The Peep loves burgers

There is a hamburger place in the big city known for having the BEST burgers in the world! A few weeks ago the Peep decided she was ready to try one and we called Hill Dog and went. Immediately. Here you see the Peep waiting for the call of her name signaling the burger is ready.

Here you see her chowing down on the cheeseburger, plain and dry. Without pickles.

What an adorable girl!

Makes the parents proud!

From the what is with people file... and a tasty recipe!

What is with people??

Slick, the Peep and I ventured to our neighborhood wing and pizza joint across from the college in the big city tonight for, what else, wings and pizza.

The restaurant is on a busy road with parallel parking so I did the driving. Somehow Slick and I both did our drivers ed classes in Texas, took the driving text at the same DMV and both have valid licenses, but he CAN NOT parallel park.

So I was in Slick's white hot car parallel parking when three people emerged from an academic building and headed for the compact car with a hatchback in front of our space.

They started loading their gear into the hatch-back portion of the car. And then all piled into the 2 door car. All while I had to patiently wait for them to get the @#%$ out of my way so I could finish parking!

I know you know- you pull next to the front car.

You put your car in reverse.

You back into the spot and straighten at the last minute.

Then you PULL FORWARD to center yourself in the area between two cars! I had to sit there while CLUELESS or RUDE, take your pick, finished and vacated their spot.

HELLO!

Let us all become more self aware from this story. Which incidentally is NOT a complaint since I have started leading a NO COMPLAINING life... Thank you Elaine, for the NO Complaining Rule suggestion.

Now for the recipe:

Duke's Soon to be Famous Lemon Squares

Preheat oven to 350.
Mix in a food processor with the plastic dough blade in palace until it is coarse sand's texture: 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and 2 sticks of butter cubed.
Press into a 13x9 baking dish with either clean hands or the flat part of a measuring cup. Bake about 22 minutes.

While the delectable crust bakes, combine really well in a glass bowl: 4 eggs beaten, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1/3 c fresh lemon juice and 1/2 tsp baking powder. Let sit while the crust finishes baking.

As soon as the crust is golden brown, stir and pour the filling over the hot crust and return to the over for about 22 minutes longer.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cool before cutting with a plastic knife dipped in hot water.

16 List from BC

Months ago BC sent me a link for Facebook that I recently figured out how to post... thought I'd share it here too... Something about how you list 16 things you like and send it to 16 friends...

1. I love cows. Cows are cool. And tasty.
2. So are Knotty Knotes.
3. I love when the weather permits the opening of the windows for some fresh air.
4. I love the feeling after the house is clean.
5. I love that the Peep is getting rid of some baby toys to make room for her big girl life.6. I love caramel apples.
7. I love when the tulips start to poke out of the mulch because they are Slick's favorite flower.
8. I love daisys in vases all around the house.
9. I think it is funny when the squirrels play tag in the yard.
10. I love a freshly vacuumed car.
11. I love meeting for lunch. Or Dinner.
12. I love that my sister lives 4 blocks away. I hope she moves soon. But not too far away. Something we can get to in a car. Like not Hawaii. Or London.
13. She probably won't move to London because she has lost her passport. In her house.
14. I have lost my sanity. In my house.
15. I love taking a 30 minute nap. Every day possible. Like today.
16. I'm not sure working form home is working out all that well for me. It's 2:38 and I'm on facebook, have a load of wash in the washer and dryer, have a kid taking a nap and a dog that REALLY wants me to nap with her on the couch. I just might.

Happy Things this week

Been a while.

Time to get happy.

Ten things that make me happy this week:

1. An adventure at the grandparents house
2. Watching baby chicks hatch
3. Watching the Peep "lead her cow for judging"
4. Pink Cowgirl hats
5. cinnamon rolls from a can
6. white cream gravy
7. cold noses snuggling with you
8. fast cars
9. sidewalk chalk
10. Slick's return to the big city

A trip to the stockshow!

The Peep, Lulu and I went to the Big City to the Stock Show today. It was fun and a beating all rolled into one!

The peep was up at the crack of 6:00 because she did not want to be late... we got her back into bed to have her reemerge at 7:30 calling for everyone to get up!! We had to get going soon!

After a tasty country breakfast complete with gravy, thank you Lulu, we made it at the early time of about 11:00. On the way inside I laid down the law. We were here to loo and have fun, but we would not be buying any hats, boots, chaps, tractors or horses. Ok by everyone.

We met Lucy 3 in the information booth and we had no more than said hi and given her hugs then she asked the Peep if she wanted to go get a pink cowboy hat...!! At least the Peep had the good sense to look at me before yelling yes and running off with Lucy 3 into the exhibition area...

Ten minutes later she could not have looked cuter in a pink straw hat- which I will say she kept up with by herself for the remainder of the day!

Off to look around and after a couple rows of hats, boots, tractors and salsa makers, the Peep was ready for animals!

We passed through the stage and food area and stumbled upon the Ballet Folklorica and watched for three dances- they were cool and the Peep was fine to leave knowing they traditionally preform at the Big City's Mayfest... We hit the FFA Barnyard to check on the big momma pig and her 16 piglets, the goats, the checks hatching before your very eyes and the guinea foul.

Then a trip to the magic show and a look at cows, longhorns and a few goats.

The Peep wants to know why we don't have a cow. I said because we live in the city... I don't think she's going to take that as a good answer for long!

Things I learned living in Texas.

Slick was talking to someone in the "East" this week and they might have suggested that Texans talk rather slowly and move at a similar pace. Wonder what she'd think about this??

Thanks Lodie for the tidbits in the first ever e-mail I have gotten from her.

A possum is a flat animal that sleeps in the middle of the road.
It is not a shopping cart, it is a buggy!
People actually grow and eat okra.
"Fixinto" is one word. It means when I get to it, which is right about now.
There is no such thing as "lunch.” There is dinner and then there is supper.
Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're two. We do like a little tea with our sugar.
Backwards and forwards means "I know everything about you."
The word "jeet?" is actually a phrase meaning "Did you eat?"
You don't have to wear a watch, because it doesn't matter what time it is, you work until you're done or it's too dark to see.
You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH EM. Same with potatoes.
"No. d’ ew?" is a common response to the question "Did you bring any beer?"
You measure distance in minutes.
You switch from heat to A/C in the same day.
All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit, vegetable, grain, insect, animal or month.
You carry jumper cables in your car --- for your OWN car.
You only own four spices: salt, pepper, garlic salt and Ketchup.
The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local high school sports and motor sports, and gossip.
You find 100 degrees Fahrenheit "a bit warm".
You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good stew weather.
Fried catfish is the other white meat.
We don't need no dang driver's Ed. If our mama says we can drive, we can drive..

0 for 2

Slick likes to cook and I like to eat. And Slick likes to choose restaurants and we both like to eat. Last week we were 0 for 2.


The first night last week we went to dinner it did no even start out well... the Peeper sitter was 30 minutes late after a case of food poisoning the night before- yikes!

Slick had reservations at 3 of our favorite COW restaurants. We chose the one in Downtown Big City because the Legendary Stock Show is coming to town soon and we did not think we would be able to get in for a few weeks.

We sit and the young lady who comes over asks us How we are? Great we say. Is this our first time at the Cow Ranch? Nope we say. We are old hat and we are excited for some cow. Excellent she says. Then How are we? Well... we just told you we were great. Still are but now thinking you are a moron!

Then our waiter comes over- an 89% dead ringer for my cousin David-Fred. Freaky. We order my favorite indulgence- Still Bottled Water. David-Fred II might never have served it before. Slick's 209 G and T comes with a dry lime and so does my Fancy H2O. Nice. Dry limes. Yum.

The Happytisers come- strange Calamari Worms- not at all what we remembered from a previous trip- with catsup mixed with jalapenos- "cowboy cocktail sauce?" Poor guys...

Then forever- and two bottles of water later- thanks to Slick keeping my glass full- out comes our cow. Mine is so tough that while the server is waiting and I try to saw through it to show him that it was indeed cooked to perfection, I have to get a new knife that is tighter in the handle...

Slick's cow looks nice- it was supposed to come with cook's butter on the top... We were thinking that the cow would be hot enough to melt the butta... I guess we were wrong.

When Slick asked David-Fred II what the deal was- that our food felt cool and that it seemed that it had been sitting waiting for us for a while... DFII said- "What you are tasting is exactly right. You really have a good taster." Well duh.

Then the next time DFII comes over I tell him how hard my "untenderloin" is. I am a girl who has had a fair share of cow. I know a good tenderloin. This was suitable for a shoe. DFII's response- I am not kidding- "Well out of every 100 tenderloins, there are always a few that aren't up to par." It was all I could do not to laugh in his face. We were paying good money for bad food. DFII did offer to get me a new fillet of sole but I was almost full of the tasty but cold cheese grits. No thanks- I don't need another under par tenderloin tonight.

Apparently DFII thought we were fair complainers so he told the manager who gave us some random discounts off of our meals- like 45% or something equally strange- and on out way out- the manager walked in the other direction away from us and hid in the kitchen.

Chicken.

More musings of try number two soon!

If you give a kid a camera...

For her birthday the Peep got a couple of the If You Give a ... books. You know the ones- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and the like.

I would now demonstrate what happens if you give a 5 year old your new camera...

She will take pictures of the Jelly Bellys that Slick received from one of his vendors.

She will like the colors so much, she will go around looking for other things colorful to take pictures of.

She will find a bowl of random ornaments and take their picture too.

This will remind her that it is Christmas time and there are many things around the house decorating.

She will go on a spree taking pictures of those as well.

The next thing you know there are 20 or so pictures from all different angels of the downstairs of the house, including several unflattering ones of you and the family which must be deleted immediately!

Slick, Me and W

Slick and I were reading the paper this weekend and laughed out loud at this Associated Press compilation of one liners from W over the past few years.

We thought you might like it too.

President George W. Bush will leave behind a legacy of Bushisms, the label stamped on the commander in chief's original speaking style. Some of the president's more notable malaprops and mangled statements:
- "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." - September 2000, explaining his energy policies at an event in Michigan.
- "Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?" - January 2000, during a campaign event in South Carolina.
- "They misunderestimated the compassion of our country. I think they misunderestimated the will and determination of the commander in chief, too." - Sept. 26, 2001, in Langley, Va. Bush was referring to the terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks.
- "There's no doubt in my mind, not one doubt in my mind, that we will fail." - Oct. 4, 2001, in Washington. Bush was remarking on a back-to-work plan after the terrorist attacks.
- "It would be a mistake for the United States Senate to allow any kind of human cloning to come out of that chamber." - April 10, 2002, at the White House, as Bush urged Senate passage of a broad ban on cloning.
- "I want to thank the dozens of welfare-to-work stories, the actual examples of people who made the firm and solemn commitment to work hard to embetter themselves." - April 18, 2002, at the White House.
- "There's an old saying in Tennessee - I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee - that says, fool me once, shame on - shame on you. Fool me - you can't get fooled again." - Sept. 17, 2002, in Nashville, Tenn.
- "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." - Aug. 5, 2004, at the signing ceremony for a defense spending bill.
- "Too many good docs are getting out of business. Too many OB/GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." - Sept. 6, 2004, at a rally in Poplar Bluff, Mo.
- "Our most abundant energy source is coal. We have enough coal to last for 250 years, yet coal also prevents an environmental challenge." - April 20, 2005, in Washington.
- "We look forward to hearing your vision, so we can more better do our job." - Sept. 20, 2005, in Gulfport, Miss.
- "I can't wait to join you in the joy of welcoming neighbors back into neighborhoods, and small businesses up and running, and cutting those ribbons that somebody is creating new jobs." - Sept. 5, 2005, when Bush met with residents of Poplarville, Miss., in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
- "It was not always a given that the United States and America would have a close relationship. After all, 60 years we were at war 60 years ago we were at war." - June 29, 2006, at the White House, where Bush met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
- "Make no mistake about it, I understand how tough it is, sir. I talk to families who die." - Dec. 7, 2006, in a joint appearance with British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
- "These are big achievements for this country, and the people of Bulgaria ought to be proud of the achievements that they have achieved." - June 11, 2007, in Sofia, Bulgaria.
- "Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your introduction. Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit." - September 2007, in Sydney, Australia, where Bush was attending an APEC summit.
- "Thank you, Your Holiness. Awesome speech." April 16, 2008, at a ceremony welcoming Pope Benedict XVI to the White House.
- "The fact that they purchased the machine meant somebody had to make the machine. And when somebody makes a machine, it means there's jobs at the machine-making place." - May 27, 2008, in Mesa, Ariz.
- "And they have no disregard for human life." - July 15, 2008, at the White House. Bush was referring to enemy fighters in Afghanistan.
- "I remember meeting a mother of a child who was abducted by the North Koreans right here in the Oval Office." - June 26, 2008, during a Rose Garden news briefing.
- "Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These immigrants have helped transform 13 small colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300 people." - July 4, 2008 in Virginia.
- "The people in Louisiana must know that all across our country there's a lot of prayer - prayer for those whose lives have been turned upside down. And I'm one of them. It's good to come down here." - Sept. 3, 2008, at an emergency operations center in Baton Rouge, La., after Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf Coast.
- "This thaw - took a while to thaw, it's going to take a while to unthaw." Oct. 20, 2008, in Alexandria, La., as he discussed the economy and frozen credit markets.

Thanks Lulu for the following...

To Those of You Born 1930 – 1979

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.
As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.
Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren't overweight. WHY?
Because we were always outside playing...that's why!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill; only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's and X-Boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms. WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment.
Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. If YOU are one of them? CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.
While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?