Let's Catch Up

Two weeks ago, I went to have drinks with a couple of friends. One of my girlfriends is getting married next year and we went to the place where she is having her wedding and reception, so that we could check it out and I fell totally and completely in love. Brennar's on the Bayou is like an oasis in the center of the city. This place has such  great ambiance, a very good Happy Hour and really nice patio that overlooks Buffalo Bayou. It is the perfect place to have a cozy date night and I can't wait to surprise my love with this place.  I didn't take any photos of the place or my food that night, but I had the Crab cakes and they were phenomenal ! I am so looking forward to my friends wedding at this place next Spring.

Brennars On the Bayou 

That same weekend, Mr. Mixologist and I had a date night. We went to see "Flight" with Denzel and really enjoyed it. I must say since I have first hand knowledge of real alcoholics in my immediate family , his performance rang so true to me. Don Cheadle had a strong performance as usual. He is such a versatile actor and should be more famous than he is. Afterwards we  had dinner at Liberty Kitchen which is a cool little restaurant in the Heights. We really enjoyed ourselves.



This past weekend was fun. Saturday we had an early dinner cooked by my love. Surf and Turf was on the menu along with my latest addiction this lovely red blend called Cupcake Red Velvet

Deelish !

Luscious !

Later Saturday night, I headed to a Birthday party for a friend at this placed called Inner Me Studios for a Pole Dancing/Chair Dancing Class. This is all the rave these days and it was pretty fun, they let us bring in our own drinks, finger foods, and cupcakes, so we got to play around on the poles before the instruction started and then we actually learned a seductive chair routine. Let me tell the truth right here. I have mad respect for Strippers because that pole work is no joke LOL. The upper body strength needed is beyond amazing.  The funny thing about it was our instructor was a very "obviously" gay male...and he was talented. I had to give him his props ! It was a fun time, lots of laughs and I truly was doing the most, to the point that Sunday night my thighs were.killing.me and at first I couldn't figure out why LOL.

Skills and Talents

Yes that is "money" from making it rain LOL

Sunday morning, we went to early church service and then breakfast at my favorite Ol' School Breakfast spot, Franks Grille. I love their pancakes.  Mr. Mixologist is a political junkie and a history buff so he has been patiently waiting on the movie "Lincoln". We caught an early show so he wouldn't miss too much of his Sunday Football. It was a very good movie. That Daniel Day-Lewis had a remarkable performance.  His transformation into President Lincoln was just amazing to me. Later on Sunday, I took an epic afternoon nap while he watched his games.



Wow. Can you believe the Holidays are upon us ? This will be a short week for us. We leave on Tuesday night  to travel for the Holiday. Can't wait to see the family & have some fun cooking in the kitchen with my mom, nieces and cousins. I will be "walking" the Turkey Trot this year as,  my ankle is still feeling a little bit tender in some places. I am truly starting to feel my age creeping up on me it seems. But I am blessed and very thankful to be here for yet another year.


What has been going on with you ?    What are you Holiday plans ?   Are you cooking anything special?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex 

Weekend Wrap Up

Friday night was a scheduled "date night". We have been busy with traveling and  dealing with my moms health, so it had been a minute since we had some down time for us. I got to plan the evening and it was a hit. Mr. Mixologist loved both of my picks.

We went to dinner at Convivo Tapas Bar & Lounge. It is a fairly new place. The service was excellent,  the tapas were pretty good, but the Sangria was great ! I like the decor and the atmosphere. A big plus was the live band which we did not expect. We will definitely go back again. I did not get a chance to snap pics of the food before we demolished it, but the presentation was nice and I saw a few things on the menu I would like to try next time.


Next stop was a little jazz spot Cezanne that I have been meaning to get to for a while. It has fallen on & off my radar in the last year or so but I was determined to get there since I was planning the date. My Beau loves jazz. The place is very small, in fact, I would actually call it a jazz room LOL. But I must say the music was really, really good. The funny thing about it is,  the patrons for the most part were a bit on the "older"  side as well as the musicians too. The place is pretty close to a very "old moneyed " area of Houston called River Oaks so it should not have been a surprise. There were a mix of yuppies & buppies too but for the most part, those older people had it locked down. There was this one older lady who was really partying.  It is nice to see people who know how to have fun no matter their age. The funny part is that after a big dinner & listening for a while, we were both getting a little sleepy and so was the young couple near us. They guy was nodding off.  The older folks however, were jammin' till they shut it down! LMAO  It is a true jazz lover's spot, meaning it is ALL  about the music. It is not a meat market or "see & be seen" type place & there is nothing special about the decor. People were dressed up AND dressed down, but the common denominator is , you can tell everyone is there for the music.

Saturday after doing some household chores, I had to get ready to "babysit" for my friend who was going out of town to see her guy. I kept her 13 yr old and 9 yr old daughters.  The three of us went to see the new Dr. Seuss movie with Dan.ny De.vito. It was pretty good, but I just think 3D movies are so ridiculously expensive these days. The girls really enjoyed themselves though, so I guess that its worth it, but I feel like parents are being taken advantage of by so many marketers !

The girls stayed overnight so on Sunday one of them came to church with me & Mr. Mixologist.  The other one had a scheduled play date to go to the Houston Livestock & Rodeo with one of her friends, so we dropped her off. This event is a really big deal in Houston every year believe it or not so she did not want to miss her play date !  After dropping her, we then we headed to the Galleria to go shopping.

Luckily, I had prepared dinner in the crock pot before we left for church, so when we got back to the house that afternoon, the kitchen was smelling good. I made this recipe right here. Thanks Mrs. TDJ ! It was a hit. Sunday night we watched movies and I cleared out my DVR & got prepared for the week.  It turned out to be a somewhat busy and fun weekend.

How was your weekend ? What did you do ?

Thoughts ? Comments ? Questions ?

Beautifully Complex 

Just Me...Randomly

Greetings Blog family ! I know I have been MIA but sometimes when so much is coming your way, you have to unplug from certain aspects of life just a little bit and refocus. I think it is very beneficial and necessary.

My closest friend lost her mother just two weeks ago, this has been a very challenging time. I have been as supportive as possible but still feel so helpless. How do you comfort someone when they lose their mother, when she was the truest essence of that word ?

Speaking of mothers, I saw the movie "Precious" and was reminded of how much in this life so many people take for granted. All of what we have is through his Grace and Mercy. No question, we also have the power to change some things in our lives, but where you have to start from is not in our hands.

One of my high school classmates father passed away yesterday. He had a massive heart attack while jogging. He was one of my favorite teachers and a much loved coach at our school. I feel so numb.

My mother's doctor found some spots on her liver a few weeks ago, after many tests, lots of worry, fear and of course prayers, she has been given positive news. Thank you Lord.

It is really hard to realize that I am moving into the phase of life where my friends begin to lose their parents & mortality in general is in your face. Its the cycle of life, but still shakes me to think of it.

On to a lighter note, I will be home for an extended time for Thanksgiving and looking forward to spending time with my nieces, nephew and the rest of the family, counting my blessings with not enough fingers and toes to do so.

I was able to recruit even more family members to participate in the Turkey Trot again this year. I am trying my best to promote health and fitness & they are fighting me but still coming along although its begrudgingly :)

I met a guy about 6 weeks ago, we had a few really good conversations, a seemingly great first date (it lasted 4 hours), with a promise of another date in short order.........and then he vanished into thin air. No response to my calls or texts. I was puzzled for many days, then let it go. Yesterday he sent me an email with his explanation....it was interesting. I will blog about it tomorrow.

I have a good friend, whose step-son is gay. He just turned 17. She has known him since he was four years old when she started dating his dad & has been his stepmother for about 10 years. They have a very close relationship. It was obvious to me by the time he was nine or ten. I watch how he interacts with both of them & he is more comfortable around her and less so around his dad. He puts on a different persona when he is around his dad, but its still obvious to me. She says she has known since he was probably six, but it was confirmed for her when she saw some pictures on his m.ys.pace page a couple of years ago. His father is in total denial. He forced him to delete his profile, but still won't acknowledge the obvious. He is a "man's man". He thinks he can change his son by changing his behavior & will never accept it. My friend is in the middle. I feel sorry for each one of them. I wish I could help, but this is such a sensitive matter.

Comments ? Suggestions ? Whats going on random with you ?