Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Beethoven and Raythoven
My dad and Andrew had a blast playing the piano and creating original masterpieces that are bound to become classics. It was during this masterpiece creation that I chose to sit outside.
Laughing
My shaggy haired kiddo still laughs all the time. I absolutely love to hear it and catching it in action lets me re-live it over and over.
Monday, October 4, 2010
LSU Game - SO MUCH FUN!
I got back last week from a 4 night trip to Louisiana to visit my parents. I had the pleasure of being there during LSU football season. Hard to believe that in the 10 years that I've lived in Dallas I never went "home" during LSU Football.
I, of course, HAD to get tickets. The game was against the undefeated West Virginia team and started at 8pm. I contacted a few friends and let them know I was in town and ready to tailgate. We bought new LSU shirts, got a large daquiri from Daquiri Cafe and headed towards LSU. We arrived to campus around 1pm - which is actually extremely late to start tailgating, but "this old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be" so I planned accordingly for my day of boozing and balling, LSU style.
The day of tailgating was absolutely awesome. I forgot how ALIVE that campus is during game day. There were thousands upon thousands of people all in their purple and gold attire with smiles from ear-to-ear. It was actually quite therapeutic being there and being a part of something that was such a huge part of my past (and this time remembering every single part of it... ).
The easiest way to explain my time at the LSU Game is in a list...so, here are the 10 things I learned while at the LSU game.
1. I feel sorry for Mike the Tiger. His "home" is very much Garden of Eden kind of luxury. Unbelievable the amenities his little hotel has - but he is missing a girlfriend. I kept wondering whether he gets conjugal visits because as pretty as it was, it seemed kinda lonely. Granted - this was after several hours of tailgating so my compassion meter was off the charts. The more I "tailgate" the more I want to rescue tigers, save the whales and let misunderstood felons sleep on my couch.
2. Tailgating is FUN - the food is good, everyone is happy, you are encouraged to get crazy and people think it's funny. When there is a line to play Beer Pong - you know you are going to have fun.
3. Tailgating by a bathroom is MUCH more important to me at 34 years old than it was to me at 20 years old. Not sure if my bladder has shrunk or the idea of peeing behind a tree is no longer acceptable - either way - big fan of tailgating by a restroom.
4 . I miss my friends from college - A LOT.
5. I miss LSU Football Games - A LOT.
6. It IS possible for your seats to be "too good". This happened to us - we were so close to the field that we could not see many of the plays - kind of a "forest through the trees" situation. However, we loved our seats, the people around us and the fact that we could sneak in a flask of Crown Royal without getting frisked. No more taping it to my inner-thigh as I entered the student section like when I was younger.
7. Leaving the game and going the opposite way from home to try to "trick the rest of the traffic" does not work. Apparently, tons of people live the other way too. I've never claimed to be a real brainiac.
8. I don't hate Les Miles, don't hate Jordan Jefferson and don't hate any part of those games. Go for 10 years not getting to see a game in person and then see if you want to complain. We are an undefeated team with a fan-base that seems to have some unrealistic expectations at times.
9. Not to be a complainer but there was a point in the game that I was embarrassed to be a part of the LSU fan base. To me, booing your team is not justified - EVER. I was extremely disappointed when it happened and will still speak quite passionately about the subject. I don't give a darn why the boos were occurring - it's just wrong. These are kids - nervous, insecure kids playing in front of 94,000 people along with a national television audience in the millions. The pressure has got to be unbelievable. And, yes - I understand that people were not booing at the team as much as they were booing at Les Miles and the coaching crew's decisions - but again, I don't care. The perception from the outside looking in is that we don't support our team and our expectations are either win a national championship or get fired. So - don't boo. Send an email, post your opinion on Facebook, twitter your frustrations or show up on campus with a picket sign against Les Miles - but don't boo 19 year old kids. It's just tacky.
10. To end on a positive note - I had an unbelievable time. LSU games are a blast! I walked all over campus, saw tons of people, remembered some unbelievable times from my past and came to the realization that attending home LSU Games should be more of a priority. We will be visiting Louisiana more often to make this happen - so it's a win-win!
I, of course, HAD to get tickets. The game was against the undefeated West Virginia team and started at 8pm. I contacted a few friends and let them know I was in town and ready to tailgate. We bought new LSU shirts, got a large daquiri from Daquiri Cafe and headed towards LSU. We arrived to campus around 1pm - which is actually extremely late to start tailgating, but "this old gray mare, she ain't what she used to be" so I planned accordingly for my day of boozing and balling, LSU style.
The day of tailgating was absolutely awesome. I forgot how ALIVE that campus is during game day. There were thousands upon thousands of people all in their purple and gold attire with smiles from ear-to-ear. It was actually quite therapeutic being there and being a part of something that was such a huge part of my past (and this time remembering every single part of it... ).
The easiest way to explain my time at the LSU Game is in a list...so, here are the 10 things I learned while at the LSU game.
1. I feel sorry for Mike the Tiger. His "home" is very much Garden of Eden kind of luxury. Unbelievable the amenities his little hotel has - but he is missing a girlfriend. I kept wondering whether he gets conjugal visits because as pretty as it was, it seemed kinda lonely. Granted - this was after several hours of tailgating so my compassion meter was off the charts. The more I "tailgate" the more I want to rescue tigers, save the whales and let misunderstood felons sleep on my couch.
2. Tailgating is FUN - the food is good, everyone is happy, you are encouraged to get crazy and people think it's funny. When there is a line to play Beer Pong - you know you are going to have fun.
3. Tailgating by a bathroom is MUCH more important to me at 34 years old than it was to me at 20 years old. Not sure if my bladder has shrunk or the idea of peeing behind a tree is no longer acceptable - either way - big fan of tailgating by a restroom.
4 . I miss my friends from college - A LOT.
5. I miss LSU Football Games - A LOT.
6. It IS possible for your seats to be "too good". This happened to us - we were so close to the field that we could not see many of the plays - kind of a "forest through the trees" situation. However, we loved our seats, the people around us and the fact that we could sneak in a flask of Crown Royal without getting frisked. No more taping it to my inner-thigh as I entered the student section like when I was younger.
7. Leaving the game and going the opposite way from home to try to "trick the rest of the traffic" does not work. Apparently, tons of people live the other way too. I've never claimed to be a real brainiac.
8. I don't hate Les Miles, don't hate Jordan Jefferson and don't hate any part of those games. Go for 10 years not getting to see a game in person and then see if you want to complain. We are an undefeated team with a fan-base that seems to have some unrealistic expectations at times.
9. Not to be a complainer but there was a point in the game that I was embarrassed to be a part of the LSU fan base. To me, booing your team is not justified - EVER. I was extremely disappointed when it happened and will still speak quite passionately about the subject. I don't give a darn why the boos were occurring - it's just wrong. These are kids - nervous, insecure kids playing in front of 94,000 people along with a national television audience in the millions. The pressure has got to be unbelievable. And, yes - I understand that people were not booing at the team as much as they were booing at Les Miles and the coaching crew's decisions - but again, I don't care. The perception from the outside looking in is that we don't support our team and our expectations are either win a national championship or get fired. So - don't boo. Send an email, post your opinion on Facebook, twitter your frustrations or show up on campus with a picket sign against Les Miles - but don't boo 19 year old kids. It's just tacky.
10. To end on a positive note - I had an unbelievable time. LSU games are a blast! I walked all over campus, saw tons of people, remembered some unbelievable times from my past and came to the realization that attending home LSU Games should be more of a priority. We will be visiting Louisiana more often to make this happen - so it's a win-win!
GEAUX TIGERS!!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Hot Air Balloons!
The Plano Balloon Festival was going on this weekend. Jeff and I have discussed going multiple times over the years, but never found the time to actually go. Well, now that we have Andrew, we made it a priority. We figured he may be too young to enjoy the hot air balloons, but we wanted him to see them anyway.
The key to actually enjoying this festival is to get there at the crack of dawn to watch all of the hot air balloons airing up and taking off for the morning. We dragged ourselves out of bed at about 5:30am and I woke up Andrew at 5:45 am. Now, keep in mind, Andrew is not an "early riser" like many babies. He usually sleeps till about 8:30am, so 5:45am was waaaayyyy early for him (notice the pictures).
We made it out while it was still dark and set up our chairs along the field. We watched as tons of balloons got ready, aired up and took off in to the rising sun. It was pretty neat and I'm glad we got to see it. We left after about an hour and brought Andrew home for a nap.
I'm glad that I can say we finally went, but there are not many things in life that warrant rising before the sun does. So, chances are good - we will not be venturing to see the balloons next year. But, maybe when he is a little bit older and can truly enjoy it, we will go again.
The key to actually enjoying this festival is to get there at the crack of dawn to watch all of the hot air balloons airing up and taking off for the morning. We dragged ourselves out of bed at about 5:30am and I woke up Andrew at 5:45 am. Now, keep in mind, Andrew is not an "early riser" like many babies. He usually sleeps till about 8:30am, so 5:45am was waaaayyyy early for him (notice the pictures).
We made it out while it was still dark and set up our chairs along the field. We watched as tons of balloons got ready, aired up and took off in to the rising sun. It was pretty neat and I'm glad we got to see it. We left after about an hour and brought Andrew home for a nap.
He does not look tired at all. :-) (Notice the Cowboys Jersey -
Another Sunday of wearing it - another Sunday
of the Cowboys losing - a change may be in order).
Another Sunday of wearing it - another Sunday
of the Cowboys losing - a change may be in order).
Jeff was making the faces and noises that Andrew was
making right before we decided it was time to go. Needless to say, he was
not very entertained by the balloons...Andrew, that is.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
1st Cowboy Game Of 2010
Sunday was the first game of the 2010 Season and the entire family was in Cowboys Attire. I would like to think that I looked the cutest, but I doubt that. Here is our fella ready to cheer on the Cowboys. Now, unfortunately, we lost the first game AND Andrew was asleep before it even started...but I figure our hearts were in the right place.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Crock Pot Crazy
I was checking out a friend of mine's blog (thanks Andrea!) and noticed that she linked to a site called A Year Of SlowCooking. It immediately caught my attention and I had a light-bulb moment. That was going to be the key to solving all of my current "issues"...
Here were my "Issues" - at least the ones that I'm willing to deal with...
1. I eat way too late at night because I end up working and then dealing with Andrew to put him to bed and then I look up and it's 8:30 or 9pm and I'm famished.
2. Because I'm famished - all thoughts of healthy eating go right out the window. I don't have time to cook, don't have the desire to cook and will eat just about anything you put in front of my face.
3. Once I eat, I'm ready to go to bed - so I actually go to sleep with a full stomach and almost everyone knows not to do that if you ever want to lose weight.
4. By the end of the month, I've lost no weight and spent WAY too much money on stupid drive through and fast food.
So, this brings me back to my light-bulb moment. I decided that this woman was on to something. Now, I'm not interested in cooking anything, anywhere for 365 days in a row, but I figured I could dedicate myself to use my slow cooker for 5 dinners a week for a month. This would give us 5 nights of healthy eating that would be cheap and complete by 6:30pm. I started to peruse her site for healthy options in the slow cooker. My plan was to start with 5 recipes and shop for those so I would be completely ready as I "prepared" dinner each morning at 7:30am. I ended up on her site (crockpot365.blogspot.com), the FoodNetwork.com and AllRecipes.com in the slow cooker area (http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Main-Dish/Slow-Cooker/Top.aspx). I found my 5 to begin this project. Once that week was over, I found 5 more and I've listed below the ones we have tried:
Meal 1 : Slow Cooker Shrimp Creole - Compliments of Ms. Paula Deen - IT WAS GOOD!!
Meal 2: Chicken With Potatoes - Very good too - but would not use a full chicken the next time because it fell apart and we had to pick the bones out.
Meal 3: Taco Soup - Super! Was very good and had so much extra that I did not need to cook anything the next day.
Meal 4: Pork Roast - Another big winner - Going in to the normal rotation.
Meal 5: Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches - Bit too much "buffalo wing" taste for me - but Jeff loved it.
Meal 6: Sour Cream Pork Chops - WHOA - Very good.
Meal 7: Chicken Pot Pie Stew - Cooking right now - so we shall see...
Now, some of these may not sound healthy, but they actually were pretty darn good and healthy. Calories per serving was under 300. The sour cream, ground beef, etc... were all the lighter, leaner versions. I can post recipes for everything. I'll likely make all of it again and this time will take pictures to go along with my recipe.
Hopefully this sticks because I've saved money, lost 3 pounds the first week and it is super easy. Yay!!
Here were my "Issues" - at least the ones that I'm willing to deal with...
1. I eat way too late at night because I end up working and then dealing with Andrew to put him to bed and then I look up and it's 8:30 or 9pm and I'm famished.
2. Because I'm famished - all thoughts of healthy eating go right out the window. I don't have time to cook, don't have the desire to cook and will eat just about anything you put in front of my face.
3. Once I eat, I'm ready to go to bed - so I actually go to sleep with a full stomach and almost everyone knows not to do that if you ever want to lose weight.
4. By the end of the month, I've lost no weight and spent WAY too much money on stupid drive through and fast food.
So, this brings me back to my light-bulb moment. I decided that this woman was on to something. Now, I'm not interested in cooking anything, anywhere for 365 days in a row, but I figured I could dedicate myself to use my slow cooker for 5 dinners a week for a month. This would give us 5 nights of healthy eating that would be cheap and complete by 6:30pm. I started to peruse her site for healthy options in the slow cooker. My plan was to start with 5 recipes and shop for those so I would be completely ready as I "prepared" dinner each morning at 7:30am. I ended up on her site (crockpot365.blogspot.com), the FoodNetwork.com and AllRecipes.com in the slow cooker area (http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Main-Dish/Slow-Cooker/Top.aspx). I found my 5 to begin this project. Once that week was over, I found 5 more and I've listed below the ones we have tried:
Meal 1 : Slow Cooker Shrimp Creole - Compliments of Ms. Paula Deen - IT WAS GOOD!!
Meal 2: Chicken With Potatoes - Very good too - but would not use a full chicken the next time because it fell apart and we had to pick the bones out.
Meal 3: Taco Soup - Super! Was very good and had so much extra that I did not need to cook anything the next day.
Meal 4: Pork Roast - Another big winner - Going in to the normal rotation.
Meal 5: Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches - Bit too much "buffalo wing" taste for me - but Jeff loved it.
Meal 6: Sour Cream Pork Chops - WHOA - Very good.
Meal 7: Chicken Pot Pie Stew - Cooking right now - so we shall see...
Now, some of these may not sound healthy, but they actually were pretty darn good and healthy. Calories per serving was under 300. The sour cream, ground beef, etc... were all the lighter, leaner versions. I can post recipes for everything. I'll likely make all of it again and this time will take pictures to go along with my recipe.
Hopefully this sticks because I've saved money, lost 3 pounds the first week and it is super easy. Yay!!
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