i apologize for

my absence but I've been preoccupied.  I have a feeling it'll stay pretty busy until graduation night which is one month from today.  Right now I'm feeling a little under the weather so while I'm sitting here sipping on hot tea, I thought I could at least pop in with a few words.

I did get on the other day and noticed the background decided to get all wacky on me... so I changed it.

I've also been getting on Ancestry.com trying to create a family tree.  It's pretty cool but then I've always been interested in that stuff.  I have so many pictures I want to scan but realize they can't all go on a family tree.  I asked on FB about good sites for picture storage and most people suggested flickr.  I already have a flickr account but it's just been ignored for a few years.  I have a feeling I'll just stick with that since it's already set up.  I don't know.  I haven't been doing too well with the photo challenge.  Again, I've been preoccupied.  Now I need to finish my tea so I can go take pics for Madeline's.

I'll leave you with this.

the theme for

yesterday was "younger you".  Here is younger me on vacation in Acapulco.  Nothing says cool like gold sunglasses and a Swatch watch.  80's, anyone?

Speaking of vacation, remember that pity party?  I couldn't stand it anymore and we left for New Orleans Friday afternoon.  Cosme left work early and we headed out.  I got a room through Priceline and it was in a great location, just not the best as far as housekeeping goes.  We stayed at the Marriott on Canal in the French Quarter.  Luckily I hadn't made dinner reservations requiring us to change clothes.  Our room wasn't ready when we got there at 7:30.  We checked our bags in and went for dinner.  We went to Ralph and Kacoo's.  It's nothing fancy but the closest one to us is several hours away, we enjoy the food and there isn't a dress code so we stopped in.  By the way, I never liked hush puppies until I tried them here.  They're pretty tasty.

The hotel called during dinner to let us know the room was ready.  Instead of walking back, checking in and going back out, we decided to finish our night.  The next stop was Pat O'Brien's for a hurricane.  Then was a walk down Bourbon Street with a stop in a blues club.

We finally made it back to the hotel and crashed.  The next morning the line for Cafe Du Monde was so long we decided to skip breakfast (it was, after all, 11:00) and headed to NOLA.  Man, that place is good.  We'd eaten there for dinner a few years ago and loved it so we figured we'd go back for lunch.

Shrimp and grits.  Delicious.

I'm not the biggest fan of bread pudding but it was pretty awesome too.

We did some walking afterwards.

Next was nap time.  When I woke up I wasn't feeling too good so we went for a walk looking for crackers and ginger ale.  We came across a reflexology center that I'd read about.  Since I'd always wanted to try reflexology, we stopped and I'll definitely do it again.

We still weren't very hungry so we just stopped for a little bite at the Gumbo Shop.  I had planned for us to try a certain restaurant but we weren't very hungry and felt like sticking to the French Quarter.  Darn, I guess we'll have to go back to try the other.

The food wasn't the best so instead of sticking around for dessert, we decided to hit up Cafe Du Monde for beignets.

After another stroll down Bourbon Street, it was back to the hotel.  We woke up early, checked out and left for more beignets and a few pictures.

I left out a few details.  Long story short, I probably wouldn't stay at that Marriott again... unless Priceline sticks me there with an awesome price.

And then there's the word for today.  Cold.

i need to catch

up but that's all I'm doing for now.  I don't feel the best but I'm hoping that my Zyrtec is the solution and that it will kick in soon.

Tiny.  I really don't think any description is necessary.

Lunch.  When I'm on the road with a plan, I don't like to stop.  I always thought I was the type that when I got hungry, I needed to eat.  I've realized over the last few years that I'm not.  I think I'd rather keep going, get there and then do my thing.  Also, if you're traveling with me and a stop is necessary, that stop better be on our side of the road and I better not have to venture off down another road to get there.  If it's not right at our exit, you'll have to wait and hope there's something off the next exit... without having to cross the highway, of course.

Shadow.  I looked during the day and nothing stood out.  I came across this shadow on our way from dinner to dessert.

I will give details about the weekend road trip but if you don't know where we went, the hotel's breakfast menu specialties should give it away.  (By the way, we didn't waste any of our meals on hotel food.)

The next day was "inside your wallet".  I don't carry a wallet so I didn't really have anything to show.  Today is "younger you" but I don't know if I'll get it done.  I just feel as I need to lie down and not worry about it right now.

the topic for

today is "someone who makes you happy".  Here we have a picture of Cosme and Eric.  Because neither one of them like to have their pictures made, this is all I could get.

Last Friday I saw a clip from ESPN and the desk was in the middle of the French Quarter.  I told Cosme I wanted to go to New Orleans and we decided we would go, leaving within the hour.  Just as fast as we decided we would go, we decided we wouldn't go.  I spent the rest of the evening having a pity party.  Last week Cosme told me he might have to go to California for a day or two in the next week or so.  He found out yesterday that day is today.  We'd planned on me going and turning it into a long weekend.  That's not happening.  He's leaving after work today for a meeting tomorrow and flying home tomorrow.  Again with the pity party...  I figure it's no big deal even though I love California and it's one of my favorite places.  I decided to have some yogurt (which I usually eat out of a coffee mug for some reason).  I grabbed a mug...

As if this wound needed more salt.

sorry about

that.  Let's catch up and finish March.
Next came toy

Then came "where you relax".

Okay, let's start with April... first up was "your reflection".  Here I am, reflected off the car radio.

Yesterday was color.

Today is mail.

I know I've been MIA for a few days.  I'm blaming it on Ancestry.com.  That stuff sucks me in and I can't stop.  I've recorded my maternal grandmother's maternal grandmother's side back to the 1700's.  I started there because that seems to be the part of the family I know the least about.  I almost started again this morning but I decided to wait.  Once I start I just keep going and before I know it, I've killed a lot of time.  What keeps me going?  My best guess is sugar.  We stopped at Moeller's Bakery on Saturday and bought a few things.  A couple of which were Easter petit fours.  How could I pass them up?

They were moist and sweet and delicious.  Speaking of which...

the word on the

street, or at least as far as the photo challenge is concerned is "feet".  Yeah, I could've posted a picture of my feet in my new shoes but I decided to look a littler further.  Since I had to run to the store, I got my picture there.

Speaking of feet, I was getting out of the shower on Tuesday and banged my left foot into the frame of the shower door.  It hurt BAD.  It was one of those hurts where the person in the next room asks what happened and you don't even feel like talking.  My last three toes were injured and stinging.  Yesterday only one toe (the little piggy that had none) was still sensitive and I was worrying I might lose my nail.  As bad as it hurt though, the first thing that went through my head after it happened was, "HOW WILL I GET A PEDICURE???"... priorities.

I can't just end it here.  I might as well post my new shoes.  Remember the kung fu shoes I ordered a while back?  I had to get a new pair of the patterned ones.  (I'll just say it was a situation involving a cat.)  Anyway, I had to reorder a pair so I decided to get the leopard print ones too.

And yes, they are a little bit fuzzy.

trash is the

topic for today.

You may be wondering where I was so early to be in a parking lot this morning.  I'm on top of it today, kind of.  I found a recipe last night I wanted to try and needed a few ingredients so my meat will have time to marinate.  It's basically Asian style fajitas.  It's marinated in stuff like soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic... you get the idea.  After it marinates for 3-6 hours, you grill it and slice it and serve it.  I think I'll serve it with rice.

Let's back this story up a little bit.  Last week on our trip to Costco, we passed the cookbooks and there was The Pioneer Woman's cookbooks on top.  One was released a year or so ago and the other was a couple of weeks ago.  I didn't have either and they were a low Costco price so Mom and I each got both.  If you don't know who The Pioneer Woman is, she's kind of like the queen of the blogging world.  A lot of the blogs you see today are inspired by or want to follow in her steps... a lot, not all... obviously.  Anyway, she has a blog, cookbooks, a cooking show, a novel and a kids book and probably more.  I read the blog and I watch the shows but I'm not a fanatic like some.  So last week I picked the books up for about half the regular price.  I've made some of her recipes before (some awesome and some not).  I sat down and went through the books.  I decided not to make any of that but to use a recipe I found on Pinterest.  I clicked the link and what do you know... someone had gotten it from The Pioneer Woman.  Forget the blogging world, I think she's taking over the entire world and I contributed.  At least I got a discount.

the photo challenge

yesterday was "key".  It just so happened that I had a package delivered.

Today's challenge is "your name".  Done.

I baked a strawberry cake yesterday.  I found the recipe on Pinterest for Strawberry Sheet Cake but this instructed me to make it in a 9x13 pan and not a sheet pan.  I have a feeling I would have liked it better in a sheet pan.  It's made with fresh, smashed, sweetened strawberries and could probably stand to have a few more in it.  I also don't understand why they had to be sweetened.  So next time I'll make a few changes.

Cutting up all those strawberries had me in the mood for more produce.  I had vegetables in the refrigerator that were on their last days so I pulled those out and lit up the grill.  We had tomatoes covered with parmesan cheese, mushrooms and red peppers.  Once those were almost done, I did some rearranging and put a few filets down.  It is officially grilling season in this house.

And look how green that grass is.  I used weed & feed last month and I think it might have helped.  All I need now is a hammock... and a trip to the grocery store for more meats and vegetables.

friday's word

of inspiration was "moon".  Guess what.  It was foggy out and I didn't see anything.  I did find these Moon Pies though.  I've never had one but Instagram posted it to FB on Friday and I have since learned that I need to try one.

The next day came "animal".  So that one was a no brainer.  Here's Strat with his new X-Men bandana.

Yesterday was "breakfast".  Fried eggs, refried beans, potatoes and tortillas.  I'd take another serving right now if it was in front of me.

Speaking of taking...  When Mom was down last week we made a stop at Costco.  One of the things she picked up was a jar of candy for me to deliver to Dodo at the nursing home.

I bought chocolate covered almonds for myself but really wanted a little bite of something different.  If my grandmother was here she would have offered me one of her salted caramels and when I deliver them, she'll still offer me one.  Keeping that in mind, I decided to tear her jar open and have one.  I know Dodo wouldn't mind.  Seriously though, is there a grandchild anywhere that would feel guilty for taking a piece of their grandmother's candy?  And I don't either.

and that was

spring break... and apparently, a blog break.  We flew home from Fort Lauderdale a week ago today.  At this time last week we were checking out of Lago Mar and headed to the airport.  We got to the airport just after 7:00 to catch our 8:39 flight to Houston and almost didn't make it.  Remember that whole story I talked about out of Intercontinental the Saturday before spring break?  That's about what it came down to on our way home.  I don't know what United's problem is.  They were very nice about it all though.  They were keeping up with the flights and the people in the long line.  As our flight time was getting closer, they pulled all the Houston bound people out and rushed us through.  We got home and since then it's been cleaning, visiting, Pampered Chef and daily errands.  I almost posted yesterday but just didn't have the time to catch up.

I don't have many more pictures of vacation without repeating myself.  I will catch up on the photo challenges, minus a day or two.

Day 16 - sunglasses.  I didn't need them on the plane.  Our window was one of those in a jacked up position where it's towards the back of the seat.  You know, where really only the person in the window seat can look out and the aisle person starts to feel extremely claustrophobic?  I speak from experience.

Day 17 - green.  Even though it was St. Patrick's Day, all I have is a bin of peppers.  I had grocery shopping to do, I was in the produce department and those were green.  Done.

Day 18 - a corner of your home.  This is self explanatory.  This is a corner and it's in my home.

Day 19 - funny.  Sorry, no picture but something funny happened.  We were all sitting around that evening.  I was on one chair, Mom was on the couch, Eric was on his computer, Strat was stretched out on another chair and Cosme was coming to sit down.  Cosme reached his hand out and told Strat to get up.  Strat meowed and swatted at Cosme's hand as if to say, "I was here first, go find another spot!"  This continued several times, none of which were caught with a camera.

Day 20 - before/after.  We had severe weather on Tuesday.  The first picture is early morning, before it all hit and the second is later that afternoon after it had all passed.

Day 21 - delicious.  Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla.  Need I say more?

Day 22 - kitchen sink.  Yes, that's what it is.  Not exciting but that's the challenge and there it is.

Today's word is moon.  It's really foggy out and I can't see anything in the sky.  Let's hope I figure something out.  No worries, I will not moon the camera.