She was a dancing queen

A few months ago Willie Nelson came to town.  I didn’t go.  Afterwards I was livid.  I knew I would never forgive myself for that so when I heard Merle Haggard was coming I was dying to go.  Unfortunately the tickets were nearly $80.00 so I kept holding out buying them.  The next thing I knew it was the day before the concert and I had no tickets.  I resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t going.  I set about baking a cake for my grandpa and when I had just put the finishing touches on it the girl in my office called and said, “I know how bad you wanted to go, so I called in a favor and got the tickets can you be here in 40 minutes.”

I’ve never moved so fast in my life.  I showered, shaved, dressed and arrived in 28 minutes.  

I arrived just in time to get in line at the bar and use the free drink tickets she got

Two Old Fashioned please. (Which quickly turned into six..or eight.  I’m not really sure)

This was right about the time the bartender asked me how old I was because I looked too young to be ordering this drink.

Then they came out.

It was beautiful.  They took turns singing and playing the back up guitar for each other.  Something about old men and guitars had me all revved up to dance.

After the show we headed to the club in the casino that had a country DJ where I proceeded to dance like a fucking honky tonk queen (Unless you were sober….then I looked like a drunk white girl shaking her ass like a dork on the floor).

We took a break and went up to her room.  Room 1911.  She told me I had to behave because 911 was already in our door number..when I was drunk that made total sense.

This sign however made no sense…look hard

Then we went back and danced.  Around 12pm I declared that I must have mashed potatoes.  So she left her son in charge of me and went in search of mashed potatoes.  If you are wondering what kind of person does that, it’s the kind of person who says, “I know you’ve had a rough few weeks, and if you want to get drunk, dance and eat mashed potatoes you totally deserve it,”  Her son did a terrible job watching me though because before I knew it some big burly older cowboy grabbed me on the dance floor and started twirling me around and tossing me around like a ragdoll.  I will be honest, as much as I wish I knew how to do all those awesome country dances the most I can do is move my knees in and out while shuffling side to side like Gwenyth Paltrow does in Country Strong.  After that all the older cowboys thought it was kind of funny and took a turn trying to teach me to two step or five step or….I dunno it felt a lot like being flung around like a yo yo but it was oooooh so fun.  I danced by myself for an hour probably.  Finally one guy got brave enough to come up and slow dance with me.  It was cute.  He had been watching all night and I saw him talk to the person he was with and I saw the moment he made the choice to just walk up to me, grab me and start dancing.  I loved every minute of it.  Sometimes a girl just needs to feel sexy, dance, and have a good time.

This was right about the time we decided to have dinner (2:00 am).  I think I looked pretty damn cute considering I was sweating my face off.  I was thankful that night I don’t ever wear makeup because all that dancing would have had it running down my face like a hot mess.

 

I’m kind of cute if I do say so myself.

Finally I decided I needed some water.  I spied an unopened bottle at the bar, sneakily grabbed it, opened it, took a long drink and then stuck it back trying to sneak away.  I turned face to face with an old cowboy who was just grinning ear to ear at what this girl in front of him had just done.  I blushed and said sorry, but he just picked up the bottle of HIS water, handed it to me and said, “I think you forgot something.”  At this point we met three other guys at the bar one of them looked just like Zach Galifianakis.  Dammit I wish I took a picture…but it was exactly like this ONLY WITH A SCARF TOO!  Fucking hilarious.

Those guys were super sweet and had the bartender get me water in a fancy drink glass so I looked like I was still sipping something fabulous when it was really just water.

We were getting ready to leave when I noticed the cabaret was playing music.  The DJ had left a long time ago so I ran over there.  There was about 7 black girls and a bunch of guys.  Oblivious I ran down and started shaking my groove thing.  The girls just started cracking up.  Two of them ran up to me and adopted me like I was a little sister or a little doll or something.  They were just hell bent on teaching me to dance.  They made the DJ turn on the electric slide and tried so hard to teach me.  I failed.  They were cracking up at this poor white girl trying to have some rhythm.  I had NONE.  The guys were their husbands and friends from a basketball tourney and they came running over to get a group shot of the seven girls with rhythm and the silly little white girl in her boots and faded jeans.  Comical.

I finally made it home (I hadn’t had a drink for about 5 hours) and I was dead tired.  But the worst part was the next day.  Holy shit dancing is a work out.  My thighs are still protesting.

Didja know…

If you spend the afternoon chasing your baby chickens through the rose bushes trying to get them back in their coop and then spend your evening with your arms in bleach water cleaning a kitchen your arms will hurt for hours.

If you chop 5 cups of red onions and then wipe your eyes YOU WILL CRY.

If your boss has a can opener smarter then you, you will end up with aluminum shards lodged in your hands. (see bleach reference above)

If you grow your nails out really long and pretty you will slice every one of them off no matter how hard you try to tuck them in. You may even slice a cute little hole in one.

But what will for sure will happen is that you will slice a whole finger nail off and bleed all over your bell peppers.

If your boss asks you to MINCE 65 mini mini teeny bell peppers you will become a little stabby by the end of the night.

You can spend over five hours at a kitchen cooking and still not eat dinner.

I can't wait to do it all again tomorrow.

Mucho grande boobies

Right before I went to Mexico my husband was doing a few loads of laundry and some how three of my shirts and two bras got broken.  I found out later that the lint trap had a little build up in it so one side was sticking out causing all of straps to twist around until it snapped.  I purchased two more bras before going but since I'm a DD I can never find bras my size, and on the rare occasion I do they are big ugly utilitarian looking things.   So off I went to Mexico with my ugly ill fitting bras.  

Did I mention that in Mexico they did my laundry for me?  So imagine my sadness when they brought me back my one and only bra BROKEN.  But never fear there was a Walmart down the street I would just buy more. Off I go to Walmart.  But I found myself in what must have been the little kid section because there was not a single bra bigger then a B cup.  I searched high and low and my husband even came digging through bras with me.  Finally I gave up and went to the dressing room to ask for help.  But there is one small problem.  I don't speak Spanish. 

The conversation went like this:

Me: Do you have any bigger bras, like D cups?

Girl: *Blank stare* Doesn't understand English

Me: *Points to bra and says, "mas bigger?"

Girl: Noooo 

Me: Giving up, grabs my boobs, squeezes them upwards and says, MUCHO GRANDE BOOBIES, NEED MAS BIGGER BRA"

Right about the time I'm shaking my boobs around yelling MUCHO GRANDE BOOBIES three other employees walk by and begin staring at me.  At this point I've lost all dignity so I repeat the boob jiggling MAS BOOBIE shouting in hopes of getting help.  No such luck.

Later my mom went to a flea market and proudly came back with a hot pink and neon purple bra in a C cup.  I put them on and I'm pretty sure they were mislabeled because they fit more like a -A.  

I gave up on bras for the rest of the trip.

When I got back to Reno I went all around to find Bras.  I went to "secret" places, and Big Red Dot  places and no one made a DD bra that didn't look like an 80 year old womens bra.  

But then I remembered I had a gift card to Eden Fantasys and I decided to start browsing their bras.

HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS. They have so many.  And AND they carry DD AND plus size.  I was in heaven.  They offered all of their beautiful bras in my size, plus size, every size.  All of their lingerie in fact.  I was hooked.  But then I had a problem.  I wanted to know what my husband would like.  So the next thing I know I'm pulling up pictures of women in bras on my computer and taking photos of them, then texting them to my husband to get his approval.  Which would have been fine if later in the night when I was working and showing my boss photos of the present I made my sons teacher I didn't suddenly open up a picture gallery FULL OF WOMEN IN BRAS, PANTIES, CORSETS AND SEXY STOCKINGS.

OH. MY. GOD. KILL. ME. NOW.  I stuttered on trying to find out what in the hell to say to her. She just started laughing at me.  

Anyway here are a few of the beauties I have a crush on currently that come IN MY SIZE IN DD!  

Y'all if you are in the market for incredible good priced bras (the price even includes panties) you need to be shopping here.  I can't wait for my first order to arrive.  I can't wait to place my second order because I realllly need this.

All of the sets I listed above aren't over $40.00 and some as low as $28.00 and it includes EVERYTHING shown (but the stockings)  That is an amazing deal don't you think.  I can't wait to finally stock up on well fitting bras that are also hot as hell for my husband.

Catering season in full swing

I love catering.  More then catering I love cooking.  And some how I've become my bosses baker, which I thought I would hate but turns out I LOVE TO BAKE!  Let me give you a look into my life the past few days.

Last Thursday: Wake up, get kids ready for school, go to work for thirty minutes, leave work, take kids to school, rush back to work.  Work until 3pm then run to get Brandon from school.  Go back to work.  Work until 4:30 pm.  This is normally when I go home.  But last week I left the office and went to the kitchen and baked until 10:30 at night.

Friday.  Same stuff as above but get off work and go to Brandons baseball game from 5-6:30.  Then have a play date with a friend at ball park until 7:00 pm.  Make dinner.  Don't fall asleep till midnight.  

Saturday: Wake up, go to a baseball game at 8:45-11:00.  Leave game and drive straight to kitchen.  Work until 8:03 at night.  I had a list of stuff to finish.  While there the boss called and added a pan of brownies and a pan of pecan bars.  Most people would be mad to get more work but I was excited she wanted me to do more, it means she trusts me.  Later she showed up and added two pans of baked french toast, three pans of breakfast strata and then dice 45 potatoes and bake them off for mothers day breakfast potatoes the next morning, oh and DON'T BURN THE BACON SHE PUT IN THE OVEN. 

Today was my only day off. My mom and I went to the spa for mothers day and it was amazing.  We got pedicures, went in the steam room, a relaxation room, a hot tub, etc.  Then played in the shower with all of the sugar polish and 6 shower heads.  It was great.  I spent the rest of tonight up making the gift for my kids teacher from the whole class.  It's now 11:30 at night and I'm still awake.  I don't know why.

Here is my next 8 days.

Monday: Work at normal job leave and go straight to kitchen till 10pm.

Tuesday: Work, find a way to cook the snack for baseball that night because it's our turn, then go to baseball game and try and fit in a play date.

Wednesday: Work then go to kitchen until 10pm.

Thursday: Work then kitchen until 10pm.

Friday: Work then go to kitchen to finish up the stuff for a catering that night.  Leave kitchen and go to a large catering event until ….whenever it ends.

Saturday: Head to kitchen at 10am and prep all food for even that day.  Mid day leave kitchen and head to huge catering that will go until really late.

Sunday: Wake up at crack of dawn and head to San Francisco for a Giants game. Then drive home the same night.

Monday: Wake up dead tired from SF trip, go to work, take kids to school, go back to work, pick up kids, come back to work finish the day and head back to kitchen.

 

So if you guys don't hear from me this week there is a reason I'LL BE DEAD DOG TIRED AND OVER WORKED…But loving every minute of that cooking.

 

PS here is the teacher gift I'm working on.  

The little yellow cards will house gift cards for the teacher to the local mall here so she spends it ALL ON HERSELF.  The crayons are tied on loosely so they can be removed and donated to the class.  The pencils holding her name can be donated to the class.  The gift cards are held on by colored pencils.  The crayon box to the right has all of the extra crayons, pencils, colored pencils and sharpeners to donate to her class.  The big pink container can be reused to store all of the crayons or other supplies in next year.  Now I'm just hoping I get the other moms to donate toward the gift.  I'm tired now, tonight was my only free night to create it.  What do y'all think?

Follow up on little league

I have been back in the dugout every game since this post. Things have been better.  The coach had a talk with the kids about listening to me and I had a talk with a lot of the parents letting them know I would sit their kid out if they didn't straighten up.  I think it was a good idea to have me go in there because now there is a familiar face in their at all times that they know they need to listen to.

I wanted to share with you my favorite comment from that post, it comes from Steph who I read and love to pieces.  I'll be honest when I started to read her comment I got a little sad.  I was worried you guys thought ill of me…but then I read on and remembered exactly why I love all of my readers so much.  Steph, thank you a million times for making my day with this comment:

"I can't even believe you're asking about drinking beer in a dugout filled with little kids. WAAAAAY inappropriate. This is clearly a case of "fill the aquafina bottle with vodka." Or add some to your coke. Or gatorade if you want to be sporty:) Besides… it sounds like you're gonna need the hard stuff to be able to handle the kids haha"

The easiest recipe I've ever been given

 

 

I went to a Cinco De Mayo party this weekend and my friend Kari made this soup for me.  She made it because it is gluten free AND vegetarian (but you can't tell the meat is missing).  I inquired to the recipe because surely something this tasty would be difficult to make.  NOPE.  Here is the entire recipe, get ready to be blown away with simplicity.
 
1- Can pinto beans rinsed & drained
1- Can kidney beans rinsed & drained
1- Can black beans rinsed & drained
1- Large can Ro-Tel tomatoes* 
1- Can stewed tomatoes
1- Cup salsa of your choice
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Chili powder
1/2 white onion diced**
1- Cup frozen or fresh corn
1/2 Cup water
Cheese to top
 
 
Toss all of the beans in a strainer at once and rinse them off.  In a large pot or crock pot combine all ingredients.  Cook for 3 hours.  Eat and enjoy!
 
 

*(I bought the ones with green chilis and it was a little spicy for me, which means it will be totally normal for you)

**If you are in a real hurry you can leave the onions out




 
If you want you can sauté the onions before adding the other ingredients but it's not required if you are going to cook it the full three hours.  Also if you are really really hungry you can scoop out a couple bowl fulls after about 30 minutes and it will still be tasty.  But after trying it both ways 3 hours is the perfect cooking time.  I kept mine in the pot in the fridge and have just been scooping out a portion every morning to pack for lunch.  It has a thick texture so you could actually put it on top of tortilla chips if you wanted.  If you want it really soupy (not as good) add more water.  I also like to top mine with sour cream.  Also if you are a meat lover you can add shredded chicken to this to make it a chicken taco soup.
 
HURRY UP MAKE IT NOW!  It's soooo good I promise.  And so damn easy!
Don't forget if you are hungry to stop by and visit my food blog!

Do they serve beer in little league?

We started rookie ball a few weeks ago.  This year was a lot different then T-ball for one basic reason.  The kids on my sons team are ROTTEN!  Not just a little bit either.  They are just full on bad.  There are four of them.  Last week I got fed up and elected myself dugout mom.  The first game was terrible.  In one hour I had kids climbing the gate separating the dugout from the field, dangling from the hooks on the walls, calling other kids stupid, punching other kids, trying to break other kids bags, kicking kids, calling me stupid, pushing and shoving all over, and screaming mean things to their friends and the other team.  

I didn't know what to do.  I had to separate two kids with a water bottle, move one kid all the way to another side of the bench and more then five times remove one kids hands off of another player. 

I talked to the coach and let him know that the next game I would be talking to parents if the behavior persisted.  He laughed and informed me that the week before the person helping in the dugout got spit on by one of the kids.  He told me that the parents of these four boys don't care at all about their kids behavior.  

I went back in the dugout during the next game and the coach came in and made it known that the kids had to listen to me as if I was a coach.  Things were going really good until I looked over and found A KID IN THE TRASH CAN!  He thought it was funny to hide in the trash and try and scare me.  I only had to pull one kid off the wall and only had to separate kids one time.  At the end of the game I went and talked to the kids parents.  I let them know about the trash, the hitting, spitting, calling stupid, and all around BEING ROTTENNESS!  I also informed the parent that at the next game if I have to talk to the kid more then once I will be removing them from the dugout and they will have to sit with their parents for the rest of the game. 

I felt bad for the dad.  You could tell he's dealt with this a lot and that he has heard this often about his son.  He swears the next game will be better.

We have a game tomorrow too….I'm wondering though, can I drink beer in the dugout?  Might make dealing with these boys easier.

I just want my son to have a fun experience without dealing with all the shenanigans.