Which is More Frightening?

What would terrify a one-year-old more; a plush rocking horse, or getting merged into by an eighteen-wheeler? If you picked the plush rocking horse, you'd be correct. On night 1 of our vacation last month we stayed with one of Jami's very favorite people in the world (and her family, thanks, Harrows). There was a plush rocking horse in the living room which Rhus began eyeballing with a certain degree of suspicion. Thinking I was clever, I went over to it and began to pet it. Then I grabbed the handle and had it leap at me, while I hollered. Rhus freaked out. It took him about three minutes to stop shaking. The next day, on I-25 on our way to Aurora to visit another friend, an eighteen-wheeler merged into us, not once but twice.  He hit my door, I tried to get away, and then he hit our rear wheel and spun us ninety degrees to the left as he finally started braking. Rhus looked mildly interested, and then spent the next fifteen minutes waving at cars from the side of the highway.

In Silsbee and on the Beach

Davis Mountains

The Lake

In all likelihood it's been ten years since I last went to Lake Texhoma. My former boss took me out on her boat a few weeks ago, while everyone else was in Utah. I spent most of my time looking for arrowheads, and of course found none. I did however catch two tiny striped bass, and got to watch Hercules-the-Dog try and scratch his many itches. Also, you can see below how high the water was during the floods last year from the mark in the junipers.

Cambodia Photos

We have so many photos from Cambodia, that I just couldn't decide what to put on the blog. This makes deciding a little easier.

Back in the USSA

We never feel more like criminals than when we reenter the US. I have the stupidest reaction when I see immigration. I actually get excited. I think to myself, "Hooray, won't my country be so happy to have me back." Of course that's never the case. Suddenly no one will help my pregnant wife get overweight luggage off the conveyor belt while I am in the bowels of the Seattle airport, seeing our cat through his inspection by TSA, and aren't I an idiot for not immediately understanding that TSA approval is the same as clearing him with Customs. Everyone who's been awake for 22 hours knows that sort of thing.

This flight across the pacific was by far the most interesting I ever hope to have. Since J is pregnant it meant I was pretty much in charge of everything: bags, cat, customs, and making sure she had eaten and was comfortable. But despite unforeseeable things like a shin jarring landing in Taipei and 23 hours spent in what seemed like jail in a Taoyuan City hotel ("those transfer passengers attempting to escape will be escorted back to the airport by the border police and placed on the list of undesirable persons"), and a missing bag (the one we paid an extra ฿ 3,900 for) we made it back, and have been here in south-east Texas for a whole week now. In another week we'll be up in Dallas.