Nerd-like Leanings

I'm reading two good books right now. I haven't read two books at the same time since I was probably in middle school.

(I remember in my 6th or 7th grade math class hiding Little Women or The Secret Garden or a series about a ballerina behind my math book and tilting it so that the teacher couldn't see what I was doing, and I would just read whatever I wanted and didn't have to worry about bothering with that bland, pointless math junk. Um, who cares? I think, sitting here and reminiscing, that this moment established my nerdhood. My rebellious misbehavior was ... reading. How sad.)

Ironically, or maybe this is what got me thinking about this in the first place, a co-worker asked me last night if I was a nerd. (the same co-worker who told me my husband looks much younger than I do--ouch.) If someone asks that question (nerd, eh?), it's always affirmative. If someone is asking, it's yes. It just is. I told him with defensive pride that I like to read, that this is who I am and what I enjoy.

I'm not pretending to listen to Soulja Boy (Who is that? Why has he misspelled his name in such a ridiculous way?) or that I wear booties (They are ugly. Period.) Admittedly, I make some sacrifices to Trend, but underneath, I prefer solitary reading and writing to most everything else. Am I wearing my glasses right now? Yes, I am.

Anyway, back to the point, I'm reading In the Beauty of the Lilies by John Updike, and so far it's been about a Presbyterian minister who sort of unwillingly becomes an atheist and resigns from his position. I think it's going to shift narrators to his son soon. I really multiple perspective novels. I read David Foster Wallace's criticism of Updike, but I haven't read Updike before, and I expected to hate him, but I don't. Up to this point, I really like his imagery and exploration of faltering faith.

My second book is The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao. I cannot stop reading it. Everyone should read it. Read it! He withholds the identity of the narrator until about half way through, but he has a conversational voice like you've never read. There's lots of Spanish sprinkled in, and so it's been pretty helpful to be reading at Lanny's. The characters of Oscar and his mom are so well done. Speaking of nerds, Oscar is so funny and pitiful that you have to just just love and sympathize with him. His history, coming out of his mom and grandfather's past especially, is tragic and comic book mythic. Diaz loves his footnotes, a la David Foster Wallace coincidentally, and he inserts lots of Dominican history and legend in them. Read it!

Getting Fancy

I'm off this Saturday night!  We're attending the wedding of a Wooten family friend, and, really, I'm most excited about just getting dressed up.  I don't really care what we're doing as long as it's a weekend night and I'm not wearing a striped button-up and squatty waitress shoes.  Yeah!

So, of course, I've been mulling over what to wear.  Presently, I have four contenders in the running.  Pros for the first dress are as follows:  it has 3/4 length sleeves and a heavy satin fabric so I would be warmer, and it has a jazzy print.  Cons:  the jazzy print might be a little too wallpaper-ish, and I find a swing/babydoll cut dress suits casual day wear more than evening fete wear.  Plus, with my broad shoulders, sometimes it's not the most flatteringly feminine style for me. 

In contrast, dress #2 is probably the most flattering of the four options--it's black, close fitting but not too tight, and it's my favorite length.  Plus, it has pretty tucks and pleats along the neckline.  However, it's a little blah.  I mean, could I BE any more predictable?  LBD, anyone?

The third dress is navy with black lace, and I've, um, tailored it to make it work a little better.  I chopped off a couple of layers at the hem so that it doesn't hit right in the middle of my thick calves and make me look like a schoolmarm.  I didn't even have to hem it b/c the top layer covers where I cut it.  Just don't look inside.  I also took some of the leftover lace from the bottom and stitched it inside the V-neck.  Normally, I like a V-neck, but this one was just kinda funky.  Plus, I like that the scalloped edge hits right under the collarbone.  And I love black lace.

Last, and currently the leader, is a satin, eggplant bridesmaid dress from my sister's wedding last February.  It has black velvet straps and trim.  I really like the color, and it just looks like a party dress to me.   

I think I'll wear different shoes though.  Open toe fancy shoes?  (Please ignore the sideways picture.  Fixing it would have stressed me out.  Just tilt your head, and it's not a problem.  Right?)

Maybe different earrings, too.  I think something with more dangle with my short hair.  This kinda makes me miss long hair...

Here's Dad and Sis dancing outside...   Sara had a relatively small wedding at the Inn at Lake Granbury.  Mom and Dad live in Granbury, and we had the whole inn to ourselves, and it was so great.  The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner were both there Friday night.  When we woke up Saturday, we walked down to the square and messed around there for awhile.  Then Sis got ready in her room with everyone.  They had the ceremony outside in the courtyard area, and the reception was in  the meeting/ballroom. After everything, our family hung out in front of the fire until bedtime.  Everything right there.  It was so much less stress than mine...  Plus, since it was a small guest list, we really got to spend time and visit with family, and not as much nervousness standing up in front of all those people, ... and all the food was so good.  Bananas Foster french toast, mmm.  If I had known how much fun her wedding would be, I might have made some different choices.  Oh well.  Cest la vie.

Stop...

Hub saw this yesterday while working out in Azle and decided that the poetry of the sentiment should be shared.  You may have to blow it up in order to read it, but don't you wish you had thought of it?  I mean, shouldn't all stop signs have "HAMMER TIME!" painted at the bottom?  I especially like that he/she included an exclamation mark.  This is an emphatic declaration...  well, command and then declaration.  You must stop first and then recognize what time it is.  Probably should have inserted an exclamation mark after the stop also.  Look! I've taken all the funny out of it.

Three Highlights

Hub got me this sweater from Anthropologie, and I want to brag b/c he picked it out without any advice from anyone, and it is exactly the sweater I would have picked for myself.  What a stylish, insightful man.

I also received this throw from Hub's parents.  So soft and perfect!

This was Pup's gift from Santa.  As a bonus, you can put a water bottle inside, and she likes nothing more than the sound of crushing water bottles.  Also, Pup herself is sleeping underneath this nest of fluffy white blanket.  I tried to tuck her in for her nap, but I apparently lack nest-making skills, so she had to dig and root around to make her own fully submerged nest for herself.  Ah, Pup is quite the discriminating doggie. 

Perfect Day

I spent the ENTIRE day making cookies on Tuesday.  Can I think of a better way to spend five hours as I'm approaching Christmas?  No, I cannot.  What else could have been better when it was freezing cold outside and I could sip coffee and chat with Lu while rolling out my dough and dying my icing?  

Tangentially, this holiday season has been so much more enjoyable than previous ones, and I think it's b/c I have so much more time to do things the way I want to do them, to carry out my vision, if you will.  I like to do the chores required around Christmas:  making lists, shopping, wrapping, baking.  This is my stuff.  Normally, it's all shoved into the few hours between work and dinner and ends up being just a big pile of stress.  Maybe I could handle the housewifing gig.  I'm just saying...

Anyway, I made cut-out cookies for the in-law extended family gift exchange.  Edible gifts are my go-to gift of choice for pretty much anyone outside the immediate fam circle.  Is is inexpensive?  Yes.  Can I produce mass quantities?  Yes.  I meant to take pictures of all of them before I packed them up, but I forgot.  Oh well, here are some samples of the process and resulting delicacies.

Things that Annoy Mom

I just found this picture of my mom on our computer.  She looks like she's annoyed with something I'm doing.  She's probably about to give me sass about it.  These are the things that annoy my mother:  1) winter, 2) pretty much all animals, 3) when I don't return her phone calls, 3) misbehaving children, 4) when people joke about her abstinence from cooking for the last couple years, and 6) when things happen to her plants.

If she ever reads this, she won't like that I posted any of this information.  Fortunately for me, it is highly unlikely my mom will even turn on the computer before the end of the year.  I showed her my blog one time.  I don't think she was that impressed.  Additionally, I don't think she really understood what a blog is.  

And honestly, shouldn't I have better things to do with my time?  Like look for a job?

The Latest Pipe Dream

I've been scanning Craigslist lately looking for jobs, and I'm not finding much that would be worth leaving Lanny's... which means that everything's pretty much crap and pays pennies.  However, I did find a contract job writing as a food critic for Gayot.com for the Dallas Fort Worth area.  Can anyone imagine a better job (even if it is just part time)?  "I give this my lowest rating ever--seven thumbs up." The only con I can think of is the 900 lbs. I would gain from eating fried starters, butter-drenched sauces, and choco heavy desserts.  

Um, I'm literally salivating right now.  What's wrong with me?  I just had dinner a few hours ago--oh yeah, the problem is that tonight we had a sensible veggie-laden dinner of cassoulet.  It's one of our favorites, but lentils and leeks don't stick to your ribs like our other favorite chicken curry with its heavy cream base (or as Lanny has called it "full fat cream"... He informed us that's what it's technically called and that's what we should tell customers is in the pasilla soup.  Um, no.  I don't think the term "full fat" is going to sell anyone.)  

Anyway, what was I talking about?  Oh, yes, my application to Gayot.com.  Well,  I had to submit two 150 word sample restaurant reviews with my cover letter and resume.  I've decided to post them.  I picked two of my favorite Camp Bowie standards of which I was most comfortable: Lucile's and Winslow's.  Please enjoy my staggering food and bev knowledge.

LUCILE'S STATESIDE BISTRO  

15/20

For years, Lucile's Stateside Bistro has prepared Fort Worth's favorite brunch.  From the entryway of the historic building, the dining room opens up into two sections:  to the left, a raised more intimate area and to the right, the high-ceilinged, open sun room.  Although Lucile's lobster bisque and salmon salad from its everyday menu are sure crowd-pleasers, the bistro shines brightest with their Sunday brunch menu.  Not only do servers circulate with baskets of warm, tart sourdough rolls, but their chef cooks sides of beautiful, diaphanous, sugar dusted beignets to order.  As a quick disclaimer, Lucile's is no place for carb cowards.  However, for those without starch angst, Lucile's is happy to offer their most popular entrees, the Dutch Baby and the breakfast pizza.  The Dutch Baby, a delicate, platter-sized crepe, cloaks itself in lemon butter and powdered sugar, while a side of bacon or ham balances the flavor.  Additionally, they offer a variety of breakfast pizzas from their Morning Glory to the Southwest Pizza, all wood-fired in their stone oven.  Whether young or old, just coming out of church or just rolling out of bed, everyone can find something to love at Lucile's Sunday brunch

WINSLOW'S WINE CAFE

Quick Bite

Winslow's Wine Cafe set up shop this fall in the seemingly ideal location on the corner of Camp Bowie and Clover, just blocks from Fort Worth's cultural district.  The owners repurposed the historic gas station for their sleek new restaurant, bar, patio, and retail shop.  Editing their wine list to include around fifty varieties of some of the most popular bottles, the menu contains Far Niente, Cakebread, and Darioush Cabernet Sauvignons as well as a Susana Balbo Malbec, a Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay, and a Trefethen Riesling.  With this obvious focus on their beverages, the  food menu remains streamlined, comprised of hot and cold tapas, salads, and pizzas.  All the stock starters are accounted for:  bruschetta, check; crab cakes, check; carpaccio, check, and yet the menu contains some surprising inclusions, as well.  The vanilla-scented scallops and small brisket sandwiches satisfy customers looking for a starter with a little more Cow Town personality.  Within the wood fired pizza varieties, the Jim Bowie disappoints, bastardizing what pizza should be with its jam-like BBQ sauce.  However, the Spinach and Chevre pizza is the perfect combination of sweetness from carmelized onions, freshness from the spinach, velvety creaminess from the bechamel, and salty nuttiness from the shaved parmesan.  West-siders seem to love the idea of this neighborhood wine bar with its simple, elegant fare, and really, who can blame them?