had a great time bouncing between the 150-year-old Menger bar, Pat O's, the apartment and the river walk this weekend. totally worn out from the weekend but strangely, can't wait to do it again. and by the way, San Antonio is totally underrated. so glad supper club was able to make the trip and so grateful Chris and Sue let us stay.
Also-- rest assured that I confirmed, once again, that mimosas make mornings marvelous!
easily said that a good time was had by all.
(photos pending)
not far from home, in a rich and historic town always full of visitors, the city is waking up.
groups on walks, people on bikes, sidewalk signs set back up, tables being set for lunch, cupped hands peering into the windows of yet-to-open businesses, the volume slowly rising, visitors pointing out sights, occasionally someone spots me and waves curiously.
I've got my own soundtrack playing in my ear but I wonder what their soundtrack would sound like.
my coffee cup is almost empty. guess i'll join the cityscape on the sidewalk before long.
also known as streams... I dedicate this tri-post to my precious husband. Bless his heart.
Realization: So I have had a crazy headache in the afternoons for the past three days. Hmm….allergens aren't particularly high right now, so not an sinus headache… no evening cocktails to blame, so not a hangover… I've pretty much stayed off the caffeine since the whole encounter with the 'roids for my back, save for a few cokes lately, but not a caffeine headache… So I continue to ask myself...what on earth could this be about!?! I've been listing and detailing my ailments trying to figure out what on earth could be the source of this afternoon into evening pounding, radiating headache. So yesterday I'm talking to the Mister and say I *think* I may have figured it out… *maybe* it's the tub of gum 10 steps away from my desk...
Mr.P: Uh, yeah. Most likely. How much have you been chewing?
Me: Um, prolly about 1-2 dozen pieces a day.
Mr.P: And for how many days?
Me: Uh… three.
Mr.P: What kind of gum is it?
Me: Dubble Bubble! You know, the old-school kind?
Mr.P: Yeah, the kind loaded with sugar and after about 10 seconds it turns into concrete?
Me: Yep! That kind.
Mr.P: Yes. I think that is the source of your three days of mystery headaches.
Why can't some things be just a little more obvious? Anyhow, I laid off the gum today and magically: no headache. Another great side effect: my teeth won't have rotted out by my next dentist visit.
Baffled: my recent hankering for mexican vanilla from Amy's Ice Cream. Sure, it's an iconic Austin-esque thing, and I know it's great, but it's just not something that pops into my head as something to run go get. Coffee? yes. Thundercloud? All the time. Amy's? notsomuch. Undergrad at UT… maybe 3 trips total. While living in Dallas & visiting… 0 trips. Since moving back to Austin: none until… the past week or so and I've had it 3 times and I can't seem to stop craving the stuff. Seriously. How could I have been missing out on that Mexican Vanilla goodness all these years? I tasted "Batter Up" last night and though it was delicious and tasted just like cake batter as I was hoping for, But I just couldn't pass on the opportunity for more M-Vanilla. So, thank you, Amy! You surely deserve your Austin-Icon status. Not that I ever doubted you, it's just that I'm now whole-heartedly behind it.
Final stream-of-consciousness: maybe it's the increased amount of sugar intake recently, but I have really felt the need to describe to Mr. Price my streams of consciousness that back up or lead-up-to my random commentary. Once I finish with my diatribe, that goes like this: "You said [fill-in-the-details], which reminded me of [fill-in-the-details], that made me think of [fill-in-the-details], so I was wondering [fill-in-the-details] and then remembered to tell you that [pause] so… that's why I said [fill-in-the-blank]… in case you were wondering." And bless his heart, he just listens to my rambles, nods and says, "I figured something like that."
So a big "thank you" to you, Mr. Price. For the late-night trips for ice cream, your patience with my sugar-induced ramblings and the wherewithal to recognize the source of my ailments. As a prize, I'd like to take you out for a treat. Best thing I can think of-- and since I'm sure you already know where that will be, you pick the flavor. xoxo~me
Had a great time with Team Skaggs on Monday night. Sam discovered how completely hilarious it is to give zerberts (or blurzurts, whatever you want to call them) and laughed maniacally as he "attacked" his mom & dad. It was fantastic. There might not be a better sound in the world (Sam laughing, that is... not the zerbert). And sweet Jane slept right through it!
Spent a lovely weekend in Dallas and got to catch up with friends I hadn't seen in AGES... Kelley and Jim have *officially* moved back to Texas, got to see Whit and her new pre-chemo super-short cut, got to spend countless hours catching up with Sister Sarah before her and Miguel move to Oman AND see Shelb and hear about her newlywed marital bliss. Great weekend. Incredible friends. Relaxing (and constant) conversation.
Mia's for dinner and Breadwinners for Brunch
Andy & Tennasyn and Whit & Tennasyn
Shelb & Celie-Louise and Sister Sarah
Then I-35 happened. There's just no two ways about it. I hate that stretch of highway-- no matter how great the weekend was, onceI got home and spent an hour all tense and stressed out... trying to relax from having 18-wheelers fishtail and fly past me on the right while some moron riding on my bumper and the shoulder missing and replaced with a concrete wall inches to my left... all while whizzing along 15+ miles over the speed limit. Safety first, huh?
Thankfully, my Zen returned: Family dinner tonight was at Ski Shores. The whole fam in tow, we took a slow cruise up lake Austin on the pontoon boat while the sun set and we passed Madeleine around.
Sometimes reality isn't so bad.
Aunt Mimi and Maddie
If only I didn't have to return to work tomorrow....
Daddy-o and Madeleine as "Queen of the World!"
Maddie having a blast and showing 2 of 6 teeth
Sunday we went to a cooking class at Hudson's on the Bend. It's the fantastic little restaurant way out of the way (by lake travis) but it continually gets voted the #1 Austin restuarant year after year. Impressive feat for a city that takes eating out so seriously. We've had reservations there a couple times, but have always opted for something a bit closer in. BOY were we missing out.
The class is at the owners' house which overlooks lake travis-- really cool house. You sip wine under a canopy and they go over techniques and tools while teaching you several great recipes (which they give you a printed copy of to take along your merry way). Most noteably was the most incredible lobster ever: they steam it briefly then "cook" it in 3-5 pounds of melted butter in a sauce pan over the stove. My mouth is watering just thinking of it. They they showed us their hot & crunch way of battering -anything- and smoked quail, various sauces, berries flambee, to name a few. Incredible. Smelled divine. And the owner and head chef were awesome- very knowledgeable, down-to-earth and entertaining, too.
Then we all went to the restuarant and enjoyed a full 4 course meal of everything we had just learned to cook. Amazing. FANTASTIC afternoon- I highly recommend it to anyone cooking enthusiast, foodie or restauant junkie for a special occasion, a random weekend or learning. Can't wait to go back. Okay... done gushing~
Here's the kicker: SO.... we learned during the class -among many other handy tidbits- that cilantro is the only natural substance known to actually REMOVE metals from our bodies. Sure enough! Who knew? This little bit of trivia keeps popping up in my head. Can't get it to stop. So I FINALLY have a way to remove all that mercury I've been harboring from eating so much sushi through the years. WHEW~ Don't know about you, but I'll sleep better knowing this!
And it removes aluminum and lead, too. Didn't even realize I could have that in here, too. But now I can happily get rid of it all while consuming a lovely little herb.
I kept thinking about this magical little fact until I decided to Google it to learn more about it... so I found article (among others) to learn more about this history of this brilliant finding. Which lead (no pun intended) me to learn about Chelation which is a fancy word for removing heavy metals from the bloodstream. Anyway, I sure Annie is proud of my research.
I don't know that i'll be making that incredible butter-cooked lobster in the price household anytime soon... but you can guaran-damn-tee that I'll be cookin' up a boat load of cilantro pesto and pico. Let me know if you're interested and I'll share the new cilantro recipes I discover =)
Good news #1: Georgia's test have come back clear - the tumor did not spread! And that sweet little baby turned one on the 19th without that nasty tumor and wearing a precious little pink tutu.
Really, I think I could stop here, because hearing this news made my WEEK last week. Just forgot to post about it.
Good news #2: In spite of being diagnosed with breast cancer at age 29, my college roomie is as brave and determined as anyone could possibly hope to be given her situation. Her double masectomy is scheduled for Friday and all she can say is how confident she is in her treatment, looking forward to her new tatas and how even if she ends up with chemo- she'll have a bald head just in time for the summer heat. Now, seriously... how's that for silver lining. Such a tough cookie.
Good news #3: Our air conditioner is fixed AND I don't have to sleep in the cabana tonight. =) Still don't have the bill - but whatever, I'm not melting.
Life is good.
All-in, we had a magnificent Memorial Day weekend. Joe didn’t work the whole time (in spite of the trial starting on Tuesday) and we had a sun-filled, action packed weekend. Hot days in the sun and at the lake… and for some reason, the heat wasn’t that bad. I didn’t even mind the 100+ heat index outside.
But for some reason, I find the 85 degree temperature in my house at 11:30 at night completely unbearable. The bloody A/C quit working and no one could come work on it until tomorrow even though we called on Sunday) and now I am cooking in here and for some reason feel about 40 degrees hotter than when it really was 20 degrees hotter. So for the first time in a year and a half, we will be spending the night in the cabana. Yes, for all my b!tchin’ about the cabana and how much I hated living in it during the renovation… I simply could not be happier for it tonight because that cute little a/c is kickin’ out there and it is already MUCH cooler than it is in the house (and as it happens- it is actually hotter inside the house than it is outside right now).
Now I just have to face my fears of that little bathroom again. But I’ll choose my battles... And tonight I choose air conditioning.
So, yesterday two- count ‘em, TWO friends informed me they were preggers and Due Nov 2. Very excited for them =)
And speaking of bebes.. how stinkin’ precious is my niece?? Took these pictures while working from home—my mom would come check on me and bring Maddie over for entertainment.
And more Maddie pictures if you just can't get enough...
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8UZOWLhu1bX8
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8UZOWLhu1bW4
Now -- on a more serious note -- during my ode to bebes: sending out heartfelt wishes and prayers that little Georgia's tests come back clear. I cannot even imagine what Em & Kipper must be going through right now-- absolutely heart wrenching. Everyone I can think of is saying prayers for the best news possible and for peace of mind during her recovery. I can't stop thinking about you guys. The worst has got to be behind us now.
