The List

So, I've been up to my (not at the moment) well-manicured eyebrows in my undergrad studies here lately. As of this moment in time I have 2 papers, 1 project, & 2 tests left in my 'official' semester. My hope is to plow through those & get another class (or 2) squeezed in.

And then there's the usual, every day stuff that goes into my days & weeks- there's MOPS, church & serving the nursery once or twice a month. There's the never ending loads of laundry. The dinners that must get made- I feed myself, J, my mother & father and my grandmother. I love that. Cooking relaxes me- but it takes time and thought, to be sure. There are playdates with my best 'mommy friend' Faith & her little girl, L. And then, there are grown-up playdates with my peeps on those occasional nights or days when Jacob is with his dad.

.... and then, shepherding Jacob through his toddler & pre-school years. :-) That's my favorite job.

All this to say that there's a stack of books by my bed that are begging.... no, pleading with me to pick them up and crack open the spine. It's tragic, I tell you. (I won't even get started on the mass pile-up that's on my dvr right now. That would be a whole other, whiny post.)

So, I thought I would grace you with my abandoned reading list. Check them out & feel free to read any of them & tell me what you think... it might be a while before I get to them!

1. The Hole in the Gospel- Richard Stearns
2. Atlas Shrugged- Ayn Rand
3. 1776- David McCoullough
4. Arguing with Idiots- Glenn Beck
5. East to the Dawn (The Life of Amelia Earhart)- Susan Butler
6. The Lincolns- Daniel Mark Epstein
7. The Last Days of the Romanovs- Helen Rappaport
8. Mrs. Dalloway- Virginia Woolf
9. How to Eat- Nigella Lawson (this is an on-going reading project, to make my way through!)
10. Call of Duty- Lt. Lynn "Buck" Compton
11. Vanity Fair- Willliam Makepeace Thackeray
12. Augustus- Anthony Everitt
13. The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood- Sears

Yes, that's the gamut of reading tastes- fiction, history, biography, auto-bio, cooking, health.
What about you? What's on your reading list?

Think of This as a Public Service Anouncement

..... for your culinary health.



A few tasty suggestions for your dining pleasure in the DFW, Texas area. :-)



Chuy's- do I really need to explain this? I heart this place. The salsa is kinda like chunky pico. Yummy and fresh. And the margaritas are darn tasty too. Just sayin'.



Papasito's- yeah, the Godfather of tasty Tex-Mex.... which is kinda odd since the people who own the chain are Greek, I believe.



Jorg's- if you want good, and I mean great, Austrian food... go here now.



Urban Crust- My favorite pizza in the world. Yeah, it's that good. I recommend the "Shea's East Side" pizza. Oh, and the "Hearts of Plano" salad. It's big enough for two.



Ajisen- it's kinda like my own personal "Cheers", only it's a Japanese restaurant. I go for the sushi & I'm never disappointed. Go at lunch time and try the lunch roll combo- 2 rolls, salad & miso soup for $10. It's in Richardson, in Little Chinatown off Greenville road.



Buco de Beppo- yes, it's an Italian chain. But, darn it, it's good food. And the family style makes me happy... it makes me think of my Grandma's house when there's lots of food and family... and that just gives me all kinds of warm fuzzies on the inside.

And this concludes your PSA for today. Have a lovely day!

and go eat some great food! :-)

A Trip in Pictures

Here are just a few pictures from our Labor Day trip. We had fun- I love Austin. I really do.


This is what happens when some drunk in the hotel pull the fire alarm at 5am.... and it get stuck in the on position & goes off twice. The first time, J fell back to sleep... the 2nd time, not so much. He ended up in the bed with me. (Special thanks to my dad for snapping this less than charming picture of me. That's what happens when you and your 2 year old share a hotel room with your mom and dad.)

In line at the Oasis- we waited quite a long time for a table. And then considered adopting into the family the waiter who bumped us out of the line & sat us in his station. Bless him. Bless him.

J and my Dad at the Oasis.

The obligatory picture of a sleeping 2 year old in his carseat. He fought each and every nap. The child didn't want to miss one thing.

Inside the Texas State Capital. Remind me to dedicate an entire post to the several pictures it took just to get this one, semi-decent picture. It makes me totally ok with the fact that my child is not looking at the camera.

If you get a chance to tour the Bob Bullock museum- take the time. It was really wonderful.

Yes... Just take a moment & share in my joy. I took J to the UT campus. It was a proud moment for me.

My new favorite picture!

We're Still Here

Watching twisters on live tv is amazing television, I tell you. Tornado drills are also lots of fun too. There's nothing like gathering together in a very tiny bathroom to bring you together as a family...

... and make you realize that you do not have a current (read: complete or anything) disaster kit.

Put that on my to-do list.

And for the record- may I just state my amazement at having several twisty twisters touch down around north Texas because of a Tropical Storm? Crazy. And ALL THE FLOODING. Thank you so much Tropical Storm Hermine for dumping all that rain on my home state. Holy Noah and his Traveling Ark, Batman.

From this point on, there's not going to be much of a flow going on to this post.

We went to Austin for Labor Day. I took my Lad to the Holy Land- I mean, the University of Texas campus. :-) We went to the stadium for a photo-op & he cheered for the Horns & their mighty school crest. It brought a tear to my eye. I'll have an Austin trip post soon (I hope) complete with pictures. And some restaurant reviews. There was some tasty, tasty chow that was consumed on that trip!

I need a new purse. I have retired the pretty, pretty pink purse for the fall (sad day) & I don't love any of my three current options. I think a trip to Charming Charlie is in order for yours truly.

I need some signature necklace pieces for the fall. (and when I say "need", I totally mean "really want")

Does anyone else love those chunky, flow-y sweater? Love.

I also really need a couple of new ballet-flat'esqe shoes. Hopefully in animal print. (and some high-heels in that print would be great too.)

I do now declare that a trip to Charming Charlie is in order.

Rainy, Rainy, Rainy

Yes, you may have guessed from the oh so clever post title, it's a rainy, rainy day. Actually, it's been a rainy couple of days. Tropical Storm Hermine is making her presence known even here in north Texas. We've got so darn much rain that there's been flash flooding all over the place & now, there are tornado warnings dotting all around where I live.

Am I taking adequate and immediate shelter with my loved ones? Umm, no. I'm perched on my bed "writing a paper", watching Pete Delkus & blogging. :-) Why? Cause it's what I do. And, since there's not a warning on the exact spot where I live, I feel rather safe at the moment.

But yall know what's totally bizarre? Listening to Steve McCauley on the phone on Channel 8 saying, "It's on the ground. The tornado is on the ground."...... he's currently chasing it. Well, I hope he's seeking shelter- cause I'm watching it on the tv & it's a little freaky.

and mesmerizing..... (thank you, HD Chopper 8)

I used to make fun of my mother when I was younger- she would tell me 'twister' stories & one in particular made me shake my head- she stood in her front yard and watched the twister. I could not fathom that. And now, here I am- totally mesmerized by this.

Here's a Few Things I Would Never Want to Hear When Anywhere NEAR a Wall Cloud
1. it's closing in on us
2. multiple vortices
3. lots of damage
4. debris that's being knocked around & lifted up
5. cars driving TOWARDS it
6. transformer fire

Crazy People.