Saturday I woke up around 7 o’clock and because it was still sort of cool outside I decided to get after some much needed yard work. I have this weird little fenced in side yard that got away from me while I was injured. It took a little while but it looks better. Next a wild hair sprouted and I decided to cut down an ash tree next to my driveway. I like my chainsaw. I felt very productive. Made a nice big breakfast burrito baby. The baby was calling my name next. She was so pretty. I put on her bow and she slept on my legs.

Yvette and I were going to go to the movie together but she was tired and it really wasn’t a movie for her. In truth, I saw the movie alone and it kind of sucked. Had high expectations for it. The first surprise was that it was packed. I was not expecting that. If Yvette had decided to go with me we would have only been able to sit next to each other in the nose bleed section. I was forced to sit on the aisle next to a stranger, which I don’t and try not to do. I’m sure that affected the movie experience. It wasn’t the acting that was bad. I thought all involved did a great job. The plot was really unique, but it was somehow a fumble. The end of the movie was the only saving grace. Things let go. That didn’t make up for the first hour. I was bored in a movie I expected to be fast and not boring. What a waste of 2 hours in a packed theater. Maybe if I see it again in a less uncomfortable setting my viewing will be copacetic.

Walked out of the movie to a lovely surprise: thunder! Some storms were building up. That made up for the movies disappointment. We went out to my mother’s to hang out with the nephews one last day before they left for home in the morning. They were such good boys and they showed me all that I need to know about the game Minecraft. Halfway have me convinced I need to start playing it. We hung out and it sprinkled a little. A weather alert notified me that a severe thunderstorm watch was in effect. It was building up north of us. We didn’t get a goddamn thing. It always dissipates before us. C’est la vie…

A wave to exhaustion hit me that evening. I guess cutting down a tree and removing a bunch of bullshit starting at 7AM will do that. Who fucking knew??? My intent was getting up early tomorrow for more yard work. Yay!!! It feels good being motivated again. I lost all of that when I hurt my back a year ago. It’s not joke, but all that was on my mind was pain and how to alleviate it. I think back to how that was. It feels like a distant life and it was a year ago. I was a fall hazard. I was in chronic pain, no matter what I did. Do you think that affected my mood? I might have had more beers than I should have, but it numbed me some. It was a bad time. I mean, I couldn’t walked up or down stairs for Christ sake. My mind was clouded by pain. I don’t think anyone really understands that. Pain isn’t something anyone can explain. Saturday morning I was baffled by the things I wasn’t able to do. The things I was afraid to do. I felt crippled. I still hurt. That’s not all going away but feel so much more alive. Some of this is thanks to COVID. It freed me of some of my shackles.

I went home and cooked and decided to watch the 4th Matrix movie. We started it the night before but I missed a lot so started it again. I was really really fucking tired. The couch felt great. The movie was actually pretty good. Matrix 2&3 sucked. This was something of a refreshment. Especially after the movie I watched earlier.

Sunday I slept in till 8:30. Woah!! I know, that’s not late. I’ve been getting up early though. I made some coffee and got out and mowed, weed eater and blew my yard. It felt good to have that out of the way. I took a shower and it was off to Target. They were taking all items denim for and giving a 20% discount on annum items purchased. Basically cleaned out a large portion of my closet. Jeans that were either to big or worn to shit. What a heck of a deal.

I was invited to Yvette’s parents for a late lunch. Chicken dressing, damn good green beans, mashed potato’s and rolls. Yeah, bad for a diabetic but I endured. I arrived about an hour before watched the Olympics with her mom and dad. it was good times.

Afterwards another one of those wild hairs sprouted. I decided to finish painting on of the rooms. The bulk I knocked out when I had COVID. Not exactly the recommended time to paint as is noticeable in areas. I just needed to get around the windows, trim and ceiling. At least I somehow realized that would be a bad idea with a fever. Anyhow, I knocked it out. While I was removing the painters tape I left to go pee. Well I didn’t shut the door and the paint tray was till on the ground. My precious Owen. That dog. He stepped in the tray. I came back to the room only to find pink paw prints all over the floor…. 🤦🤦🤦 that was my mistake. Poor damn dog. All I could do was laugh out loud like some sort of maniac. It really was comical. It was also a pain in my ass. Shit happens. The room looks good.

After a run to run to HEB and Home Depot, I went to my mom’s house. She made a day trip to drop off the kids in Austin and on the way back picked up some Cooper’s BBQ. Was a real treat. I seldom get such a treat. I was ecstatic. Overall it was a fantastic weekend. I love the energy I have now. I feel motivation and I feel productive.

Monday I woke up before my alarm and got in the shower. Made some coffee, fed the dog and got ready for the work week. I had plenty of time so I enjoyed a book with my coffee. Great way to ease into the week.

It was a rather nice Monday until I went to the eye doctor and had my eyes dilated. What a joy, being blind and light sensitive. Rather than go home and not be able to see the TV, my phone or read a book I decided to power through at work. I drove the golf cart very slowly. It made the time pass that would have otherwise dragged on. I managed. The first time I actually functioned with dilated eyes. What a strange experience. The joy of being a diabetic. Yay!!!

Turns out he gave me a prescription that was less strong than the one I had before so when I put my contacts in so was blind. I still had the old ones and I just switched. I mean, they were way the fuck off. WTF!! I paid for a visit that was failure. What a bummer. All my optic medical records were lost so I had to dig to find out what my eyes once were during my last visit. What a bummer.

It’s how. Well over 100 degrees now. Why oh why. My vitality is immediately sucked away. Bring me some fall breeze. I need it. I really need it. The day was once again productive. I was on the phone trying to get my optical medical information that up and vanished like a fart in the wind. 27 years worth…. I finally had a break and they mad that’s filled all my prescriptions had all the doctor’s records for me. He printed them and gave me a copy. Thank god. Maybe the rest of this BS will be easier. Yvette and I also found our wedding venue and are waiting on the contract to be written. How exciting is that. The rest should be easier not that we have that very VERY important piece knocked out.

I started a new series of Netflix. My brother said to check it out and so I did. Sounds like just the trippy physics based sci-fi I would like. First episode had me hooked. Not something Yvette would care to watch and that’s fine. It’s a lot of nerdy science. Love it and can’t wait to see where it goes. Anyone else see this?

Thursday was a shit day from the start. I had to deal with my new eye doctor again. Not him. The system. Well, maybe him. I called to get a fax. I set up an appointment. They called again to set up an appointment. Already had one. They didn’t know. My appointment was set for the 13th because I couldn’t get in sooner. They call to say they can get me in at 3 that day I went. The doctor copy and pasted. Only much much later did I realize my glasses wasn’t included. Fuck.

Yvette and I had a date. I needed it. I could bitch more about my Thursday, and I just might and probably will but let’s talk about us. I have been picking her up for work since January. At first I thought that would be a pain because I’m not a morning person. I was worried it wouldn’t be easy. Now I miss not seeing her in the morning if something comes up and we don’t go together. We have lunch almost everyday unless the same as above, something comes up. I love her. I love my time with her. We deserved a nice date. We had a nice date night.

I was so happy for Friday to finally arrive. Leave most the BS behind until the next week. Yvette, her youngest and I had dinner together and hung out for a while. I think all of us were tired. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Happy Friday!!!!

Jalapeño

Breakfast burrito baby. Chorizo egg jalapeño and cheese smothered with queso. Bloated mess.

Enchilada chicken with steamed rice and a fried egg.

Cooper’s BBQ. Pork tenderloin, beans and slaw. That sauce is pure gold. A real fucking treat.

Guiso & sticky rice bowl.

Tikka Masala.

Chicken fajita rice bowl.

Fantastic date night with Yvette. The best Italian I’ve had in a long time. The risotto was amazing. She had a shrimp fettuccine that I somehow botched a picture of. That green soup is an asparagus cream. Calamari was top notch and the creme brulee. Yum! Great end to a shitty day. Had so much fun. It was nice going to somewhere expensive and intimate.

Steak fajitas w/ chips, guacamole & queso. Dinner with the family. Everything from scratch. Tee said the steak was perfect and I couldn’t agree more. What a compliment.

Saturday I woke up at 8 and ran to HEB to grab the material I needed to make my hot sauce. At some point in the evening I decided it was time to make that. I also wanted chorizo egg tacks with some beans. After that I started the boil for the jalapeño and onion and took a long nice hot shower. The peppers were done so I dreamed and put on ice to cool. I had an eBay sale so I headed off to the post office to make a drop off. The same guy works every Saturday. We are now friends.

Next on the agenda was water and gas. Let me tell you a sad story. A year ago was when I hurt my back. I have not filled up my 5 gallon bottles in that long. I couldn’t for the longest time. Now isn’t that sad? So when I got to the water umbrella with the money required a year ago, it wasn’t enough a year later. Water was 50 cents more for 5 gallons. That’s when it dawned on me. It’s been a fucking year. Wow. So I got 2 of the 3 bottle filled and went for gas.

The meal was good. I ate too much. Finally had some coffee and decided to clean. I cleaned. I was scatter brain. I jumped all over the place. I also did some self care. Shaved and cut my hair. Thinned my brows. Trimmed my toes. another trip to HEB was required so that was next. Busy morning. Oh yeah, the sheets got done. I briefly saw Yvette on the way to my mother’s. She was off to get a pedicure.

Both my brothers and the family came so it was a big ole dinner. We made spaghetti and meatballs. I made spaghetti squash. Spaghetti has always been the middle brother’s favorite meal. Really, since he was a preteen. I hated it when I was little. Not sure why. It’s still not something I crave but I do like it. I’ll let him take the wheel on this and sit back.

I have not really been around people in a social setting other than work in two weeks. Drinking doesn’t sound fun. I ate and enjoyed the kids and listened a lot. I was still in the Covid brain haze, I suppose. I don’t miss the drinking part. The food was good. I tried to make it through Twister but got tired and went home. My bed time is now 10. It’s hard to make it to 10. Is that sad? I kind of like it. I left them all laughing and having fun. I think I was quiet most the night. I didn’t want to be but I couldn’t come up with anything to contribute. I just wasn’t feeling the night. It had been a long two weeks. I have been at home alone. Sensory overload. Love my family, but I wasn’t up for a night. I made my best appearance. I missed Yvette & Alaya. I should have been babysitting.

Sunday I woke up and cooked bacon and started picking red onion. Made a yummy sandwich. I chilled for a little while and went to see Yvette for a while before going out to eat lunch with my family. Lunch was nice. The kids went to the pool afterwards. I had errands to run for the week. Yvette and I made a Sam’s run. I went to HEB. I picked up lunch for the two of us for the week. We should be eating happy. That evening I made dinner and settled down for a cheesy movie I didn’t remember liking but 30 years later really enjoyed. It was right up my alley. 🤗

I walked into the office Monday to see I was all alone. To be fair, I was happy with this news. I could burn time doing others jobs and it would be nice and quiet. Perfect Monday. I can handle being on my own at work. I liked it. What a good day. I feel 100% plus some after my hard two weeks. I’ve been getting better sleep, which helps. So sad the entire week could not be like Monday. Listen to me, wishing the whole week was like a Monday. Wow. I never thought I’d hear myself say such a thing. Haha

One thing, due to Covid I was forced to cut back on my drinking. I wouldn’t say it was in excess, but I was having a beer everyday. Sometimes more than needed. It feels good no longer drinking as much and getting more sleep. I feel more energized. Talkative. Just better. Covid forced me to change habits. I have a regular bedtime now. I wake up earlier. I just feel like a new person. It’s great. I’ve also made myself drink much more fluids. I have a lot of water. Eventually I’ll gain some weight back. I lost over 10 pounds in 1 week. Crazy what the body will do.

I e been reading a lot in the evenings. That’s something I use to do all the time but managed to get out of the habit. Probably something to do with having my ex wife around all those years. I decided to pick up on that again so that’s what I’ve been doing with my nights. It’s been rather nice. I’m diving into a bundle of Stephen King short stories. I often find that I enjoy his collection over the books. They have so much less bloat. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy almost all his material. Right now it’s a collection called “You Like it Darker”.

Well somehow the week swiftly passed. I do not really know why that was? Office weeks tend to drag me to hell. I’ll take it. I had a really good week overall. I was able to see my nephews. Each day and that’s always fun. They are so much more laid back when their mom isn’t around. I think it’s a lot for her benefit. Funny how kids are with their mother. I also was able to see the little lady. She is so adorable. I just like to look at her. I’m feeling better holding the little angel. 43 years and this is really the first baby I’ve really held. Crazy, right? Hope everyone had as great week as I did.

Happy Friday.

Jalapeño

Chorizo egg tacos with a hot sauce I made from scratch. All fresh ingredients. Very spicy.

My middle brother made spaghetti and meatballs.

Bacon tomato egg and cheese sandwich. Yummy!!!

Sloppy Joe spicy frito pie.

Loco Moco.

Beef street tacos w/ beans.

BBQ pork ribeye w/ corn, beans and slaw.

Date night. Yes, it’s Thursday. Pork Normandy. Pork ribeye, onion, green apples with a sauce over rice and served with roasted broccoli. Something new. We liked it.

Yvette, the youngest and I for dinner. I made some Korean BBQ chicken breast, rice, spring rolls and picked up some excellent kimchi. Yummy! Might I add how nice it was to cook for them again and have her son over. I love that kid. It’s been since before I was sick. I had missed these nights.

Monday was a terrible bitch. I was over the COVID but still felt the lingering effects. Tired and weak. Constant headache. Still snotty. I assured my office I was clean. No fever since Thursday. Negative test Saturday. Lucky for them I was so busy I was out of the office most the day around town. Unlucky for me because I overdid it. I was miserable. The summer heat was not helping. My brain felt like it was boiling. I can’t recall having Covid is July before. Anyone that has, you have my sympathy. One thing I’m certain is I will take the boaster next time it’s offered. Fuck that. I got home and died on my couch. We did get a nice rain and it was cloudy all day. I might have passed out otherwise.

Tuesday was much better. More of the same, really. My voice did sound better and the headache not so bad but still troublesome. I did get to have lunch with Yvette. It was so amazing seeing her. I think she was even more beautiful than I remembered. That was the highlight of my day. The rest of the day I was running all over. It’s that busy time of year.

Wednesday the headache didn’t. Start until the afternoon sun took its toll on us. Still just about as busy as ever. I remember from past experience that it takes a while to feel normal again. Didn’t get to see much of Yvette. We both had our things to do. I really miss the little baby but I won’t take that chance until I feel normal.

Finally feel better. Not 100% but still better. I could go up the stairs again without feeling like I’d fall down them. Friday was the day I finally felt good. I could run up stairs. For reasons not discussed, my mom was able to baby sit and I went over at lunch to give the girl a familiar face. I was worried she wouldn’t recognize my face of my voice, but she seemed to. She was in my lap while I let my mom eat. I put her on my legs and rocked back and forth in a rocking chair. She loved that. I held her pass, and she closed her eyes and went back to sleep. I teared up a little bit. She is such a good girl. Pretty much slept the entire time she was with my mom. Well, as much as babies do. I hated going back to work. That was the highlight of my week. I also made an eBay sale. Yay!! It was an item I was about to take down from my listing. It was one of the first I put up. The guy offered me less than I was asking but I wanted to be rid of it so I took the offer. Why be greedy.oh yeah, National Wine & Cheese Day.

One thing that I did do during the evenings was bing James Cameron movies. One a nice. I started with The Abyss, followed by True Lies, Terminator 2 and Aliens. I’m not sure how much more of his films I will watch after that run. They all go down hill from there, if you ask me. True Lies & The Abyss for the win.

Jalapeño.

Pork tenderloin in chipotle lime sauce.

My favored as of late. Monterey chicken with poblano crème sauce.

Stuffed pablano. Over rice. Weird?

Beef tenderloin with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes and peas.

Beef tips, mushrooms and gravy over mashed potatoes and a side of peas.

Dinner with my brother, mother and Yvette. We went out.was having too much fun for a picture. Lots of laughs.

Lord what a great weekend. I was busy busy on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday I did all sorts of fun around the house, the typical chores plus some. I stayed a pot roast for the evening. The youngest wanted one. Beef, carrots, green beans and potato the works. Went to see my best friend and brother for a little while. I should make it a point to do that more often. We live in walking distance. His little 4 month old boy is adorable. It’s his first child. Just goes to show you can conceive at my age. The boy is. A chunk. After that Yvette and I made a Sam’s run and I finished off with a run by my moms.

The night rolled around and they came over for dinner. I thought the roast was great. I’m happy they don’t eat it with ketchup. I do. I’m an animal and a freak. It should only be gravy. I’m happy to be in love with a woman that knows that. I ate mine that night with grave. We had a nice meal. Madagascar was the movie. Some how I had never seen it. What a thing to be missing. Now I need to see part 2.

Sunday I woke up and mowed the lawn. It’s been since May. Her oldest borrowed the mower and brought it back around 10:30 Saturday. I mowed. It was a struggle. I tried to beat the heat. I did not. Even though it was early. After mowing I did my shopping for the week. I always feel a bit nasty after mowing. All that dirt. Nothing unusual. I meet my mom and Yvette and the little boy for some lunch out. Feeling fine. We had a good time. After that I went home and meal prepped. I made both breakfast and lunch. 3 pounds of pork roast and biscuits with sausage patties for breakfast. A busy weekend. I never saw Alaya and I was sad. Oh yeah, Trump was shot in the ear.

Monday I wake up with NO voice. Nada. I made coffee and jumped into a very hot shower hoping to break things up. No bueno. I got to thinking. The second time I had COVID I had the same issue. Like laryngitis. No voice but otherwise feeling fine. I had a test kit so I figured why not. After the shower I took it and walked into the kitchen for my coffee. I was pissed when I came back. Positive. HOW!!! I have only been around my loved ones except for work and the grocery store. WTF!!! I was so pissed. I was around 2 babies this weekend. I was ready for the week. I don’t know what the procedure is but I can’t miss a week. I’ll go back with a mask. I just hope no one gets it from me. I felt fine!!! Just a lump in my throat.

I was sad and isolated Monday. I was excited about the week. I hate being stuck at home. Hate it. Reminds me of the ice storm a few years back. Other bouts with COVID. I don’t like being at home. I like to get out. I get sad. Damn the COVID. I wanted this behind me. Who did I get it from???? Someone that felt fine like me? Who knows. All BS.

How have I had this 4 times now? I like to think my compromised immune system is doing okay but this gets annoying. COVID, leave me alone!!!! I don’t need you in my life. Piss off. No real temp so far. 99.1. A little breathing issue but WTH. I’m so medicated I don’t know what day it is anymore.

Day two. I’m tired.

Day three. All sorts of shit is being purged. Sim overrated this.

Day 4. Thunder. I woke up about 5/30 and went outside to thunder and lighting. It did rain a bit. A little excitement. I need it. I’m bored. I’m tired. My energy I zapped.

Day 5 I don’t care or even know. I’m over this.

Jalapeño.

I kept seeing this on Instagram. You scramble eggs and cook them like you would an omelette. Add what ever topping you want. For this I added bacon, jalapeño and green onion. Add cheese and cover to help melt. Once melted you top with tortilla. Let it stick and flip. Cook tortilla side. Add a layer of your hot sauce of choice over eggs and top with more cheese & cover again to melt. Remove and fold together. . It was good and I could have split it with someone. More of a breakfast quesadilla.

Pot roast with Yvette and her youngest.

Breakfast hotdog. Eggs, sausage links, jalapeño and cheese topped with a little maple syrup and Tabasco. Yummy.

Orange pork stir-fry with veggies over some cabbage.

Cheese ravioli with a cheese meat sauce.

Saturday was a pretty busy day. Just chores. Cleaned some. Did laundry. Used my Target gift card for things around the house that needed replacing. Went and scoped out what I need to fix a little outdoor water damage. I cleaned up my back yard real nice so we could make s’mores. I saw the sweet little baby for a little while. She had the toots when I was holding her. Adorable, those baby farts. It rained some, lightning and thunder. We are getting a little of a gulf hurricane. I made sure to get rained on. I was very nice. . Grocery shopping and my mother’s. The rain canceled the s’mores. Oh well. I think Yvette was warm the hell out anyways. She isn’t getting her 8 hours of sleep being a grandmother and all. I decided to catch up on a show Yvette wants to watch together. She started it so I need to get to where she is. It was a good show. I spent time outside. We don’t get this cool weather in Texas that often.

Weekend was over way too soon. Yvette took off to San Antonio with the baby for some baby pictures. It’s weird how lonely the campus feels when I don’t get to see her everyday. Oh well, it was just for 2 days. I’ve been super tired and my back has started acting up again. Such a bitch. It’s been a years since I hurt myself. I had hoped to be pain free long before this.

Yvette’s oldest boy had a birthday to be celebrated. He is a good kid. Maybe I should say young adult. We all got together and had a nice meal. It was a last min dinner. It was good. Pretty immediate family. He seemed happy. I think we all ate far more than we needed.

The rest of the week moved terribly slow. I felt like I had to deal with more dumbass than on a usual week. It was pathetic.

Friday night we had a special kind of date night. Babysitting!!! Yvette’s daughter was asked to a movie and we convinced her she should go, the baby would be fine with us. She needed to get out anyway. I came home and cooked up some sweet and sour pork with some fried rice. Yvette and the baby arrived and we got situated and the baby ate giving us time to also eat. While finishing up the baby woke back up and wanted to snuggle. While they were snuggling I ran and picked up a banana split for us to share just around 10 we packed up everything and got the baby home before she wanted another meal. It was really a great night. A special kind of date night.

Happy Friday, everyone!!

Jalapeño

Tex-Mex migas.

Grilled teriyaki pork ribeye w/ broccoli cabbage carrot stirfry.

Caribbean jerk pork ribeye with grilled asparagus and pineapple.

I tried making my hamburger cheese back with zucchini instead of egg noodles. The flavor was there but it was more like a soup.

The big boys birthday. El Paisano Restaurant. The family. It was a good time.

Pablano cream chicken with veggies.

I made fried sweet and sour pork with pineapple, onion and red bell & fried rice. Yvette and I had a different kind of date night with the baby we were babysitting. It was fun.

Don’t eat bad bacon. I made that mistake Saturday and my tummy was out of whack for 2 days. I even questioned the bacon before cooking it. What is wrong with me and eating out of date meats. Yvette looks like she wants to slap some sense into me each time I do this to myself. Who can blame her. She shouldn’t have to. Getting sick should be enough for most to learn but not this idiot. I guess I just like to test myself. Mistakes are made. Christ.

The week was weird with the 4 falling on a Thursday. That meant off work and back to work on Friday. Stupid. I went and ran errands and brought hotdogs to Yvette and her boy. The 4th was movie day with my mom. The Patriot and Independence Day. It was relaxing. I didn’t want to do much since work was calling the next day.

Friday was a Monday. Weird going back to work. Not shit happening. I took the last 3 hours off work and went to help babysit the sweet girl. It was a swift afternoon and I went home and cooked for everyone. We had a great night. I love them. We need to get married.

Hope you all have a happy Friday and a great weekend

Jalapeño

Saturday morning breakfast. Bacon, eggs and taters.

Sweet & sour pork over steamed rice.

Pablano cream sauce chicken with veggies and rice.

Italian pork ribeye with a raspberry chipotle sauce, salad and asparagus.

Chipotle pork tacos. I used pork ribeye. Again. Haha

BBQ pork ribeye with some corn and grilled okra.

4th of July trash. It wasn’t good. I don’t k ow why I eat crap on the 4th.

Well it’s been announced, a baby was born. My fiancé’s daughter had herself a little girl last Wednesday. That was one hell of a day for me. Her water broke only min after she left work. She called and we left work about 15 min early and rushed home to get her and prepare for labor. I wondered if it would be a long labor but once there at around 6:20 she began pushing and the baby arrived into this work at 7:10 weight 6 pounds 8 ounces. We didn’t get to see her until after 10. I could not get over how beautiful she was. I’d never held a newborn. What an honor. My little granddaughter. I was in love at first sight.

While out and about working I walked out of a building with a great vantage point of a building demolition. It was the perfect timing and so unexpected. I was in awe. Was that supposed to happen? I didn’t know. I don’t think it was the collapse which they originally intended on. I didn’t hear sirens so that gave me comfort. I quickly made my way to the wreckage and was comforted to see that people were out of harms way and spectating. It was planned. What a sight to see.

Wednesday marked the babies first week of existence. Incredible that a week has already passed us by. She is such an incredible little baby. I fall in love with her more every time I see her. As a gift I got her a little rubber ducky for her baths. It also has the particle use of telling the adults if the water is too hot. Win for all of us and the baby.

Jalapeño

Saturday brunch at home. Sausage egg street tacos with some refried beans.

Sweet 15 dinner.

I made my first French toast. It was yummy.

Dry BBQ rub bone in pork chop w/ broccoli cheese.

Chicken cordon bleu with bacon asparagus and peas, carrots and rice.

Double sloppin smash burger.

Jalapeño cheese sausage with sauerkraut and spicy muster and beans.

Date night out for some food. Yvette needed this. I needed this. Yay. Steak Gorgonzola pasta. It was a nice night out.

Cooking for Yvette and the youngest. Grilled pork ribeye with a soppin’ sauce w/ a veggie ranch pasta salad. Carrots, peas, broccoli & cherry tomatoes. Shredded cheese for good measure. No picture. It was that good.

So much happened this week that I can’t wait to talk about but can’t right now. Hope everyone had a great week.

One thing I can talk about is this: some asshole took a picture of me in a company car cutting through a restaurant parking lot to avoid a light. They sent it to the presidents office and called saying that I didn’t slow down or stop and pulled out in front of them causing them to slam their brakes to avoid hitting me. I did indeed go through the parking lot. Road construction has made it not only a terrible wait but a bumpy ride on my bad back. I did not indeed pull out in front of a car. The report also states that I had 2 vehicles in front of me. I did have a vehicle in front of me. How could I possibly exit a parking lot without slowing down if a vehicle was exiting in front of me. That’s funny. This asshole had to contact the president. I still am not 100% certain the outcome. What I know is the truth is that I wasn’t eating at the restaurant. I wasn’t speeding. I didn’t exit without yielding. I wouldn’t have put myself or others into harms way. I have never been in a wreck. I now feel like I’m in hot water because of some asshole. I feel the entire story is a fabrication from someone else that works on campus and might have seen me leaving the restaurant. It happens. Some people don’t mind their own business. I wasn’t very happy the rest of the day. I shouldn’t have gone through the parking lot. I’ll just start taking the long way to avoid that intersection which might mean adding 5 min to a trip.

Friday I made some more eBay sells. It’s a hobby that’s made me almost a thousand bucks since May. I was happy to have the weekend near. Had my doctors appointment and it went great. He said I’m looking good physically and lab result match. My blood pressure is the best it’s ever been on a visit. That new medication I started in March is working. I was all envious for nothing.

Happy Friday!

Jalapeño

Korean BBQ pork belly w/ kimchi & zucchini.

Steak with rosemary garlic butter, asparagus and some red potatoes.

Bbq beef stuffed potato.

Poblano cream chicken with veggies and cilantro lime rice.

Chorizo cheese omelette with taters.

Chorizo egg street tacos w/ refried beans.

Poblano cream chicken lasagna with some chips and queso at Yvette’s for date night.

Week back from a weeks vacation can be a brutal pain in the ass. Monday was hard. My time was out of wack. I was on Mountain Time. I had also forgotten what my alarm sounded like. I think my mind wanted to forget it. Being a vacation, I munched. I grazed. I was hungry all day Monday. Real bummer. I’m glad I came in because I had a lot I needed to do. Putting it off would have only been worse. Had to power through.

A vacation hangover is the worst. I don’t mean from drinking, just the sleepiness and getting back into the groove. Yvette and I both were feeling it. Each morning I had to drag my ass out of bed. Spending 8 days in a different time zone threw me out of whack more than I thought it would. Call it jet lag or whatever, it’s real. We also slept in everyday.

God I was busy. That what I wasn’t really wanting, but I was.

Friday Yvette and yes youngest came over. We ate and he and I laughed at a movie. The Fall Guy. I needed it. Maybe we both did. It was a long week. Dinner was good. She wanted Bulgogi. Kimchi. It worked.

I guess it was a week. I think I said that.

Jalapeño

Salisbury Steak w/ peas and mashed potato.

Skillet chicken divan.

Chinese jalapeño chicken & rice.

Chipotle chicken and lime with peppers, mushroom and sticky rice.

Beef Bulgogi w/ kimchi.

The first day of vacation. A much needed one after the last 2 years. It’s really been since 2021 that I packed up and left the state of Texas on a real vacation. I’m excited to have Yvette and her youngest son along for the ride. I pretty much had all my goods packed so not it was just getting ready for the road. I hate the anticipation up to the journey. I was ready to get this going.

We aimed for around 10 but but in reality it was more like 12 before we hit the road. On the road to Lubbock, my old college stomping grounds. It’s been nearly 20 years. Sterling City to Big Spring to Lamesa to Tahoka to Lubbock. It’s been well over 18 years since I’ve ventured down this highway of my past. Uglier than I remember it.

When we finally made it to Lubbock we unloaded and went to a place I had not eaten at in 17 or so years. It was right across from Texas Tech University. Chimy’s. This place always had some great cheap margaritas. The nachos were also still great. Place hadn’t change much at all. After that we looked around the campus some and took notes on how much nicer a campus they have than the one that we work at. I also went down memory lane recalling walking to my classes through the campus. Good times.

We made it to Clovis, NM and checked into our hotel. I think we were all tired so we chilled a little and went to eat some comfort food at Chilis. Had a few drinks and decided to turn it in for a night.

I slept very well considering I was in a hotel room. Being right next to the cold AC had to have helped. I woke up for a shower and headed down for some coffee in the lobby area. They actually had a really nice breakfast spread. Sausage biscuits and gravy, sausage links, potato’s, scrambled eggs, egg white veggie omelette. Muffins, bagels, oatmeal, cereal, etc…. I had a little sample. I can’t deny food.

A few hours later we had a real breakfast at an iHop. We needed real fuel for the road. This was when we realized a problem was amongst us. The boys. brought the stomach flue. We made due. Might be the last chain restaurant of the trip. Now ready for the road.

The drive to Taos was beautiful. We took it in. We took a very scenic route. When we finally reached our destination it was time to unwind. Instead of going out we ordered from a very good local pizza place and pigged out.

Monday we all woke at our own leisure. At this point we were not all sick. A problem that we would carry until the end. I was up early and needed to eat to take my meds to I snuck out and grabbed Yvette, her son and I some McDonalds. I had to be sneaky otherwise everyone would have pulled on me for food. I got away with it. Win!!!

That afternoon we went for lunch in the Taos town square and wondered around some shops. We decided afterwards to travel to the Taos Ski Valley where they had a nice tap room and more snacks. We walked around a hiked a little. Really, we just took in the scenery and the beauty of it all. We also celebrated my mother’s birthday. She was 70 on this day. She had some fantastic treats.

That night my cousin, aunt and uncle and all the family celebrated a big old birthday. Nineteen of us celebrated. We grilled burgers and hot dogs. We drank lots of beer and wine. We had a regular party. It was so much fun. It’s times like these I’m so happy to have a close family.

Tuesday. We had a little lunch (excellent) and followed it with a hike to the Rio Grande Gorge. The hike was supposed to be 1/2 a mile and ended with a bench over a nice lookout point. Well we hiked over 3 miles and never saw the bench. I enjoyed the hike, some did not. We could not keep looking so we turned around. Yvette and her son had an appointment for some horseback riding. They had an amazing time and I was kind of jealous.

That evening we went to my cousins little taste room slash lounge for snacks and drinks. It was a really neat location. The drinks were top notch. it was great seeing my cousin in action. She comped all our drinks. I see now that running a distillery and lounge is her thing. My uncle and aunt on my mom’s side were great as always. I can’t believe it’s been so long. How does time fly away like it has. I hate that. Just another reason to enjoy every day. We finished the night with a trip to McDonald. I guess that’s a good way to end it.

Did I mention the illness that ran through us? Save that for last. Montezumas revenge. My brother and the kids brought the pain. It hit 13 of us as far as we know. It hit me and her son in the transition between Taos and Santa Fe. Real bummer. I was also my birthday. What a day to be sick. I tried to tough it all out. I made sure we went to this dinner that was on Dinners Drive-In’s and Dives. The food was fantastic. It dropped out of me as soon as we left. The pain was real but I wasn’t going to let it stop me. That night we all went out for a nice meal and indulged. I had a really good time.

I can’t say the best about Thursday. I still had fun but I was also in a bad way from that virus we all passed around. At least 4 of us that day were hit. Don’t travel with a virus. Just don’t. It killed half the trip for some of us. Just so you know.

We went to a Meow Wolf. It was rather fantastic. Once we got back to the house Yvette and I ran around the town and did some shopping. We had a little date night and some great food. I couldn’t eat what I would have wanted because of the pain but I made a point to have fun. I wish I had been feeling 100%.

On our final day Yvette, son and I decided to just chill around the house and relax. He has tired and we were not 100%. Don’t worry, I’ll give my brother hell for this until he dies. Real bummer. Ooh well. It was really nice not having any distractions and just take in the house. Sometimes you just want to stay put on an otherwise busy vacation. Moment of peace. The rest of the bunch went to town to walk around. It was hot. Hard pass. Plus it was just nice to hear myself think without the kids running around. Went to town and grabbed some donuts and bagels. I found a Papa Murphy’s and had to get a pizza just the way my mother and I did every Sunday night for Game of Thrones night. We ate this pizza for years until they closed maybe 10 years ago. No way I could pass it up. I was happy with my decision. Watched a few movies. Yvette and I played a little corn hole. I found something out about her. She is good at corn hole. She is also competitive. Haha. She kicked my ass. It was fun. I liked having a relaxing day.

That evening we all got together for on last trip to the town and a final dinner before we all parted ways the following morning.what a nice night out. I sort of enjoyed my food. Damn VIRUS!!!! Oh well. Note to all parties, stay away when sick.

How quickly a week went. It was fun. Had its unfortunate bumps, us all getting sick, but overall it was fun. Sadly that was the first family experience. Yvette and I survived. Her son barely did. Our first long trip together…. My family didn’t crush her hopes. I guess this was a win. Difficult with that bug.

Sadly, all vacations have to end. We loaded up, cleaned and hit the road. The full haul. No stop. My back be damned, our guts be damned. I wanted my own bed. I think we all were ready to get home rather than stay at a hotel and spend money to just get half way. We went to Roswell and saw the Aliens. It was great. A long drive but worth it. Sad vacation was over. It’s fucking hot back home. At least I got to see one of my dogs. My sweet daughter watched one, the other is on vacation at the Dog Club.tired on the couch. Good night.