the never disappoint(ers)

We saw 1100 springs Friday - I was going through band withdrawals. They never disappoint.
Didn't even leave the house Saturday.
Sunday - Joined a "huddle". organizing - low key superbowl with w's, mainly distracted through most of it.
Leave for vacation Sunday! - have EJames new one in queue.

Pulled in lotsa directions - Devos decision just came down - I have no kids and know nothing about whats going on in the world of education besides the taxes I pay into it. All my teacher pals/associates are really not ok with this decision so I'm going to guess it's yet another not a good one.

Finished
Nora Roberts - Island of Glass - typical NR fashion and almost exactly like the other series.
Kristan Higgins - On Second Thought - just love her and how filled out her people are. Not my favorite but (again) she never disappoints.

New Orleans day trip and I'm forever teased

New Orleans Saturday.

• Landed in at 10am. Uber $33?ish to
• Liuzza's by the track - just yum...never fails

• Revel - newish place, wonderful cocktails and Amanda, our bartender, suggested:
• Twelve Mile Limit - google maps led us wrong. It was hot. We wander into a place called NOLA Til Ya Die and met Beth who kindly gave us a ride (yet again...yay for strangers!) We offer to buy her a couple of drinks as thanks - she's been in NOLA a while, colorful personality (from Indiana?) and very well-traveled. Good local place too.
• Toups Meatery - didn't register that he was Isaac (sp?) a top chef contestant. Nice guy. Deviled eggs, Cracklins, boudin and the pork chop were on point.  It felt a little off in there though (tourist-ish?.) ...I wish he would've had New Orleans music in there...maybe it's ridiculous but i think music is important to a restaurant feel
• 6ish - Left to make the airport

So yes we were there less than 9 hours. I thought it was gonna be a long day but it blew by.

I think this is the way for us to do NOLA now. An hour plane ride and live the day...it's a no brainer. 

We didn't even touch the Quarter - didn't need to...

Sunday brunch with friends at Smoke. 

Then tried to watch Secret Life of Pets and ended up walking out. It was too silly adventure-y (not like UP, a favorite!!!).
So disappointing.

Finished Bay of Sighs - as always, just ok - I just more and more feel like I've been here.
Re-read Sarah MacLean's - Never Judge a Lady By her Cover, as good as i remember.

AND MY FRUSTRATION RETURNS!!!! about to finish re-reading Elizabeth Lowell's Enchanted (medieval series) - so good.
I (again) researched about Erik's story and all I can still find is E Lowell responding to someone on facebook in 2013 saying she'll afraid she'll die before it's written....sigh. I'm forever teased with this series....!

And so in the mood for a little Bruce Robison - Wrapped
thought i was doing fine, about to get you off my mind....

fully realize i found a rare one

was introduced to a guy recently  (a crossfit-type looking guy)  - I reached over to shake his hand and he lightly shakes the tips of my fingers.
Gross! IT WAS SO GROSS!

It's easier and easier to find most men not attractive lately - especially the younger ones.

I honestly think that of all books I've read (the majority of them being romance) I have a good general idea of what women want from men.
Bottom line - they don't want men to act like boys *I'm being judge-y but this includes men who play video games as their main hobby

OR WORSE (and I unfortunatley have a plethora of recent examples to mark upon - but won't here)  women don't want men to act like stereotypical women - needy, whiny, drama, pushover

MEN - please read romance books (NOT 50 Shades of Grey!!!) - books like Emma Chase or Sara MacLean to get an idea of what women like.

Or shit, it doesn't have to be about women...it'd be a better world if men were more secure in themselves and manage themselves in general!!! What is going on!!! ugh.

I think I would be ok on my own - but seeing what's out there, I thank god I found Jamie. He's a rare one. I know this for a fact.

but wait  - SPEAKING OF MEN...  there's Denver!!
I found 2 roundtrip tix to Denver for the Rangers game in a few weeks for $178 on United!
woo - i love denver.

Last I was there, I noticed that men actually looked and acted like men.
No weak handshakes, no cocky know-it-alls, no plucked eyebrows

I hope it's not changed....(not that I'll be partaking - but STILL... I can look!) If I were single I woulda been all over that.

reading Nora Roberts Bay of Sighs - it's typical Nora Roberts.
Off to New Orleans tomorrow for a day trip with the husband!....oy it's gonna be hot.

pb&jamie where's my flask....

weekend was great conversations, music, food with fun people. Too fast as usual.

the new Montlake Cut was yum...just sooo loud..(oy I'm getting old)  
and yikes it's ridiculous how much cocktails cost...(maybe going pb&j tonight to compensate? ha)
or maybe seriously contemplate taking my flask everywhere again... 

Jamie uber'ing -  he'd basically turn it on and he'd get pinged, by that tell it's crazy how many people use it. 
I think he liked it, it's a good way to keep from getting bored, and only one shady-ish story of the five rounds he's done so far.

Books
Finished the third "others" book - eh...not sure I'll hang on to read the 4th.
and another YA -  Bad Girls Don't Die - reminded me of my "goosebumps" days when i was 10. Just a little more grown up. I actually did like the lead...I could relate to her - just overall, and especially toward the end, it read disjointed. Not bad, but  I don't think I'll continue here either. 
Also finished, Nora Roberts' Stars of Fortune it reads so much like the other series of hers ...umm something cross?...I forget what it was called. But I liked the series, (also like a pb&j) it's good enough for when nothing else works....so I'll likely continue as an "in-between" book.
Tried Green's -  Abundance of Katherine's and lost interest.

turns out a couple friends are heading to our portland/seattle baseball trip with us. yay!

not so great news - there was a police helicopter circling my neighborhood yet again last night. And armed robbery with a fatality 5 minutes from my house a couple hours ago. what the f is going on!!!

A grand ol' time!

We uber'd it all over Dallas Friday night (first time to uber - I now see the appeal).

We went to Blind Butcher (Poutine with pork belly and a fried egg on top? yum!) Rambled over to the Truck Yard (fun Austin-ish laid back feel).

Then sang along to some of the best in country music Jason Boland and Chris Knight at the House of Blues. We had a grand ol' time!

But yep for the rest of the weekend I mostly cuddled in (to recover) and read. 

I finished the last of the Cousins O'Dwyer series - Blood Magick, it followed true Nora Roberts fashion for me - entertaining but nothing amazing.

I love how she does Ireland justice in her books though. Now that I've been (heck I think she might be a big reason why I wanted to go?) I see why she loves it. 

Aside from that, I caught on to Sarah MacLean again - I forgot how much I liked her style!

This time I read #1 and #2 of the Rules of Scoundrels series. I really liked the #2, there were a few things left unanswered that would usually bother me more but I'll tell ya what - I loved how wonderfully odd Pippa was and whew the sexy times between these two were just wow.

OH and we found Irish bacon! - a local Irishman told us we'd find some at Trinity Hall (ahh the big plus of being in a big city - if you ask/search enough you'll find most any type of food you want! -

overall ...a wonderful weekend!

yay for adventure but I'll pass on the audio book

So freakin' glad it's Friday! Definitely going to find me a cocktail somewhere after work.

I finished the Firebird , it's one of those perfect cuddle up and read books. No roller coaster here, but there is an adventure and the dual story lines carried well. Susanna Kearsley does a great job of painting a story and now I seriously want to go to North Eastern Scotland and maybe St. Petersburg too. I loved Ireland (especially Connemara and Co. Galway), I have a feeling Scotland might be just as amazing.

Next up is Shadow Spell, Nora Roberts (second in the Cousin's O'Dwyer trilogy). She doesn't grab my attention like other authors but I like Nora Roberts. My favorite of hers is probably the Circle trilogy. I liked it so much I tried the audio book. That was officially my first and last time to try an audio book. I hated it.  Plus it's kinda embarrassing when he gets to the sexy parts (and lets face it Nora Roberts comparatively speaking is not all that graphic). I don't know how people like it?

Lots going on in Dallas this weekend! State Fair, BBQ Festival, Cottonwood Arts Festival, Texans are in town for the Cowboy game and it's going to be gorgeous...I love this time of year.