Undercover Boss

Well, it’s not like anyone really needs anymore reality TV shows to watch. But WE ran across this show – Undercover Boss - and I think it’s a pretty cool idea. The premise is that a high-level exec (so far, it’s usually been the CEO) in a large corporation grows alittle facial hair, grabs a cap, and heads for the production line.

They get to see for themselves what it’s like to do the real work. Most of the entertainment comes when the boss can’t hack it or when they simply get put doing the really dirty job. (This CEO of Waste Management actually got fired his first day by the trash picker-uper manager because he wasn’t gettin’ er done fast enough). I don’t know how they’ll be able to keep everyone’s attention for more than a season since it seems that each episode seems to pretty much be the same thing. But it is pretty fun to imagine your CEO on the show.

Actually, they’ve almost all been Dallas based companies on the show so far so it’s not out of the realm of possibilty

Most Common Pet

With all my wishing and hoping for a pet dog, I thought that today I’d blog about the most common backyard companion in Texas…

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The Pig vs. The Kolache Mama

When I first moved to Dallas, someone asked me if I wanted to sell Kolaches at our next United Way fundraiser at work. I asked them, “What the heck is a Kolache?” They went on to describe a tasty treat in exquisit detail and as it turns out it was in fact…

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THE game

Thanks to WE, TLS, Big Chief, FavUnc, Rambo… and Jerry – it was such an AWESOME time.

And, of course, thanks to the team for such an exciting and BIG win. Not gonna forget that anytime soon! Go Cougars!!!

Terrorists, Compassion, and Zebra Mussels

This week Scotland released a convicted terrorist from prison on ‘compassionate grounds.’

Also, this week in North Dallas news it was announced that Lake Lavon has been infected with zebra mussels – an Eastern European species that is taking over the continental US. These harmful aquatic, hitch hikers are wrecking havoc on food chains and ecological systems. They colonize on anything in the water and can clog tubes, pipes, and boat engines.

Here’s where they were known to exist in 2000:

Notice, that then Texas wasn’t yet affected. Well, apparently now we are.

Zebra Mussels will colonize and destroy any available surface in water. They have no known predators and prey on anything irregardless.

They are invading my territory and I have no compassion for them whatsoever (even if they did originate from my well-beloved part of Europe and have cute little zebra stripes!) I say do whatever you have to to get rid of them!

So, my point is that terrorists are like these little pests. They won’t stop. They have nothing to stop them. They blasphemously ‘colonize’ in the name of religion and attack with no regard for human life. We’ve already showed compassion by civilly trying them in judicial courts and sentencing them to relatively safe and comfortable prisons. We haven’t blown them to shreds, dropped them from burning airplanes, decapitated them, or sliced them with shrapnel. Yet this is what they have done to us.

Ya know what Scots, you are real gentleman and there is something to be said about maintaining culture and values. So sure, release him from prison to die in peace. I’m fine with that. I’m even fine with notifying his family so that they can come visit his bedside. But come on, don’t publicly send him back home to be heralded a terrorist hero!

We do have to forgive, but we don’t have to be stupid.

I’m just sayin’.

Schlitterbahn

This weekend WE and I went on a Stay-cation with my parents. We met up in Austin on Friday night and then went the rest of the way down to New Braunfels to go to Schlitterbahn. Neither of us had been before and since the river is flowing so slow right now, we thought that it would be more fun to visit the water park.

We packed up our cooler, slopped on the sunscreen, and joined the thousands of other families standing in line to buy an incredibly overpriced plastic wristband. And wow, that’s exactly what we had coming – LINES and more LINES.

We even had to stand in line just to ride the bus from one section of the park to another. Our only saving grace was the fact that the weather was really great and at least it wasn’t burning hot as we stood in line. I think that in the 7+ hours that we were there, we rode a grand total of 5 rides (that couldn’t have lasted more that 20 minutes in combined duration). Wow, next time we go I’m definitely NOT going on a busy Saturday!

Now, so as to avoid leaving the impression that I’m complaining about this weekend – here’s what was priceless about our Stay-cation:

1) Not being in a cubicle all day!

2) Chattin’ with the parents about anything and everything from lot loans to the recession

3) Loose livestock in Dripping Springs

4) Chocolate chip waffles at the B&B

The Silver Hanger

Waaahhhooooo! WE and I FINALLY finished updating my mom’s website for The Silver Hanger! We were tasked with this effort almost a year ago and now after months and months of well, you know…putting it off…we are unveiling the new look of http://www.thesilverhanger.com

Go check it out! There is still some content that needs to be added but the design is complete.

I gotta hand it to my mom. She’s had this vision of what “her store” would become and surely and steadily she’s turning it into a reality. But the website is nothing compared to the store. Go see inside and try on dresses and you’ll know exactly what I mean!

(ps. I’m not biased or anything either)

Sheik’s

WE and I have decided to be super adventurous when it comes to eating out in Dallas. Everyone knows that Dallas is known for two things: 1) eating and 2) shopping.

So, we are now on a quest to try and rate as many new restaurants as we can. First on the list was a little middle-eastern cafe called Sheik’s in downtown Plano. Apparently the owner, Mohamad, is Lebanese and moved here from Detroit. We met him, his wife, and his son the night we went for dinner. In many ways, it reminded me of the family-owned Italian place we used to go for lunch in SLC. Well, except for this family at Sheik’s was friendly and attentive…so maybe actually I take that back =)

Sheik’s has shish kebabs, grape leaves, hummus, falafels. I tried the falafel (which was up to par but not spectacular). But by far, my favorite thing was the Tarator. It was super authentic. Tarator is yogurt based soup with cucumber, garlic, and parsley. Yumm…..I fell in love with it when I was a missionary and that by far was the closest that I’ve come to it since. WE’s dish was good too. But all was a bit pricey.

Overall, I give Sheik’s a solid 6 out of 10 (and admittedly mostly for sentimental reasons) but also for the service and quality of food.

Football, Religion, and Bursting Bubbles

So, when I moved to Dallas – one of the first things that WE told me about this place was that people in Texas cling to 2 things: their guns and their religion. I believe him. But there is one thing he forgot to mention…

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Sisters

So the other day as I was looking at this picture of all of us sisters (A4, A3, A2, A1 – from left to right), I was struck by the thought that we are each very different from one another. You name it – size, shape, hair color, personality, talents, etc – and we are each pretty unique in our own right. Weird how we all came from the same place!

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