Friday, September 30, 2011

LobsterPalooza!

Last night we celebrated Lobster Fest 2011!  Jason's mom sent us a Lobster Gram gift certificate for our anniversary in June, and we just got around to using it.  She did the same thing 3 years ago and it was sooo good.  Last night didn't let us down. 


We didn't name them this time.  It's easier that way.


 Radar does not trust the cockroaches of the sea.


Getting ready to cook.


Here goes nothing!


The dinner came with lobster bisque, lobster ravioli, lobster crab cakes, and of course the lobsters themselves.


Being dorks.


Oh, and it came with delicious chocolate cake for dessert.

It was a wonderful Lobster Fest indeed!

Monday, September 26, 2011

I Caught 'Em

On camera that is.


I was getting worried that I hung the feeder too late.  Or that none of them would find it.  But, at least I'm making this little guy happy.  :)


Saturday, September 24, 2011

Weed Free is the Way to Be

I woke up early this morning to work in the garden before it got miserably hot outside.  It's nearly October... isn't it suppose to cool down sometime round now?  I've gotten on a kick this week to de-weed our yard.  It's been getting out of control I tell you.  Last week I started with the vines that were taking over our deck.  Then one day after work this week, I de-weeded the gutter out by the street (since Jason and his weed-eater no longer get along.)  Today I tackled the garden so we can plant some fall vegetables next week. 

I didn't get a before picture, so I doctored this one that I took in July to help you get an idea what it was like.


The green scribbles represent the additional weeds that had grown over the past two months.


Doesn't it look so much better now?  I even added some compost to start conditioning the soil for the veggies.


Our eggplants loved the rain last week, and now we can't keep up with how many there are.  Eggplant parmesan anyone?


Aren't the pair on the left cute?  I did notice some bugs on the plants though.  (See the orange guys on the right picture?)  I was hoping they were assassin bugs which are beneficial in the garden, but upon closer inspection, I discovered they are baby leaffooted bugs (which are very similar to stink bugs.)  Hopefully they won't do too much damage.

I was feeling a bit guilty after pulling out all the flowering vines around the garden because I saw a hummingbird out there this morning.  I keep reading that with the drought and lack of flowering plants, hummingbirds are having a difficult time this year.  So, I decided to buy a hummingbird feeder to soothe my guilt.  This turned out so much more difficult than I thought.  I went to Hobby Lobby in Meyerland and they didn't have any.  The Lowe's next door to the Hobby Lobby was completely out.  So was the Target across the street from the Hobby Lobby and Lowe's.  It was absurd.   All I could figure out is someone bought in bulk.  Meyerland must have the best fed hummingbirds in the nation right now.


Luckily the Lowe's closer to home still had some.  I made the nectar when I got back home.  It's 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. 


Don't lie... is my backyard getting a bit kitschy?   I personally like the wind chimes and bird feeders but I'm worried it's looking a bit too cat-ladyish.  No offense to cat ladies, of course.


Radar came to help me take pictures this afternoon, but he had to stay behind the gate.  This morning, he bolted out into the front yard chasing a squirrel.  He nearly gave me a heart attack.  He's been so good about not running off lately, it kind of caught us off guard when he dashed off without us.  Crazy dog.


Saturday, September 17, 2011

Flat Tire - The Story of a Good Husband

After volunteering at the Urban Harvest Farmers Market this morning, I was craving carne guisada tacos so I headed to Villa Arcos to pick up a couple.  When I got back to my car, I noticed I had a flat tire.  Whomp, whomp. 

Luckily, I was parked on a quiet side street so I just sat in my car, listened to NPR, and ate my tacos.  After Jason finished working out at the YMCA, he rode is bike over to help me out.  Such a good husband. 

I, of course, did my wifely duty of providing moral support (and snapped a few pictures in between all that support sharing.) He did such a wonderful job installing my spare.  So lucky to have him around.

IMG_2426

P.S.  Yes, I could have probably managed the whole ordeal by myself, but then I would have missed the chance to enjoy this nice view of Jason in his short shorts.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Apartments: DEMOLISHED

Got home from work today and the apartments are officially gone.  Or at least in nicely sorted piles: concrete, wood, bricks. 






Now that the apartments aren't there, you can really see the potential in the lot.  I think 3-4 single family houses would look beautiful across the street.  (Can you tell I'm trying to increase the value of our house?) 

No, but seriously... even with the potential Walmart moving in behind the lot, I think you could build enough of a vegetation barrier that it would be a nice place for a few new houses.  And our neighborhood really is a great place to live.  Who wants to move in?  :)

Monday, September 5, 2011

Apartments: Demolition Progress

Remember last April when I told you the apartments across the street were ordered to be demolished?  Well, looks like progress is finally being made.

View from our window in April.


View this morning.

It's hard to tell with our droopy pecan tree in the way, but the building closest to us has been torn down.  This morning, they have also been breaking up the concrete slab at the right of the buildings.

So I wonder how this is going to work... will they just level the ground and leave it that way?  I guess the owner will try to sell the land.  Who knows.  I guess it's just nice the buildings can't be a hide out for anybody anymore.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Brewmasters Craft Beer Festival

Yesterday we attended the 2nd annual Brewmasters Craft Beer Festival at Moody Gardens in Galveston.  It was pretty fun.  This year, they expanded the tasting to two days, so the crowd was very reasonable.  Jason has become quite the beer connoisseur since attending the event last year.  Unlike last year where we knew nothing about the craft beer scene, this year we knew most of the brews.  We had a chance to taste our favorites as well as relative newcomers like Clown Shoes and Karbach.


Enjoying the tastings.


When we headed outside afterwards, there was a double rainbow.


As we waited for a cab, we watched the sun set and the sky change as the storm started rolling in.


Mostly just wind.  Not too much rain out of the whole deal.


We ate dinner at Fisherman's Wharf

Since a lot of hotels were sold out and rooms at Super 8 were going for $250 and up, we rented a room from a lady on airbnb.com.  She had a cute little house in the historic East End and rented us her upstairs suite at a very reasonable price.  Her three dogs were so happy we came to visit them.  :)