From the files of "Only In Dallas"

Continuing a trend from yesterday's post. There's never a shortage of Texas/Dallas quirks, I suppose.

When I drive to work in the morning, my route takes me through the edge of Highland Park. For those not familiar with Dallas, Highland Park is the part of Dallas so ritzy that they didn't even want to be part of Dallas, so they incorporated themselves. We're talking median home price of $1.6 mill and cop cars that are actually navy SUVs instead of small, white sedans.

It was actually just such an SUV that gave me a start this morning. As I pulled up to a red light at an intersection, I noticed the signature vehicle parked at the light going the other way. Because this particular intersection is at an angle and on a hill, I had a perfect view in through the driver's side window to the officer behind the wheel.

The officer was a woman and wearing some kind of uncollared, sleeveless tank top. Now, I have nothing against anyone opting for cool, especially in the Texas heat. But it was a very mixed message--big, formal police car; incredibly informal, soccer mom-looking driver. Wouldn't you want your police officers to look, I don't know, meaner?

When Wild Dogs Attack

So I'm driving home from work, on my way to pick up my poor pooch who has been living at the doggie hotel this week while I gallivant around the country. I'm in downtown Dallas--actually, the "Oak Lawn" area, which is a nicer emerging neighborhood. I am at the corner of a fairly large intersection, waiting to turn left.

Across the road, I see a dog, then two, then three. The dogs all look similar: brown fur, long, sharp noses, tall, pointy ears. They are poking around the hedges at the corner, which help enclose a small parking lot for the business there. I strain my eyes, looking for their owner, as these well behaved dogs are not on leashes yet seem to be quite restrained and well behaved.

As I pull into the intersection and begin to turn, a puppy who looks like the dogs emerges from the hedge near the road. I get a full view of five dogs, one very pregnant, standing tall with not a single human in sight and not a dog collar to be seen.

Wild dogs?! In Dallas?! I didn't know such a thing actually existed in real life.

Random.

New York State of Mind

Flying over New York City this morning took my breath away. Truly. As we broke through the clouds and I looked down on the hundreds of buildings, packed together in city blocks that stretched as far as I could see from my tiny plane window, I realized it was the first time I had flown over the city since I was a little girl.

I see why people are addicted to this place. It crawls with life and energy even from 10,000 feet.

Today's rain kept the air cool--not like the typical August weather you would expect on the East Coast. It was refreshing. My friend JB even remarked that it felt like fall in the city. It was the kind of day that begged for a comfy sweater and a pair of boots.

And the city...

I suppose there's nothing more energizing then feeling like you're connecting with someone, whether you're in your own backyard or a thousand miles from it. That in itself is inspiring. Certainly enough to kick the energy up a notch.

Of course, there's also something comforting about being in a place with ties. Whether they are memories of your own or simply the sensed presence of a close friend who calls a place their home. Their aura lingers everywhere. Is felt nearby even when they are not. Gives a feeling of safety and comfort. It's almost like picking up a t-shirt that your boyfriend wears, his scent still lingering in the fabric. You put it only and instantly feel soothed.

Who would have expected that in a city so big and unfamiliar?

Wide Load

I've been thinking a lot about wide things lately--mostly because the 10 pounds everyone told me I would gain when I took this job has come to fruition (or near fruition, anyhow, before I decided to take evasive action and actually hit the gym and stop sampling product at work). But the theme keeps coming up over and over again. I offer two random examples as evidence of my dementia:

Everything's Bigger in Texas--Except the Lanes. Okay, this one isn't so much about being wide as it is about being narrow. For some reason, I feel like the highways here in Texas have much narrower lanes than I've seen elsewhere across the country. The problem is particularly exacerbated because most people drive SUVs and trucks--the biggest Dallas money can buy. So as a little Ford Focus on the road, I often feel crowded and have the sensation of being run right off the pavement and into the wall. It's kind of like the feeling of driving on a highway where there is construction, so the shoulder is gone and there is a barrier wall on the other side--and you've ended up next to a semi that's taking more than his fair share of space. This is one situation where a little junk in the trunk might be advantageous.

Chubby Knees. So as part of my resistance to the work bulge, I've been paying extra attention to places of my body that seem to be expanding. And you know what I've decided? Knees can be one of the most unattractive body parts. I somehow have ended up with knees that are blocky, choppy, and downright chubby. You didn't know knees could be sexy? Look at all the women who have really good legs. The knee always seems to blend in with the rest of the leg. But for some of us, the knee is a giant stopping point, breaking up the line of the leg with this bulbous mass. Characteristic we're born with? Or do knees actually gain weight?

Revived!

Ok, I don't know that I'm actually revived--I've been traveling like a circus carney--but I am, at least, returned to the blogosphere. I've been handing out excuses for not writing: tired, too busy, cranky... but I suppose they all are really nice ways of saying LAME. When even your parents complain (nicely) that you're being lame, you KNOW you're being lame.

So here it is, as promised--my first blog entry in months. Since I don't have anything particularly enlightening to share with you all (I am, after all, still very cranky), I thought I'd show a few new pics. Since my last post, I have painted my bedroom and purchased new bedroom furniture. I've also added a few new decorative touches to the living space, so I've captured those in a couple of photos, too.

Follow the link on the picture to the full set--I've tried to put in a few "before" and "afters." Yes, I know they're not that different... but I'm working on it. I have a paint color purchased for the living room, I just need to get someone to come over and do it!!

Other plans in the works... patio furniture (I have a grill and a firepit but nowhere to sit. Fortunately, it's too hot to sit outside right now anyway.) A bakers rack for the corner of the "dining room." Furniture for the back bedroom, including an armoire, a queen-sized futon that pulls straight out, a tufted ottomon with zebra stripes, and a plush rug. That should take me until about... oh, 2010 or so.

Enjoy the pics. I'll think of something witty and fun to talk about shortly.