Crashed and Burned

He was old and probably past his prime. But I loved him. Really I did. Even with all of his flaws-I couldn't live without him. He was like my right arm. I saw him everyday, at least 5 times a day. But it was his time to go and I have to accept that fact.

"He" is my computer. The computer guy said he was built before 2000. He was right. I got a lot of use out of him. All that being said, I won't be around until after the New Year. I will be back as soon as I get his replacement.

Please toast with me to the New Year and to my old, faithful buddy. My computer.
CHEERS!

Bromance with Brody Jenner

Photo courtesy of New York Daily News
I admit it. I watched it. and I will watch it again and again and again until the very end. and then I will write MTV and beg them to give him his own show like The Hills and The City.

and how about these dudes!?! I am predicting that Chris F. will win. The Kentucky guy is too good looking and too normal. He might overshadow Brody. Chris F. is not quite a total dweeb and not too cool or funny to overshadow the main man but funny enough to fit in with the Bros. The rest are kind of dumbasses although they do know of which they speak....sometimes. I can't remember which one said:
All girls want Brody and all guys want to be Brody. But it was good.

or how about my favorite quote from the scenes of the season:
Jered said something like, "Brody makes you feel like you have know him your whole life."
Ain't that the truth Bro. I could have said it myself. Seriously.

I am, for the 7th night in a row,stuffed and full and completely disgusted with myself. I am on my way to looking like the quintessential mom-with the flabby stomach, a little bit bloated and uncomfortable in her skin. I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL THE HOLIDAYS ARE DONE! if only for the reason that I can stop eating. I can't stop. I don't know why. It's a mental thing. It's like when we just had W and we knew we wanted another baby. I couldn't really get it into gear to get in shape because I was hoping sooner or later I would be pregnant and what would be the point? That's how this limbo week between Christmas and New Year's goes. What's the point really? and then out of nowhere comes Mardi Gras. I am stuck in fat, disgusting limbo!!!! AAAHHHHH!

We couldn't do our usual Sunday night run at Superior Grill because the Little Buddy had a high fever. So we picked up. Just not the same. But I was really craving that Margarita.

So like my healthy eating habits and my exercise program, blogging has gone by the wayside too. I just can't seem to get in the groove of anything. Because I know the new year is coming and I have it in my head that that's my starting point for everything. Healthy eating, daily exercising, no drinking (yeah right) and blogging everyday. So please don't abandon me. I will be around until then but after the New Year I will be here everyday. Happy, happy new year!

Oh! The one thing productive I will be doing from now until the start of school is Potty Training. If you are headed that way, please join me in my journey. I think all of us can use the extra support.

I'm full. I'm disgusted. I'm done with food. But OMG! Just wait until you see the photo of my timbale I cooked for Christmas Eve. It was my first Italian Christmas Eve and it was brilliant. There were some kinks in my plan but not in the order of execution. Timing was perfect and dessert-was inexplicably mouth watering. Stay tuned because when I can roll myself downstairs to get my camera you will understand the reason for my suffering.

The Perfect Child

With the risk of sounding like a braggadocios mother I say that W is the perfect child. He was born an angel. Calm and mild mannered he was a first time mother's dream. When all the other moms were chasing after their kids, W just sat by my side and smiled. He is sweet to the core although a new, more ballsy side has come out in his later years, he's still calm, focused, collected and like I said, a dream, relatively speaking.

6 out of the 11 kids in W's class have had the dreaded stomach virus. I posted the other day that I had been waiting for it. Well, it came a knockin' tonight. He woke from his nap in a good mood and it hit him like a ton of bricks. One minute he was playing games with Mimi, the next he was laid out on my lap (something that all mother's of a 3 year old boy knows is rare). He was peaked and quiet and just wanted me. and then it happened, the sickness invaded and I have to say even through all the vomiting he has been my perfect child. He aimed for the slop bucket, didn't really cry and then after the episodes were over he was totally lethargic but still in good spirits.

I'm a walking paranoid freak right now. All the kids in W's class have the stomach bug. and I am just waiting for it to hit us. Every little burp or passing of gas makes me stop in my tracks while I wait for something worse. Pman cried out a few times last night and it made me jump.

This morning I woke up at the crack of dawn to go walking with Aunt Liz. I got back in time to squeeze in breakfast, a shower and getting the boys dressed before having to run out the door for Master P's first dentist appointment. Yes, it is a bit early in life to be taking him to the dentist but he had a spot on his tooth and terrible plaque that I couldn't pick out myself. He fought the dentist tooth and nail while we held him down. It was awful. Even more awful is the fact that his frenem (the muscle at the top of your teeth and lip) runs between his teeth instead of to the top which means that eventually it will have to be clipped. Yuk. Made me weak in the knees just hearing about it. Anyway, we were all done and he started coughing a bit. It wasn't until I strapped into his car seat that he threw up. Blah. All over. So I cleaned him up best I could and waited, like I've been doing the past few days, and waited for more. So now I don't know if he has the bug or if he was just mucousy from the fluoride and the screaming and crying or if like Camille said the mention of clipping his frenem made him naseous.

So I keep on waiting.

Rambla in the International House

Our experience at dinner last night was a co mplete 180 degrees from our dinner the week before. We tried to go to RAmbla last week, the new Spanish restaurant in the International House, but it was closed the first half ofhte night for private parties so we walked over to John Besh's LUke. I know many people love Luke and Ican't say that I actually hate it. The food is always good, give or take a few dishes but Golly, I relly hate beign there. I feel like I am living in the 70's and sitting in a Holiday Inn Motel Diner. It's bright and dull and what's even more odd is the lack of attention to detail. I always have to remind myself that it's John Besh's restaurant. I then wonder how it can be when considering that the focus on the details at August are so extreme that it's almos snobbish and at Luke the focus is nonexistent. Anyway, enough about Luke. Let's ramble on about Rambla!

From the start they were nice and accommodating and excited that we were theree. I will say it now so I won't have to say it again. Everything was delicious. Most dishes achieved a perfect balance of flavoris with a few exceptions so I will just share with you what we ate.

Once everyone was there (Uncle Rara, Aunt Jojo and Cousin Will) and settled and our wine was ordered we went to town on the menu. The idea is to share the plates and order the dishes as you like. It all comes out pretty quicly so you can order a few things. If and when you want more you can order it without having to wait. There is a constant flow of food.

Here's what we ordered:
Pork Rillettes
Charcuterie plate
Avocado, tomatoe, red onion salad (no avocadoes here)
Croquettas - 3 separate one filled with mushrooms, shrimp and fennel and andouille. All purees.
Grilled octopus salad (not bad for someone who doesn't like octopus)
Grilled flat bread with figs, Serrano ham and Cabrales
Frog Legs - Rara ordered this and it had been awhile since I had eaten them. Cousin Will wouldn't try them. The taste was good but it's the consistency...blah. The conversation over the frog legs went like this:

Rara: Tastes like chicken
Will: But...well, it's not chicken

The tuna special salad -perfectly seared chilled slices of tuna over a fresh fennel salad
Chicken paella-crusty, al dente and deliciously smoky but next time I would opt for the seafood one. The chicken grossed me out.
Lentils, lardon and yard egg ( I don't want to try and elaborate because I cannot do it justice)

I would go back tonight and tomorrow night and then again the next night. I can't wait to got with a big group of people to sit at the high communal tables. It was fun and cozy and relaxing. I didn't pay too muc attention to the total bill but from what J told me it seemed awfully reasonable for the maount we ate and considering we left pretty full and satisfied.

I swear I saw it first-the snow-that is. J and W had just left for school. I was making my iced coffee and I happened to look out the window and saw that it was raining but that the rain never made it to the ground. Wait. That's not rain!!!!!! THAT'S SNOW!!! I called my mom-that's rain, she said. I called my friend-she said the same. and J had already said the same when I called him to make sure W saw. and then.... they all called me back. Except for J who wasn't enthused at all. He said we were "rookies". OK big guy, who grew up in the mid west. The least he could have done was be excited for those of us who a. haven't seen snow yet (like W and Porter) and b. all New Orleanians who get to see it in their tropical city once every five years if we're lucky. Anyway, it started pouring snow and I finally decided to rush to school so I wouldn't miss out on my baby's face seeing snow for the first time.



And here is our mess of a overgrown backyard that actually looks pretty and peaceful thanks to the fallen snow.



And one of our roses.

We got our Christmas tree yesterday and I put up the lights today. I have to say that you can't even tell that it is my 2nd year to put up lights alone. I did consult several sources (Camille, Lauren, my mom-all with differing opinions) because however I put them up last year, well let's just say I had to take them down and do it again because I had nothing to plug into the wall. Anyway, it's up and halfway decorated. I thought we had more ornaments than we do so it's kind of sparse but still beautiful.

I just got up from watching the tree, reflecting on my life, my husband, my boys, my family and friends and praying too. After I talked to God about how blessed I was to have my family in my life (sorry if this is too religious for you) I started thinking about friends and within a second (without thinking about) I picked up the phone and called my oldest friend. I haven't talked to her probably since the week after Halloween and it was like we have talked everyday since. That's when you realize how much old friends mean to you. when you haven't talked in forever and when you finally do catch up with each other it is so easy to talk not only about serious things but also about homemade granola, dry hands, dirty houses. and I was even able to pee while you talked! So here's to making new friends but especially keeping the old.

New Year's Resolution Jump Start

We were coming home from lunch this afternoon and J honked at the car in front of us to get a move on. The light turned green and he was on his cell phone or something and wasn't budging. I heard W laugh in the backseat. I turned around and laughed with him, "That's funny that Daddy's honking, hunh?"

W's response was, "WHATCHA DOIN' JACKAAAASSSSS!?!"

J was laughing so hard he was crying but trying to do it without W seeing and I, well, I just couldn't pretend to be mad. I have to admit it's all my fault. I have road rage. I know it. I admit. I am working through it, but even better it will be my New Year's resolution to not curse around the boys.

Coffee and Food

I was checking out Appetites this morning. He wrote a little blurb about Pupuseria? Has anyone heard about this place? It made my mouth water but then again I have a love for all Mexican food. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I think I will have to try this soon.

This morning, like I said earlier, we went for coffee. I have been making my own with the Toddy and have been enjoying it immensely. It also takes the pressure off of getting 2 kids dressed early in the morning. I can just focus on W since I know Master P and I will most likely stay in until after his nap. But anyway, we went to Still Perkin'. It never would have been my first choice but I didn't buck my friend's decision since I hadn't seen her in years and new it would be relatively easy to park. OMG. It was the most delicious iced coffee I have had in at least 6 months (besides my own and almost as good). I hate to rave too much because I don't want it to get too cray but I think the secret is out anyway because it was crowded. The chairs were comfy, the crowd lively and I left feeling rejuvenated and wired.

I had coffee this morning with a good friend that I hadn't seen in ages. Pman had a ball and well, so did I. It's good to get out and see people, especially old friends. Pman smiled the whole time. and looked upside down at Baby Marcelle (a new friend for P) and ate a whole bag of graham crackers. I always knew he giggled a lot but he really is a happy baby. I am not sure where he gets it. Of course, we all know I am the eternal cynic and tend to put a cynical spin on everything. J is an optimist but not the giggly kind. W is a happy boy too but Pman is a boisterous happy. I can't explain it. I just pray that he stays this way because it will serve him well in this big bad world.

Another Alleluia Moment

Alleluia! J is coming home! He's only traveled once or twice since we've been in this house and last night came the revelation that I DO NOT sleep when he isn't home. I was tired. So tired from the weekend and the lack of sleep on Monday night (which is inexplicable). I even went out with friends and had 2 glasses of wine. I thought for sure that I would be asleep before my head hit the pillow. I didn't and I am not even sure if I ever went to sleep. I kept hearing the boys mumble or yell out in their sleep, turning over, you name it I heard it. I think it was the thought of them waking up in the middle of the night sick without J around to help that had me more nervous than the thought of someone breaking in. I think I've gotten used to that thought, growing up in Nola and all. Sad isn't it? But it's the truth.

But tonight I should sleep like a champ because Daddy's coming home!! Yay! Yay!

On another note I have been frantically trying to get a cute Christmas photo of the boys since November 1. and it is driving me nuts. Any holiday photo tips would be helpful. My friend told me to lay them both down on the bed and stand over them. But each time I've tried Pman gets pissed. So please share the wealth and tell me how you get 2 toddler boys to sit still simultaneously and smile at the camera too.

Pascal Manales

We are trying not to eat at the same places every weekend so when my dad said they had delicious oysters at Pascal Manales we decided to give it a try. I haven't been to Manales really since I was a teenager. It's not how I remembered but it is how it should be. Bright and loud and a bit plain.

We made reservations but got there early so we could eat raw oysters. We ate them at the marble oyster bar where "Uptown T" the city's most famous oyster shucked, served them to us. The were salty and super cold and served from a man with a true New Orleans attitude. I didn't even need Saltines they were so salty and good.

I won't go on about the meal. I was kind of dissapointed, except for the disgustingly decadent fried slabs of cheese we ordered to start. LC (not the one of LA) told me about them and she was right. They are not to be missed. But the rest was mediocre and I don't need to go back except for raw oysters and a cold beer one afternoon. The one thing I know for sure is that it is a FABULOUS place for people watching. They got some characters in 'ere.