A Day In Dallas

Yesterday I had a nice day in Dallas. I slept in and then met Amidie and Lara for lunch at our old usual spot...Chuy's. It was just like the old days when we all worked at Genesis. We all ordered our usuals and dove right into the typical conversations and the bowls of creamy jalapeño. Loved seeing both of them and getting the scoop on everything from reality tv...to family life...work...etc.

After lunch I went straight to Bubba's for an iced tea. Bubba's is a great fried chicken place, but their iced tea is my favorite. When I lived in Dallas, I got a Bubba's iced tea EVERY day. Oh how I miss my Bubba's.

After Bubba's I went around the corner to pop into Cotton Island...a great store in Snyder Plaza where you have to fight through the HP and SMUers to find the trendiest shoes, jewels, and clothes. They always have something I can't live without, but I managed to sneak out this time purchase free. I did however, pop next door into J.D.'s Chippery for a hot out of the over chocolate chip cookie.On to the mothership....there is nothing quite like the Neiman's at North Park. Now, I am very grateful that we do have a Neiman's in Austin now, but it just does not compare to NM North Park. I needed make-up, but somehow also ended up in shoes....surprise...surprise!!!! I did splurge on a pair of Tory Burch leopard flats that I couldn't live without. I love them and just know that I'll get my wear out of them.

After eating, drinking, and shopping my way through Dallas...we picked up dinner from Ziziki's and took it over to Rusty and Carly's so I could finally get my hand's on my little niece Perry. She was so darling and I'm already her favorite. :) We had a great evening signing the KA drinking song, watching Mr. B digging and "swimming", and playing our new favorite game..."Pass Perry".

Homeward Bound

Made it to Dallas last night. This typically wouldn't sound like much of a feat, but after that drive last night...it was exactly that...a huge feat. What started out as a nice smooth drive turned into a nightmare.

I borrowed Ashley's Suburban so that I could adequately fill up with pumpkins from the Dallas Farmers Market (Austin has nothing that even remotely compares), had the iPod in full gear, and was cruising northbound 35 until I hit Temple. Now Temple is only about 45 minutes north of Austin...so not exactly progress. When I arrived in Temple traffic slowed to a halt. I thought...oh can't be that bad...this too will pass...and hopefully quickly. But no, three hours later...yes three hours....I was still stuck in Temple. ARGH!

I had had plans to meet Shay (who was in town from Florida) and Mallory for dinner at 8 at Luna de Noche....our usual meeting spot. But since my road trip had been spoiled by horrible traffic I began to think I wouldn’t make it.

I finally started moving (problems were merely due to construction) and trucked it home in pretty good time. I pulled into Dallas after about 6 hours on the road and called in my dinner order to Mal…b/c the kitchen was closing at 9 and I wasn’t going to make it. BTW – what kind of restaurant closes at 9?!?!?! But I digress. I walked in to see my old pals who were waiting for me with a plate of enchiladas and a margarita.

We all caught up on each other’s lives and jumped right into our old routine…as usual. Dinner and drinks with Murtle and Lenny was the perfect end to what was quite a long trek into Dallas.

I'm wired

Last night I welcomed myself to the land of being wired....at home that is. I have somehow managed to put off having home internet until last night. I think having a BlackBerry had something to do with putting it off, but I broke down and had it installed at home last night.

This could be a good thing, or this could be a bad thing. I am sure I will love being connected at all times, but I worry about my obsessive compulsive self. I did spend way too many hours working last night before I finally cut things off around midnight. I am going to have to set some serious boundaries for myself....and you all know how well I do with boundaries....ha. Next week, my technical advisor, Ryan, is going to install my router so I'll be even more "on the grid" and will have wireless internet at home.

An intervention just might be necessary....I'll keep you posted.

Montana In Review

I realize this post will not be of interest to those who were not with us in Montana, but it as become a recent trend of mine to keep a running list of quotes and funny moments throughout my trips. For the record I was forced to write down some of my own quotes and the first half of the list was when the whole group was in town and the latter part of the list was just Alicia, Ash, and I....and we may have gotten a tad bit carried away. So, this entry is for my fellow Montana travelers...the rest of you will just have to scratch your head and wonder.

Did Trey put my salami up? Ben
There's plenty of tread on her tires....she's like a Michelin. Trey
I was playing with her maracas. Leigh
Can we just call him Paul Bunion please?! Ben
I think I did the dolphin last night. Alicia
Are we talking about her tread again? Leigh
An accident? What did you fall on a ____? Trey
Roll over and pee. Leigh
I have to tell you out of all the guys at the Roadhouse you picked the right one. Sassy
Do you need to go to Ekerd's? Trey
It’s a euphemism. Leigh
I'm gonna chew this bitch apart. Alicia
I can't remember the last time I drank on a Monday morning. Leigh
Ok kids I need to put it in now. Rod
I'm bitter that Gucci doesn't make polarized glasses. Leigh
....like the antidote was in it. Trey
Did you just pour your beer out (Alicia)...NO, just my water. (Leigh)
I like the direct boat on boat contact. Alicia
I don't hate myself now bitches! Ash
I think we should have a blessing....does that offend you? Ash
I just don't remember putting my lips on it. Trey
I am not doing two....ok one! Leigh
Do fish bite in the rain or should I just stop and drink. Alicia
How was last night... ya’ll bring home some more strays. MC
I'm sore right here....from being pounded back and forth. Leigh
Target is trouble for me. Alicia
I'll play your silly little game. Trey
He was too busy screwing. Alicia
I'm not very witty. Ash
You can take drugs for diseases. MC
I've never felt this way about anyone. Alicia
I go either way. Ben
I've got shit...like diarhia. Leigh
Well...I aint winnin'. Ash
I'm dwindly dwindlepants. Leigh
It doesn't feel good....it’s very drafty. Leigh
We did...it was just 2 hours too late. Alicia
So you just stretched back out? Alicia
I never got full insertion. Alicia
I've done it for hours without opening it up! Leigh
Where am I going to dump the kid? Alicia
Let's hope I don't have to bring one next year. Alicia

Get that tongue action going. Rod

You can always get it up for this. Leigh

You just have to finger it. Leigh

I'm gonna tear the shit out of a nap. Leigh

Is it bad that our trash clinks so much? Ash

When did you turn into an old Jewish man? Ash

I don't know when I'd do it....I'm always hungover. Leigh

You have to put spit on it and pull it out. Ash

You're gonna have a rash tomorrow. Ash

My problems are internal. Ash

There's a "Kiss The Girls" cabin coming up. Ash

What else would they talk about...sports??? Alicia
Ohhhh noooo. McCready

This could be good...or this could be bad....but I think good. McCready

He's at home freshly f'ed. Kristy

What did y'all talk about (Leigh)...me of course (Alicia).

Don't forget to pod up. Leigh
I can't believe you wouldn't let me put my foot in your armpit. You clearly don't know anything about survival. Alicia
That has legs. Leigh
I'm about to say something controversial....I don't think I'm going to drink tonight. Ash
...Yeah, I think our bender may have come to an end....I mean...we did drink today....Leigh
I'm not crazy....captain of fun maybe. Leigh

We took last night off....now we are light weights!

Ash I've got all the booze we can handle. Hale

And you know how I like a half. Leigh

See all my pics from Montana here.

All good things must end

I wish I could say that the last few days of our trip to Montana were spent quietly on the porch reading a nice book, but we continued our party streak and went out in style.

Friday evening Ash and I dropped Alicia off at the airport in Kalispell (about 30 mins away from Bigfork) for her redeye flight back to Richmond. What a travel trooper. Ash and I headed into downtown Kalispell for a nice dinner at Capers (formerly Cafe Max). Friday night in Kalispell isn't exactly rocking, so after din din we headed back in the Bigfork to the Roadhouse for a little more mingling with the locals. This was a daring move based on our performance the previous week. At the Roadhouse, we also met up with our Montana neighbor, Hale...who had just come to town. We also had the treat of meeting McCready's (Ash's favorite fishing guide) girlfriend...Kristy...who manages the Roadhouse.

Saturday...our last full fay in Bigfork was mostly spent sleeping in, napping, and watching great episodes of Rock of Love, Hogan Knows Best, and all the VH1 has to offer. That night...Ash, Hale, and I enjoyed one of our best meals in Bigfork at Invite, a new restaurant in town. Late into the meal, Hale's friend who just happened to be driving through town met us for after dinner drinks and dessert. Which btw...nothing goes better with my post dinner champagne than a little huckleberry creme brulee. Delicsh! That night downtown Bigfork was practically shut down due to the wedding of one of the locals....evidentally we didn't make the cut...I can't imagine why! So, back to the old faithful Roadhouse where we soon realized the entire town and post wedding crowd was wrapping up their evening as well. Typically when we walk in the Roadhouse, the crowd hushes and heads turn. We don't exactly look as if we belong. But, to my surprise I was met at the door by McCready with a highly Montana accented "oooohhh noooo!" Eric, another one of our guides was also out partying with the rest of the town. Saturday night at the Roadhouse was also karaoke night, so I "treated" the bar to a couple of tunes. It was a great way to wrap up our week in Bigfork.

Ash with McCready and Kristy at the Roadhouse

Eric, Hale, and Ash at the Roadhouse

I never miss an opportunity to karaoke

Am back home in Austin today after arriving home at midnight last night. Re-entry is quite a bitch, but the trip is worth every minute. Thanks to Ashley for hosting us again! What a great trip.

The water is freezing and there aren't enough boats!

my nice cutthroat trout

Thursday was our second day to fish. We were originally supposed to fish the day before, but our outfitters suggested we push it back a day due to impending weather. Well, that weather decided to push itself back a day as well, so we spent our 2nd day of fishing freezing our balls off on the Swan River.We haven't fished the Swan in a few years because it is a smaller river with much more debris and is harder for multiple boats to maneuver. But, since it was just a two boat trip we were able to fish our fav river. The Swan is better fishing than the Flathead, more intimate, and incredibly gorgeous. It was great to be back at home on the Swan.

But, did I mention that it was freaking freezing on Thursday? The last minute decision was made to wear waders and I do credit these not so flattering items with saving my life. We hit the water mid morning and got in a few cold hours of fishing before the rain started. The rain actually bettered the fishing since Ash caught 7+ fish, and Alicia and I both caught 3+ fish. Temps that day never got out of the 40s and when the rain started it was pretty brutal. Even our old faithful Coors Lights couldn't help us out of this one.

But, we powered through and made it off the river in one (frozen) piece.We wrapped up our second day of fishing at the Swan Bar (btw...the 'S' is silent in my world) where we hooked up with our guides for some dinner and post fishing cocktails.

Alicia and I all geared up in the Swan River

Ash and McCready all geared up to fish

Take a hike!

Wednesday was supposed to be spent fishing, but we rescheduled due to weather (more to come on that in future entries), but we woke up to a chilly, but beautiful day and after much morning lounge time we decided to take a hike. The stipulations of ease and time commitment were made and the trail we chose left much to be desired, but we felt outdoorsy and productive nonetheless. They say to ward off bears you should maintain lots of chatter and maybe even sing a few tunes. So, I spent my hike belting out the KA song that my dad taught me as a child....drink 'er down Kappa Alpha drink 'er down, drink 'er down....a song every child should know, right?!?! Fortunately my singing kept the bears at bay that day and we arrived back home safe and sound.

Ash and Alicia on the trail

Trout Slayers

the gang before we set out to fish

Yesterday the Trout Slayers were out in full force. We awoke to a damp and dreary morning and decided to postpone our early morning fishing for a few hours. Right about the time we pulled up to Two River Gear (our fishing guide/outfitters) the sun started to peak from behind the clouds. So with the sun shining and the usual pomp and circumstance we hit the Flathead River to let the trout slaying begin.

the Flathead River

Everyone paired off into their respective boats...Ashley and Trey with The McCready, Ben and MC with Eric and Alicia and I assumed our usual positions in Rod's pimpin new boat...me in the front and her in the rear. Rod loaded our coolers with snacks and beers galore. We were set..so with our lead off song (Usher's Yeah) playing on the iPod....we hit the river.

I was a bit rusty with the rod at first, but under Rod's tutelage, I quickly became a first-rate angler once again. Granted I didn't actually catch any fish, but at least I was getting my cast back into its proper form and was having fun! Alicia, on the other hand, took to the rod as if no time had passed and proved the she has indeed passed me by in the technique department. The wind was brutal yesterday and temperatures hovered in the high 50s/high 60s...so I blame our lack of actual trout slaying on the conditions at hand.

One of my favorite parts of our fishing day is lunch...go figure. No really, the guides whip up a great spread...this time with sandwich makings (and not at all meager mind you), fruit, veggies, chips, crackers, spreads, etc. We bring our our champagne to round out the meal. It's a great way to catch up with the other anglers and tell tales from the morning on the water.

Alicia enjoys a little champagne with lunch

The afternoon warmed up nicely and we really dodged a bullet with the weather since we kept eyeing ominous rain clouds behind us. We fished until the sun went down and Alicia took over the oars for the final stretch of the river while Rod enjoyed a bit of fishing himself. We met up with Ashley, Trey and McCready on the banks about 8pm and wrapped up the day with an impromptu dance party on the shore as our guides packed up the gear.

Trey, Ashley, Alicia, and Leigh after our day of fishing

The day ended with our traditional stop at Woody's...our favorite gas station bar...where we traded trout slaying tales from the day. Once we got back to the house we warmed up with Ashley's oh so yummy chili and then hit the sack. Here's to another great day of fishing in Montana!

Check out all the pics from our Montana trip here.

Beautiful, gorgeous...wish you were here

the view from the Amini porch in Bigfork, Montana

Not a shabby view, huh?!?! Hello from Montana my faithful readers of Leigh Leigh Land. We arrived in beautiful Bigfork, Montana yesterday after a very long day of travel...complete with all it's usual trials and tribulations...lost luggage, car issues, etc, etc. But we are here and once you arrive at the Amini Palace you forget all about your travel troubles and you settle right in. And, the weather...oh the weather!!! It is beautiful. 70s during the day and 50s at night. I LOVE IT!

Our first night in Bigfork did not let us down. After everyone had arrived we cleaned our selves up for a nice dinner at La Provence in downtown Bigfork...which is one very short street mind you. Dinner was fun filled and delicious. Special thanks to Trey who treated us to dinner.

On to the party. It is tradition that our first night in Montana be spent out on the town at The Roadhouse....which is in actuality every bit what you are probably picturing in your head right now. It is off the main part of town, off the side of the highway...with civilization no where to be found. We love The Roadhouse mainly because we get to "mingle with the people." The locals. These people are not your average locals, they are some serious characters.

Meet "the Mayor" who asked us if we wanted to "smoke" with him out back...

There was also Celia...the Nicaraguan lead singer of the band (Celia and The Heartbreakers). She was in her 60s...quite a character...and got down and dirty with her tambourines and maracas. And Chuck... also known as Sasquatch or Paul Bunyan. Alicia befriended this not so little character last night. He must have been 7 feet tall, was heavily bearded and had dark hair as long as mine. Sadly, I don't have a great pictures of all of our new friends, but you can see several of them including Cellia and Sasquatch in this video (Sassy is the one towering over the crowd). Sorry about the quality of the video...but you get the point.

But, my favorite thing about Montana is that is almost 4 in the afternoon as I write this and I am still in my pajamas. More to come from our adventures in Montana over the next week.

Check out all the pics from our Montana trip here.

Ode to Stayto

Just because Stayton has such an eagerness to see and be a part of my blog and since we've had several recent late night bonding sessions together...I thought I'd post a quick ode to the Wrights. And what better way to share these hilarious pictures of them from our late night karaoke fest on Friday. I have to say I really love the giant purple paw that the Wrights donned all evening. I especially love Stayton's not so successful attempt at opening and drinking a beer with his ginormous paw...see pic in slideshow of Stayto pouring his entire beer on the floor. I have to thank Wendy for snapping most of these shots that have absolutely made my day!

And the train wreck continues

As I'm sure you are all aware, last night was Britney's big comeback performance on the VMAs. I do happen to really like the song, but this performance really left something to be desired. It's like she's not really doing the routine...like she's just mocking out the moves like in practice. Very disappointing. I expect Britney to gimme more!!!

Weekend Wrap Up

Well...I'm exhausted. I can't believe I'm actually still standing (ok, sitting right now) after this weekend. We seemed to have regressed back to our twenties, but it was fun nonetheless.

It all started Friday night with Wendy and Ashley's Purple and Orange party in preparation for the UT/TCU game on Saturday. Over one hundred of our closest Longhorns and Horned Frogs joined in the celebration. It was so great to see everyone who made the trek from The Fort! We even enjoyed tunes from Owen Temple! Thanks Wendy and Ash for a great party!!! See pics from the Purple and Orange party.

As the party was winding down (ok, the kegs had been floated), Michael Levy had the ever so brilliant idea of hitting Austin Karaoke for a little late night sing-a-long. Now I ask you...is it a good idea to go "out" at 2am???? Now in theory this was a good idea....and as we were there it was a great idea. Not so great when Saturday morning rolled around, but I digress. So, we packed our bags and headed to Austin Karaoke where we belted out tunes from Bon Jovi, Juice Newton, Neil Diamond, and more. AK closes down at 5am (yikes), so we were asked to shut the party down then. :( Check out pics from our late night karaoke fest.

Saturday rolled around earlier than usual...probably b/c Friday night never really ended....and was filled with lunches, pre-game gatherings, tailgates, and more. I made it to my first official tailgate and UT football game. So exciting!!! And, the horns finally got it together in the 2nd half and pulled off a great win. (How do you like that bandwagon jumping, Russ?!?!). After the game we met up with friends at the usual spot where the party continued again until the wee hours.

Sunday....ah Sunday...no plans whatsoever...other than my appointment on the couch for a little football watching. Gotta keep up with my Fantasy Footballing. So, now it's Monday and I am rested and recovered from a blow out weekend. It was great fun, but sure am glad weekends like that only happen every once in a while.

The morning after...

Tedder and Vince in Tedder's Padre souvenirs post weekend debauchery

Re: Are you ready for some football?

Turns out this Fantasy Football thing really changes the way you watch football. Or better yet, it actually makes me WANT to watch games. I have always been a Cowboy fan and typically watch just about every game, but the rest of the NFL meant a whole lot of nothing to me...until now. Last night was the first game of the NFL season and my first time to watch with anticipation for my Fantasy Football team. It's surprisingly fun! I find myself actually caring about these teams and people I typically don't give the time of day. Last night's game was a good one for my lineup...can't wait to see how the rest weekend shapes up.

Are you ready for some football?

Or maybe I should say....am I ready for some football???

Tuesday night was a first for me....I took place in my first Fantasy Football draft. Now...I am no stranger to football, but this Fantasy Football thing was definielty Greek to me.

It all started Saturday night as we watch the UT/Arkansas State game at the Levy's. Michael and Ford were on the hunt for a 12th "man" to play in their FF draft. After a couple of cocktails I somehow thought that this might be a good idea for me. To tell you the truth my firends, I had NO idea what I was getting into. There are websites, magazines, chat rooms, etc, etc, etc devoted soley to this esoteric past time.

So Tuesday night was the big draft and I have to say it was really fun (for the first out of the four hours). I think I had a really good draft...since I know all of about a hand full of who my players even are. I was the third to pick and got Peyton Manning as my QB...which I hear is a good thing. And, am pleased with most of the rest of my picks as well. But, I really have to thank Tedder, my coach, for helping me through my first Fantasy Football draft.

So, I've got my roster locked in and am ready to go for tonight's NFL opener between the Colts and the Saints. Below are my draft picks...we'll see how we fare.

Round 1 - Peyton Manning (QB IND)
Round 2 - Cedric Benson (RB CHI)
Round 3 - Chad Johnson (WR CIN)
Round 4 - Lee Evans (WR BUF)
Round 5 - Clinton Portis (RB WAS)
Round 6 - LaMont Jordan (RB OAK)
Round 7 - Darrell Jackson (WR SF)
Round 8 - Jeff Garcia (QB TB)
Round 9 - Broncos (DST DEN)
Round 10 - Dallas Clark (TE IND)
Round 11 - Vernand Morency (RB GB)
Round 12 - Stephen Gostkowski (K NE)
Round 13 - Saints (DST NO)
Round 14 - Tony Scheffler (TE DEN)
Round 15 - Terry Glenn (WR DAL)