Everything's Bigger in Texas!

"Ahhhh...that's the spot!" -Bentley

As you can see, Bentley is back in true form! It took him a little while, as it did us, to adjust to the new house and heat but we're all quite comfortable and really discovering what a great place Austin is!

I've only left him out and forgotten about him once and it was only for 20 minutes or so but it was 95* in peak mid-afternoon heat. When I realized that he wasn't all nuzzled up against my feet by the couch, I yelled out for him. When I got up to let him in, he was staring at the door...poor dog. Does this mean that I'm not ready for children? I've done so well with him up to this point. I liken it to people with Epilepsy and driving. They have to go a year (or so) without having an epileptic episode before they are allowed to take their driver's test. You come so close to getting your license and boom, an attack...another year of public transportation. So, sorry Mom & Dad, Aunts and Uncles, and Grandparents...at least another year must pass! You can blame it on the dog!


You know how they say "Everything's Big in Texas"? Well that all encompassing statement definitely includes BUGS! Get a load of this Ox Beetle. It's name is surely fitting as you can see when placed next to a quarter. As if they aren't scary enough, they fly! Check out their wings. Funny story follows.



Eric and I were lying on the couch and I noticed a little pill beetle (called "rolly pollies" in these parts) creeping across the floor. I asked Eric to get rid of it for me (not kill it, but remove it from our house), but being the tree hugger that he is, he refused. I tried to get Bentley to become interested but after a little sniffing, he turned his nose up an opportunity for a high-protein snack. They say dogs start acting like their caregivers...could it really be true? Is Bentley going to start requesting a vegetarian cuisine? The pill beetle won that battle and we lost sight of him.

Anyway...after a few minutes it dawned on me that I needed to transfer a load of clothes from the washer to the dryer. As I walked across the path where the pill beetle once stood, I got the cooties thinking of it crawling up my leg into unknown territories. Eric snickered. I inspected the wet laundry looking for the interview shirt that I would need the next morning, making sure that the purple stripes didn't bleed onto the white stripes. As I gave it a quick shake to loosen the wrinkles for a better inspection, I heard and felt a thud. Not knowing if it was dead or alive, man or beast...I let out a shrilling scream interrupted by a few breathy, nonsensical requests for Eric to save me. After dangling it in my face, he picked it up and threw it in the trash. And then I got him to retrieve it from the trash so I could take its picture for y'all to enjoy or squirm over. We've yet to meet a scorpion. I can only imagine the scenerio that will unfold.

Did I mention the new adventures of Mr. Vegetarian? For all of you who have slaved over making special meals, have accomadated recipes, or were all so careful not to cross contaminate your "meat-handling" utensil with the more pure and righteous non-meat dishes, I want you to know that all of your efforts have been in vain. On his 1st big day on the job, Eric so easily and shamefully folded under the pressures of his peers and picked the ham from a pineapple and ham pizza and consumed the pizza, meat drippings and all. What a disgrace to the vegetarian name. Its over. What's next...a juicy hamburger or perhaps pig snout in a mold of head cheese? Yum yum. Tease the heck out of him!