Happy Memorial Day!

Today we had our annual Memorial Day family swim party. My dad made bbq, Adam and I made homemade peanut butter cup and vanilla bean ice cream, and Maison dressed up in her red, white, and blue.

After lunch we all went swimming. It was a little on the cold side but it didn't deter Maison at all. She LOVES the water....just like Mommy ;o)

Texas Bound - PK Vacay day 8

So today we drove back to Texas. Maison wasn't near as good as a road tripper as she was on the way here. She literally did not take one nap. My arm needs to be amputated after holding the Mac in front of her so she could watch Baby Einstein videos. We heard the Sesame Street CD so many times I wanted to destroy it. Luckily the complete meltdown didn't happen until we hit the DFW metroplex and we were only about 30 min away from home.

Along the way we did hit some good spots. We had lunch at Prejean's in Lafayette (www.prejeans.com) which tabs itself as the first Cajun themed restaurant. With crawfish enchiladas being one of the house specialities, how could you go wrong? It was so good Adam insisted on buying the cookbook and Maison a 'mardi gras' alligator complete with the mardi gras hat.

We also found the most amazing truck stop I have ever seen in my life in Tyler, Texas. This place was humugo and was such a welcome site after a nasty ass stop at an Arby's in BFE, Louisiana where we had to feed Maison her dinner. They had such a good gift shop Adam kept finding things he liked and checked out 3 different times. They even had chocolate covered peanut butter filled pretzels which kept me from having a total meltdown at that point.

Unfortunately, Maison pretty much cried from Tyler to Dallas and I have to admit I joined her about the time we entered the DFW metroplex. Florida was a great time but I definitely don't see anymore road trips in our near future!

Fun Filled Last Day, Maison's 7mo B-day - PK Vacay Day 7

This morning we took Maison swimming and found out she likes to 'ski'. She absolutely loved standing on Adam's legs like she was skiing and being taken all over the pool.

While Maison was napping my mom agreed to watch her so that Adam and I could go check out FloraBama, the notorious bar on the Florida-Alabama state line that is featured in several Jimmy Buffett songs. It was literally right next door to our condo. FloraBama was originally constructed in 1964 and for years was the only establishment in the area. At the height of it's popularity it featured 20 bars, could house 4 live bands at one time, and simply never closed. Unfortunately, it was hit hard by Hurricane Ivan and has never been rebuilt to reflect it's glory days...though I will say it was under construction while we were there. FloraBama is home of the bushwhacker, a super delicious frozen concoction that is made with Kahlua. Now this is a 'house' speciality that even I can take part in! Given the loose FL alcohol laws we politely ordered up one to go so that my mom could try it.

The afternoon we spent at the beach.

We had Maison's 7 month birthday celebration at Cosmos's. The service sucked, Maison was fussy the entire time, and the food wasn't near as good as it was when Adam and I went last August... but throw in some good wine and all was good.

Bye Florida, we loved seeing you...and we took your advice:

We left nothing but our footprints ;o)

Floridians are Irish too - PK Vacay Day 6

Today we continued our trend of only eating in restaurants that are featured on the Food Network and drove to Pensacola to eat at McGuire's Irish Pub (www.mcguiresirishpub.com). McGuire's was founded in 1977 and has a tradition of stapling dollar bills to the ceiling. According to the restaurant, when owner Molly McGuire received a dollar as her first tip she stapled it behind the bar for good luck. Other patrons added to her collection and eventually they reached over $1 million. Adam heard that they had to insure the place for over $ 1 million because the dollars alone were worth that. Through the years people have written messages on their dollars before they stapled them to the walls or ceilings.

Of course we had to partake:

McGuire's has some amazing drinks...Adam tried several of their beers and the Irish Wake. I tried the Chocolate Moose and the frozen Irish Coffee. I just had to try the CM since we call Maison, "Moosen". It was basically a chocolate martini, but the frozen Irish Coffee was YUM CITY. Here is the description from Adam's Irish Wake, "This will knock you dead, but everyone enjoys and Old Fashioned Irish Wake. Comes in a dirty old mason jar from the cemetery, which ye can keep" Anything missing from this description? Uh, that would be what's in it. Did this deter Adam? NO WAY! It was green and smelled like straight liquor...need I say more?

My mom tasting the Belfast Bomber:

Trying Adam's Irish Wake:

Other interesting items: A $100 Grand Burger anyone? How about "Big Daddy Burger"...an item added to the menu by Aaron McCargo from Food Networks, "Big Daddy's House".

So once again we went with a Food Network featured restaurant and it did not disappoint.

Run Forrest, Run...Alabama Here I Come - PK Vacay Day 5

Monday morning I headed out for my hour run along the Perdido Key Blvd.  I was having such a good time that I missed my 30 min half way turn around and ended up running 10 min out of the way.  So today, I was going to do it...I was going to run all the way to Alabama and I was going to run it on the beach....hahaha!  Alabama is literally so close that if I threw a rock off our balcony it would land on the Bama state line.  I did really go run for an hour on the beach and I learned that I am WAY TOO old to do so.  

Running on the beach is super harder than it looks.  I thought the soft sand would feel good on my sore, plantar facisitis, ridden feet.  Nope, didn't feel so hot.  Not to mention that my knees hurt and my bursitis (yes, I have bursitis in my left hamstring and have since I was 25.  Nothing a little cortisone injection won't cure...I should know I've already had 1 of the 3 you are allowed in a lifetime.) decided to have a flare up.  I hit the 30 min turnaround wanting to have a taxi ride home.  I was literally out in the middle of now where.  I was at the part of the beach that there were no condos, no businesses, no people.  I contemplated walking back but if it took me 30 min to run there it would probably take me 45 min plus to walk back so I forged ahead.

I got back to our condo almost exactly an hour after leaving and this is what I had to say about the run:

- I hurt all over before I got back so you know tomorrow I'll feel awesome

- I got sunburned...how do you burn at 6:00 pm?

- I soaked my good running shoes because my slow, fat, ass couldn't move fast enough to get out of the way of the surf

- 2 bikers asked me if I knew of a hotel that rented by the night around here so either A).  They thought I lived on the Flora-bama state line and would know such info (ok...insulting) or B).  They thought I was involved in activities that happen at 'rent by the night' type places (uh...totally insulting).  I politely informed them I was here on vacation and didn't have such info.  

So at 35....ok, almost 36, I may not be too old to tango but I'm definitely too old to run on the beach.  

Beach Ball and Bubbles - PK Vacay Day 4

Since I was so proficient with the laptop while watching my Baby Einstein DVDs on the drive down, Mommy is letting me do this post.  Here are my highlights from Day 4

I like to feel the breeze blow through my hair...I giggle every time

Playing with my beach ball...

Watching the bubbles go by...

Water Baby - PK Vacay Day 3

Today was Maison's first day at the beach and first day swimming at the pool and she LOVED IT!!!  She's a water baby just like her mommy ;o)

Tasting my turtle and shovel...yep, tastes like salty sand...

      

Seeing the ocean for the first time...with daddy, mommy, and g-daddy!

     

I'm a water baby.  Loved, loved, loved the pool.  I can frog kick with the best of them and I wasn't scared a bit ;o)

  

Rain and Publix - PK Vacay Day 2

Yesterday it literally rained all day.  Rained like only it can in Florida and Texas.  Apparently there was a tornado watch for the county next to the one we are staying in.  Tornado?  in Florida...really?   Don't tornadoes usually hit Texas...not Florida?  High winds...check, massive amounts of rain...check.  Uh...in Florida isn't that usually symptoms of a hurricane?  Regardless, we didn't get anything that seemed like a tornado but the rain definitely sucked.  We did absolutely nothing all day except a trip to Publix.  

Maison in her "rain gear" ready to go to Publix:

Publix was an adventure...my parents, Adam-me-Maison, and Nannie each set out in separate directions picking out what we wanted.  Adam, my mom, and me are all good shoppers and when I say 'good shopper', I mean we all put anything that looks good in the buggy.  So when we got home we had nothing for dinner but lots of fruit, M&Ms, cookies, pies, ice cream, breads, and sandwich meats, but pretty much nothing else.  

When we were checking out the Asian teenage girl bagging our groceries was infatuated with Maison.  She literally followed us out of the store, stood with us while Adam pulled up the car and then helped load up 3 carts of groceries.  The entire time she was talking or playing with Maison.  What is it with Asians being enthralled with blonde haired, blue eyed (for now...I think they'll go brown) children?  I first learned of this sensation when Adam and I went to Beijing to visit Jan and Jason.  Their son JR (blonde/blue eyed) was treated like a celebrity every where we went the entire time we were there.  It was crazy!

Road Trippin - PK Vacay Day 1

On Saturday we were scheduled to leave at 5:00 am for our drive to Perdido Key.  Maison apparently sensed that she was about to be in the car for 12+ hrs and thus threw a class A fit from midnight to 3:15 am.  AWE-SOME....after packing up most of Maison's belongings, I didn't get to bed until just before midnight and had to get up at 4:00 am...so due to Maison's scream fest I did not go to sleep at all.  After packing up the car, closing up the house, and losing/finding Einstein our 5:00 am departure turned into 6:00 am.  Great start to a LONG road trip.

We had decided we would maintain Maison's eating schedule to try to keep things as normal as possible.  When she was sound asleep when it was time for her 7:00am feeding, we decided to just keep going.   The schedule went quickly out the window but Maison did great.  She would occasionally get a little fussy but nothing a Baby Einstein DVD wouldn't fix.  

When we got to Gulf Port, Mississippi, Adam wanted to have dinner at the Shed.  The Shed is a BBQ restaurant that has been featured on BBQ Paradise, The Best Thing I ever Ate, and Man vs Food...pretty much every show possible on Food Network and Adam lives to eat at restaurants that are featured on Food Network.  The Shed is exactly what it's sign said it was "The Shed, Barbeque & Blue's Joint...A Family Food Drinkery" as in they served food which was BBQ, they had a live band playing blues, there were lots of people consuming drinks, there were numerous people with babies and/or small children, and the place was literally a run down shed connected to a trailer.  What the sign didn't say was, "This is NO PLACE to take a baby; we are a good ole fashioned honky tonk that serves good BBQ."  I really felt like I was living the line out of Sweet Home Alabama, "You have a baby...in a bar."  Apparently, honky tonkin babies is acceptable in Mississippi but it was a little much for Maison.  She cried until we took her outside to eat at a picnic table in the sprinkling rain.  Here are Maison and Adam leaving The Shed....

About 15 hrs after our departure we arrived in Perdido Key, FL.  Anyone that has known me for more than 5 minutes knows that I don't do road trips.  Driving 3 hrs to Austin is about my threshold and that's only because there is a UT game waiting at the end of it.  It is amazing to me that after having literally no sleep and spending my entire day sitting in the back seat (yes, I know...I don't do back seats because it makes me car sick) trying to entertain Maison that we all made it in one piece.  At this point I definitely think Maison is a better road tripper than I am.

Subway Sucks!

There is a Subway on my way to work so since I don't go in until after lunch I stop to get a sandwich there at least 2 times per week.  I usually don't go until 1:30 or later but on Friday I was in a hurry (I know...laugh now) to get to work because we were leaving to go on vacay on Sat so I was there about 1:00.  It was super crowded with Plano Senior High kids but since it was pouring rain outside I decided just to wait.  It took 20 minutes just to get my sandwich.  There were no cups so I waited another 5 minutes for someone to get me a cup.  Then I tried to get some ice...that's right, no ice.  I asked 3 times for someone to refill the ice before I could get my coke.  I was in Subway a total of 45 min without actually eating...not exactly fast.

I got to Alcatel, opened "my" sandwich and it was tuna, with red onions, and cheese...sick out!  Definitely NOT my sandwich.  I was SO MAD...drive back in the pouring down rain mad...cut my finger on my freakin umbrella mad, wring water out of my jeans mad....so mad, that I felt sorry for the girl at Subway that was about to receive my tirade mad!!!!  

I decided it was better to go out in the pouring down rain than to starve.  I immediately asked for the manager when I got there and the Mexican girl that had made my sandwich responded, "No manager".    I was left wondering if that meant, "no manager after 2:00", "no manager at that time", "I am the manager and thus will act like there isn't one since this lady is pissed", or "my English is limited and I have no idea what manager is and thus will just say no manager".   I left this girl have it like only Conni Ellington could.  Afterwards, I of course apologized because I knew getting the wrong sandwich was not her fault because at the time SHE made my sandwich and the cashier mixed them up.  But she was the only one there when I returned and she was the one who knew my order when I asked for a replacement so she was on the receiving end of my complaints. 

I was so livid I can't remember exactly what I said but it was something along the lines of "you have a responsibility to provide the right sandwich"..."if I got the wrong sandwich so did someone else which is 2 unhappy customers"... "the senior high kids are customers too, just because it's busy, doesn't mean you can give them the wrong sandwich, run out of cups, and have no ice.  Their money is just as good as anyone else's."  And I finished up my monologue with, "I had to get out in the pouring down rain 4 times and cut my thumb on my umbrella, all for a Subway sandwich."  I don't think she got that I was pitching an awesome commercial ..must have been the limited English.

Alice, iPhone, and Wine...oh my!

We learned year's ago not to partake in the traditional mother's day brunch because they are always overpriced and always suck.  We usually do opening weekend at Lone Star Park...a nice afternoon at Silks, but with Maison we decided her introduction to the greatness of the gambling world could wait at least another year.  So Shari and I planned our mother's day celebration with our mom on Saturday.

My mom really wanted to go see Alice in Wonderland because she has always been intrigued by the story and even calls her best friend Gail, "Alice" and Gail calls my mom "the Mad Hatter".  Even though the reviews said it was terrible we all thought it was great.  Afterwards, we surprised my mom with a trip to Apple to get her new iPhone we gave her for M-day.  She was SO EXCITED!!!  She really wanted one and for once we all decided on a gift that we were able to get before she went and bought it for herself.  The afternoon we spent at Cru drinking wine and catching up.  We were all surprised when Adam dropped by with Maison to say hi.  It was so touching to get to see her for a few minutes when we were celebrating mother's day with my mom.  It was the perfect day...so much better than a brunch!

Sunday morning, Maison (ok...Adam) surprised me with the most gorgeous blue topaz and diamond ring.  I couldn't fathom how he had time to go buy a ring and he confessed that my mom had been his 'personal shopper'....now that's a good mommy ;o)  We went to my parents to have breakfast with my family and then spent the day relaxing.  It was a great first mother's day...

     

The Thumbery

So normally when I refer to the Thumb I'm talking about the Tom Thumb grocery store that is right around the corner from our house. Today's thumb is in regards to my plant caring skills or lack there of. Apparently, I have a knack for growing the world's most difficult flowers yet kill the world's easiest plants to care for...this is true inside and out.

Let's first look at some examples inside the house:

Orchids - I have 2 orchid plants that peacefully live in the 2 bathroom windows by our tub. I enjoy seeing them every day, think about watering them, and get around to it about once every 2 weeks. Other than that I do nothing which is apparently the best course to take with an orchid. My dad who can grow anything killed the orchid plant I gave my mom for Easter last year in about 2 weeks.

This one was given to me on July 8, 2008. Yes, I have an orchid plant that continues to bloom and has for almost TWO YEARS...even through all our home remodeling.

This one was given to me on Sept. 8, 2009. It is still in the original plastic papery pot it came in and look at all those blooms!

Lucky Bamboos - I had a lucky bamboo that came in a flower arrangement that Adam gave me when we were in London for Valentine's day in 2006. I smuggled it back into the US in a brand new Burberry coat that I had bought (aside: some BIZATCH first class flight attendant on an AA flight from Chicago to Dallas stole it...I'm still furious about it!). That lucky bamboo was killed by Einstein constantly drinking it's water and chewing on it's leaves so Adam bought me a replacement.

Here is the replacement...Yep, yellow and dead.

My mom left me a big lucky bamboo when she moved to her new house. It was 3 huge bamboos that she had grown for years. Why is there only 1 now? That's right 2 have already shriveled up and died. HOW ON EARTH can you kill this many lucky bamboos? ...apparently they are not so lucky!

Now for some outside examples:

Encore Azaleas - I've always loved azaleas and wanted to plant some around our back patio and pool. I talked to Carlos, our lawn guy, about planting them and he told me they wouldn't grow there because of the sun exposure and the poor quality of dirt. I was bound and determined to have azaleas so I decided I would do it myself. Last May, while I was about 4 months preggo, I dug out the entire flower bed down about a foot. Adam bought a tiller and churned the next layer of existing dirt with potting soil. My mom and I went and got 12 azalea bushes and my dad helped us plant them.

So over a year later...here are my azaleas in all their glory:

And Carlos said they wouldn't grow!

Palm Trees - We have 4 palms in our back yard, 3 of which have always flourished. Palms do really well in Dallas as long as you water them occasionally in the summer and be diligent about protecting them against the freeze in the winter. Apparently, this winter was a little much for our Mexican fan palms because I don't see a whole lot of fanning going on.

     

So for the "thumbery summary":

Inside plants - do nothing but sporadic watering

- Numerous lucky bamboo = killed

- 2 orchids = blooming

Outside plans - meticulous care

- Encore azaleas = blooming like crazy

- Mexican fan palms = dead; definitely not fanning

The only thing I can decipher from all of this is that I apparently have one green thumb and one brown one and should probably keep my 'thumbing' to shopping at "THE Thumb" as shopping is something I'm much more skilled at.

Cinco de Maison

If it's a holiday that is printed on the calendar then my mom will have a party for it, so Wednesday night we went to my parents to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with fajitas and margaritas. Maison unfortunately did not have a sombrero for her photo op but she did have a festive polka dot top...

     

Adam and I missed out on the Mexican Hat dance as we had to rush home for my conference call with China and India...apparently they don't care about the Mexicans winning their independence from France on this fine day in May.