Tag: restaurants
The Lincoln Visit
Hey! The Favorite Grandson came to town. Grandpa took him to a favorite Tex-Mex restaurant and he couldn’t decide what he wanted… Grandpa got him a haircut… And Grandpa must have embarrassed him….. Continue reading The Lincoln Visit
OK, here’s my sign
As you may have noticed from an earlier-in-the-day post, I stopped at the In N Out Burger in Allen Texas for lunch today. It truly is a treat to indulge in this, a favorite fast food burger place of mine (I’ve been munching on those since the mid-80’s whenever I traveled to California and the opportunity presented itself).
I had the Double-Double (aka as the #1) today. Delicious, right?
Dang right! If I’m eating fast, I love my In N Out Burger burgers!
The German town of McGregor
Yup it is. Along with Scottish, Indian, Afro-American, and Hispanic folks populated by the railroad industry. Stopping short of a Texas history lesson of the town and region, let me just say this: we went, we enjoyed, we will go back…and the Bluebonnets are up!
Deb and I ventured to McGregor for a short weekend. Actually, one of Deb’s “Dinner Dames” friend and husband asked us to come visit them and the beautiful new home they are building outside of town. The true intent of our invitation was for Jayne/Rusty to get advice on how to landscape their home.
Note to others with similar intentions…I love to dole out landscape advice to friends and family, but please lets have a discussion not an argument if you don’t agree with the free opinion I offer. I’m too old and grouchy to argue with you about my expertise. I look forward to going back to McGregor with the landscape summary of my thunkin’ for Jayne and Rusty.
It was an interesting weekend to say the least. Here’s a abridged version:
Weekend Babies
It all started with an airport arrival last Thursday. FD flew into town for a long weekend of class reunion, a high school football game, share a few cocktails with some old friends, therapy with/for her folks, to see “Beeba” and Tam, drink wine, eat stuff, hug on her Mom, laugh with her Dad, yada yada yada. FD, as I once wrote in Favorites, has many names. This weekend she was my “Baby Girl”. It’s always good to have her home as she brings energy and enthusiasm to the house.
We were greeted Saturday morning (well I wasn’t – I had a meeting in Dallas that allowed everyone else to burn daylight by sleeping in) with the FS and STBFDIL. This weekend he has my “Baby Boy” (not really Tyler – don’t mean to get too sappy here – you were and still are my “FS”). They drove up from Austin Friday night and partied with friends…only to land on our overnight accommodations (beds) about 4 a.m. And guess who they brought home with them…the FD. Nothing like partying with siblings to bring a family together. My guess is they drove home together to keep each other awake (I know they wouldn’t drink and drive).
The kids have gotten into a let’s-do-something-different habit the last couple times they’ve come home. This trip – Saturday afternoon – the favorites bought us all a wine
tasting class on the Square in Denton. We had fun. STBFDIL and I got a bit silly with the seven or so fine Argentina wines tasted within an hour. Brittany (I think) was our host. She obviously knows her wines and thus explains her ownership of Wine2 (actually it’s “wine squared” but I couldn’t make the “2” itty bitty and raised up off the line). duh.
OK there’s something about 12 people, 1 instructor, and 1 employee sitting in plastic bistro-style patio furniture (don’t get me wrong, it’s a neat place) trying to swirl wine and stick one’s nose into the business end of the glass and then guess what the liquid smells like, that’s just fun(ny). To me, I think all wine smells like wine and it needs to be drank…rather quickly…so I can have another thank you very much. Now STBFDIL and I got to smelling our wine, listening to the other class attendees express and showcase their knowledge of wine, and guessing our own smells within the wine. We could not smell the “good dirt – not bad dirt”, nor could we detect the slight overtones Continue reading “Weekend Babies”
Labor Day, Apple Pie, and Kansas in both Windshields
This year’s Labor Day weekend was spent with our parents in Kansas. It’s always grand to visit our parents – we’re trying to do that as often as we can. We came away with yet another new found perspective however. Hurricanes occupy as much TV time in land-locked Kansas as it does in the coastal states. I’m glad CFB has started. Listening to Big 12 North friendly media rant and rave about a successful Week 1 for my Wildcats (and yes I had to tolerate the Jayhawks as well) is quite refreshing, perhaps even a bit rejunivenating.
Deb’s dad had an orchard full of apples this weekend. So we grabbed buckets and sacks and trekked up the hill to do some old fashion picking. Others did the picking, I photographed (Hey Emily, you should have been with me on that Photowalk). Deb’s mom, nephew Jacob, my dad, and Gus the Dog came out and joined in on the fun. When it was all said and done, we had a bushel of apples, some already sampled by birds…others home to constant diners that dwell and relish the sweet taste and fruit firmness (aka worms). Within minutes the five of them had a load and we then kind of looked at each other and said “now what”. “Now what”, at least in part, resulted in apple pealing/coring the old fashion way (with a pairing knife) and had Deb making my dad two pies that evening. Now I like pies and apple is usually down my favorites list quite a ways, however Deb’s pies were particularly good and quite tasty. So much so, Dad and I enjoyed a breakfast of champions by having a slice of homemade apple pie and a scope of vanilla bean ice cream for breakfast the next morning. Continue reading “Labor Day, Apple Pie, and Kansas in both Windshields”
Lunch, my friend, is on me
First off, let me get my plug in for a restaurant review: It was a warm homecoming to the wonderful enchiladas and even better flour tortillas of Mercado Juarez (Northwest Highway). It’s a great lunch place with uncanny fast service and an elder wait staff to take care of the diners. I’ve always had lunch (not the dinner) and have never been disappointed. Parking can sometimes be a challenge as diners compete with gawkers (it’s next door to a “gentleman’s club” that advertises a $5 all-you-can-see buffet). Avoid payday-Friday’s at all costs (flashing extra dollar bills won’t get you any closer to the action – parking that is – in this case) – the neighboring establishment is definitely more popular with the bubbas and businessmen than Mercado.
Now to the friend: a few Friday’s ago I caught up with a dear pal of mine from a previous employment for lunch. We picked an old favorite in restaurants – yep, the TexMex mentioned above and it was on a payday-Friday. Todd (or as I like to call him: “Todd-Man”) and I hadn’t seen each other in 4+ years. We regularly swap joke emails and I think now he might be hooked on this blog. However, emails and blogs pale in comparison to a reunion handshake and good old fashion face-time conversation. It’s interesting and disheartening how quickly the years go by as evidenced by both our gray heads of hair (be it acknowledged that Todd’s mop remains full bodied as opposed to mine). None the less, it was great to see him again, and share a few laughs. Continue reading “Lunch, my friend, is on me”
What I Did on my Summer Vacation
Recent posting had me pouting about everyone else’s vacations. Well this past weekend, I got an urban vacation – not Dubai, Maccuhu Pichu, Steamboat Springs, NYC, nor Alaska. FS and FSTBDIL came to Dallas (no further) and we met them at a hotel. FW (I will probably get in trouble for that…or at least questioned) Deb found a deal on two rooms at the Intercontinental Hotel through Hot Wire. Side note, that hotel is appropriately named as it truly was a vast, interesting blend of cultures and nationalities walking through the lobby. They even had a Larry-guy singing Frank Sinatra songs in the lizard lounge, and I would venture a guess Ol’ Blue Eyes is not on the top seller list in New Delhi. Continue reading “What I Did on my Summer Vacation”
Short Weekend and Steer Butt
With work demands mounting, Deb called Friday wanting to get away for a short weekend. We both agreed a quiet weekend was in order. We found a wonderful B&B in Mineola Texas that was willing to rent us a room for one night (most want a two-night reservation don’t you know). It meets the Gotta-Stay standards of the newly established TMay82 Travel and Eats Blog Review.
Check out Munzesheimer Manor – Innkeepers Bob and Sherry Murray are a wonderful couple: full of life, conversation, and serve up a gourmet breakfast worthy of asking for seconds for their guests. Continue reading “Short Weekend and Steer Butt”
Raving Fans
Have you read the book? Ken Branchard is one of my go-to authors when it comes to self-help business and personal advice. It’s 13 bucks on Amazon right now. I try to apply his principals to everyday life. In fact, my family has now grown weary of my annoying commentary of customer service received when we hit the streets (they throw one of my trademark Dad sayings right back at me: “you can take him anywhere but out”). “Raving Fans” is a quick and easy read – with large print for those needing longer arms or stronger reading glasses.
So much for the unpaid commercial…Ken, call me – I would help sell books when times get slow for ya. Continue reading “Raving Fans”
The Maine Objective was Fun
A few weeks ago FD Tiffany asked for pictures of our week long vacation last August to New England. In finding those pictures hidden in a remote folder on my computer, I took a minute for a memory and smile. We have taken a few family vacations in the past but this one had something special attached. Perhaps it was all the laughing that we did; maybe it was because none of us had been to 
Providence, Boston, Boothbay Harbor, Bar Harbor, and Acadia National Park before…yeah, all those made it special but I think it was the realization that it was most likely the last vacation we would spend as a family, just the four of us (BTW, I don’t think I ever thanked Mark and Tammy for giving us that week with our kids). Continue reading “The Maine Objective was Fun”
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