Sandy White Beaches!

Tom and I jetted to Pensacola Beach for a few days last weekend. I've never been to a Florida beach and had no idea they had such nice beaches. We stayed right on the beach and I even got into the ocean! For those who don't know....I am afraid of fish. Sharks, yes. Fish, yes. Minnows...YES. I can't help it. Well, I sucked it up and waded into the ocean (I always made sure Tom was further out then me....shark would get him first).

We did have a CSI moment, though. We were walking down the beach and came across a "crime scene". Some snorkelers found some bones in the water! Personally, I believe it was the fish that killed someone wading in the water, but, the police say that it was not human remains.

Picture of the beach and our hotel from the pier.

Awesome self picture-taking, huh?

This short story will support my theory: we decided to sit at a beachside bar for a bit and have an icy beverage. I'm sitting there looking out at the massive ocean and I see fins. YES, fins! I mention it to Tom and he thinks it's the icy beverage messing with my head. A few minutes later, what does he see? Fins. He SAYS that it was dolphins, but, I am not a believer. There were sharks in the water and they were waiting for me to get back into the ocean to bite me. You cannot convince me otherwise.

You can't see it, but, there are sharks out there!!!

On our way to the airport, we stopped at the Pensacola Naval Base to look at their air museum. Pretty much it was a monstrous warehouse with as many planes and helicopters they could possibly cram into it.

Kidding aside, it was pretty cool seeing some of the old planes. I have no idea how some of them made it up in the air. Below are some photos of museum.

Tom was very intrigued by this plane.
They had mannequins to show where everyone would sit/work.

All I do is love you and then this.....

Tivo, how I love you. I still remember that autumn day in 2003 when you first arrived at the apartment in Addison. How excited Robin and I were - tearing open the box and trying to figure out how to hook up the cords (it's all very complicated...wall cord to cable box to tivo to dvd player to tv). Then, the wonderful "beep-beep" noises. Yes, I've had my tivo for 5 years and I still will not turn off the noise...that's how much I love it.

Then, in 2005, I got another tivo so that I could have one just for my room. I had a new roommate and didn't know if her TV watching was as crazy as mine. I didn't want to chance a "someone in your home deleted this recording" episode. I am very protective of my tivo. Little did I know, Megan loved most of my shows, plus introduced me to more. Oh, Gilmore Girls, I only had you for two seasons.

In 2006, my newest tivo decided to stop working (luckily it was in the summer and I had kept up with shows so I didn't lose much). Tivo sent me a new "dual recording" tivo. Hello! I could record two shows at once!!! Plus, I still have the single recording tivo in my bedroom. That's three shows!! Holy crap! I was recording everything!


This past year, I have really fallen off the wagon on keeping up with the shows. I'm embarrassed by some shows that I've had on my tivo that I still haven't watched. I reached the one year mark on the last four episodes of Rescue Me. They've been sitting on the tivo just waiting for me to watch them. I even watched all the minisodes that have been on all summer, but, can't gear up for the other four full one-hour episodes.

Fall season premiere is starting soon and I started writing down all the returning shows that I'm planning on tivoing, plus all the new shows that I want to see. FYI, I am all over "Fringe". It's JJ Abrams and I loved Alias and still love Lost.

Here's why I am upset: this whole "digital" craziness that everyone has to go to in February of 2009. Verizon FIOS decided to go early to all digital to make sure their customers are set. Apparently, when it goes to all digital - tivo's dual recording no longer works. WHAT?!@#?!

Yes, that's right. I am now down to only recording one show at a time. What am I going to do? I've got: Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters, HIMYM, Samantha Who?, Heroes, Chuck, Lost, Scrubs, ER (I've stuck by it since the beginning, not giving it up now), Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, 30 Rock, Friday Night Lights, Rescue Me, Oprah, Ellen, Daily Show, Colbert, Letterman, Conan, Fringe, Bonnie Hunt Show (new show and I love her), and whatever else that I've left off the list!! Now, I have to prioritize and I don't like it!

Why tivo? Why Verizon?

Bijoux

I love restaurant week. I usually go to a restaurant that I would not normally go to eat (usually can't afford it, honestly). Last night, Robin, Mike, Tom and I went to Bijoux. It's in Inwood Shopping Center and, if you couldn't tell, it's french. I've only been to one other french restaurant and that was in New York City about six years ago, so, I was ready to try it.

The food was excellent and once the service started...it was great. We ended up sitting at our table for about ten minutes before a waiter came to take our order.

For the newbies or virgins of restaurant week, you get a three course meal for $35.

Apparently, at french restaurants, you get an "amuse-bouche" to begin the meal. It was a tiny veggie concoction that made my mouth "happy". I started with Pork Belly, which sounds kind of gross to me. But, it was very yummy. My entree was the New York Strip Steak and it was served with polenta puree and root vegetables (i.e. something that tasted like mashed potatoes and carrots). We then had a palate cleanser before our dessert. Um, the palate cleanser was like a dessert. It was peach ice cream with diced fresh strawberries. Yum. For dessert, yummy chocolate mousse with a passion fruit glaze. It was so rich and SO good.

Our $35 meal ended up being over $200 for the four of us because of the wine we also had with it. But, everything was great.

Funny antedotes from the evening:

The restaurant changed our silverware seven times throughout the meal. SEVEN times.

Robin made the suggestion to Mike to share entrees (she would order the risotto and he'd get the steak). Mike immediately said, "I'm not sharing half my steak. Risotto is a side dish."

The servers placed oddly-shaped spoons on the table for our palate cleanser. Tom's comment: "Look, it's like a mini shovel."

Overall, the restaurant was great, the food was fantastic, and, of course, the conversation was lively. What else do you need?

Summer Movies

Wow, it's been a blockbuster summer for movies. There have been some great movies that have come out. Action-packed, stoner-action packed, hilarous comedies, etc.

However, rated R movies have changed, in my mind. Usually, I'd think of a rated R movie as showing naked women or major foul language. Or, a crazy hilarous storyline, like American Pie and the scene with Jason Biggs and the pie.

This summer has changed that. I have seen so many naked men and all their glory! Between Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Harold and Kumar Escape From Guatamano Bay, Sex And The City, Step Brothers, and Pineapple Express, I've seen too many to count penises and a pair of testicles!

I wonder what I'll see in the upcoming movie, "Zack and Miri Make A Porno".

Fun-filled Weekend

My best friend from college, Marly, and her son came in for the weekend. Marly lives in The Woodlands and hadn't seen the new house yet (is it still new? I've lived there almost an entire year).

I invited a few friends over Friday night for tacos and beer. Larry, Barbie and Tom brought beer, so, we were all entertained for the evening. Marly and I also entertained with stories from Nacogdoches and college. My sister brought my nephew, Colin, to play with Marly's son, Christopher, so that we could all have adult time. The entire weekend consisted of both boys not remembering each other's names and saying, "What's that boy's name?" and "When are we going to play together again?" It was too cute.

Saturday consisted of mani/pedis at the awesome Beauty Times and lunch at Chick-fil-A...yum! FYI, if you're trying to eat healthier, Chick-Fil-A has the best fruit - no melons! It's strawberries, grapes, and apples. I hate ordering fruit as a side dish and all it contains is cantalope and melon. Yuck! Then, it was play time in the pool. Colin now has zero fear of swimming. He had his water wings on and matched Christopher with jumping in the pool and swimming like a fish. I didn't get a picture of the two of them swimming, but, here is one of Christopher acting silly:

Marly also made some awesome poolside beverages. It consisted of real peaches, frozen lemonade and vodka. Now, I know my earlier post eluded to vodka not being your friend the next day, but, I had to try it. I mean peaches and lemonade...YUM! It was quite refreshing for the 105 degree heat.

Saturday night, we went to dinner with Marly's brother in Coppell. Christopher took this picture of Marly and me - so, it's a little blurry.


Here's one of Tom and me while at dinner:

Sunday was strictly pool time. Marly had a three hour drive back to Houston, so, we played outside in the pool for 2 1/2 hours to get Christopher all tuckered out before putting him in the car for the drive home. It was great seeing Marly and sweet Christopher and I can't wait to hang out again soon...not 7 months from now like what happened this past time. Not acceptable!

Bad Vodka

Absolut is not your friend the next day.

I'm leaving it at that.

One of my biggest Pet Peeves

It annoys me when people back up their vehicles into parking spaces in huge parking garages. Why is it necessary? Are you going to get out of that parking spot two seconds quicker than me? Wow, that was so fast.

Also, you can't just back it in once...no, you have to completely piss off the people behind you by inching forward...inching backward....inching foward....inching backward.... IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT IN ONE SWING...DON'T DO IT!! Especially, when people are waiting to go around you in the garage. (&(#%&@#)!!!!

Ok, I'm done with venting now.