Las Vegas - Crawfish

My husband and I went for a short get-away to Las Vegas last this month.  We decided to try a few new places off the beaten path.  We have walked the strip a million times and wanted to explore local Las Vegas.

On the recommendation of a friendly local we met we went to a place called Hot N Juicy Crawfish.  We were there on a Thursday night around 5 and the place was packed.  We had to wait only about 5 minutes to be seated.

The clientele were amazingly diverse.  Everyone was having a great time getting messy.  The draw is their tasty crawfish.  You buy it buy the pound and it comes with either a potato or a cob of corn.  No fancy plates here.  Your order is serviced in a plastic bag with a bib and plastic gloves.  Not for the faint of heart or those who hate to get messy.

The crawfish was amazing and you can customize your choice of sauce and hotness.  I used the house sauce.  Too delicious.

I've got to say this was a great experience and I would definitely recommend it when you are in Las Vegas.

Hot N Juicy Crawfish

4810 Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas

(702) 891-8889

Mon-Thu, Sun	12–10pm
Fri-Sat	12–11pm

Saturday hours 12:00 pm–11:00 pm

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween !

Spirit of Giving Gala / TCH Monster Mash

If you are looking for a nice Halloween bash that also raises money for charity I would like to recommend the TCH Monster Mash. This is a fun costumed event for adults.

The Centers for Habilitation (TCH) has been empowering people with special needs since 1967. TCH is focused on offering services that help their clients to live up to their full potential.

Guests will enjoy a thrilling evening of costumes, live music, dancing and spine-tingling Haunted House, with food and drink, raffles, prizes and a silent auction. MC'ed by 12 News Anchor Scott Light.

Tickets are $60 each and reserved tables are available. For more information about sponsorship opportunities or to make your reservation, visit www.tch-az.com or call 480-730-4221.

This year the bask will be held Saturday - October 22, 2011 7-11 pm. Location 4633 E Ray Rd, Phoeinx. (Former Stein Mart location).

Trying Something New

The last few months have been a bit stressful with my father passing and a crazy work load. I was at a business meeting a few months ago and mentioned to a friend that I had no energy. He mentioned a product that he was taking and stated that he would put me in touch with the vendor if I was interested.

Needless to say the sales person contacted me and I am now taking a vitamin product called Vemma. The cost is higher than I would normally pay but I am going to give it a go.

I have read a lot of negative reviews on this product but mostly about their multi-level marketing program. I am not interested in selling this product but will give it a trial run.

I am only on day two but will keep you posted on if I think this product is worth the cost.

It is a liquid vitamin product that I will be taking every morning. It has a very pleasant fruity taste.

I am also about to embark on a bodily self improvement program for myself. I need to get active and lose quite a bit of weight. I may be taking this product in conjunction with a new diet.

I am a person with not a lot of willpower when it comes to food and exercise. This will be a challenge. (Wish me luck). I will keep you posted.

Goodbye to a Soldier

1st. Sgt. Richard J. Palmer

1/17/32 - 7/1/2011

It is with great sadness that I say goodbye today to my Father Richard Palmer Sr.

He was a well liked guy with a great sense of humor. You will be greatly missed.

I love you Dad.

Monkey Business

I am not sure when it all started but a few years ago I started exchanging birthday cards, Christmas cards and other cards with my sister in Wisconsin. For some reason I got stuck on Monkey themed cards and then she started sending them to me.

I don't really even like monkeys except for the speak no, see no, hear-n0-evil kind.

I once knew a girl who kept monkeys for pets. They were mean and the stunk. They got out once and as she tried to catch them and put them back in their cages they scratched the crap out of her. They were loud and did I mention STINKY?

But now I have a monkey curse and I see them EVERYWHERE!

Beer drinking monkeys, monkeys with pee pees, monkeys on buildings holding bananas and wearing coon skin hats. Yikes.

OMG. I may have been scarred in 1970. O.K. I admit monkeys make me laugh except for the ones who rip your face off.

There goes my weekend

I've just discovered this live webcam from Iowa with a pair of eagles and their chicks. I cannot stop watching it. Click here for the link.

Sunday Morning Haiku

A sleepy gray day

I should be cleaning house

I snuggle with cat

My never ending project and other thrifty packrat ramblings

After a month of household disasters I am finally getting the house back in order.

I had a plumbing issue where they had to pull up the carpet and cut through the concrete to get at a pipe. This meant cleaning out my most cluttered room and putting everything into the garage until the work was finished.

I also had the shelf and my closet pole come off the wall in another room because I had too many items hanging and the weight pulled it off the wall. This forced me to take all of my clothes out of the closet and also put them in the garage for a few weeks. Thankfully I have a large department style clothing rack to hold it all. Each morning before work I would go into the cold garage and have to pick out my clothes for the day.

Part of the closet issue was that I hang my shoes. I don't have a classy closet so I get creative. I had no idea I had so many heavy shoes. I've decided to hang them in another room to take a little stress off. This of course means shifting and purging items from the second closet.

The new and improved shoe area.

While purging I found items that I had forgotten I had. Some good, some ridiculous. (see last post) I'm definitely a pack rat.

So yesterday my sister-in-law and I pulled together and had a joint garage sale. SIL is a great decorator and she re-decorates often so she had some fabulous decorative pieces to sell and I had some art and we both had clothes. We rocked the sale and people walked off with some awesome bargains.


I get a kick out of the garage sale buyers. Such an interesting lot. There are the folks who need inexpensive clothes and household goods. There are the re-sellers who love to talk about their deals and there are the more subtle re-sellers who buy and don't brag. I like them best. I also like when someone brings their children with them and I love to see what the children are interested in. I must say I am a sucker for the kids and many times just give them what they are looking at or sell it super cheap.


I think that thrift shopping with kids is an excellent way to teach them the value of a dollar. When my niece and nephew used to visit me when they were younger, they looked forward to a weekend of garage sales with their Auntie. They seemed to really enjoy it.


Being thrifty on some items is a passion for me. I'm not above buying retail I just prefer not to if I don't have to. I find tons of cool art at yard sales and some have become treasured pieces for me. One example is my small collection of masks. Rule #1 I have to really like the mask and have a certain feeling about it.

I like to buy items that speak to me. Or if I think it might make a unique gift for someone I know, I may buy it and save it for a gift giving occasions. (or no occasion at all). Yes, anyone who knows me knows that I am not above giving unusual pre-owned items as gifts. This is accepted in my family and we many times give each other interesting little gifts that may have been pre-owned.


Below is an example of some of my masks that I decorated my work office with. All of the masks, the basket and the framed art were pre-owned and bought for pennies on the dollar.

Do you ever buy pre-owned? What do you buy? Why? I'd like to hear about it.

Mostly Fugly but Oh So Decorative

Ok, so we had a disaster in my home office whereby the plumbers had to come and dig a hole in the concrete, fix some pipes, re-cement and then put the carpet back two weeks later. (whew, was that a sentence or what?)

This disaster forced me to take most of the furniture and items in my closet and move them to the garage. Today the carpet came back on the floor and we are done with the plumbing issue. So, this provides me with an opportunity to open boxes I have not opened since before we moved in the house. (hmmmm maybe 5 years).

I unearthed a box aptly labeled "ugly decanters". Yup.I don't now why I have these or even boxed them up. The one on the left has a body that does not match the head. The other is a musical hillbilly decanter.

Up for grabs ya'll.

I should put these on my other blog What I Did Not Buy Today, but obviously I bought these once when I may or may not have been drunk.

Cookies Now and Then

Christmas week is a time when I get my fill of sweets. I love chocolate and most sweets. This week I made my father-in-laws famous caramel corn. This may be a new tradition for me. It was not as good as his but I will keep working on it.

Those who know me know how much I love vintage items. This past month I founds some wonderful vintage cookie cutters in excellent condition. They reminded me of my childhood as these were the type that I remember us having at our home where I grew up. The Christmas cutters always featured a Santa, a bell, an angel and usually a reindeer.

Some of the older cutter sets also contained a camel. When was the last time you at a camel cookie?

I also happened upon a very nice vintage Betty Crocker Cookie book that brings back memories also. Now in the modern age I have a wonderful nephew who is becoming quite the cookie baker. His new Christmas cookies are called Ninja Bread cookies. I think they are adorable!

December - Life is Good

December - where did it go. Christmas is only a week away.

I've done a great job of staying out of the shopping mall and stores this past month. I've done some fabulous thrift shopping and have cut my shopping list in half. My husband and I agreed to a small gift for each other and we are calling it Christmas.

This year for my co-workers I made caramel corn. It was not fancy but I think it was better than some bogus trinket that would just be re-gifted.

I'm not sure when I became so disgusted with crazy consumerism. Again, maybe this is me just getting older and crankier. (God forbid). Not having a lot of extra cash has also made me look at consumption and waste. My husband and I are doing much better at not wasting food. I realize that we have been, and sometimes still are,very wasteful when it comes to food.

Instead of shopping I have been trying to read more and keep myself busy at home. You would think my house would be immaculate but I still need to work on that.

This was my 50th year on earth. It has certainly been a year of reflection for me. I have a lot to think about and a lot to be thankful for. As my 50th comes to an end this month I want to put it out there that life is good.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving.
This year I am thankful for so many things. It's been a rough year but I am surviving. I feel very lucky. I'm thankful for friends and family. I'm thankful that I am employed. I'm thankful that I have a roof over my head and food on my table. I'm thankful for the beautiful Arizona weather.
Here's wishing everyone a Happy Happy Thanksgiving.

Beautiful Obit

When I sit down on Sundays to read the paper I usually take a look at the obituaries. I have not lived in this are a long enough to know too many people so the chances of me reading about someone I know are slim.

I like the obits with photos. I like the obits that have two photos, a young and old version of the deceased.

Today there was an obit for a woman named Dora. She was a rancher. She was an Aunt, like me. There was no mention of children (like me). Here's a bit of her life that was shared in the obit:

She spent most of her life on the Ranch. At the ranch, she supervised nieces and nephews; milked cows; jerked beef; rode; fed chickens; killed snakes; opened and closed gates; dug out the spring; scraped out the water tanks; watered the trees; picked fruit; peeled figs; chopped seasoned juniper & mesquite; filled the wood box; started the fire in the stove; ground corn; made enchiladas, tortillas, cakes and pie crusts; dressed in layers; took pictures; read; kept a diary; wrote letters; watched the night sky and bats; the butchering, barbecuing, and branding; and repaired the dirt road as required by her car. When visiting, Dora arrived serendipitously & left when she tired of company. She played marbles to win. Tia Dora could grab and twist an ear, pulling it & the disobedient child along behind her. She was a favorite aunt.

I've often wondered what my obituary would sound like. I don't think it would be nearly as interesting as Dora's. Her obit makes me think I need to get a move on and do something more interesting than just working in an office everyday and then coming home and going to bed.

Today I raise a glass to Dora, a woman I never met and just read about. You sound like my kind of woman. Rest in peace girl.

Behind the White Door

Thank goodness for doors. Doors are my co-conspirator for hiding messes. Doors and drawers are my friends.

Yesterday I tackled the mess that is my pantry. I'm embarrassed to say how much expired foods I tossed yesterday.

My pantry has never been a tidy place. It is so easy to just stuff my dried goods in behind the door after grocery shopping.

I found many "gift" foods that have been given but never eaten. I also found that I have 5 bottles of vinegar. I rarely use vinegar. Evidently whenever a recipe called for vinegar I just went out and bought another bottle. I have a lot of Karo syrup too. I think this is left over popcorn ball fests from holidays gone by.

So yesterday I decided to make a soup with what was on hand. Since I had all of the dry goods on the counter I could actually see what I had. I made a delicious soup with white beans (that I did not know I had), Dried mushrooms (that I did not know I had) some frozen sausage, potatoes and spices. I threw in some vinegar just to feel good about using it (since I had 5 bottles).

So in a nutshell, two accomplishments in one day - clean cupboards - delicious soup!

Vacation Aftermath

I miss vacation.

A little down time

As I write this I am sitting out on a deck in the mountains of Cedar Crest, New Mexico. I am visiting my dear friend Martini MarySue. We have known eachother for 28 years. We sure look different than we did 28 years ago but our hearts are still the same.

I'm here for a little R&R.

Martini MarySue is an animal lover and has 3 dogs and 2 cats. I had to share these photos because I think her dogs like me. Either that or the bacon perfume I have been wearing is really paying off.

I am so covered in dog hair that I have become an honorary dog.

A fun week with good friends. You can't beat it.

Truths - True

A friend sent the following list to me and I thought it was one of those I had to share. #7 resonates with me quite a bid as I am a MapQuest-a-holic. Also #12.

Simple truths for mature adults -


1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. Really, how ARE you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Crap!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail.
What
did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

15. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

16. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

17. I disagree with Kay Jewelers, I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

18. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

19. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text. (just kidding Oprah)

20. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

21. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

22. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

23. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

24. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

25. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

26. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'll bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

What else I did not buy this week...

The one that got away.

Arghhh. Last night after work I was killing some time before I had to meet my husband. Of course my favorite way to kill time is to hit a nearby thrift store. There is an unwritten rule of thrifters that if your hand is on an item it is yours until you let go. Last night I let go.

I'm so mad at myself. I love to buy original art. There was a pretty fantastic painting of cactus available. I was pondering the purchase and decided to think on it. I'm not sure why I was even hesitating. The price was so right. The place was not busy and no one appeared to be looking at the art along the wall. The SECOND I backed away from the painting some guy ran up behind me an took the painting.

It's like a fish story about the one that got away.

Thrift rule #1... hold on to it until you are sure you do not want it.