Chili Champs!

My dad and I cooked in the 21st or 22nd Firefighters Annual Chili Cook-off this weekend. Dad was one of the founders of it. Last year was the first year he missed cooking (due to motorcycle accident). I've cooked in it since sometime in college, though missed the year I lived in FL. So, there for a bit we were placing every other year, but the past few years were in sort of a draught.
We took care of that on Saturday! We placed 1st and 2nd. I got the credit for 1st, though it was really a collaborative effort. We both stirred and tasted. He would tell me that one of our entries needed something and I would season away with my various bags/jars of Penzey's spices. The pot that won had my secret ingredient, something I just recently began adding to chili. I think it was the difference maker!

I should have a picture in the next few days. And Lula, if you're reading this, the 3rd place person was someone you went to HS with who happens to be running for County Assessor.

Pretty Pretty

No time to post lately...so I'll leave some pics until I can sit down and wrap my mind around all the thoughts in there.
Here's one of my newest favorites...I may see how this one looks blown up. I only wish the leaves weren't in it.

Guess Who is a Year Older???

Lula is on the downside of her 30s today. I've know her for 25 years now...wow, that's a lot of birthdays! Head on over and wish her a happy birthday.

Today is also my dad's 60th!

You know it's going to be a long day when

you take a drink of Diet Dr. Pepper at 9 a.m. and wish it was something much stronger...

So, I got home and got something stronger. Now I'm going to go bake. I do that when I'm stressed. :)

Hair today....Gone tomorrow

So, I had a busy weekend in which I put over 600 miles on my car!
My mom and I left Friday morning to head to TX. Our first stop was to see 2 former students at their high school. Are these pictures precious or what? I miss those two.


Next, it was on to my hair salon in Dallas for a much awaited cut--notice the long hair in the pics above? A few hours later it was gone (11 1/2 inches!). I went to the guy who has cut my hair for the past 5 years. My mom helped. The 5 ponytails that were cut off are going to Locks of Love.

Halloween

So, my 3 TAs and I have been trying to figure out what to dress up as for Halloween. I've never been good w/Halloween. My creative juices just don't flow. We want to do something themed amongst the 4 of us. The three blind mice and the farmer's wife was thrown around, but that might be construed as a bit insensitive because I have a student who is blind. His mom would probably find humor in it....but I don't want to do there. Another is a jailer (me) and my inmates, but that one isn't appropriate either.
Someone suggested a Farmer in the Dell theme--I'll be the cheese! The others can choose between a mouse, cat, dog, farmer, his wife.

Any suggestions?

Beer and stuff

I am getting reeducated in the antiquated liquor/alcohol laws of Oklahoma. The beer that is sold in grocery stores is 3.2% alcohol. Have you ever tasted foamy water? Yep, that's it. If you want stronger stuff, you go to the liquor store. However, refrigerators are not allowed in liquor stores because that prevents people from going to their car and indulging. Well, I guess people could still indulge, but who wants hot beer? I found out Friday that none of the big 3 (Anheuser-Busch, Coors, and Michelob) sell their higher point beer in Oklahoma. I can get the foamy water, but that's it. I was looking for Amber Bock and was SOL. Good thing I am going to Texas this weekend!

Oh Puleeeeze. I am watching a train wreck. I get 3 channels. So, The Bachelor is on and I'm really embarrassed to be of the same sex of some of these women! They are all gung-ho about meeting 'their prince' as if they are already heads over in heels in love with someone they've never met. Oh wait, it's a guy who is a Prince so of course he's wonderful. I wonder if they put some hard working, down to earth, middle class guy who drinks beer and plays co-ed softball, and is a widowed father on there if they would get the same reaction? Goodness, these women are sooooo shallow. It's a shame. Hmmmm--how would you like your occupation to be 'socialite'? What an ego...born with a silver spoon you suppose? And who needs furs in Houston? Oh wait, I guess socialites do.

A great group

This past Friday was our Jog-a-thon at my school. The students have been busy taking pledges and practicing for their big day to job. A benefit of being in a college town is that we get volunteers from the university to come help with student functions. Our liaison at the school knows many of the athletes and all it took was a simple phone call and they were there signing t-shirts and letting the students give them their 'autographs' as well. Too cute! Yeah, I know some teachers got autographs as well. I only got one picture--with a Jr. safety-Marcus W. I got autographs from a few more. All were very nice, polite young men.