Living the Lubbock Life

Well, I thought I would post a little more of my Lubbock fun!

For one thing there are jack rabbits everywhere and they are just huge and awkward, like so:

Also, I found out that you can purchase all kinds of crazy "exotic" animals here, including prairie dogs.  Now I was extremely amused by this as they live all over the sides of the roads in good 'ol Colorado...but here...pets.  Obviously, since I had never had the opportunity before...I had to hold one.  He was fat and squishy and sorta soft...he had ugly teeth though...and he LOVED a good belly rub!  I also learned that they have no depth perception and if left on a high surface...will walk right off of it and kill him self and not have a clue...ha....prairie dogs.  You can also buy marmosets, which is weird and cool all at once...so tiny...so cute:

We pretty much shopped til we dropped all day!  We went to Texas Tech again to go to their greek shop because i thought a XO t-shirt with Texas Tech on it would be a great souvenir...they were sol out so i ended up with a keychain and a luggage identifier...Rho Beta go Chi O!!!!

We also went to all these cute decorating shops.  They have some interesting trends here in Texas!  They like to paint metal and cut out words and such then glue glass and beads, etc on them to make them pretty...I got two pieces to bring home, I will take pics and post once they are hanging in their new homes at my house!!!

We also ate at this little burger joint called Blue Sky Burgers...they were SO good.  It's like a fast food/sit down place...man that trend is spreading like wild fire!   It was one of the best burgers I have had and um...can I just say...we have all had Huey's so I know a good burger when I meet one!

The highlight of the day though had to be Painting with a Twist.  It's this little shop, apparently we have one in Germantown...I will be frequenting it, and they have painting classes several nights a week.  Now this is not a technique painting class, they simply walk you through steps to paint the painting you signed up for off of their calendar.  It's so fun, go at your pace...and you end up with a pretty neat piece of art...but you know what else is cool?   You can bring wine!  Yea!   You can also have painting parties and you get to pick out the painting your group wants them to show you how to paint.  Tonight we did "Looking Up,"  I think it turned out nicely:

Well, I start the trek back to Memphis tomorrow afternoon.  I am NOT going straight through all 12 hours this time!  Going to stop in Dallas, spend the night and get up and hopefully be back to my house and my pup and my wonderful husband by lunchtime or shortly thereafter on Saturday!!!  Texas is a fun adventure but turns out...I like to be at home with my man!!

See you soon Volunteer state!!!

Trek through Texas...

HOLY WOW FOLKS!!!   One, Texas is HUGE...I drove through it all day and I never got to the other side...like for real...9 hours and there were at least 300 miles left when I reached my destination!

On my trek I saw the following (in order of appearance):

Texas Ranches complete with horses and cows, Dallas, Six Flags, Cowboys Stadium, tumbleweeds, Ft. Worth, lots of empty land, mesas, Abilene...and then....the wonder of the trip....ocean of wind mills.   Literally...there were so many wind mills I couldn't keep count or track of where I was even counting.  They were on all sides of me...everywhere.  I couldn't stop and take a picture on my way but I plan to on they way home.  For those who are curious they looked like this:

The husband and the Nellio seem to be surviving day/night one without me....poor Dinah kitty though, she is probably feeling very neglected...how could anyone neglect this kitty?

I am looking forward to my few days here in good 'ol Lubbock, on the list of things to do are the Chi Omega house at Texas Tech, a painting class, and....well...that's all we have so far...ah the big city...ha.

Alright, 12 hours of road has made exhausted!  I will finish reading Bossypants and go to sleep, I remembered my own pillow and the husband put the white noise app on my phone so it should be a good night!!!!

Life is sew fun!

I finished up the piano room curtains today and they are beautiful!  Could not have done it without the help of my FABULOUS mother-in-law, I like to call her Mama O!!!!  Here they are and man am I proud:

Beautiful fabric

Just sewed on the European Black linen---fancy huh?

Side view

Front view--going to have to figure out how to anchor the middle of that rod

Opposite side of the room view

Finally some decent light...shouldn't have used the phone camera!

Yea!  Curtains in a picture story!  I will have to take a better picture later with my real camera so you can get the full effect of the big, amazing print!  All in all it took about 4 hours to make these bad boys.  Now that I know how to add fabric to the bottom and make the side seams and lengths match...I think I will be much faster the next time.

Oh and just so you all know...this is what miss Nellio thinks of my curtains and that fact that I am blogging right now and not throwing her a ball...R.O.T.T.E.N.

"Why won't she ever get off that infernal computer....gah!"

In other Otey Abodey news....the room formerly known as "the empty room of sorrow" has now been occupied by the husband's mountains of boxes for work.  Until he removes them I shall call it, "the room of cardboard and potential."  I think I might just stack the boxes into the form of a chair and a side table...at least then the boxes have a purpose outside of making my giant empty room look like an animal moved in....thanks husband.

Cooking lesson of the day:

When making a glaze and using cornstarch....let the stuff actually get hot enough to thicken your glaze or guess what?   Your glaze will remain runny.  There is good news though, even when runny, Tequila Glazed Grilled Chicken Thighs are spicy and delicious, especially with homemade potato chips!

Glaze: Tequila, Honey, Pineapple juice, and Red pepper Flakes

They're a little blurry but: grilled boneless chicken thighs

Homemade potato chips....they make Lays look depressing!

Well that is all the merriment I have to share today!   Future blogs include:  Escapades in Trenton, Weekend Cooking Madness, and Trek to the Desert aka Lubbock, TX!

Until then.

Just Another Thursday

So, week one of summer has been nice so far.  I have gotten to workout everyday, on MY schedule...that rocks.  I don't have to make all kinds of food decisions for lunches, just a nice easy, healthy salad.  I finally feel like I have a handle on the mess that has been me the last several months.  No school, on both counts, its all very refreshing.

Last night I made two new recipes and they were amazing!!  I made flank steak with a gorgonzola cream sauce and stuffed zucchini.  Here are some pics!

zucchini in prep

Complete!!!!

  Lastly for today, I am seeking a new title for this little blog of mine.  So if you have any suggestions let me know!!!  Short one for today, I have lots of cleaning to do for the weekend...maybe I will be more clever tomorrow,,,today, its all food!!!

P.S. readers, if you find errors....I am OK with them...I am not perfect and so neither is my blog.