Tag: BLOGGING

More Branching Out with New To-Do Lists…

Alternative titles for this post included the following: “How to Survive Teenagers in the House,” “Keeping Your Sanity with Teens,” “If you thought my nagging is annoying, kid, wait until you experience yo mama’s supernagging!” and “Help Me, I Have a Teenaged Son.”

Honestly, I can’t really use any of the above alternates because The Boy is a growing into a fabulous young man. If I could harness a fraction of his drive and (hyper-)focus there is no telling WHAT I could accomplish.

So, the boring, non-antagonistic title will have to stay for now.

My strategy for success (my own, not the The Boy’s- he shall have his own) is to keep discovering new… everything: restaurants, recipes, cocktails, hikes, sports, books, friends, music, etc. Hopefully I will keep my sanity by continuing to grow myself as I watch my two teens grow.

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Scratch Lab’s cookbooks- for feeding those athletes you love
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The Main Man, The Bard, Wm Shakespeare

The Short List for 2017

  • Piano lessons for me (or online tutorial… anyone have any suggestions?)
  • Complete OpenCulture.com’s Survey of Shakespeare’s Plays
  • Complete a 15 mile mountain bike race this June while The Husband makes short work of the longer race
  • Tear through some fab recipes in my Scratch Labs cookbook. Because I don’t want to be eating icky bars or energy gels on the above mentioned ride.
  • Finally watch Downton Abbey (because I have to do something about this Sherlock hangover. Moffat and Gatiss- can we have more than three episodes per series? Pretty Please?)
  • And probably the most important on this list, give The Boy enough rope to learn, grow and thrive- and trust that he wont hang himself. And try to shut my mouth shut. Because he is one heck of an awesome guy.

 

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Did you know that if you wear a green Christmas Sweater, the camera will add at least 15 pounds in a photo? Beware. Or it could just be the stress of raising a teenager. Either way, beware.

Favorite WordPress Blogs

 

I found a blogger who is new to me, but has been around here on WordPress for a while- Brad Young Art…A few of his posts that I liked in particular: 8/23/15 Space Needle, 7/26/15 Blondes and Tennessee, 4/19/15 Chicago Skyline, and 4/5/15 I Thirst.

I particularly enjoyed the different cities featured in his designs- many are only blocks from where I lived (our apartment up the street from Seattle’s Space Needle), or at least the same general yet beloved area (the Midwest rocked my world). Go check out his great art and sweet commentary!

It’s worth mentioning that the only way I came across Brad Young Art (and many other great blogs) is because he simply clicked that “LIKE” button on one of my posts, so I went and looked at his work… go discover some new blogs and encourage the love of great subjects today, everyone. And don’t forget to give that positive feedback.

While I’m at it- I’d really like to give a shout out to a few other fabulous writers I have come across over the course of this year while playing around on WordPress:

Cool San Diego Sights!– great pics and fun insights into what’s happening in the San Diego area

Cycling in the South Bay– about as introspective and funny as a cyclist can get, with life choices, hobbies, and family offered up on the Altar of the Blogosphere

Story Shucker– short, well crafted stories from a talented writer. I’m always looking for his works to show up in my favorites feed.

Finding Jeffrey– a family friend who can produce more thoughtful and humorous writings in two minutes with only an elbow on the space bar than an infinite number of me on an infinite number of keyboards could ever hope to pound out. Get cranking on that book, Jeff, we’re waiting.

Cooking with a Wallflower– I had to narrow down from a couple dozen food bloggers I’m following on WordPress, and Andrea’s blog has a fabulous compilation of really good recipes, wonderful photography, and culinary world finds that she came across on the Big Ol’ Web.

Burros, not Burritos- Have You Discovered El Pescador Yet?

IMG_6619One of the first places we discovered upon moving back home to California was a leetle-beety-teeny-tiny fish joint El Pescador. In its new location, right across the street from the old, El Pescador now has an eat-in area for the patrons at least by ten times the original spot’s size. As a regular, let me say THANK YOU to the owners for this move! La Jolla has a bajillion places to eat fabulous food for all budgets, and if the absolute freshest seafood is on your list, do not miss this place.

IMG_6620El Pescador has a fresh fish counter with mostly local catches, but also offers popular items flown in from far-away sites. The menu features some of the best fish sandwiches, according to The Husband, and I love their seafood salads on greens. Check out their menu here.

IMG_6625You don’t order a burrito at El Pescador, you order a burro. And yes, they are pretty big. I finally ordered something other than the FABULOUS mixed seafood salad and tried the Burro of the Day- a halibut and shrimp (both local) monstrosity with black beans, fresh spinach and a yogurt based white sauce, served with salsa and chips. A two word summation: Holy yum.

IMG_6617I am a creature of habit and this really shows in my dining choices. I will order the same thing at restaurants- it is always linguini with red clam sauce at the Italian join instead of the special, only a ham and cheese sandwich at our favorite deli, never a turkey club, always the same three sushi favorites at every Japanese restaurant… enough was enough, and I have been loving it. Nothing like a public forum to hold myself accountable, yea, WordPress! I picked a winner Monday night… but might go back soon for that seafood salad?

Boba Tea at a New Thai Shop- Crowded for a Reason

At noon on Wednesday and The Husband and I were near the same neighborhood at the same time so we met at a new-ish spot for lunch. Handy, since I hadn’t decided what new adventure to have for the day. He’s rather accommodating if food is involved.

I really do have a list of things to try or do. I started compiling ideas last summer, probably grumpy after cancelling my plans to do one thing or another… boo hoo, poor me. My pity party got the crabbiness out of my system, and soon grew into the largest note on my phone logging all kinds of various things I have been meaning to do or try, but never seemed to get around to actually doing. I also decided to do what every other person between the age of 10 and 90 seems to have done with any half-baked idea…

I put it into a blog.

Boba Tea- see the big ol' tapioca globs?
Boba Tea- see the big ol’ tapioca globs?

Back to Sab-E-Lee and their Boba Tea-

Know anything about boba tea? All I knew was we see shops selling it everywhere, with the necessary wide straw to suck up the large tapioca pearls that make this such a unique drink. The Husband reported trying it once and that he didn’t like it. I did.

Keep in mind that I like tapioca. Why do people hate on tapioca? Boba tea is kind of like a sweet, iced latte, but with a strong tea instead. I can see why kids like this drink- it is highly interactive what with playing with the super wide straw to suck up the huge tapioca pearls. Interesting note- The Husband admitted that this was much better than the last boba tea he tried, he drank half of it.

Why did he drink half of my milky tea? Because, Sab-E-Lee serves its food HOT! When ordering, you specify the heat level, 1-10. His Drunken Noodles were requested at level #3. This half-Mexican loved his lunch, but admitted that next visit he will drop to a #2. The couple at the next table and the server all confirmed that Sab-E-Lee is one of the hotter places to get your chili pepper fix in San Diego.

Pad-Dee-Ewe, no heat, thankyouverymuch!
Pad-Dee-Ewe, no heat, thankyouverymuch!

Sab-E-Lee was packed at noon, and for a good reason. I ordered Pad-See-Ewe with shrimp (#0!), and I loved it. Big, fat, rice noodles, stir fried with egg, Chinese broccoli, other vegetables and a delicious sauce. Mine was so good, I didn’t even try any of The Husband’s food. He reports that the Drunken Noodles were fabulous.

We will be back.