Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

What's a weekend without baking? This morning some of the nursery helpers at church were professing their love for pumpkin pie, and I saw these cookies (for the recipe, go here) and figured it was a good compromise...I felt like chocolate chip cookies, but it's pumpkin season. The only thing the recipe needs is some pumpkin pie spice, I think.

Things are fine...mostly. Didn't really enjoy last week at work...the kids were really hyper and it was just a pain. Not feeling the teaching mojo. Ready for a holiday, I guess. And it's starting to get near the end of the term...benchmark tests, reviews, exams, and then a whole new trimester and 80 new students. Not looking forward to the stress. I know it always works out...but just not excited. I'm sure that's how most people feel about their jobs...so I should just suck it up, right?

We got Casey a pair of five-fingered toe shoes and went for a short trail run to test them out.I really do love running, even if it's just thirty minutes. Casey ended up running really barefoot by the end, as the shoes were rubbing, and my knee was a little sore, but it was still fun getting out there. I'm going to try to do the 8 miler for the Turkey Trot, so that gives me something to work up to. :-)

State Fair of Texas

We went to the State Fair...twice. Once with bro and sis-in law, Dustin and Aubrey. I don't think Aubrey liked the four-horned sheep. Or the random gang of clowns we came upon. :-) But otherwise, as first-time Fair goers, I think they had a good time.We went again with my folks, which was lots of fun, since we didn't feel like we needed to rush to see everything and could go back to our favorites.
Mom and I watched the cooking demonstrations, and we shared a funnel cake too.Dad liked the burro. And Honor Society.
Casey kinda danced with the ostrich trying to pet it while it was distracted with the food cup. This was after the huge camel chomped on his finger...because Casey wanted to feel its lips. Seriously, that man is the dumbest-smart person I know.
"Pet the oinker!"-Casey. So we did. He was very soft and EXTREMELY cute. I think he was happy too. We saw the pig races too. Hysterical.
And speaking of pigs...I had to try the deep-fried pecan pie, after the corny dog, burger, funnel cake and sundry samples. Such the food baby. But it was so worth it. The Fair is the best.

Weekend Update

This weekend is my 10 year reunion. It's going to be interesting to see how people turned out. I was definitely a nerd, and I feel like I've grown up and blossomed, and I'm sure it's the same for my former classmates. We'll see how it goes. :-)

In good news, Casey has finished working on the house that his law firm bought. He's been working two jobs for a while, doing paperwork at the office, then managing guys and working on this huge old house. Both he and dad have been running ragged. Well, I saw it yesterday and was amazed on the improvement. Now they just need a committed buyer!

Also, Casey was in a car accident last Saturday, and today he got the police report confirming that it was the other guy's fault. It totaled his car, which IMHO is the good news...I hated that car. Via con Dios, stinky Saturn! So anyway, we'll get a settlement to replace the car and get Casey something a little nicer. It terrible that he had to go through being in an accident and being kinda banged up, but thankfully, he's a tough guy and will be just fine.