Obligatory New Year Post

Well, it's a New Year.

This past year I lived in Texas and California.  On New Years Day we drove from my in laws to my sister's place in NC.  We ate all the "lucky" food she could think of to give us all luck over the course of the year.

We then stopped in Memphis, were amazed by Graceland and underwhelmed by Beale St.

The drive then took us through some boring states to end up in big, 'ol "Everything-is-bigger-in" Texas!

The Best Man and I lived in Fort Worth Texas for about 7 months.  We lived "downtown" and loved walking to restaurants, shops (well, I did anyway), and the local trail system for running and biking.  The two of us got more into running and ran several races (a couple of 5k's, one 10k and two 1/2 marathons).  We made some really good friends with my local co-workers including other travelers.  The Best Man also found some local work and really liked have co-workers (especially local ones) for a change.

Some how we survived the summer in Texas, though it was not a pretty sight!

We then packed it all up at the end of the summer (including my new cowgirl boots!) and made for California.  Along the way we went to Monahands State Park and sand dunes, hiked the highest point in Texas (Guadalupe Peak), explored the caves of Carlsbad Caverns and wondered at the bats, hiked along and under the rim of Bryce Cannyon, hiked Angles Landing and the Narrows in Zion National Park, stood on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, and hiked to the bottom and back up to the top of the Grand Canyon with hundreds of pictures, a few scraps and just as many new friends and one scorpion sting to show for it.

We've been living in California for the past 3 months.  The weather is perfect.  There is so much to see and do.  We have only been down to San Diego a couple of times, however have plans to continue exploring the city and the surrounding area.

Here's to 2013 and more adventures to come!

Let me put a bug in your ear...

Starting Friday on our trip down to Greenville, something strange happened to my right ear. It feels as if my ear is filled with water, but it isn't. I've had buzzing that comes and goes- mostly comes. Also, I've had muted or dulled hearing and the frequencies I do hear have changed.

You know when you were a kid and you figured out you sounded like Darth Vadar if you spoke into a fan? That's what things sound like if you talk in my right ear.

So, The Best Man, diagnosed me. "A spider probably crawled in your ear, layed eggs, and now the babies are eating your brain."

Probable? No. Possible? Yes.

Read a couple of these stories and accounts if you don't believe me: 9 year old with not one, but TWO spiders found in his ear or several short stories of spider and other bug trauma.

If those stories aren't close enough to home for you, I'll tell you about my sister. Sadly, I only have this account from my mom and my sister and did not witness it first hand. If you know My Sassy, then you can picture this happening.

As My Sassy came home one night she was accosted by bugs that had been swarming the porch light as she walked in the door. One of these bugs lodged itself in her ear. My mom heard screaming/squealing/shrieking. My mom ran to find my sister swatting at her ear. Her arms were flailing and she continued to squeal.

The more the bug squirmed and wiggled the more My Sassy did the same. Sassy, however, was also screeching! "Get it out of my ear!!!" After a few minutes it was obvious that neither my mom or my sister could get the bug out of Sassy's ear. It was decided to head to the local "Doc in a Box."

The car ride was filled with Turrets like moments where my sister would squeal and flail her arms. (if only you could hear my mom tell this story!)

After being admitted (no, not into the psychiatric ward), the "Doc in the box" had to extract the bug, still squirming, out of Sassy's ear with long tweezers. Sassy finally stopped waving her arms and wailing like a banshee.

If you mention this to her today, her whole body will visibly shiver.

So, you see, I have a close encounter via my "Irish twin."

THEN. Tonight. As I was getting ready for bed I spotted a dime sized spider crawling on the wall by my bed. I quietly (this is very impressive if you know me and spiders) grabbed a tissue and tried to squash it. This spider hopped! And it continued to hop 4 or 5 times until I was able to squish it with a sneak attack!

I'm so totally convinced that there is at least one if not more spiders living in my ear. If my memory starts going or I start acting funny, you'll know that I wasn't making this up.