lice and luanda

Helllllo from Luanda!  I'm here in the capital city of Angola for a week of training, and so far so good.  It's a very interesting city. We always talk (complain) about how Houston has no zoning, well Luanda is on another level. I'm staying at a beautiful hotel which is right next to the office in a really nice area, right off a main road across from the water. And then two blocks away there is a dirt road lined with abandoned buildings/shacks.  Apparently, the government is trying to take over this area and make it for officials and international companies only. They are in the middle of construction of an amazing building to house parliament, and there is a massive monument, Mausoleum of Agostinho Neto, that houses the shes of Angola's first president.  Most of the people of the city aren't to happy about how the government is choosing to spend their money....and I'm going to have to agree.  You'd think they would focus on cleaning up some of the trash around town...

Quick tutorial of the area...

Mausoleum of Agostinho Neto

View from the hotel...that's trash, not seaweed

It looks muuuch nicer at nighttime

Anyhoo, I can't believe I'm already writing another blog, the week has flown by.  We headed to the Futila school on Tuesday.  Typically when I go to the school, I just work on my futbol skills with the kids while they guys go into the computer lab and handle the lessons.  It was extra hot on Tuesday, and I got super sweaty (typical) so I had to take a break from the game and be a spectator. We had some cheerleaders on the sidelines - at least I think they were cheering us on, they very well could have been just yelling "you suck" or " try harder" but they sound fed more positive than negative. Anyways, one of the girls came offer and started playing with my ponytail. After a few minutes, I took my hair down and next thing I knew there were 5 or 6 girls around my head playing with my hair and just chatting among each other.  I could tell they were confused because they kept looking at my scalp trying to figure out where my weave was coming from?! I didn't mind though because it felt so good, I just let them play all they wanted...I was almost falling asleep when Jose rounded up the troops and said it was time for us to go.  When we got in the car he casually said "Miss Alli,when we get back to camp you may want to go wash your hair. Some women have a problem with little bugs that grow in their scalps...big problem." Ummmm WHAT?!?? Naturally, I freaked out on him and asked why he didn't care to mention that before I let the little ones play with my hair for 30 minutes. Everyone in the van really got a kick out of my minor panic attack.  I immediately went to my room to shower and OF COURSE the water to my building was turned off during lunch. It's been 5 days and I'm still convincing myself that my head doesn't itch...anybody know the incubation time for lice??

my personal stylists

On a positive note, the guys have been doing such an awesome job giving the teachers lessons that's the school principal gave us a thank you note and invited us to their end of the year party in December. So I guess I'll keep volunteering my time, just not my hair...

Other than anxiety that I'll wake up with bugs in my head, it's been a pretty quiet week. My sweet grandma (Nana) turned 82 on Thursday!  I got to talk to her for a while, which was extra special because she just got out of the hospital about two weeks ago. Her nurse (Papa) has gotten her back to feeling almost 100% in no time! And thank the good Lord...she had us all worried there for a little while!

More to come on my stay in Luanda next week...12 days down, 16 to go! xoxo...

hikes, hills and the happpppy couple

Annnnnnd I'm back!  As usual, my time off went by in the blink of an eye.  After my last Sunday in camp, I headed home Tuesday, had a pit stop in Houston and arrived in Bakersfield Wednesday night.  Chad and I headed up to Kernville for a little weekend getaway... 

Sunrise over Kernville

Hiking in the Sequoias

From Bakersfield, I headed to Lubbock for a week of college recruiting at my old stomping grounds.  Lubbock and Texas Tech have changed SO much since I was in school.  It's definitely not a small West Texas town anymore.  They have pretty much every chain restaurant you can think of, which doesn't sound like a big deal, but it's HUGE.  I remember my roommate freshman year and I used to bring back Chipotle burritos for each other after a weekend at home in Dallas because that was the closest Chipotle to Lubbock.  Most importantly, Lubbock is no longer a dry county.  This is kind of old news because the law changed the year after I graduates (naturally), but I still can't get used to the thought of not having to drive outside the county lines to get booze.  Kids these days have it sooo easy.

From Lubbock, I headed to the beeeeautiful hill country for a weekend in Fredericksburg to celebrate my precious little cousin - the future Mrs. Browning!  Kelly and I put together a weekend of fun and games (and lots of wine) to send off our single girl...   

Let the party BEGIN!

The bride and her maids :)

#selfie

From the hills to I headed to Houston for another quick pit stop before heading to Dallas.  The main reason for my trip home was to celebrate my Mom's birthday on the 24th.  If you are even a remote relative or any kind of acquaintance, you know that my mother is very passionate about everyone being aware that her birthday is 9/24.  So much so that twice a day (9:24am + 9:24pm) if you are in her vicinity, you'll get a quick reminder that it's "her birthday."  Shamelessly, she's rubbed off on me, and I find myself occasionally giving a little reminder to anyone around me at 5:18.  While I was home, I looked through our old baby books to find some pictures of my mom (pre-grey) and found a few gems.  This was one of my favorites...Dad on laughing gas, Brian being a dope, me looking annoyed (probably pre-meltdown), but Mom looks great...  

all-star family (pre-Dusty)

Growing up, my mom used to have 1 night a month that she got to go hang out with her girlfriends for her Keno night.  I remember when it was my mom's turn to host Keno, we were always either shunned to the back part of the house of shipped down to Nana and Papa's.  I always preferred going down to Nana and Papa's because if we stayed we would have to listen to all the ladies jibber jabber.  I never understood how a handful of ladies could be so LOUD.  When I was in Dallas, my mom hosted a mother/daughter Keno night, and regretfully all the daughters jumped right in cackling with all the old ladies :)  Needless to say, it was a really good time!

   

I also go to catch up with my high school bestie and LUCY the most adorable golden doodle on the planet

Finalllllly the Browning wedding week in Houston was upon us.  Unfortunately, I had to sit through 4 days of training before the weekend, but it did help pass the time leading up to the big day.  Friday the girls had a beautiful luncheon put on by Jason's cousins while the boys headed to lunch at Top Golf.  Friday night we had the rehearsal and an amazing dinner at Canopy in Montrose (if you live in Houston and haven't been there - go NOW).  After the dinner, Kelly, Laurel, and I had one final sleepover before La became a Browning.  Saturday morning we woke up and went for a walk around downtown Houston, and then the all-day getting ready process began.  We got Laurel all dolled up looking absolutely stunning, and sent her off to meet Jason for their 'first-look' pictures.  The wedding party jumped on the trolley and headed to South Boulevard for group photos (I'm dying to see the pictures because it was SO gorgeous!).  After the 'I do's' we all headed to Brennan's for the reception.  I'm still kicking myself for not taking more pictures, because it was absolutely perfect!!  Here are a few snapshots from the weekend...
  

me and the +1 rehearsal dinner-ing

MOH's getting ready for the big day 

and she's off!

cousins on the trolley...missing a few brothers

The Browning's!

Johnson gang at the reception

After a perfect weekend, Chad and I headed back to Bakersfield.  It was so nice to have a low-key week with no plans to recuperate before having to head back to work.  And of course, catching up with some of my favorites...  

Addalee Posey...could she be any more perfect??  (her momma too)

quality time with lannabella

this guy...

I'm back to a normal 28/28 rotation through the end of the year, so only 4 weeks in camp this time around.  After my 6-weeker, I already feel like this hitch is going to just fly by...it will be 2015 before we know it!

5 days down, 23 to go!  xoxo...