The end of April marked our 2 year anniversary. We spent the weekend in Galveston, staying at the Mermaid and Dolphin bed and breakfast inn. Neither of us has stayed at a B&B before, so we weren’t sure to what to expect. The room we stayed in was the ‘Enchanted Nights VIP Queen Jacuzzi Suite’. The room was what I would expect any typical B&B room to look like, with antique furniture and beautiful decorations. As you can tell from the name of our room, we had a private jacuzzi for two on the patio of our room. Having that for just two days, really got us thinking about buying one for ourselves. Our room also had a claw foot tub, day bed, and 4 post queen bed. We both loved the room and inn, and would definitely stay there again.

Friday night we tried the Original Mexican Cafe. It was delicious. Afterwards we went for a walk down the strand. Amazingly Saturday morning we were both up around 8. The awesome part about that, was we actually got to enjoy the complementary breakfast. I have to say it was a delicious breakfast. I wasn’t really expecting much, so having something so good was a nice surprise. After breakfast, we went on a tour of the Moody mansion. It was pretty impressive. I love seeing old houses and all the special features they have, that you just don’t see in houses now a days. One of my favorite features were the built in shutters that folded into the wall. Gwendolyn really loved the wall coverings, from the stenciling to the wood trim. For lunch, we headed over to the Sunflower Bakery & Cafe. I wasn’t too sold of the food, but they did have an excellent bakery. We bought a cream puff, and giant cinnamon roll to go. We then headed back to the strand to do some real shopping. While we were there, we went to the Fiesta store and enjoyed some ice cream.

Once back at the B&B, we went for a bike ride. We rode our bikes about a mile to the sea wall, and then rode up and down the sea wall for another few miles. When we finished our bike ride we then drove back to the sea wall to enjoy a nice dinner at The Spot. We weren’t sure what we wanted to do afterwards, but we finally decided to go check out a mini golf course. The place was awesome. It reminded me of all the ones they have in Gatlinburg, TN, which we’ll be going to in a few weeks. So it was a great way to get some practice in. Among all the animatronic animals your ball had to dodge, at one point Gwendolyn found herself having to dodge a flying bird. While Gwendolyn was trying to putt, a bird flew straight into her back, and then aimed itself at me. I tried to swat at it with my club, but the bird swerved, and landed on the dragons head mocking us. The course was so fun, we decided to go again and try the ‘easier’ course which actually ended up being harder.

Sunday we made it a point to wake up early and get some of the mouth watering breakfast. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating today, so we didn’t get a chance to do much. We went to Murdoch’s Bathhouse on the sea wall, and then to Tom’s Thumb, a nursery Gwendolyn had heard about. We headed home afterwards, with our love for each other rekindled.

As always the photos are here.

Saturday we went out for breakfast to North by Northwest. The food was great, and afterwards we wanted to take advantage of the beautiful day, we headed over to a park. We went to Mayfield Park, which we soon saw was also home to beautiful peacocks. They really are some of the most magnificent birds. Their colors are just so vibrant, its just amazing.

The rest of the day we just tried to relax. We played some more Rock Band of course. We then tried to have dinner at the Hula Hut, but found it too crowded. Plan B lead us to P. Terry’s, which is a drive through hamburger joint, that had some awesome hamburgers, fries and shakes. I will definitely be going back there next time. After food, we went back to the house and got ready for the concert.

Since the Austin Music Hall was fairly close, we decided to walk it. We got there in time to see the opening band, Ours, which wasn’t too bad. The worse part about the concert was then having to wait another hour for Manson to come on. On top of that, about 30mins into waiting, they turned off all the lights, which made everyone think the show was going to start, and so the mob pushed forward. Now for the other 30mins, we were tightly packed together with no room to move. Gwendolyn didn’t like that very much so she had to head to the back, while I stayed with Jake Beth and Brian. Finally the curtain fell and the show started. Although Manson’s set list could have been better, I still enjoyed the show, and watching the people. It always amazes me the diversity of people that listen to his music. After the show we walked back, and stopped to get some ice cream at Amy’s. When we arrived back at the house, we had a few drinks and played some more Rock Band.

For some reason, Sunday we woke up not feeling too well, with headaches and body aches and I had no idea why. We decided to try and have brunch at South Congress Cafe. We had a long wait, so we walked up Congress St, and into a few shops and stopped and got some coffee to tide us over. The menu sounded delicious and it held up, as the food was great. When we got back to the house, we rested a bit more, and finally started to pack it up. We said our good bye’s and headed home. :’(

Arriving back home, we unloaded everything and tried to rest and relax for the rest of the night. I had one mission though, and that was to finish Harry Potter and the Goblet of fire, to which I succeeded. So far it’s my favorite book of the series. So much has happened in it, I can’t wait to see what’s coming. Tonight I’ll have to start book 5.

As if the weekend wasn’t enough excitement. Brian messaged me Monday asking if I’ve heard the latest Nine Inch Nails news. It turns out Trent just released a full album of instrumental songs called Ghosts online! He released it in multiple formats, and is only charging $5 for all 36 tracks. Although you can listen the entire album online for free. It also released under the Creative Commons License, which allows you to share, and remix his music. The music industry is changing, and I believe you will see more and more bands do the same as Trent.

Sorry we don’t have any pictures. My camera finally decided to die at the party Friday night. However, Beth did get some good pictures and a video, which you must see. I’ll make a post with those links as soon as I get them.

June 2nd, was the annual ROT Rally in Austin. This is the biggest biker weekend in Texas, and we were there! My parents, Gwendolyn, and I all rode our bikes to spend the weekend in Austin. Gwendolyn and I stayed with our good friends, Jake and Beth, while my parents had a hotel room. The ROT grounds were huge! It was definitely a lot larger than Galvestons rally. Although, I think I like Galvestons a little better.

Everyday we tried to go out to a new restaurant we haven’t been to yet. Lucky for us Jake and Beth have already done all the scouting and took us to some really great places! Here’s just a few of the places we went:

• Kerbey Lane
• Rio Grande Cafe?
• Magnolia Cafe

Friday night the ROT Rally went for the Guiness Book of World Records, by creating the longest parade. I’m not sure if they accomplished their goal, but I can’t imagine them not doing it. The parade was so enormous! There were just thousands and thousands of bikes. The parade was really fun, with people lined up alond the whole parade route, which started about 10 miles outside of austin and ended on Congress St. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip.

Saturday we tried to go on a poker run, but unfortunately we went to the wrong place to start, and weren’t able to participate. So we took off on one of the self guided tours of the hill country. Since our first trip to Austin, this is one of the things I’ve been waiting to do. And boy, it did not dissapoint! The ride was so awesome. It’s what driving a motorcycle is all about.

Saturday night, Jake and Beth joined up with us, after we helped them move their new bed (aka matress blob) up to their apartment. We headed back to the rally to watch Joann Jet and the Blackhearts. I have to say she can still rock out, with the best of them.

Sunday we slept in some, ate, and then headed back home. Overall it was an awesome weekend, and we can’t wait till next years!

On Wednesday the show was going to be at Stubbs BBQ in Austin. This was going to be hard as we had to make it out of Houston at rush hour and get to Austin before the show. It was especially difficult as it seamed everything was trying to keep us from getting there. Beyond the normal Houston traffic we also had to deal with wrecks and wrong turns! We finally did make it to Austin though. Unfortunately it was at the end of the Dresden Dolls set, so we weren’t able to see them play again. The great news though, was that Stubbs BBQ rocks! It had an outdoor stage that was about half as small as the Verizon stage. Before the show Gwen and I squeezed our way up pretty close to the stage. Once they came out, everyone pushed forward, and it got about 20 degrees hotter! Gwendolyn wasn’t able to take much of the pushing and shoving, so she stepped out to the side. I stayed in for a while and finally had to take a break about half way through. I sat on the side with Gwen for a few songs, and then headed back in. I was able to get right up front and center. Trent at one point bent down right in front and handed his guitar off to the crowd. I had a hand on it, but of course security took it back. I stayed up front for the rest of the show and rocked out.

After it was all over, we headed to a great little place to eat, which I’ll have to get the name of, as they had awesome breakfast tacos. We then headed home as someone had to go to court the next morning!

Toga! Toga! Toga! Yes that was the theme of my mother’s 50th birthday party. We decided to throw a surprise toga party at my parent’s friend’s house. The party was on the 14th so Gwendolyn and I were in charge of decorations so the weekend before we had to go out and get as much greek/roman stuff as we could. We also went shopping for togas. It was all pretty fun.

On the day of the party we had to head to Gwendolyn’s mothers, as she made us the best cake ever. She actually made it in the shape of a roman Pantheon! Transporting the cake was pretty nerve racking, but not as bad as when guests started to arrive and Gwen and I were still not ready! But we were able to put the final touches on everything and get dressed in time. My parents arrived and my mother was quite surprised by the turn out! Some old friends that she grew up with ended up coming down for the surprise also. She was excited to see them. Also, later on her brother showed up with Joann, which was another big surprise! I have to say the whole thing was a big success! I was surprised so many people showed up, and even more surprised by how many people actually dressed up!!

We spent the rest of the day at the party and cleaning up. Sunday we went into town to eat and check out the Art cars. They were all pretty impressive! Gwen and I decided we should do one of those one day also. We just have to think of the perfect idea first!

Be sure to check out the pictures of the Party and Art Cars.

To read about the rest of our weekend, click on the link below…

On Saturday afternoon, we went to the Crawfish Festival in map(Old Town Spring|spring, texas). We rode the bike up there so I could try out my awesome new helmet. We got there kind of late, so we didn’t actually go into the fairgrounds, but we did walk around the main street a bit. I didn’t partake of any mudbugs myself, but Jay and I did try an unlikely dish—deep fried Oreos. Yes…I think you haven’t really experienced true festival fare until you’ve tasted some unexpected fried item. We could choose from among Oreos, Nutterbutters, Chips Ahoy cookies, Twinkies! And let me tell you…the experience is beyond description. I guess there is nothing quite like the taste of an Oreo that has just melted from being submerged in vegetable oil heated to a piping 400 degrees. Let’s just say I was curious to try the freakish treat, but I don’t think it is on my new favorites list.

On Saturday evening, we watched our regular shows as well as the eighties classic, imdb(Coming to America). I have to admit that the first time I watched this movie, I didn’t realize that Arsenio Hall and Eddie Murphy played lots of different characters. Ya, what can I say…I’m a little slow sometimes, but in my defense, I will say that I was only nine when I first saw this movie! And it’s still great! On Sunday, our slothful spree continued as we laid around and watched the Food Network pretty much all day. Yes…Jay made the ultimate sacrifice. He watched cooking shows with me all day and didn’t complain about it once. I love this man! Here is our favorite recipe of the day. I can’t wait to make these…

Chocolate Truffles

• 1/2 pound bittersweet chocolate
• 1/2 pound semisweet chocolate
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon prepared coffee
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• powdered sugar
• Cocoa powder

1. Chop the chocolates finely with a sharp knife. Place them in a heat-proof mixing bowl.
2. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just boils. Turn off the heat and allow the cream to sit for 20 seconds. Pour the cream through a fine-meshed sieve into the bowl with chocolate. With a wire whisk, slowly stir the cream and chocolates together until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the coffee and vanilla. Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.
3. With a melon-baller, scoop balls of the chocolate mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm. Roll each dollop of chocolate in your hands to roughly make a round ball. Roll in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or both. These will keep refrigerated for weeks, but serve at room temperature.

And on an exciting note, today I told my boss that I am going to start looking for a new job! I work for the Harris County Public Library, and we have a rule that we must tell our supervisors when we apply for new jobs within the library system. Since I am going to finish grad school in August, I could start applying for positions at HCPL now. And today I applied for four jobs—children’s librarian positions at Cypress Creek and North Channel and young adult librarian positions at Cypress Creek and Tomball. So now I just have to wait. Everyone keep their fingers crossed for me!

For more of this mushy story, click below:

So there’s only one more thing…

April Fools!!

Chocolate Martini

1 oz Godiva Chocolate liquor
1 ½ oz vanilla vodka

Mix vanilla vodka and chocolate liqueur in shaker filled with ice. Strain into a martini glass.

They’re delicious!

Hmmm…so I had planned to make a pineapple upside-down cake for Jay this weekend, but I might have found something even better…grapefruit upside-down cake! Yes…this will both satisfy his desire for cake and my new-found addiction to grapefruit. (I don’t know…I’ve been eating at least one a day for the last two weeks!) Mmm…citrus…

GRAPEFRUIT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Serves 8; Prep time: 30 minutes; Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 small pink grapefruit
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• Whipped cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Put 4 tablespoons butter in a 9-inch round baking pan. Place the pan in the oven just long enough to melt the butter. Remove pan from oven; scatter 1/2 cup brown sugar evenly over the melted butter.
2. With a sharp knife, peel the grapefruit, removing all pith, and slice. Arrange the slices to cover the bottom of the pan.
3. In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and allspice. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat remaining 6 tablespoons butter until creamy. Add granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar; beat until well combined. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
4. Pour batter over grapefruit in pan. Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes; turn cake out onto serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream if desired.

See…Upside-down cake doesn’t have to be made with pineapple. Grapefruit, which pairs well with brown sugar and warm spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, and allspice, gives a bittersweet flavor to this rendition of a down-home classic.