Oyster Quest: Galveston

Oysters always struck me as odd. Slimy shots of briny substance just never looked appealing, at least until a trip to New Orleans. I made the decision to try something new and that new thing was going to be raw oysters. So, we ate dinner in the French Quarter and ordered up a plate of raw oysters. I made sure to load up the obligatory cracker and douse it with enough Tabasco sauce to drown out the unpleasant flavor that was bound to wreak havoc on my tastebuds. The result: Not bad at all, actually quite tasty. An order of Oysters Rockefeller destroyed any remaining notion that oysters were nasty.


Fast forward to October 3, 2015. A trip to help a friend clean up his Galveston vacation home yielded an opportunity to eat oysters again. So my family and I spent most of Saturday cleaning up the mess left by a previous renter (that subject is worthy of a separate post). The house had no electricity, so we checked into our hotel and cleaned up for dinner.


I decided on the Black Pearl Oyster Bar. The reviews were positive and it was just ten minutes from the hotel.

My husband ordered the fried seafood platter. The side salad that came with it was donated to me. He's a meat and potatoes man with no use for "lawn clippings", so I happily took it off his hands.
It was one of the freshest salads I've ever had. Paired with bleu cheese dressing, it was perfection.

The Oysters Rockefeller arrived on a very hot plate. The waitress was nice enough to point out how hot the plate was. I wondered how many mishaps had occurred when someone touched the plate and discovered a whole new meaning for the word pain and some choice 4-letter words to go with it.

The oysters themselves were delicious and melted in my mouth. Whoever thought to combine spinach, bacon, and oysters needs to have a statue erected in their honor or a building named after them. They were unquestionably delectable in a way that cannot be described. They must be experienced.

Our meal concluded with my husband almost cracking a tooth on what appeared to be a pearl. Some of those 4-letter words followed. I was skeptical at first, but I don't know what else it could be. 

It's adorable. I just need to find a use for it. The cupholder in my Outback is probably not the best home for it.

To sum it all up, the Black Pearl Oyster Bar in Galveston is worthy of a visit. You may even leave with a pearl of your own.

Why Houston is Awesome Part 2: The Foodie Edition

The dining options in Houston are as endless as the variety of rush hour expletives. The world is your oyster when you decide to eat in Houston. The cultural makeup of the city provides infinite possibilities and even the most discriminating of food snobs will find something to satisfy their palette in H-town.

This is brunch at Union Kitchen on Bellaire. We arrived at 10 A.M.  sharp and found a patio table. Swirling fans created enough of a breeze
to make sitting outside pleasant. It was still early, so the sweat hadn't yet started to pool in the armpits.

A quick glance of the menu told me that this wasn't going to be a cheap excursion. But most is forgiven when you take into account that you're essentially eating the first two meals of the day and probably won't eat again until the evening.

Brunch does not exist without a good Bloody Mary. My eyes widened when I saw the words Bloody Mary Bar on the menu. I read that to mean that it was all you could drink and you just doctored up your drinks to your liking on each trip. I was disappointed to find out that there was no bottomless Bloody Mary. Mimosas, yes. Bloody Marys...not so much.

By the time my Eggs Benedict arrived, my
stomach was in full Wookie-growl mode. The
portion size did not disappoint. For me, the litmus test is how well the egg is poached. My recent experiences have ranged from nearly hard boiled to egg soup. No one seems to know how to get it right. I was pleased to discover that the egg was poached perfectly. The tomato, bacon, and avocado sent my taste buds into a tizzy. My normal breakfast is either plain Greek yogurt and some Cheerios or a basic banana. Needless to say, the taste buds are demanding a return trip to Union Kitchen for Sunday brunch.

That's about all I have time for now. My next post will address Tex-Mex, which may be deserving of its own blog altogether.

Update:

I never intended to disappear.  My full-time job chews up all my brain cells and spits them out on the floor. Anyway, in Houston, one cannot go more than half a mile without seeing a Mexican restaurant in some capacity. Taco Cabana is favored by many. It's fast, cheap, and, tasty with soul soothing margaritas.

A little higher on the spectrum is Cafe Adobe. The Montrose location on Westheimer used to be one of my favorite haunts. Unfortunately, it appears to be no more. There are two other locations that I know of. We recently went to the one by Edwards Theatre near 610 and 10.

It did not dissapoint. The beef fajita salad with creamy avocados and fresh tomatoes was the perfect dish.

Margaritas were spot on. Flavorful and not overly strong. Just the right amount of tequila.

I will continue to update this post with more of Houston's Tex-Mex offerings.

Why Houston is the best city in Texas - Part One

I'm finally getting back into the blogosphere because my job is not as all-consuming as it once was. It's still pretty stressful, but I can't let it dictate whether I choose to write or not. It's a paycheck, but it's not my world.



I might have gotten carried away
with my filters

Having said that, I have long wanted to post a series of articles about Houston. Why Houston? I can already see the scratching of heads and blank expressions. Mostly because it's one of the most misunderstood cities in the country. The ones who are so quick to write it off as a cesspool have probably never been here and have no idea what they're missing. Most people aren't aware that Houston offers up as much culture and food as New York City does and you could even bump into a celebrity if your timing is right.

If you've seen the movies Boyhood or Tree of Life, then you are at least aware of the Houston Museum of Natural Science. The Butterfly Pavilion is fantastic and if you stay very still, you may have once of its residents land on you. Don't even think about taking one home as a pet. The volunteers will do everything short of a body cavity search and direct you to the gift shop for souvenirs.



It boasts a massive fossil display that begins with the origins of life on Earth and ends with the first humans. No genetically mutated Jurassic World dinosaurs here. The dioramas of the Texas wildlife hall are a must see as well. Everything is so lifelike that you can't help but wonder if these creatures go MMA on each other after-hours. I need to wrap this up for now. I have to get on the road to go to Dallas (ugh) for the 4th of July holiday.



Alligator from Hell



 

Just you wait...once they lock that door your ass is mine





RIP to my Toyota Corolla

So...a funny thing happened on the way to return some movies to Redbox. I'm driving down the road that I take on a daily basis without hesitation. The next thing I know, a white SUV runs the stop sign and I'm swerving to avoid the inevitable accident and bracing myself for the airbag encounter.

Weirdly enough, the airbags did not deploy. Unfortunately, the damage was enough to total my paid-off 2005 Corolla. We hoped to keep the Blue October adorned hood, but the insurance company said we couldn't keep anything from the car.

It's been a couple of weeks now and I've had time to mourn the passing of my reliable and did I mention fully paid for car? The silver lining is twofold. One, my son was not with me. Since I swerved, the passenger side absorbed most of the crash impact and spared me from injury. I do shudder to think what could have happened though. Two, my new ride is a brand new Subaru Outback and it is fantastic.

If there is a takeaway from this, it's that disasters happen all the time. As bad as it may seem at the time, there is always something positive that you can glean from the experience. Stay safe everyone and I will be up and blogging regularly soon.

Farewell to the Best and Worst Year of My Life: Part 1

I have a confession. In high school, I thought Charles Dickens was full of crap. How could it be the best of times AND the worst of times? I couldn't wrap my pea-sized adolescent brain around that concept. Then again, my problems were miniscule compared to those of a real adult. At that time, I couldn't wait to grow up. If I had the ability to go back in time, I would slap my pimpled face and tell myself that things were so easy now, probably too easy. Being an adult is more difficult than anyone thinks it will be. You struggle to reach a point where you have enough money, time, or sanity to accomplish what you need to do. If you're a parent, everything goes out the window when something traumatic happens.

The year began with my son Zachary becoming very ill. On January 4th, he went home sick and it became readily apparent that it wasn't just the stomach flu. He wasn't improving. Before this debacle, he rarely got sick and recovered quickly when he did. That was not the case with this mystery illness. The abdominal pain was excruciating for him and for us as observers. Going to the hospital didn't help. In fact, it worsened his condition. He developed a rash on his legs that told his pediatrician what it was. Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP), A rare autoimmune disorder that we had never heard of was draining his body of everything we take for granted. His joints hurt so much that he couldn't walk. He had to be carried to the ultrasound room. He couldn't eat solid food, so his only nourishment was delivered through the veins. We felt helpless and heartbroken about not being able to do a thing to alleviate his agony. The picture below is the rash that represented broken blood vessels. This condition affects children between the ages of 2 and 11. You can read more about it here.

The hardest part of the diagnosis was that the disease is so rare that very few know how to treat it. The rheumatologist at Texas Children's Hospital provided the most helpful information. He had at least seen enough of it to know that certain foods were forbidden for the time being. Apparently, pizza is the worst possible thing one with this illness can eat. It also happens to be Zachary's all-time favorite food. The doctor instructed us to keep him on bland foods for six weeks and we adhered to that. Plain potatoes, rice, and boiled chicken with Jell-O for dessert. To this day, he shudders at the sight of Jell-O. Anyway, his condition improved and after six weeks, we thought it was alright to allow him pizza. That was a huge mistake that sent us back to the hospital. Ultimately, we overcame the illness by going gluten-free diet during his recovery. Tests proved he was not allergic to anything, but the restricted diet really helped with his recovery.

After a long search, I'd secured a position that I thought was my dream job. I'd been hired as a legal writer in December 2012. It was very challenging, but I enjoyed it. It was intellectually stimulating and lifted me out of the extreme depression I'd been experiencing. When Zachary got sick, I couldn't function and my work suffered as a result. Sleep was impossible. I couldn't take off much because I didn't have the sick leave. Any time I did take was unpaid, which wasn't feasible for me. Each day, I went to work in a daze as my immediate family members took care of my son. It was unbearable. I should have resigned, but I trudged ahead because I thought that I belonged there. Unfortunately, I was let go just inside of 90 days on the job. I know this sounds depressing, but things do get better. I will share more in my next blog post, so stay tuned for part II. There is an upside to all of this despair and heartbreak.

Tis the Season

I feel very guilty because of my infrequent blog posts. This time of year has to be the busiest few weeks in the entire year! If I'm not decorating, I'm baking or doing one of a million other things that have to be done before Christmas. The tree looks great and the mantle looks terrific (see above). An added plus of having a real tree is you get to use leftovers for DIY garland. The smell is amazing. We've always had an artificial tree, so this is a whole new experience for me. The trick is keeping the dog from drinking the tree water and the rabbit from munching on the tree. Christmas cards are mostly done, which is a huge accomplishment. Let's just say that I've always meant to send them out. I'm trying not to spend money on decorations this year, so it's been fun making creative use of existing Christmas junk (see below). That's about all I have time for right now. Merry Christmas to everyone and stay safe during this hectic time.

Why I'm Thankful and Thanks-Giveaway Tuesday

So, my trusty Toyota Corolla decided to choke for me last week. I was subbing and decided to run out for a bite for my lunch break. Turned the key and nothing happened. My first thought is that I left a light on and it drained my battery. No, surprisingly that wasn't the problem. Come to find out it was the battery. Most batteries just die. My battery pretty much imploded, which was bizarre. Anyway, the point is that one unlucky turn of events yielded plenty to be thankful for. First of all, the car died in the parking lot and not in the middle of an intersection. Also, the principal who tried to jumpstart my car gave me a ride to McDonald's so I could get something to eat. I'm also thankful to have a mechanically inclined spouse who took off from work to pick up the new battery and replace it in the parking lot. Lastly, AutoZone was nice enough to give us a discount on the battery even though the warranty had already expired. My car runs perfectly now (as I knock on the biggest piece of wood I can find). The point that I want to reiterate is that as much as setbacks suck, they teach us to appreciate the little things that we probably take for granted.

What are you thankful for? The first person to leave a comment will receive a free copy of my short story Hannah Strong.

Why This Week Was Awesome

My schedule this week has been crazy (in a good way), so I'm running behind on blogging. My goal is to post three times a week. However, with the holiday season looming, I may have to aim lower. Also, I'm changing up my approach to weekly positive energy because it shouldn't be limited to just three things.

First of all, I've had my first Starbucks Peppermint Brownie cake pop of the holiday season. They are definitely one of the things I look forward to the most this time of year. I really don't feel too guilty about having one. I'm sure the Skinny Peppermint Mocha negates the calories anyway.

Secondly, I began subbing this week. It's not exactly steady income yet. After Thanksgiving, I should be able to pick up enough work to earn my keep. I worked at a high school, which I never thought I would be comfortable with. The kids were really great though. It was more of a therapeutic school than academics and the classes were really small. Overall, it was a really positive experience that I hope to repeat soon.

Lastly, I'm up to three positive reviews for Hannah Strong, which can be viewed here. I feel blessed to have secured help from some really fantastic book bloggers. My Goodreads profile is looking a little better, but I'm still working on it. Am I the only one who has a hard time navigating Goodreads? I've never found it very user-friendly.

I hope everyone is taking a much deserved break next week and spending time with family and friends. At the end of the day, that is what is important.

Four Good Things About This Week

My dog is adorable

1. Max (see above) makes me laugh on a regular basis. He really has no rhyme or reason, which makes him the perfect dog for me.
2. I worked a catering gig last night and the guy I worked with thought I was only 29 years old, which brings me to number 3...
3. I got carded for a bottle of Sangria at the grocery store today, which is awesome when you're six months away from forty.
4. Two four-star reviews for Hannah Strong on Amazon. Book bloggers are fantastic people. Treat them well because they deserve it.

Unfortunately, said bottle of Sangria went crashing to the floor today and I spent thirty minutes sweeping up the glass. My father-in-law took pity on me and sent me out for a new bottle, so that cancels out the negative.

I mean every word about book bloggers. If literary agents were the gatekeepers under the old publishing model, book bloggers are their equivalent under the new model. Anyone who wishes to self-publish should approach them with the same methodology as an agent. Study their submission requirements and don't get discouraged if they can't accept anything new. Most of them are swamped with review requests. If one turns you down, don't take it personal. Just move on to the next one. Be kind, courteous, and appreciative.

So now that I've totally highjacked my own blog post, I'm going to call it a night and blame the Sangria.

Hannah Strong is available at Amazon here for download

Reviews are always appreciated. If you are a reviewer, feel free to contact me and I will send you a free copy of the story.

    

Why is Everyone Loco for Loki?

Thor: The Dark World opens this weekend, so it seemed like a good opportunity to discuss disgruntled demigod Loki, one of the most fascinating characters in the Marvel Universe. What makes him so compelling? Why does he have a bigger following than Thor? Why was there a grassroots Internet campaign to convince Marvel to give him his own movie? Why is he so much more charismatic than the Marvel heroes? How does that headpiece not give him migraine scale headaches? Maybe that's why he's always in a bad mood.

I think one of the biggest things Loki has going for him is he is more antihero than villain and antiheroes are a huge commodity right now. From Breaking Bad and Mad Men on AMC to The Blacklist on NBC, they are everywhere. We aren't supposed to root for these people, but we can't help it. We want to see these broken individuals redeemed. It's why Breaking Bad achieved huge ratings in its final season and it's probably what will drive people to see Thor: The Dark World this weekend.

As far as Loki goes, I can't help but feel sorry for him. Daddy issues? Check. Off the charts sibling rivalry? Check. When Thor is your brother, what are you supposed to do to distinguish yourself? You become the god of mischief and you go (Spoiler Alert for a movie that's been out for going on two years now) Vlad the Impaler on Agent Coulson. That act seems like a moot point now if you watch Marvel's Agents of Shield. If the studio is wise, they'll find a way to incorporate Loki into the show's storyline and give Coulson some seriously epic panic attacks.

Loki was one of the best things about The Avengers and all of the credit should go to Tom Hiddleston. How many actors can hijack scenes from Robert Downey Jr. and Mark Ruffalo, two of cinema's greatest scene stealers? The bit when Loki gets smashed into the floor by the Hulk is more memorable because of his reaction. It's clear that Hiddleston has great fun with the character and that is what makes him so entertaining. Seriously, can Tom Hiddleston get any more awesome than he already is? If you haven't already, watch last summer's Comic-Con footage of him as Loki. If it doesn't convince you of Hiddleston's awesomeness, nothing will.

Three Good Things About This Week

1. Zachary's elbow has completely healed. Phenomenal how fast young bones heal!
2. No less than three interviews for the week. One today for a creative freelancing firm, a phone interview tomorrow for a technical writing gig followed by a substitute teaching interview. Good things are bound to happen. I'm optimistic that things will get better.
3. The lovely and amazing Hope Haugstad agreed to read and review Hannah Strong for me.

I've been feeling under the weather since the weekend. A trip to the doctor on Monday and some pretty good prescription meds have helped me feel a little closer to halfway decent. I am a bit behind on everything though. I re-published Hannah Strong on Smashwords and it finally made premium status today. It's available for free download for Thursday and Friday at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/340069.  Starting Saturday November 9, the price will go up to 99 cents at least until I turn 40 on May 29th 2014. Yikes, I can't believe I'm looking at four decades now. No wrinkles yet. Thank God for good genes and moisturizers.