Danny's 23rd Birthday

Danny's birthday this year fell in the middle of spring break.  While he got to have the day off from school, I still had to work all the week.  I was a little bummed at not being to spend time with him, but I had only been working a few weeks and couldn't really take it off.  Then, to my suprise, since we weren't as busy during the holiday week, my supervisor allowed each of us to take one day off.  I decided to suprise Danny with a homemade breakfast and the news that I got to stay home and spend it all with him for his birthday.  I had it all planned out.  I'd get up at the same time I normally did for work and just start making breakfast instead.  Danny is such a heavy sleeper, nothing wakes him up anyway, so I'd be okay there.  Once he woke up (around 9 am, since he got to sleep in during spring break), I could say "Surprise! Happy Birthday! I got the day off!" very cool, right?

... well, I didn't intend on one thing.  Everything was going great, the banana muffins were coming out of the oven, I was nearly done with the eggs and was in the middle of making a birthday banner, around 7:30, when Danny walks in, all bleary-eyed and says, "I smell banana bread! ... and aren't you supposed to be going to work?" ... *sigh* oh well, so much for my surprise.  I did make him go back to bed for half an hour until I finished though, haha, aren't I mean.  And yes, he was happy that I got to spend the day with him, and it was so much fun.  I hope he enjoyed it.

good morning sunshine! :)

"... there's food and presents. I'm happy."

(try to act surprised now, as though you didn't know what you were already getting since you picked it out...)

more Tom Clancy books, yay.

even our apartment complex wished him a happy birthday with balloons and cookies tied to our front door

per request, a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting! and of course twenty-three candles :)

make a wish!

... perhaps a bit too strong in blowing the candles out, lol?

Aquarena Center, pt 3 - wetlands

After the boat tour, we walked around the wetlands.  They have a walkway that goes out into the wetlands... while it was kinda interesting and I know that wetlands are important ecologically speaking, they aren't exactly great to look at though.

(in the distance, you can see Old Main, the administration building and highest point on campus - that building used to be the entire university in its early days)

everything just seemed to covered in a layer of muck ... even the turtles.

Aquarena Center, pt 2 - glass-bottom boat tour

The main event, the boat tour! and best of all, Danny got us student discounts! :)

... hard to see in the photo, but these are some of the spots where the underground springs bubble up through the bottom of the ponds, churning the water and sand.  ... it kinda looked like bubbling cream of wheat.

some areas roped off for research

some of the researchers passing under us

... their bubbles left air pockets on the glass of the boat making it really hard to see... :\

... this turtle was hanging out behind us when the boat started backing up. he didn't jump into the water until we'd already hit the log he was on... guess he lived, lol.

Aquarena Center, pt 1 - aquarium

the little aquarium ... we saw the whole place in about ten minutes while waiting for the next boat tour

all the fish, reptiles and amphibians were local to the area

small exhibit about the natural underground water resevoirs in the area

Parents visit Texas State

Since my parents never got a chance to see our place in College Station (I wouldn't let them see the place), they took a long weekend to see us in late February.  The weather was nice and we got to show them around town and on campus.  We also went to Aquarena Center, a former theme park that now serves as a preservation for the wetlands and natural springs along the river, and also gives glass-bottom boat tours and has a small aquarium.  It was really nice to spend some time with my parents and get to do some things around town that I probably would never have gotten around to seeing otherwise.

Here's photos of Danny taking us through campus, showing the highlights.

Welcome to Texas State University!

this is the history building, where most of Danny's classes are

the school mascot, Boko the Bobcat

... it is a very pretty campus, but waaaay too many stairs for my liking.

... see what I mean? way too many stairs... we've already climbed half of them.  This is the library.

Off in the back is the student center

looking at campus from the top of the library

construction on one of the new dorms ... they require freshman to live on campus, but the classes are growing faster than the dorm spaces.

... I wouldn't want to be in a wheel chair or crutches on this campus, that's for sure...

... one of the food courts on campus, where Danny and I have lunch together.

some of the ponds and fountains in front of my building, really pretty paths and parks where people come to feed the ducks and turtles

Theatre building, right next to the building I work in (... guess I forgot to take a picture of my building, lol).