Busy Bee

I can't believe its already February.  Looks like this year is going to go by as fast as last year.

I've been busy working on some very special projects, all of which have kept me up until midnight or later the past few days.  I'm hoping that doesn't last too much longer.  This gal needs her beauty sleep!

My obsession with David Beckham continues.  This little gem is actually quite funny:

Also I got this new case for my iphone.  It is waterproof, snowproof, shockproof, and dirtproof.  It is also lightweight.
Seriously.  Badass.  Go get one so you don't jack up your iphone.

fin.

State Fair Chili Cook-off Part 2: Test Run

Well I got home later than I wanted last night so I decided to save the test run for today. Its best to start off the day with a good breakfast. Check out this little skillet I bought:




Isn't it cute? It holds one egg perfectly. I almost burned my egg taking this pic actually. The smoke alarm went off. Not a good omen.

Now to test out the costume I bought for Beans MF.



He obviously loves it! My little fat pumpkin!

Ok, NOW its time to break out the camp stove. The instructions seem overly complicated.



I'm going to steal a play from the Tao of Curtis and just figure it out as I go.

I spilled fuel everywhere as I filled up the tank. Luckily I have the hose close by to clean up my mess before I catch the house on fire. I figure maybe I should read the instructions after all so I give them a quick scan. Good thing too because I wouldn't have figured it out on my own.





Im ready to light it up!

12 tries later, I think I have fire but I can't see it so it's time to consult the google.

Google says this stove is basically like a Bunsen burner so I should have a low blue flame. Hm. Not exactly what i had going on. Enough with the stove for now. Time to chop some shit.

Here's my ingredients:





I get the stove going after only 1 try and the onions are in the pot! Time to add some meat.




Meat + a few dozen ingredients later and i have this simmering on the camp stove:



So far so good!! Now to let it cook for a bit... Is it too early for a beer? I think not!

After letting it simmer for 30 minutes, it's good but definitely needs more heat. I add some more chili powder, red pepper, paprika, and cayenne. Here is the final recipe (I think):





And here's the final product:






Now to work on the team shirts! State Fair Chili Cook Off, here we come!

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State Fair Chili Cook-off Part 1: Preparation

I've decided to compete in this years chili cook off! Very exciting!

I head to Wal-Mart to get some items for Sunday's event. Namely, fuel for my Coleman pump stove (on loan from one of my assistants, Pablo).

I'm on a mission for fuel but I'm immediately distracted by Halloween items. Ooooh! Dog Costumes. I need a costume for Beans MF anyway.



I liked the hot dog but its too obvious so I went with the pumpkin. He's going to love it!

Ok so fuel. Camping supplies here I come. Uh oh. Kitchen Gadget aisle is distracting me. I think I need something on this aisle to help with the chili.



I grab a measuring cup/spoon set that is only .88 cents! Ok now on to sporting goods.

Oh wait! I want this vacuum:





But not today because it's $500.

Luckily the lady just announced something about sporting goods on the intercom so I'm reminded of my fuel. Here's the stove I'm using:




But I don't see any fuel!!! Ugh!!!

Ok so I located the fuel. It was conveniently next to the stove.





Yes I just had a blonde moment. I thought that thing on the front of the stove was what the fuel came in but turns out that's just the tank. I'm dumb. :(

Ok so how long does one gallon of fuel last? Hm. I better get two since I'm doing a test run on my chili recipe tonight.

I have to make a quick call to see if I have a folding table at home. I really want to buy this Coleman pop up kitchen but it's $42.00. Hm. I'll pass this time. But if I win then I'm coming back to get it.

Now I need team shirts. I like purple so that's the one I pick. I've been here over an hour and haven't gotten food yet. I need mascara. I've been wanting to try the new one JLo has been advertising but I can't remember the name so I get my trusty lash blast**







Ok - Finally on to the groceries! I really just need meat and a couple of spices I'm low on at home.

2 hours later here's my basket:




I'm forgetting something. I just know it. I'm tired too. And hungry. Time to go.

Check out was quick. Now I'm on my way home to fire up the stove and give it a test run! More to come!

**ladies, I have tried EVERY mascara out there - expensive and cheap. This one is the best, I swear.

Back to School

I don't have children of my own (save my pugs of course) but today I am reminded of the first day of school by many of my facebook friends.  Seems everyone is posting pictures of their children along with tearful words of nostalgia for the days before he/she was "all grown up."  I'm sure if my dad were a facebook user he might have similar sentiments on this day.  Thank God he hates computers and spends more time cussing their existence than actually working on one.

Anyway, I learned recently that one Dallas school has IPad stations for their Kindergartners.  Ok I don't even own an IPad.  WTF? 

Knowing this, I have to wonder if kids these days are filled with as much trepidation about the first day of school as many of us were before the days of technology filled classrooms.

I woke up early for the first day of school.  My outfit was already picked out my my mom.  The year was 1980 something so who knows what kind of exotic clothing choice I was sporting that day.  I'm sure there is a picture or two somewhere.  I can't tell you what I ate for breakfast but I can tell you that I was excited about having school supplies.  This quirk of mine would carry on into my college years.  I love school supply shopping.  Something about notebooks and pencils makes me feel like I'm about to accomplish something great.

I remember clearly my mother walking me to the door of Mrs. Blaylock's Kindergarten class.  I was nervous but not crying.  Looking back I wonder why?  In a town of only 5000 people, I had encountered most kids before that day.  I think my mom put me in every Vacation Bible School there was the summer before - regardless of denomination (this could explain some of my issues with organized religion but that is a whole other topic).  Upon entering the classroom I immediately recognized some of the faces.  Suzie Allen was one; as well as James Stevenson - two people I would eventually go on to graduate high school with 12 years later. 

Then there was this one girl... I didn't know her name when I walked in the door but I noticed her immediately.  She was crying.  And by crying I mean bawling.  And by bawling I mean her face was red with tears streaming down it like her life was over.  I mean, quite literally, like coming to school that day was the worst thing that had ever happened to her, EVER.  Heck, maybe it was the worst thing she had ever encountered in the whopping 5 years she had been alive.  Who knows?  I knew this much - I wanted nothing to do with her.  Her crying was contagious.  The girl next to her caught it and started with the tears streaming down her face too.  A few other kids were beginning to sniffle.  This was awful.  I told my mom "bye" and tried to snag a seat near some people I recognized in the corner of the room.  Bad news for me, the teacher was putting us in alphabetical order and I got stuck right next to red-faced crying girl.  She cried ALL DAY LONG in some form or fashion.  Sometimes quite hiccuping other times full on hissy fit.  I found out her name was Stephanie and tried to show her my cool school supplies.  She was not interested.  Any time the teacher offered up a chance to go somewhere or do something I was out of my seat ASAP just to get a break from this chick.  

When my mom picked me up later asking about how my day was, I was not that pleased.  I voiced some complaints about Stephanie and her crying.  My mom's reaction was basically "deal with it, Lesley."  

Turns out this Stephanie girl lived not far away in my neighborhood so we ended up being friends for a while until she stole my boyfriend and pushed me on the playground.  Then we were NOT friends and I hated her guts and thought she deserved to have a terrible first day of school for being such an awful person.  She moved away a couple of years later.

Hm, come to think of it - maybe we would have done better with IPad stations. 

Round Brush Trauma

I'm having a hard time concentrating at work today.  I'm thinking about the new round brush I bought.  I have tentatively starting using the round brush again after 25 year break.

When I was six the round brush beckoned to my long golden hair, just begging me to use it.  I obliged and began happily brushing, curling and twisting my hair around the round brush until it was hopelessly tangled.  I tugged and tugged but couldn't get it loose.  With frustrated tears I started yelling for my mother.  She didn't respond immediately and being the impatient type, I reached for the scissors and began cutting.  My poor mom walked in when I was about halfway through my impromptu haircut.  The look on her face was sheer horror.  "What have you done?!?", she cried.  There I stood, beet red, scissors in my wanting desperately to have the round brush out, OUT of my hair.  I was marched to the beauty salon where i got a very cute boy cut.  My mother cried.

As you can imagine, I was traumatized by this experience and steered clear of the round brush. 

Occasionally, I would see my friends with lovely, volumized, hair and ask, "How do you DO that?"  Of course the answer would be, "Oh, you know, with a round brush."  I felt defeated by their answer.  I could never use a round brush.  Just the thought of it scared the heck outta me.  I would imagine something like this:

But now that I am 31 I figured it was time to grow up and give it another shot.  I realized I never properly learned how to use a round brush.  Thanks to YouTube, one can learn pretty much anything these days.

Some of my new favorite hairstyles are coming from www.twitter.com/LolaMarie8 - I suggest you check her out if you're looking to update your 'do.  Thanks to her I am also re-visiting the world of Velcro rollers and I am traumatized no more!