1, 2, 3 and to the 4...

Wednesday, I completely forgot to watch Top Chef. The BNC and I had to meet up after work to officially make the changes to AT&T UVerse from Comcast. It's done and I eagerly await the installation next Wednesday. However, when did we get so busy? We had to meet up after work, in separate vehicles, to do this one thing? The weekends are usually booked up and the BNC tends to work on Saturdays even though lately he's been working on Sundays to push papers so that leaves us with little time to go and make decisions like this together.

I have routines. It may sound boring but I like a good routine. Keeps me in check and being 33 and a diabetic, it makes my life easier. I know what I can and cannot do and what I shouldn't do. I sleep early, eat breakfast, lunch and dinner, drink water and so forth. Basically, I live by the clock and I don't even wear a watch (though I have so many). It may seem boring but I know it's something I have to do. So, when I do something out of the norm, mainly done during the week, I'm thrown off. I didn't realize I missed Top Chef until 9p, bed time. Then again, I'm getting bored with the show. I watched Project Runway last night (now 90 minutes long) and WTF? Casanova stays?! Ugh. But, I'm going to watch it.

A friend of a friend is having a yard sale tomorrow to raise some funds for the husband's medical bills. He has acute leukemia. In all honesty, I carry guilt. My brother has chronic leukemia and seemingly walks around unaffected. Yet, the friend's husband has been in and out of the hospital for a while now. So, in a show of support, I'll be there cause if I had to, I'd give my life for my beloved brother. Buying other people's junk is the least I could do.

Laredo

I've mentioned Taqueria Laredo before. It's was a (big) hole in the wall kind of place to eat that specializes in tacos. You walk up to the counter and order tacos from what they have on hand. Such possibilities include breakfast tacos such as potato with egg, bacon with egg, chorizo with egg, spicy potatoes, etc. There is a menu on the wall that also offers some plates of food and bowls of menudo and caldo de res. However, tacos is where it was at. Back in the day, on the weekend, all tacos were $1 before 10a. The line would be out the door at 9:30a. The prices have gone up with the max being $2 for a fajita taco. Still worth it though. It is now part of the Washington Avenue corridor that stretches from downtown Houston to Memorial Park, which is a few miles. It's changed so much in a little amount of time. It once was made up of mostly low income families then known as West End that made my mom uneasy every time we spent the night visiting some cousins who lived in the area. But now, with so many bars and restaurants opening up, it's changed the landscape that it's barely even a shell of what it once was. So many condos, apartments, all seemingly out of place there, are popping up, pushing the people who've been planted there for decades out. And, to make it sting just a little more, a Wal-mart may be opening up soon. If that happens, it will completely stand out like a sore thumb and cause even more congestion than what is already there. A Wal-mart? What that area really needs is a grocery store but again, I'm just being biased since the HEB originally has proposed staking a claim there.

And even with some new upgrades, Laredo still stands. It's cleaned up the place, recently painted with pink and a yellow trim cause that's how Mexicans roll. And yea, their tacos still rock.

Cute Overload Indeed!

I've been fawning over Carnitas for a while now. Cute, cute, cute! The name is perfect!

Cats, yo...

Whomever said that having pets is almost like having children may be on to something. I don't have children but I imagine the love, worry, frustration and pain must be along the same lines. Right?

For example, Apolo, named after Apolo Anton Ohno since him and Logan were born during the Salt Lake Olympics, is a finicky eater. He's fat but he won't eat just anything. He also likes to eat plastic thus ensuring he have a nice file at the vet's office. Logan, named after Wolverine, has only been to the vet once, to get neutered yet he is terrified of loud noises. Hurricane Rita really traumatized him not from the wind and rain (cause there wasn't any) but from the boarding up of our old house.

And then there is Bitty Girl, whom had to be bottle fed the first month she was with us. I would wake up every 4 hours to feed her and then burp her.

And now, all that hard work paid off cause she is nothing but a jumping, killing, antagonizing fool who likes to keep mom company.

What would I do without them?

ps...I am in a complete cooking funk. I hate when that happens. Off to read some food blogs and get some ideas.

Things I Love, Things I Want

Central Market! I just scored permission to admit to the fact that the BNC works for the HEB, a regional Texas grocery. Central Market is their specialty store much like Whole Foods but better in my completely biased opinion. :) I work near the Houston store and tend to make trips during my lunch hour. Not even going to lie that I completely abuse my discount card. Wait, is it abuse that I use it a lot? Well, maybe not.

I really want this. Rumor had it that Threadless was going to make it into a T-shirt but nothing ever materialized. Boo!

Back to the Future movie quotes are officially back into rotation with me. For example, the Astros were playing the Chicago Cubs this week and all I could think about was the quote in Back to the Future 2 where the weird old man tells Marty, "I wish I could go back in time, put some money on the Cubbies." thereby causing Marty to go back to the antiques store and purchase the sports almanac that causes so much trouble in alternate 1985. I adore this trilogy. Not the best trilogy but still awesome. Star Wars, the originals, is the best trilogy though for both movies that third part almost made them fumble a bit. Know what I mean? Oh, and Indiana Jones.

The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee

The IBKC is having a drive right now to raise funds for the Humane Society in the Tacoma/Seattle area. I thoroughly enjoy this blog and have donated money already. However, Monday night I was going through an old SD card and found pictures of my beloved Boochie. And then I got teary-eyed. He was the best and he continues to be missed. Even as Bitty Girl picks up some of his weird habits, such as tearing paper to smithereens or being the neighborhood watch, I know he's not too far away either in my thoughts or actually sitting in my closet.

The nice folks at IBKC are doing great work. If you can, give them a visit. And if you can any further, donate. Thank you in advance.

Beans, beans, they're good for the heart...

It's been a good week, so far. Sure, it's raining again but at least it's not flooding. And I've been cooking so yea.

Braised boneless and skinless thighs over a king-sized bed of Jasmine rice.

Baked chicken with a sprinkle of rosemary and baked potatoes that, I believe, The Kitchn told me to first boil and then bake for a soft center but a crunchy outside.

My old stand-by; spaghetti.

In an effort to finish off the quart of beans I had in the freezer, I made papas con huevo and frijoles con chorizo. I love to use my hand mixer and really give it to those beans. Mmmm mmmm...even without the much desired yet banned flour tortillas. And you see that slightly burnt potato with egg? That is gold. It's like a slightly burnt bagel; Absolutely tasty.

ps.....sorry about the shadows in the pics. :(

Brother's

Apologies for the bad picture but the pizza was delicious. From Brother's Pizzeria, one of my most favorites.

Just a Little Bit

Things that are annoying me at the moment:

• Chris Evans getting to play Captain America. I think he was fine as the Human Torch, he played Johnny as it should have been. However, Chris Evans doesn't have much acting range which worries me when it comes to Captain America. Also, no way he should be allowed to play 2 superheroes let alone 2 Marvel characters. Fine, Ryan Reynolds is double dipping as well doing Deadpool and the Green Lantern but I can let it slide because it's Ryan MFing Reynolds. I still dream about where that tattoo may have ended in Blade Trinity. Besides, Deadpool is Marvel and the Green Lantern is DC.
• Amanda on Top Chef. She is a dumbass. Sherry used for braising chicken thighs meant to feed school children? Then attacking the other team during Judges's Table? Girl, please.
• Rain. It's raining here again and a mini river flows down my sidewalk. No like.
• My camera. It's been copping an attitude with me for a while but I will continue to keep it and use it while I do some research on my next camera.

Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest. That's all I got, for now.

Sometimes I feel like a nut...

...sometimes I don't.

Neighborhood Watch

How many "uncles" does Ms. Gustafson's little girl have?

Those pants are WAY too tight.

Oh no she didn't.

You are not going to believe who is barely coming home right now!

That's right, I'm watching you. Keep it down! My mom is trying to watch Law & Order!

Taco Thursdays

A fajita with beans in a flour tortilla taco from Laredo Taqueria. Yum!

Wordless Wednesday

RIP Mr. Steinbrenner

Wow, George Steinbrenner is dead. I'm not a Yankees fan by any means but still. I loved that he was made fun of so much on Seinfeld, one of my most favorite shows.

RIP Big Stein

Stop, collaborate and listen...

I've been cooking for a while now, maybe since I was 12. I still remember the first meal I ever made-huevo con chorizo (eggs with mexican sausage). I was so nervous but I made it just the way I witnessed my mom make it all those years. I learned by watching her, my Ama even my dad. However, one thing that certainly took years to perfect was rice. One of my biggest pet peeves is overcooked, clumped together rice. Throw in that damn can of mixed veggies and prepare to hear my loud sigh. With rice, I finally got it some years ago. What I learned was you have to use plenty of oil to fry your rice in, preferably olive oil. This will help with that damn clumping factor as in, it won't happen. Second, under cook it. With water still bubbling away and the rice almost there, take it off the burner, leave the lid on and just walk away for about 5 minutes. The rice should be perfect.

The picture above is rice with beef and used a quick meal with no sides cause that's how I roll on Friday nights.

Looks like someone's got a case of the Mondays!

With a Sunday full of breakfast, errands, cat time, World Cup, The Fifth Element, sleepy time, who wouldn't have a case of the Mondays?

House of Pies

Guitar Center

A maybe?

Logan and Bitty Girl

Basement Cats really don't photograph well. Must be the evilness.

Background Check

It's raining here again. I'm so tired of it. I'm tired of carrying around stuff and fumbling with the umbrella so I can walk to and from my car.

However, my hometown, Nuevo Laredo, the place where I was born and spent countless summer nights in is slowly going under water. So, I'm trying very hard to not complain about the heavy rain. I was on MSN messenger with one of my cousins there who sent me the following photos that were taken today.

This is the only bridge, of three, that allows people traffic. The water is almost level to the bridge. When I was a kid, the water seemed so far away which always made the trips across scarier just in case I slipped and fell into the Rio Grande. To see it that close to the bridge terrifies me more now than it ever did back then.

A park is located under all that water as well as some of the stations for crossing the bridge.

In my 33 years, I have never seen the water this high. To make matters worse, and just that much more heartbreaking, is one of my mom's beloved cousins, my second cousin, died yesterday evening after a long and painful battle with cancer. My Grandma has buried 3 of her nieces in under 2 1/2 years.

My mom is trying to figure out a way to be with my Grandma and the family but one of my uncles just emailed me with the message that the water has just hit the base of the the bridge that is suppose to allow vehicles and people to pass through. It's only a matter of time until the water surpasses the bridge.

And the shit just got real.

We Have the Technology...

This is totally and completely awesome. I can hear the theme song to The Six Million Dollar Man already.

We can rebuild him!

Bionic Cat

HRH Buffalo Princess, Margie

I'm preferential to lemon pepper wings but Buffalo Wild Wings doesn't have any. So, I made my own. I went to the store and purchased nothing but drumettes cause that other part, the one where you have to push the chicken meat out, is hard work. I also managed to find a lemon pepper marinade as well as a teriyaki one. Dudes, they were delish!

I'm completely anti-veggies so no celery and carrots here. Nah, I'm getting me some orzo with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Saturday, we headed out to BWW (Buffalo Wild Wings) to watch UFC. We got there around 7p in order to secure a booth. The fight didn't start until 9p and while at first I thought we were too early, just about 30 minutes later did we realize we made the right choice. It was packed and there was a waiting line. One of my BFFs, herein known as Chapa, and I were the ones holding the booth while we grazed on the food and waited for the BNC and B who were set to join us later.

Honey BBQ wings. Nice but still no lemon pepper. But hey, they made me a Buffalo Princess.

However, as I tried to record the coronation, this MFer just couldn't follow instructions for a camera. "Dude, hold it down."

That would be this MFer. The same MFer who likes the Magic Hat drink, has two hollow legs, one for drink and one for food. How unbecoming of a Buffalo Princess!

But I got to hang out with B and watch, shockingly, Brock Lesnar submit Shane Carwin. I have been humbled as well, Brock.

With my Prince Consort, the BNC.

I've grew up in this hood, moved away for a few years and came back and yet I cannot explain why I'm at BWW a lot except that Chapa drinks and I don't so he's using me to be the designated driver and that's ok since he picks up the tab.

WANT!

It's been raining here for days. At this rate, I should learn how to swim. Those long bands of Hurricane Alex are reaching all the way over here. B's real name is Alex so on Monday I texted him congratulations on becoming a hurricane. Yesterday he mentioned that the only reason he reached Category 1 strength was because he was a little under the weather. I know, I know, we're odd like that.

So yea, lots of rain here but remarkably not enough flooding to bring the city to a standstill even though it rained all night and hasn't let up as of yet. In 2001, Tropical Storm Allison became stationary over the city for about 3 days dumping 35 inches of rain. Massive flooding and a complete shutdown of the city happened and ugh, what a mess. At the time, I lived at home, with my parents, whose home is located in an old part of the city but is slightly elevated than other parts of Houston. It became like an island and we escaped any damage and, thankfully, danger. We never lost power either. Friday night is when it hit and it happened to be the first night of our league bowling. By the time our bowling was over, which was midnight, we were stuck. We couldn't leave the parking lot. We spent the night in the bowling alley and while at first it was funny, around 3a is when I started to freak out. Good times. This rain though, while constant, is no where near what Allison brought about but it reminds me that I need to build up my stock at home and kiss my big Sequoia cause she would have totally gotten us out of that parking lot.

Anyhow, the raining sucks and it makes for a very lazy feeling Friday. So, rather than really bust my rump like yesterday, even though I totally busted some this morning, I've been clicking away at links online.

For example, I made a WANT list.

Check it out:

Converse shoes in Dr. Seuss form

Ad Hoc at Home

The Worst Witch

Night of the Comet

The Oxford Project

Gilmore Girls-The Complete Series

The Complete Far Side

The Complete Calvin and Hobbes

I am far from done with this list.

Happy 4th!

You hear something, Bitty Girl? You heard the BNC is playing on the 4th of July and you wanted to stay inside, eat lots of good stuff and enjoy the AC? Yes, what you heard is true. It'll be ok. Monday is a freebie and maybe we can have a good day together, play with your toys and maybe nap with mommy on the couch.

I knew that would get your attention.

Pizza Challenge

Last month, during the first USA World Cup game, which was against England, we wound up at Star Pizza to watch the game. During halftime, we all got into a discussion as to who has the best pizza in the city. I'm preferential to Brother's Pizzeria but, in that moment, Star Pizza was winning. Right then and there though, Pizza Challenge was invented. One day soon, hopefully later this month since I need the BNC to be off on a Saturday, we are going to have our first food challenge. One of my BFFs and I once had a steak, hamburger and hot dog challenge in which I won just this past summer and it was fun. The BNC was the sole judge but that, in no way, swayed his vote. ;) This time around, we are just going to drive around and pick up some pizzas from around the local pizzerias. We're staying away from national chains such as Pizza Hut and Domino's though. We're not too crazy about them. So far, we've selected Brother's Pizzeria, Star Pizza, Pink's Pizza and Fuzzy's Pizza. I plan on inviting some of my friends in helping decide the big winner. However, in order for this to work I will have to get most of them to pick up and bring a pizza so we can all have eat them while they are nice and hot.

I'm optimistic that this will be a success and more food challenges will come out of this one. Fried chicken, hamburgers, desserts, etc. Naturally, I will take plenty of pics and post the results.