Armadillo Racing

I didn't really see any need to fancy up the title of this post. Here's how it happened: I crashed one of Jon's work events a few weeks ago, and what more Texan of an activity would be available to impress a bunch of out-of-towners? It turns out that armadillos are very smart. They scurry around their pen and try to find new and different ways to squeeze out. According to the gentleman who provides the armadillos, Ralph Fisher, they have even been known to stack on top of one another and jump over the side of their pen. I think the best way to give a proper play-by-play is with some photos:


First, you get in the pen with a bunch of armadillos running around. Note: if you are wearing leather shoes, be prepared. I was surprised a couple of times with cold noses on my ankles and little nibbles on the backs of my heels.


Then Ralph asks you which armadillo you want to race. I chose one named Phyllis Dillo.


You hold the armadillo's tail close up near it's butt (with gloves on of course) so that you don't hurt their tails.


Release the armadillos! Once you let them go, you have to shoo them along to one end of the pen where they are supposed to turn around and run back.



Here I am shooing my armadillo back to the start. She finished a disappointing 3rd - out of 3. Jon's armadillo won! He was rewarded with a lovely little statue of an armadillo sitting on a pair of cowboy boots painted like Texas flags. This wonderful trinket is now on permanent display in our living room if you would like to stop by and see it. I got a Texas-shaped cookie cutter as my parting gift. The kicker is - I already had one.


They really are cute critters. Here we are with my armadillo - Phyllis Dillo.


Last, but not least, this is our new friend Ryan, a self-described South African Rugby Fanatic. He took all these great photos for us.

Halloween 2007

This is admittedly going to be a very short post for two reasons. First, I only have three photos of our Halloween costumes on this computer to show everyone. And second, Halloween is so over. I'm dying for it to be Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Maybe it's because it's still so hot in Austin. Maybe it's because I feel like Halloween is kind of a gaudy, messy holiday with the mismatched decor and piles of leftover candy. Give me eight neat place settings and a fully coordinating Christmas tree and I'm happy.


For the third year in a row we attended Heath's famous Mojave Bend Halloween party. It never disappoints and every year we meet new people. Maybe if I get motivated this weekend, I'll put up some pictures of Noah's biker babe costume. Too funny.



This is the only full length shot I have of my costume. That's Derek on the left. He was a drunken, unruly airline passenger. His wife was a stewardess. I was Tippi Hedren's character, Melanie Daniels, from The Birds. It was a hit I think.



Hey, you would be scared too if you were being attacked by three fake crows and your face was covered in fake blood that wouldn't wash off for two days.



Jon revived his costume as a droog from the movie A Clockwork Orange. In case you didn't know, this is the costume Jon was wearing when he picked me up for our first date (a costume party of course). Can you see why I fell for him?