I'm not alone!

Yay to come back from Austin and see 2 comments! Thanks Lindie and Chels for reading my blog, I think it's just us....so, I could just write a roomie email on here :). Speaking of....today was very sentimental. From the IM fields....past Hyde Park....past Quack's (mine and Lindie's old coffee/studyin' grounds)...to find a parking spot in west campus so I could visit Ali....to the Co-op. And yes, the homeless people are all still there, smoking and playing can music for money. The Sunday market in between Jamba Juice and the Co-op is dwindling, but I still stopped and looked (didn't buy!) at the fun homemade jewelry and hand soaps just like the good 'ol days:). Okay, that's my trip down memory lane, but it was oh so good. I really missed you girls. When I think of college, I really think of 2128 and all of our quirky memories there :). Remember when we got on a garage sale hype and woke up at like 5 am and rode in the back of Caleb's Dad's truck to check out garage sales in Riverplace? Wow...
Okay, enough of that. On to my big request!

So...last weekend, as I was checking my msgs and pulling out of the gym and like always, I just turned a left onto McKinney. Dialing Chelsea back, I hear drumbeats. Weird. Uptown Dallas is not like Keep Austin Weird where it wouldn't weird me out to hear drumbeats in the car behind me. So, I look behind me...and yes, yours truly has definitely pulled into a parade. There are horsemen in front of me, a firetruck, my Honda, and then men in kilts playing drums.

Chelsea: "hello?"
Julie: "oh my gosh!"
Chelsea: "hey, what's going on?"
Julie: "wait"
Chelsea: "okay"
Julie: "oh my gosh! I'm in a parade Chels! I really think I'm in a parade"
(proceeds to roll down the windows, and stick the cell phone out so Chelsea can hear)
Julie: "they're taking pictures! there are kids here waving at me! I can't get off the road, they're all blocked"
Chelsea: laughing so hard...

Lindie, I hope you enjoyed my re-enactment of that conversation like you were part of it as well. For those that are wondering, a policeman finally undid a barricade and escorted me out of the parade. As I think back on it, I wish I had a bag of candy. I SO would have put my head out the sunroof and thrown it at the kids. I never did figure out what the parade was about. Hmm...

Austin was really good. I love that town. I don't know where the Lord has in mind for us to live, but I would be really happy if it was Austin. I would be happy if it were Dallas too. Or Waco (I LOVE Waco!). So, I guess it's good that I'm pretty much happy wherever He places me, but I just get a "homey" feeling when we got back to Austin. Caleb had ultimate guys stay with him at his parents, so I left him for the weekend for some "guy time"and had some good Ratliff family time. My grandparents, aunts, uncles, and 2 cousins all came over to my Dad's and we had a great time visiting and eating enough calories to last me seriously this entire week. I think I ate an entire half of Mamie's chocolate cake all by myself. And gumbo, pizza, brownies, breadsticks, cinnamon rolls, Taco C,.....wow, I've definitely got to get up for aerobics in the morning! Anyway, it was a lot of good eating and visiting. I met Ali's boyfriend for the first time and I definitely approve, he seems like a great guy.

Caleb, poor guy, is just not having the best year physically. He played 2 plays yesterday (and scored on both!) and then pulled his groin. He was out for the rest of the tournament. He cheered on the team, but was so disappointed and wanted to be out there and play so bad (which is opposite of me who runs from the frisbee and fakes being tired/hurt so I don't have to go in!), so I felt bad for him. His team ended up getting 2nd in the tournament (so, 2nd in Texas!) and are moving on to regionals in Florida Oct. 6. He should be healthy by then, and will hopefully get to play hard that last tournament. He did end up coming over to my Dad's and participated in Imaginiff game night. It's one of those games where you read a card about someone and it's like "Imaginiff mamie were an article of clothing, what would she be (sock, robe, thong...) and you vote and move up a space if you pick what she picks. Kinda nerdy, but fun family game. You don't even have to ask who won.

Allright, as much as I could keep writing, I've got to do laundry and get things ready for the week. I apologize in advance if I don't post my lovely blog followers (now that I know I have 2!), but it's a busy week ahead with TWO showers that I'm in charge of next weekend. So, goodnight and let's hope Texas prepares this week so we don't lose to Rice :(. That's all I'm going to say about UT football for the time being.

Nighty night!

PS-We are having major spider issues in our apartment, so if you have any sort of home remedy, please let me know. A shower is at my apt on Friday and I'll be so embarrassed if there are spiders everywhere! I called Caleb at work and told him I already decorated for Halloween...he was like "what? in September?"...I proceeded to tell him it was free decorations, b/c spiders are in every room, on every wall! Gross me out!