the museum & sculpture garden!

Our first day ended as it should ;) ...on Bourbon Street!! WOOHOO!! (and somewhere in the distance they heard..."Let's party like rock stars!!" *ROFL* (maybe 10 years ago...) Oh yes, we were in bed by 1:30am!! I know, I know....it's shameful!

I NEEDED IT!! Enjoy the pictures! :)


This little one joined us for our picnic! I thought he might ACTUALLY sit down with us for a few moments!


Who loves to feed the birds....ducks....fish....pigeons :) ME!! M snapped this cool pic of my adoring fans as I doled out the goodies!

Regal beauty! I wonder how long these guys have stood guard over the pavilion in the park?? I can remember climbing on them when I was 4...3?? AND THAT WASN'T JUST YESTERDAY ;)
The gloaming on Bourbon & view from our balcony!

Anyone guess where this is? ALL my peeps---> YOU know this one!! :)

On our way to the Frog Farm!

We are packed up & ready to roll out!!! I can't even express how much we need to get away! :) So...we are off to the Frog Farm to see what adventures we might have! With a day trip to NOLA in our plans as well....its about time to show my sweetie more of my roots and why I love them!!

I'm sure we will return with many pics of a certain little redhead who will be turning 2 next weekend!! Stay tuned....

Praying for safe travel and safe return home!! Hugs from Houston!!

One more for the MS 150!!!!

I'm going to share a video that I found on Youtube made by a BP MS 150 rider for his fund raising efforts! It was filmed on the actual route 2 weeks ago! HILARIOUS!! and INSPIRING!!! ENJOY!!!

Matt and I echo his THANKS to our supporters who pledged to help us reach our fundraising goal! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!

If you watch--> DON'T FORGET to pause my music on the sidebar to the right so you can HEAR the video. ;) It's MUCH more enjoyable that way!

P.S. & YES the bluebonnets ARE that beautiful!!! Come see us next year and experience it for yourself! :)

BP MS 150 25th Anniversary!

DESPITE the cancellation of Day 1's festivities, the BP MS 150 ROLLED out with 11,000 of the original 13,000 riders! WOW!! What an EVENT the BP MS 150 Houston to Austin IS in living color!!! M & I did not ride but made the trek to Austin to cheer our fellow teammates across the finish line!!! The headwind they fought all day was FIERCE!! I totally teared up when we felt the energy at the finish line and NOW my quest to accomplish this tour de force is completely renewed!!

I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO very proud of all of my teammates that trained together...they gave it their everything and crossed that finish line (whether on two wheels or SAG)!!!! I know Team Tenet will only GROW next year!! Only 5 months until sign up for the 2010 MS 150!!

We also had a wonderful lunch with Beth! She was such a sweetie to come pick us up on campus so we wouldn't lose our parking space downtown!! It was great to visit and catch up! Thanks so much Beth for the last minute get together! We loved getting to see you!

Enjoy the pictures taken in beautiful Austin yesterday!!! Have a wonderful week everyone!! HUGS FROM HOUSTON!!!

Big Texas hospitality & spirit is thick in Austin! It is such an incredible city!!

Austin's gorgeous Capitol building greeted the riders at the MS 150 finish!


Many MS Survivors lined the finish line with incredible signs of support!

This is the scene in front of the finish line! It is a little hard to see unless you double click and blow up the image! The numbers of supporters cheering the riders in was SO MUCH FUN!!!

These "Tough Cookies" are a female team to be reckoned with! ;) GO GIRL POWER!!!

The cyclists coming in on their last downhill stretch to the finish line in front of the capitol! It was an awesome sight to see! AND a beautiful day to see it!

Matt took this FANTASTIC pic of our girl Bridge as she was about to cross the finish line!! I was (of course) making a complete FOOL of myself screaming & cheering her through!! :)

FINISHED!!!!!

Join the Movement!!! MS 150 on the Move!

OH MY!! This weekend has been VERY different from what we expected!! The 25th Anniversary of the MS 150 HOUSTON --> AUSTIN has proven to be problem prone! The RAIN and thunderstorms coming through yesterday and today have literally FLOODED the big campground in La Grange, TX that was our destination tonight! SO--> the MS Society was forced to CANCEL Day 1 of the ride for the FIRST time in the history of the ride! That has sent all teams and riders SCRAMBLING to figure out what to do and how/when to do it!!

Team Tenet had a 2 1/2 hour powwow conference call to decide what would happen for us! We have just returned from braving the morning thunderstorms and a delicious carb-loading lunch at the hospital (THANKS CHEF MARK, JIM & GENE!! You guys are awesome!)! We grabbed that opportunity for a partial team picture as several members were flooded into their subdivisions and couldn't even make it out!! It's CRAZY over here I tell ya!!!!

Now the plan is to get as many riders to the starting point as possible and the rest will meet up at the finish line in Austin!!! WISH US LUCK BECAUSE WE NEED IT!!!!
I'll post a few pics from the festivities so far!! :) HAPPY RIDING EVERYONE!!!


This is a shot of our depiction of the MS 150 route we used for fundraising! Isn't it cute!! This first part starts at our hospital goes through Bellville and ends in La Grange to camp for the night--which would have been happening today if it hadn't been cancelled!


Here's Day 2 from La Grange through the park and into the state capitol, AUSTIN!! (& home to the University of Texas--> HOOK 'EM HORNS!!)

Here is the wacky Cy-Fair bunch! Team Tenet was made up of the four Tenet hospitals in the Houston area! The Cy-Fair gang is mostly a bunch of newbies to the cycling sport but we sure have had fun!!!

This is my bud, B. trying to force my husband to smile! :) I think she succeeded!! YAY!

This is the maiden voyage for TENET sponsoring an MS 150 team and we hope it will become an annual event for the corporation here in Houston! Here is the first ever Team Tenet jersey that we all (or most of us) signed today! It will be framed and hung somewhere in the hospital for many years of happy viewing!!!

Happy Easter Everyone!

I'm taking a moment today to be thankful for all of the blessings in my life! My husband & closest friend, my family who there aren't words of enough gratitude, my faith keeping me on the right road, my friends who always support my crazy ideas and make me laugh, my little Odie always there with a wagging tail never letting me down, my whacky coworkers who are honestly the reason I can go to work everyday, my cantankerous Betsy, my home & 'work in progress', my patients whose hard work always inspires me if I'm having a bad day, the green plants & flowers that brighten my space and make me smile, my little blue bug taking me wherever I need to go, and ALL of the random acts from strangers in a day that help me to continue to believe in ultimate good! Sheesh! I know that is a mouthful BUT it is Easter SUNDAY! I've had a rough month and I'M DETERMINED to turn it around!

SO HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!!! Please take a minute to look around you and REDISCOVER the blessings you could be taking for granted today. Hugs from Houston!! :)

40 years and counting...

Anyone who knows a smidgen about me knows how much I love, adore, and respect my parents...

This past weekend we went home to the Frog Farm to celebrate their Ruby Anniversary! 40 years since they said "I DO" It was a weekend full of moments I hope I'll remember forever! We pulled out their wedding album and heard stories of church decorating, extra cool chicken salad sandwiches, giggling girlfriends getting ready upstairs at my grandmothers' house, the "locked up" VW beetle that somehow got decorated anyway, Dad putting the finishing touches of greenery at the church with his suit ON as guests started to arrive (hmm...that one is really familiar *heehee*), and forgotten hanging bags on the way out for the honeymoon! The pictures of the day brought about many memories for both of them! We celebrated with a special afternoon in New Orleans at an old family favorite restaurant, Mandina's. THANKS SO MUCH to Diane, our waitress, who went OUT of her way to make the meal special! We finished the night with coffee and homemade strawberry shortcake at home. Wish we could have had you all there to join us!

HAPPY 40th ANNIVERSARY MOM & DAD!

Here's the happy couple! :)

Can you see the anticipation of that bite in Andy's eyes?? He was so cute..he followed the cheesecake around the table as we all had a taste! OH YES--it was YUMMY!


Me & the little guy (with M in the background)