Merry New Year!

And just like that, 2011 is over.  My 2011 New Year's Resolution was to make a list of places to eat at that either I had never been to or it'd been a while.  

As you can see, I didn't make it.  It sucks but oh well.  Perhaps in the new year I can finally make there but in Houston, many new and yummy restaurants open up and well, may as well add them to The List.  I'm not going to make a new list though.  If I make it, I make it.

My New Year's Resolution for 2012 though is to focus more on my own health.  According to my own doctor's, I'm doing very well.  But, with diabetes, I want to get better.  I always want to get better.

A much better update to follow detailing how I spent my summer and fall and the beginning oh winter.  

Beef jerky time.

New Kids on the Block CHECK!

Mom and I, 1978.

During the late 1980s, I was a new teenager.  I am also the only girl in a Mexican household stuck between a brother sandwich.  All that means is hearing, "No, because you are a girl" a lot.  What it had to do with anything has been part of my argument whenever this topic arises between my mom and I.  Mom, can I join little league with my brothers?  Sleep overs?  Movies with my friends?  You name it, I wasn't allowed to do because I was a girl.  All that good shit you're supposed to do with your friends, denied.  The one that hurt most was being denied to go and see New Kids on the Block.  I was in love with Joey McIntyre and Donnie Wahlberg.  All I wanted to do was go to their concert and finally meet Joey.  But despite my tears, the begging, the lame attempts at bargaining, that damn phrase was uttered to me by my overly protective mother.  It's a sore spot for me, but I'm not mad at my mother.  I don't hate her for what she did.  I completely understand why she did me the way she did.  I'm her daughter, her only daughter.  I know the very thought of anything happening to her only daughter would hurt her.  However, it wasn't right.  I feel like I missed out on a great deal. But I never, ever forgot about New Kids on the Block.  I've had their Greatest Hits CD in heavy rotation for years.  (As I type this, Step By Step plays in the background.)  Music is magical.  It can transport you back in time and make you feel that way in said time.  Music is like a DeLorean, flux capacitor and all but without the requisite 88 MPH.  I listen to this CD and I'm back in middle school, 12 years old, watching the videos on MTV rather than doing Ms. Chatmon's math homework and wanting to hug Joey.  My mom's tough rules were a tough pill to swallow but I cannot go back in time and fix it.  I can only move forward and buy some MFing NKOTB tickets and make my inner 12-year-old happy.  Holla.

So, on June 25, 2011 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas with my best friend since our middle school days, as well as some new friends, we went and cheered.  I cheered the realization of my dream as well as the fact that my mom couldn't say no.  No one could.  Instead, I got much encouragement and some high fives.  I even managed to get the BNC to drop me and my friends off like a boss.  And so, another box is checked in my Before I Turn 35 Bucket List.  I am happy.  Very, happy.

Behold, photographic evidence.  Be warned, it's image heavy.

My BFF (far left) and a new friend waiting for the show to begin.

 

Don't fall Joey!

Joey singing Please Don't Go Girl.  I screamed things at him.  Naughty things.

And then, Jordan walked towards our section! 

Closer...

And closer...

And closer...

CLOSE! ZOMG, he's right there!

What's with the horns?  Maybe it was when a snippet of AC/DC's Back in Black played.

The concert was amazing.  Honestly, I was expecting both NKOTB and BSB to sing to pre-recorded music, do a little dance and that would be it.  My bad.  They had a live band and some nice choreography.  These guys aren't new anymore, and they're either pushing 40 or surpassed it yet they can move.  I hurt for 2 days afterwards and all I did was stand up, scream and wave my arm back and forth because Donnie told me to.  It was one of the best concerts I had ever been to. 

And so, one of my many dreams was realized.  I went, I screamed, I bought some T-shirts and my heart burst.  It was awesome.  So, now on to more check boxes of my Before I Turn 35. 

The Summer of Margie resumes...

The Summer of Margie

I had cousins, the naughty ones that always got you in trouble kind, that, even if they passed the school year, were forced to attend summer school.  It wasn't a strategic move in order for my aunt to get her kids ahead on their education (cause 2 of them turned out to be high school dropouts) but rather, it was just a move to get them out of her hair.  It was brilliant because they were unruly.  I used to be jealous of such an opportunity not because I loved school (well a little since they had books and toys and crayons and my friends) but shit, you try keeping your cool in hot ass Mexico where an air conditioning unit was for the rich.  AC units aren't pricey but as hot as Mexico was, that meant the unit would be on 24/7 leading to a high electricity bill.  Just thinking about it and I can feel myself getting itchy and sweaty. 

I should mention that we got shipped out to Grandma's house in Mexico every damn summer.

What's my point?  I'm going to severely cut back on my blogging posts this summer.  With my recent book store visits lately, I've amassed several books that are in desperate need of being loved.  Today I will finally receive the next book in the series I am reading.  After trying to find it at the used bookstores, I had to use Amazon and order it.   It cost me $2 and it is tattered and I love it.  I'm super excited about it afterall, reading is FUNdamental.

I'll continue to tackle My List of Places to eat in 2011, Netflix love, cooking with Bitty but I'll also be reading more, which means less TV, and I'll be rejoining a bowling league on Friday nights.  Side Note: The first night I joined a bowling league, 10 years ago, Tropical Storm Allison hit and we spent the night in the bowling alley.  Sometimes you can't make this shit up.  And we're back.

I'm calling this summer, The Summer of Margie, just like George except I'll continue to work.  There are several books to read, movies to watch (HP, Green Lantern, Captain America), parks to visit, trips to plan, friends to hang out with, new food to eat and, let's not forget,  I'll be turning 35 at the end of the summer.  And while I have no plans to cease stumping for Harry, sleeping with Buster or watching Jem and the Holograms, it's a big number.  Basically, I have a pre-35 bucket list.  I have several things I'm working on that, as much as I want to, I cannot share with you at the moment.  But, trust me, I will.  So, I'm going to have fun this summer.  I'm going to try and do so many things, most of which are going to be new adventures for me, but, at the same time, I'm planning on chilling a lot with the cats and my books.  Posting is going to be erratic and, since I won't be trying to make proper posts for you, I've started a tumblr where posting a single picture is more than enough.  Feel free to follow me there. 

Lastly, share with me your summer reading, or whatever it is you have going on this summer.  Maybe I'll join you. 

After These Messages

Doing some spring cleaning at home and at work.  Please pardon the mess.

Ice Cream Treats

It's Product Review Friday! 

Let's start with Blue Bunny's Sweet Freedom No Sugar Added cones in snack size.  Right off the bat,  you will notice how tiny they are.  They were roughly the size of the BNC's thumb.  Despite that, it was the perfect little size that satisfied the craving for a sweet treat.  It didn't taste like a diet snack and it wasn't overly sweet either.  It even comes with a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure.  You can either throw your head back and slide the loose peanuts from the bag into your hungry mouth or you can pick up the peanuts with the top of your already bitten off cone and then take a bite out of it. 

The final verdict:  Put it in the cart .

Next up, Skinny Cow Cookies 'n Cream Truffle bars.  The bar itself was more than plenty to satisfy that craving.  The taste, while not completely coming off as cookies 'n cream, was subtle and creamy.  I did get a bit of a toothache from the cold but I chalk that up to not having enough tooth real estate and thus dipping into gum territory.  Go figure. 

The final verdict:  Put it in the cart but perhaps in other flavors.

 

Lastly, Skinny Cow Ice Cream Cone.  The taste of these was a bit overwhelming.  It was so rich and slightly overpowering on the tongue.  However, if you keep at it you'll learn to appreciate the decadent fudge on soft chocolate ice cream.  Drink a glass of water, you'll be okay.  My only other non-issue was how hard it was to get the wrapper off the cone.  I kept thinking my Hulk Strength was going to crush the cone and I would be left without the joy of an ice cream cone. 

The final verdict:  Put it in the cart.  Put 2 in the cart.

 

The BNC and I are having a good time trying out various treats that are easy on me.  We're preferential to the snack size Blue Bunny cones because it's a perfect little snack.  You run such a high risk of overdoing it with a half gallon of ice cream and trying to figure how many scoops you should get and how generous those precious scoops should be.  The portion control of the above ice cream treats appeals to us a great deal and, as long Blue Bunny and Skinny Cow keep churning them out, then I'll keep trying them out.

Full of Food

I had to hit the 'burbs this weekend for the Katy Budget Books Semi-Annual Sale in Katy, Texas.  Dolla books make me holla, y'all.  Brother's Pizzeria though makes me squee!  And, since I rarely see The Chapa anymore, I made him meet there for lunch after I scarfed up some books at the book sale.

 

The usual large with cheese even if sometimes I get daring and get pepperoni.  And, it has to be baked extra crispy.  Oh baby.

However, the spaghetti with meatballs, with it's chunky, fresh, not too sweet marinara is amazing.  It's a simple sauce but it's delicious.  I woofed it all down.  Ok, not really, but I came close.  They offer kid's meals now so, next time, I will have to do that so I can eat more pizza.  Holla!

Sunday consisted of our usual House of Pies visit and try as I might, I continue to choose the Waffle Platter.  I rarely finish it

For Sunday dinner, it was made up of rice, beans and fajitas.  I used old reliable corn tortillas to make tacos while the BNC used Romaine lettuce to make his.  Whack. 

My rice was perfect this time and I used part of my last batch of frozen beans.  As for the fajitas, or skirt steak, I cooked them with some sweet onions.  When they were almost done, I added a touch of tomato paste, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes for that slight kick to the teeth that you sometimes need until you bite down on a tiny fleck, cause you're lucky like that, and you vow to start using the SMIDGEN measuring rather than DASH. 

Good stuff.  Good weekend.

Feliz Dia de las Madres

In Mexico, May 10 is always Mother's Day.  Always.  You can't forget it.  I have yet to speak to my Ama (my grandma) but maybe she is still asleep since she likes to party hard and didn't answer the phone when I tried contacting her at 6a today.  Or, maybe she knows it was me and is letting me sweat because I called so early. 

Anyhow, I took my mom out to lunch today and, since my Old Man tends to be off on Tuesdays, he was more than happy to join in.  May as well since he filled the role of mom when she was off making some paper.

The role of Favorite Daughter is stressful and requires much time but the reward is immeasurable.