I had an amazingly fun weekend. It all started with me working Friday morning, and then skipping biochemistry so that Matt could pick me up at noon to head to the mini-ranch. We went the backroads way (Hwy 6 -> OSR -> FM 39 -> FM 79 -> I-45 -> US-84 -> FM 488 -> US-287 -> FM 309 -> TX-31 -> TX-274). Heehee. We got to the ranch in time to notice that Dad's Expedition looked kind of sunken into the ground. Sure enough, Dad had gotten it stuck in the mud while attempting to park such that people would know where it was too soft to park...which he achieved, really, by parking in the mud himself. So we rolled up our sleeves and set to work to try and get the car out, along with Claude Locke's son Chris. Chris' wife and 3-year-old son Chase were there as well - Chase watched us trying to rescue the car and took the red wagon, "got it stuck" in the mud, and then "pulled it to safety" about 5 times. It was pretty cute. So that was the excitement for Friday evening. The car was eventually rescued by using the hydraulics on the tractor to lift it out of the mud and pull it onto the driveway. We managed to tear up the yard pretty well in the whole process (imagine 2'-deep gashes in the grass). And Dad "handled the whole thing very well" (everyone kept saying that...but he was!)

Saturday was Beth Locke's 50th birthday celebration, so Matt and I were busy helping get ready for that (after being awoken way too early by enthusiastic adults in the next room whose voices were carried right through the walls). There was a band (the guitarist was Beth's brother), a dance floor, a margarita machine, about 50-60 guests including four very small children and three little dogs, food from Cisco, horseshoes, softball, football, Mo the golf cart, a fire, and amazingly beautiful weather. The party lasted officially from 11-6. It was pretty great. And Murphy made up for his restrictive "no people-food" diet by eating his own body weight in handouts (and food stolen from small children). He was on a sugar high all day.

That night we had a bonfire and the Dixie Crows (Claude Locke and Will Reardon) performed at the beginning of the night. Later Matt picked up the guitar and played along with Will's bass (it was really awesome :) ). Karen Reardon took over the singing duties, although all the ladies (Mom, Karen, and myself) did give a heart-wrenching performance of "Danny Boy," which we believe will become our signature song. Then we had a great steak dinner and played Mexican Train dominoes until the wee hours (okay, midnight, but it felt a lot later).

Sunday morning came, and Matt and I had to hustle home so that I could work on all my homework. I actually managed to get some done in the car (he went home by a different route and I didn't even notice). When I got back, I had to work on my anatomy case study take home test, which took forever, and a biochemistry assignment, and I studied for my microbiology lab practical which was today (which turned out to be pretty easy, thank goodness). Today in lab, we looked more at the chest cavity and took out the lungs. We found all sorts of nerves, veins, and arteries in the thoracic cavity. It was cool. And again the weather was amazing. 71 degrees and sunny is pretty nice (as long as there's a breeze).

Okay, there's my massive update. Only eight more classes and four more days until spring break. Whizzeeeeeeeeeee....... (boom)