Fanthorp Inn

We've started watching Veep on Amazon Prime. Ohmigosh... hilarious! Only the first two seasons are free, so it looks like we'll have to ante up for the rest on HBO, once we finish those. I've changed the Quote of the Week in the blog sidebar to Veep, because there so many funny quotes per episode. (Sorry, This is Us!)

I forgot to mention in my last post that we went to the Fanthorp Inn Historic Site in Anderson (about a half hour outside of College Station) last weekend! It was a private home that the family turned into a hotel in the mid 1800's, because the town had a stagecoach stop. The inn is very well appointed, with all the rooms (family home, lounge, dining room, bedrooms) staged as they would have been, even including some original family furniture.

Our Texas Parks and Wildlife guide was very knowledgeable and led us on a full tour. It was just him and us, probably because it was a rainy day and the town is off the beaten path.

The inn is built in a dog trot style, where there is a breezeway between two sides of the building. I am not kidding you- it felt like the AC was on full blast when you stood in that open space. No AC anywhere! It was damp and warm outside, but there was a ton of cool air flow there. Mind boggling.

The slaves were freed during the time the inn was operating, so we talked a lot about the logistics of that situation, for the former slaves and the family. Learned about daily life in the mid 19th century as well. Very interesting! It was a great little trip out of BCS.


Saturday 9: I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

1) This week's song was performed by James Cagney in the famous movie of the same name. Do you plan on going to the movies this holiday weekend? 

Yep! We're going to see The Big Sick.

2) Though known for his larger-than-life screen presence, Cagney was only 5'5". How tall are you? 

5'4"

3) During the Revolutionary War, General Washington celebrated the 4th of July by giving his troops a double ration of rum. Will you imbibe any spirits this holiday weekend?

It's likely.

4) American history was one of Crazy Sam's best subjects in school. Science was her worst. In which class did you earn your worst grades?

Any kind of history.

5) The Fourth of July means we're in the middle of summer. Are you careful about applying sunscreen?
Yes

6) Mosquito bites can be a major summer annoyance. Are you scratching any itches right now?
No, thank goodness.

7) Emergency rooms report an increase in wrist injuries in summer, with people falling off bikes and skateboards and jamming their wrists catching hard-hit softballs. Have you recently been to the ER or Urgent Care?
No- knock on wood.

8) New York is home to Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest every year on the 4th. Will hot dogs be consumed in your household this weekend?

I don't think so.

9) Atlanta hosts a 10K Peachtree Road Race every 4th of July. Are you a runner?

Only if I'm being chased by something. 

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Weekend in Review

So there is this Corpus Christi tourism commercial on every now and then with the most catchy song ever. I loved it so much and had it stuck in my head for so long that I finally tried to find out what song it is, but I couldn't find a darn thing on it. Soundhound and Shazam had no idea either. I decided it was just a jingle.

WELL. Today, I saw Vitamin Water's new commercial... with the same song and different lyrics! This time, there are articles written about it and a YouTube video and all sorts of things! Woohoo!

Here is the actual song, which is used in the Vitamin Water ad:


I still can't find a single online item referring to the Corpus commercial, so if you're not in the Texas tourism market... the alternate lyrics are something like:

Oooh-oooh, it's a summer full of fun yeah
So come on and feel the sun yeah
Go and tell everyone yeah baby
Oooh-ooh (*bah-bah-bah BAH BAH*)
Oooh-ooh it's a summer full of fun yeah!

And now it's in my head again. Whew! I thought "Despacito" would NEVER get out of there.

Spent the weekend in College Station. It was superfun! We hit Mad Taco for Friday night dinner, then sat outside and had really amazing drinks at the hotel.

Oh, the hotel was fabulous! The Stella is really modern, but warmed by what I call Hill Country decor. (They probably call it Brazos Valley chic.) Lots of wood and warm colors, but a very modern vibe overall. I took a photo of the hotel room doors, because they are so pretty! Go to the website and see the photos!

Our view was over Lake Atlas and the golf course. The other view is College Station and Kyle Field, which is also cool. The bars were friendly and beautiful. The meeting spaces were upscale and modern.

My one minor complaint was an issue we had with the room service hours. The room service menu clearly states on the cover that room service goes until 11 pm. Inside, there are various times listed for the different meal menus. Dinner ends at 10 pm, but the snacks page (including sandwiches and other substantial fare, if you need it) says it is available until 11pm. We came back from town at 10pm Saturday night and called down at exactly 10:04 to see if the restaurant was still open. They said no. I said I would just order room service. The guy at the restaurant said the kitchen closed at 10. When I said the room service menu says 11, he said that was a typo. Well, it would have to have been two typos.

It sounds like some people wanted to go out an hour early on a Saturday night to me. We had to get back in the car and go into town to find something to eat. Not. Fun. Confirm room service hours when you arrive.

We visited Messina Hof winery on Saturday evening. We did a historical tour and also a wine blending class. I learned two new things at Messina Hof, which is a lot, considering how many wineries I've visited and toured.

1) Almost all wineries purchase most of their grapes from independent farmers. Many don't grow ANY of their own grapes. Even if they do have a vineyard, they don't grow all the grapes they need to make all the wines they produce. I've always wondered why so many "wineries" don't have vineyards. I figured you grow your own grapes to make your own wine. Not so. It's the processing of the grapes that makes you a winery.

2) Almost all red wines are mixtures of different wine grapes. There are rules for what percentages of the mother varietal grape have to be in your blend to call it Merlot or Malbec or whatever (usually 75% or higher), but varietals are mixed with other grape types to create the masterpiece that is your brand's bottle of that type of wine. You can also have blends with no specific type, which gives you your Sweet Red or Rioja or Rosé sorts of wines. Whether a varietal or a blend, the blending is the art of enhancing some flavors and dampening others for a perfect taste.

We broke into 4 teams of six people each for the class. We blended three pure red wines- 100% Mourvedre, 100% Merlot and 100% Cabernet Sauvignon (that's Cab Sauv to those in the biz)- to create our own wine. The four teams submitted their entries... and we won!! Whoop! Our prizes were bottles of our very own winning blend. Supercool.

I definitely recommend that tour/class combo. There is also a separate tour where you can taste wine from the tanks. That one's next on my list!

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Myyyyy Heart Gave Me Awaaaaay

Some Zen for my Wednesday... from 1987. Glass Tiger- SUPERawesome! This was probably my favorite song of theirs, although I like almost all of them.



"You're What I Look For"

When you walked into the room
I saw their faces
You made it seem like time was standing still
And I felt fascination
Though I knew you just casually

So I slowly made my way to where you were standing
The hounds were gathered near
I didn't care
You sensed desperation
My heart gave me away

And then you said
You're what I look for
Je pense que je t'adore
You're what I look for lately

When our eyes met in conversation
Oh, I tried to smile, you looked the other way
You made situations seem like love affairs

And then you said
You're what I look for
Je pense que je t'adore
You're what I look for lately


I feel like I know some of those people in the crowd. Don't you? Hello, 80's people!

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Summertime and the Livin' is Easy

I got my hair chopped off for summer! It was about halfway down my back and now it's above my shoulders. It always takes a surprisingly long time to get used to the difference. You know how you keep flipping your hair, but there isn't any to flip? Weird!

It does reduce hair drying time by half. Styling time- half. It's GREAT.

Speaking of "Summertime," we saw the Billie Holiday musical Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill at Zach Scott Theater  a few weeks back. The singing was really amazing, but I wasn't a big fan of the musical itself. It was slow, and really more like a concert. I think if you go into it thinking you're going to a nightclub singer's show, it's probably a better mindset than expecting showtunes on a big stage. I had no idea what it was and it was just a'ight for me.

Saw In the Heights at Zach last week. I've seen it once before, when the traveling Broadway show came to Austin a while back. The dancing and music are so much fun! Enjoyed it!

Saw Wonder Woman this weekend with the Jeffs. It was very entertaining. Loved Chris Pine's line about being above average. Ha! Agreed.

Now I'm just eagerly waiting for The Big Sick at the end of the month. *drumming fingers*



Y'all know I'm loving this:



*snort*

(Does anyone do the asterisk actions anymore? I miss them. *shrugs*)

Soon we're headed to College Station for my second weekend vacay there in two months. Well, it's a cool place! Jeff and I are going to a Messina Hof winery event, which will be fun. We're staying at one of the brand new hotels in town. There are three, of which two are open so far- The Stella Hotel and Cavalry Court. The George will open later this year. They definitely need the rooms!

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Cats and Bathrooms

Our cats have a fascination with the toilet. They do that typical behavior where they want to come in whenever anyone goes into the bathroom, to watch you go, or... whatever it is they're doing there. (I Googled it and there are many interesting and amusing theories.) When you flush, they put their front paws on the seat and watch the water disappear.

Another bathroom thing they do that really cracks me up is when they find something like a little piece of paper or plastic wrap or ribbon, etc., they will pick it up, run into the bathroom, put their front paws on the seat and toss it into the water. SO funny. Luckily, so far anyway, they haven't tossed in cash or jewelry.

Sunday Stealing: The Random Questions, Part 683

1. How old do you look? Most people comment that I look younger than 50, so I'll say 45.

2. Where do you live? Austin

3. Are you waiting for something? Trump's resignation

4. What’s one pet peeve of yours that is not common? Wood floors covered with rugs. What you have there is carpet at more than twice the cost.

5. Do you want/have kids? We have one daughter.

6. Have you ever thought about converting your religion? no

7. Last shocking news you heard? London terror attacks

8. What was the last thing you drank? milk

9. Who do you most look like in your family? my dad

10. If you could have something right now, anything, what would it be? a foot massage

11. Where does most of your family live? Texas

12. Where did you grow up? in the south Houston area

13. Where do you want to go on vacation? Italy

14. Have you ever had a panic attack? twice- once at the mall with my mother-in-law and once at Zach theater with Jeff

15. What can’t you wait for? football season

16. When’s the last time you told someone you loved him or her and meant it? I tell Jeff and Lauren most days.

17. Have your parents ever smoked pot? No, but my mom's friends almost convinced her to try it while Laura and I were there once. That would have been hilarious! She was going to do it, but when her friends were about to go get it, she said she'd never smoked pot her whole life, so there was no reason to do it now.

18. Want someone back in your life? I wish our old Bunco group was still getting together every month!

19. What do you order at the bar? Mexican Martini or a glass of Riesling

20. When was the last time you cried really, really hard? it's been a while

21. What are your nicknames? This question reminds me of many years ago, when the director of the Foundation thought I made up the word "Webmistress" as a nickname for myself. Bwahaha!
There isn't a nickname that anyone calls me by today.

22. What is your favorite thing to eat with peanut butter? apples

23. Where were you on July 4th, 2008? Thank goodness for blogs. We were on the Liberty of the Seas on our east coast/Canada cruise:
...July 4th in New London, CT: Such a nice little town. We met the Mayor downtown in the square. Had clam chowder at a restaurant overlooking the harbor. Visited Nathan Hale's schoolhouse, even upstairs where the wood and everything is original. Jeff, Lauren and I tied with two other teams to win July 4th Trivia on the ship that night. Woo!...
24. If you could go forward in time, how far forward would you go? 150 years. Not so far that no one has a clue what was going on in 2017, but not so soon that not much has changed.

25. If you could go back in time, how far back would you go? Back to about 1995, when Lauren was a toddler, and we were doing all those superfun little kid activities, like Children's Day Art Park (still going this summer!).

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Uh Oh... Kathy Griffin Rant

But first... Why does Lisa Bloom (and her mother before her) always seek the spotlight and become the story when she represents someone? So annoying. She needs to move over and let her clients speak for themselves.

So. Let me understand. Kathy Griffin holding up a horrifying bloody Trump head is an artistic reference to his comment about Megyn Kelly and "blood coming out of her whatever?"

Mmmmmmmkaaay.  It must have been one bummer of a brainstorming session, if that's all Bloom's team could come up with as an explanation.

Also, Donald Trump didn't "ruin Kathy's life." People were immediately shocked and disgusted by the photo, before he even responded. The vast majority of us don't give a flying pigmonkey about Trump's feelings. People and businesses are responding on their own, making decisions based on their own feelings. CNN doesn't make business decisions based on what Trump thinks.

For me personally, there are three things that are beyond disturbing about that photo:

1) It's overly realistic and revolting, for no apparent purpose.
2) It emulates heinous photos of terrorists holding up heads.
3) It's the President of the United States. (Chelsea Clinton says that's vile and wrong. I'm with her.)

It's pathetic that Griffin had a press conference declaring herself a victim, and it only serves to draw this out far longer than necessary. In light of Trump's withdrawal of the US from the Paris Climate Accord, this drama should already have been yesterday's news. (Well, he does something just about every day that should make this yesterday's news.)

She should just acknowledge her regrettable choice and move on. She'd be fine. Whatever she does, I just hope she doesn't rescind her apology a la The Dixie Chicks. Have some friggin' balls and don't apologize in the first place, if you don't want to!

smh

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27th Anniversary!

Jeff and I have been married for 27 years as of last Friday! We went on our first date 30 years ago, on January 28, 1987, to a Baylor/A&M basketball game.

The drama from some men over the gals only showing of Wonder Woman at the Alamo Drafthouse is one of the most ridiculous things I've seen in a while.  Girls night out is a sexist travesty against men? Are you INSANE? Read Mayor Adler's Response to an Email on the Matter. Yes!

Kathy Griffin. Good lord. What. Was. She. Thinking. I don't even have words for that.

Netflix rec: Watch Kathleen Madigan's "Bothering Jesus" comedy show if you haven't seen it. It's very funny!


Friday 5: MVP

1. What’s the most important single ingredient in trail mix? M&Ms
2. What’s the most important single topping in a taco? cheese
3. What’s the coolest instrument in an orchestra? timpani
4. What’s your favorite animal at the zoo? chimpanzee
5. Which are the best pieces in a sampler box of chocolates? ones with nuts

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Bandaging Wounds Between Fingers

Okay, kids. I have a suggestion for bandaging a very specific sort of finger injury- one where your wound is in that space at the base of and between two fingers. No bandaid fits comfortably there. I Googled for ideas, but most of what came up were gory stories of how people managed to accidentally cut themselves between their fingers in various ways.

I didn't think it was possible to cringe for 30 minutes straight, but yes. Yes it is.

People were also debating the pros and cons of Supergluing a cut. I have a fear that if I ever Superglue a cut, it would probably glue in a weird, folded way and I'd have to go through whatever the ghastly fix is for that. (I don't. Want. To. Know. Thanks.)

So I thought this up for my dermatologist-inflicted punch biopsy, between my pinky and ring fingers. Here we go.

1) Get yourself a small, sterile non-stick pad, the smallest you can find (mine are about 2" square).
2) Get some 1 inch wide "gentle tape," the stretchy kind that sticks only to itself.
3) Put Neosporin (preferably with pain reliever in it) on the pad and shape the pad into a U with the ointment on the bottom, under the base of the U and the sides of the U going up the sides of your fingers.
4) Place the U between your fingers, with the Neosporin covering the wound.
5) Wrap the pad's ends (the ones sticking out the palm and back sides of your hand) around one finger or the other.
6) Wrap BOTH fingers with the stretchy wrap, covering the pad and holding it in place.

Ta da!!!

I'm convinced the reason I'm on Day 5 of this painful journey is because I keep inadvertently spreading those two fingers. Yeah, that feels exactly like it sounds. Yesterday, I was just taping them together with surgical tape over an oddly placed bandaid. And it sucked. This is working much better!


Saturday 9: Him or Me -- What's It Gonna Be? (1967)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, a man pleads with his girlfriend to make up her mind. Do you consider yourself decisive?

Most of the time, yes.

Since this song is all about either/or, we're using that as our theme this Saturday ...

2) Choose a condiment: Catsup or mustard?
mustard

3) Choose a sci-fi series: Star Wars or Star Trek?

They both have their great points... If I had to choose, I'd pick Star Wars.

4) Choose your spy: James Bond or Jason Bourne? 

Jason Bourne. He's less of a "playa."

5) Choose your winter sport: Football or hockey? 

Football, baby.

6) Choose your breakfast: Pancakes or waffles?

waffles

7) Choose your side: French fries or potato chips?

French fries

8) Choose your chore: Washing dishes or doing laundry?

laundry

9) Choose your next-door neighbors: Munsters or Addams Family?

Munsters

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Tuesday Troubles

I'm all sorts of messed up today! I have tendonitis in my left shoulder, which I would usually tell everyone is a sex injury, but really I'm almost certain is from my new workout. Yesterday, I had a questionable freckle removed from between my pinky and ring finger on the OPPOSITE hand (of course). I've been doing grocery shopping, laundry and dishes today. Very. Badly. The struggle is real, y'all.

Friday Jeff took the day off and we had lunch at Chuy's and saw Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. with JeffC. Good movie! I'm psyched the summer movie season is finally here!

Friday night, I joined Sharon, Megan and Laura for the celebration of Laura's birthday at Fogo de Chão. Yummy. Erika joined us back at the hacienda afterwards. This is the second time I've brought wine to a birthday event that hasn't been opened. What the...?! Next birthday get-together, I'm bringing chocolate instead.

Saturday Jeff and I hit the annual Pun Off at the O. Henry Museum with Scott and Bruce. Very funny! And it was a gorgeous day as well. We tried out Slab BBQ in Oak Hill, which was delicious. I compare everything to Salt Lick and still haven't found anything better, but Slab does make a great sandwich.

Just saw this on DVR.... I'm never sure what the deal is with everyone thinking A-Rod is so handsome. I don't find him attractive at all. Not a bit. To each her own.

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Friday Five 'n Stuff... on Monday

Thank heavens the Senate is "starting from scratch" on the healthcare bill, after the House passed a completely ridiculous version that puts the financial burden of healthcare and health insurance directly on the backs of sick people. Those representatives who voted it through may not have to worry about being diagnosed with anything themselves with their special insurance, but their extended families and all other voting Americans do. Maybe we'll get a little common sense in it next time around.

Here's something from Facebook today:

OHMIGAWD, literally???!  Well, I won't be adding those to my grocery list.

In other dessert news, Blue Bell released Bride's Cake (almond ice cream with white cake pieces surrounded by a rich amaretto cream cheese icing swirl) and Groom's Cake (chocolate ice cream with chocolate cake pieces and chocolate-coated strawberry hearts, surrounded by swirls of strawberry sauce and chocolate icing) flavors today. I give both of them two thumbs up. Haven't tried them yet, but the descriptions are good enough for me.


Friday 5 for May 5: Over/Under

1. What’s a film you consider overrated, and what’s a related or similar film you consider underrated?

Overrated- The Sound of Music. I know. Sorry. It just isn't my favorite.

Underrated- Moulin Rouge. It's visually beauuuutiful. Awesome music and vocals. Tragic romance. Funny here and there. John Leguizamo playing Toulouse-Lautrec. What more could you want?

2. What’s overrated about the area in which you live, and what’s underrated about it?

Overrated- Keep Austin Weird. This big city ain't the quirky town it used to be.

Underrated- Location, location, location. In 5 minutes to an hour, you can be downtown, deep in the gorgeous hill country, in the metropolis of San Antonio, on a lake, in the prairie, on a vineyard, just about any landscape or environment you can imagine.

3. Whose talent or skill is overrated, and whose is underrated?

Overrated- Tom Cruise. He always plays "that guy" with "that attitude." Not a lot of variation there.

Underrated- William Fichtner. He has been in a lot of movies and TV shows, currently on the sitcom Mom, playing Bonnie's boyfriend. I originally saw him on Grace Under Fire (gosh, what a funny show that was! remember?). He was in The Perfect Storm and Entourage and tons of other things.

4. What item in the supermarket is overrated, and what’s underrated?

Overrated- Rotisserie chicken. It used to be a great deal for your casseroles/salads/etc., but now it's $6.99, which is ridiculous. They've also shrunk quite a bit in the last couple of years. If you're going to get one, buy it at Sam's, where it's $4.99 and HUGE.

Underrated- Ground chicken. Anything you make with chicken breasts, you can make with ground chicken, only better, because the ingredients and seasoning can be mixed throughout the meat. Then you don't have an issue with a great flavor on the outside, but a bland interior.

5. What’s utterly terrific except for one or two things?

Cruises are utterly terrific! Except for muster drill.

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