Aug
2016

Opening a Doorway

categories: Renovation

We decided to get rid of a doorway to make the space more open between the kitchen and the dining room.  There used to be swinging cowboy doors here and we obviously removed those.  Then, we were left with an unnecessary door frame which we decided to remove and make the space more open.  You gain a couple of inches in each direction – I love it!!!!  See how the old frame was so yellow?  Yuck!  This saved me from having to paint it but now we actually have some work with drywalling but it’s so worth it!  Well, we’ll see after we drywall it if I’m still saying that!  :-p  We are planning to redo all the flooring here so it’s ok that there’s a gap there in the floor.

Broad_KitchenDoorwayBefore

This is the mud we bought – save yourself some pain and buy the 90 minute dry stuff (not 45 minute) – it takes some time and you don’t want to have to throw a bunch away because it thickens or hardens while you work.

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Step 1: Pry off the doorway trim. You’ll want to score the sides so that the paint doesn’t get pulled off with it.
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Step 2: Measure the distance of each section of the doorway to cut the dry wall out. You’ll want the drywall to reach the end on each side so that you can put the corners on properly. Screw these pieces of drywall in place.
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Step 3: Trim off the edges of the drywall with a box cutter where they are sticking out too far – this is so the corners will fit properly.
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This is what it should look like with the drywall properly secured.
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Step 4: Put on the corners. We chose metal straight edged corners with dry wall tape on them. We thought about rounded corners but I like the sharp lined look. You’ll want to thin out the mud more than we did here. We bought 45 minute dry mud but we should’ve bought the 90 minute dry mud so it wouldn’t get so thick so fast. You put a thin layer of mud on the wall first and then attach the corner to the mud, then put more mud over the corner. You can staple the corner into place at the top so that it doesn’t slide down.
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I didn’t take a picture of it, but at the top corners, you put a piece of drywall tape and fold it into the corner and mud it into place to cover the crack there. Then, after that you’ll have to do several layers of mud all over to make sure all the areas are flat and not concave and smooth (that’s the hard part). Then, comes the sanding to ensure it’s extra smooth because there’s really no way to get it extra smooth without sanding unless you are a professional which we are not. :-p I kept joking with Bryon that this was actually my sculpting project because I am not so good at mudding. I’m not a perfectionist.  Several times, I made a stegasaurus on the wall that had to be sanded off. This requires lots of patience.  Final product below:

blog_doorwaydone

blog_doorwaydone2

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Jul
2016

Best Flooring For Rental Houses (Our Experience)

categories: Renovation

Isn’t it hard to choose flooring for houses, let alone rental houses?  All you can imagine is how they are going to take a key to it, let their dog pee on it, or burn a cigarette into it (no, they aren’t supposed to smoke). Sometimes, after seeing a house upon tenant move out, I like to try to reconstruct how certain things happened like in a crime scene. How on Earth does something like this happen is all I can think sometimes?

Though most tenants are good – you tend to keep the worst-case scenarios at the forefront of your mind when updating a unit. And it makes you wish they made everything out of stainless steel or concrete though nothing is truly indestructible for some people.

On one hand, you don’t want to spend too much because you will not get it back for years to come.  On the other hand, you don’t want to have to keep replacing the flooring every couple of years or even every year.  What to do?!

We’ve been experimenting with different flooring for some time and we’ve had some luck with vinyl plank flooring, wood laminate flooring, and even carpeting (on stairs).  Our favorite pick: Allure Ultra or similar vinyl plank flooring.  But here’s our review of all the options that we’ve tried.

Stairs:
Stairs are tricky b/c it’s expensive to put laminate on stairs and even Allure on stairs is expensive so we feel like carpet is the best bet b/c it’s cheap and if you need to you can replace it pretty easily and inexpensively. If you really have a high traffic stairwell like we do in the back our four-plex building, then sheet vinyl plus rubber treads has worked well for us – it’s a nice look and easy to clean. You can see pictures of that in a post under Rentals.

Allure peel and stick (the planks stick to each other not the floor so it’s still a floating floor):
We are not great fans of this though it’s less expensive. We used this in a living room and in a basement area. The cracks between the planks can tend to separate and get dirt stuck in there in places and it’s not truly waterproof due to this (they don’t advertise that it’s waterproof though). Maybe it was just because it was my husband’s first time installing it or maybe that’s just the way it is. I’m not sure – but I’m not a fan. It held up through one tenant with no scratches or anything, but I just get annoyed about the cracks between the planks in some places are more visible than they should be in my opinion.

Vinyl plank click-lock flooring – Allure Ultra brand (winner):
The interlocking Allure Ultra is truly waterproof and we haven’t seen any separating after years of use in a high traffic hallway. The only downside to it is that it’s tricky to install and quite the learning curve b/c it’s flexible vinyl planks that interlock which as you can imagine can be tricky vs rigid planks that interlock. The plus side is that you can cut it easily with a box cutter so you don’t have to have any special equipment or make a whole lot of extra noise. We have more recently had this installed in a kitchen and the installer said that it is way easier to install now – they’ve made improvements in the design.  They’ve also made improvements in the look.  Even more recently than that, we’ve installed a brand from Lumber Liquidators that was even thicker – Farmland Hickory Engineered Vinyl Plank flooring 7mm thick.  For a more upscale look, buy the thicker vinyl plank.  It makes a big difference and looks more wood like.  They now sell the thicker vinyl plank flooring at Home Depot as well.  It’s still waterproof and scratch-resistant, etc.

Wood laminate (comes in second and looks nicer):
Another thing we tried in bedrooms is wood laminate floating floor. We used some relatively cheap laminate we got off the shelves at Home Depot for some bedrooms and that held up really well through one tenant’s use – no scratches, stains, or separating between the planks or anything wrong. But it didn’t look as wood like as the more expensive stuff.  After that, we have tried a more upgraded laminate for a different unit – Pergo XP – and that has held up well as well but looks alot more upscale than the more inexpensive stuff. See this post: Trying out Pergo XP in the Rental

As you can see, carpet isn’t listed – well, except for stairs.  We haven’t had the best luck with carpet – it always seems to need to be replaced and even if we keep it, we have to spend so much time cleaning it that I’m not sure it’s worth it.  Anybody else want to share their experiences on what has worked for them?  I’m always looking out for cheaper alternatives that are still durable.


Jul
2016

About This Site

categories: Blog

Hi, I’m Denise!  I just realized that I never wrote an About post for this website.  I started this website when me and my husband began an adventure in real estate.  We bought a 4-unit property that was built in 1969 and is a bit of a fixer upper.  Hence, the realty in the website name.  And housewife b/c I am a stay-at-home Mom to my three daughters.

We were looking for something that I could do from home that was flexible and provided us with a little extra income and so we became landlords.  Plus, my husband is handy and that helps significantly, so he’s basically taken on a second job.  We’ve had many experiences through this adventure and I thought we’d blog about it here and if anything helps or encourages or entertains anyone else through this then great!  We also rent out our old house that we used to live in – that comes with different adventures also posted here.

My hope for this site is that you’ll be able to find recipes (easy, mostly), tips on property management (landlording), cleaning tips (b/c I have to), home decor ideas, renovating ideas, and mommying shenanigans (the most fun and challenging part but also most rewarding).  But through all of it, I hope to convey humor and make someone laugh b/c if we don’t laugh we cry, right?

The name of the website also came from a play on the Real Housewives shows.  I do love those shows and I watch every season and every city.  I know some people are going to look down on me for that and I understand.  My husband feels the same way.  He can’t even stand for them to be on if he is in the room so it’s a secret pleasure of mine.  As I’ve told him, I only watch them as a way to know what not to do.  I really do learn a lot from the shows.

There’s usually a voice of reason on the show and there’s some give and take so it’s not all bad.  It’s not like watching Jerry Springer or anything – which I don’t watch.  I used to watch the Real World but I gave that up several years ago b/c I felt like there was no voice of reason on that show – just bad behavior and I felt dirty after watching it.  I think the Real Housewives casts pretty well to have a variety of people – there’s usually a voice of reason, a pot stirrer, a big spender, and someone on the verge of divorce every season.  I don’t even know why they call them housewives b/c most are not married but whatever – details..

I’m not sure how my About Me post became all about Real Housewives.  I am not one of them nor do I look up to them – no way no how.  I just love analyzing the psychology of relationships and I’m always watching reality shows that involve groups of people and group dynamics b/c I find it interesting.  I also love Big Brother, Survivor, Bachelor, and Bachelorette.  When groups of people that are different are forced to be together, conflict arises and I like to see how it’s dealt with and analyze it.  Could they have said this or that to make it better?  Etc. Or I take mental notes: Never bring sprinkle cookies to a dinner party (those who have seen The Real Housewives of New Jersey will get that).  I really should’ve gone into the psychology field but I didn’t b/c career paths there were less clear.  But I can practice it secretly.  :-p

For myself though, I absolutely abhor conflict and avoid it at all costs – it gives me anxiety.  Maybe that’s why I watch the shows – I’m in shock that people actually willingly put themselves through that.  I couldn’t do it.  This post is indicative of how my website is – lots of tangents, analogies and analyzing things b/c that’s me and I have to be me. I might veer off topic every once in a while, but I’ll try to make it interesting..

Here’s my NOT AN EXPERT clause: I am not an expert – just a person that does a lot of diy stuff so don’t sue me (literally) if it doesn’t go well for you – not my fault.  :-p  When things don’t go well for me, I only blame myself – I don’t understand today’s philosophies of people being sue-happy and that’s another tangent for a different day, but I don’t hang around people like that so hopefully that’s not you and we can be friends.  :-p Unless, of course, a box falls on your head at Wal-Mart or something.. That might be a little different. I suppose there are appropriate times for people to sue, but you know what I’m talking about. People should use it sparingly and judiciously. Besides, I have no money so sueing would be pointless – as I mentioned earlier, I’m a stay-at-home Mom. :-p I just feel the need to put a disclaimer in here somewhere: not an expert. :-p

Which brings me to the next point. The bible warns against quick money: Proverbs 13:11: Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.  Remember: Hard work pays off.  It may not always pay off financially but it may just feed your soul and that’s the best kind of pay.

On that note, last but not least, me and my husband are Christians and we do our best to follow the principles set forth in the Bible.  We fall short constantly but that is the human condition.  We do our best not to judge others b/c we ourselves aren’t perfect.  The only perfect person was Jesus.  Jesus was all about love and compassion so if you don’t have love and compassion then you are doing it wrong – ok, so maybe I am being a bit judgmental on that point.  We enjoy good people and especially people that point us toward God and we’d like to give all the glory to Him in everything we do that’s good.  Everything bad – not God’s fault – the fault of our human condition.

 


Jul
2016

Fred Bird – My arch nemesis

categories: Blog

FredBirdAnybody else get anxiety about volunteering at their kid’s school?  Well, one year I volunteered at the Fall Carnival at my daughter’s school and it met all my anxiety-ridden expectations.  :-p

It was hard to choose what to volunteer for.  I didn’t want to lead a game b/c I was having some back trouble and thought I’d get grouchy picking stuff up constantly (like darts, and things that the kids use for the games).  And it would’ve been weird if I had taken off my shoes and used my feet as hands to pick stuff up which is what I do at home.

Also, you have to be all excited and fun and extroverted when putting on the games and that doesn’t always match my personality. I always feel like I’m going, “Hey kids want to play this game!” and they are like, “No thanks!” because I’m not making it look fun. I didn’t get the ability to sell stuff gene.

So, I thought temporary tattoos – that should be a safe place to just kind of blend into the wall!  And it was only for 2 hours – what could possibly go wrong?  Maybe if I messed up a tattoo a kid might scream but not likely b/c most kids are easy going- though you always have that one kid – who I’m not going to judge b/c my kid has been that one kid at times.

It was going as expected – nice and boring and uneventful until Fred Bird walks into the gym.  He’s all taking pictures with people and having a good time with the paparazzi following him and comes straight up to the tattoo table and asks for a tattoo.

Well, I tell him that the tattoo isn’t going to stick to him b/c he’s got fur.  And he’s like, “What?!?!” but he doesn’t talk so he was gesturing WTH with his hands.  Then, he points at his arm that he wants a tattoo there.  And I explain to him that, “I’m sorry it’s not going to work.”  Then, he pounds the table with both his furry arms and makes a big scene demanding a tattoo.

At this point, the whole gymnasium full of parents (and kids) is looking in my direction and I feel my face turn bright red.  Next, he puts his leg up on the table and points to his leg that he wants a tattoo there.  But the costume is covering his legs.  So, I explain to him again that I’m sorry but it’s not going to stick because the costume is covering his legs.  He puts up his hands like he’s completely exasperated with me and then proceeds to put my entire head in his mouth!

Pictures are being taken, etc.  My face at this point is the color of his costume and the entire gym is staring at me and laughing.  At me not with me.  I look across the room, hoping at least my family wasn’t watching this, and see Bryon and the girls staring at me with their mouths hanging open and my oldest daughter had this strange look on her face – like she was embarrassed of me which made me want to die.

All you parents out there can relate that all we want to do is make our kid’s school life better not worse and therefore, I try to blend into the wall where ever possible.  Yet, here I was managing to be the laughing stock of the gym.  :-p  I’m not exactly sure what he wanted or how I could’ve avoided embarrassment – maybe I should’ve pretended to give him a tattoo for the photo op and instead I spoiled his photo op b/c I was too busy trying to bury my head in the sand.  :-p  LOL!  Oh well, at least it was entertaining for everyone else!  If only my face didn’t turn so red, I could play things off a little better.

Flash forward to today and it is the funniest thing ever to me to retell that story but at the time – complete embarrassment!  :-p  Moral of the story:  if you think the temporary tattoo table is a safe place to volunteer, it’s not.  No place is safe when volunteering at the kid’s school.  Just buckle up and enjoy the ride – it could make for a good story later!!!  :-p

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Jul
2016

Carpet Cleaning Tricks

categories: Cleaning, Renovation

Things you’ll need:

Carpet brush (any brush with a handle)
Resolve Carpet cleaner (this is my favorite)
Oxi clean
Spray Bottle
Goo Gone (the kind in a spray bottle) – for any gum or muck
Vacuum

We have had tenants move out and the carpets have looked beyond salvageable.  Often times they are not salvageable and we just replace (with vinyl plank flooring – we’ve had pretty good experience with this-I’ll need to write another flooring review post for those interested in our flooring experiences), but we’ve saved some carpets with this scrubbing method.

By the way, I haven’t had great luck with carpet cleaning machines.  I just feel like they don’t work as well as scrubbing by hand.  Maybe scrubbing by hand and then using a carpet cleaning machine would work best.  Scrubbing by hand is alot of work though but I feel like it really pays off.  Hard work pays off – that’s the mantra I like to repeat to myself over and over as sort of a hypnotic trance while cleaning.  :-p

1.) Spray the carpet with Resolve and brush the cleaner into the carpet, then let sit. Vacuum up after dry.

2.) If the carpet remains darker in some spots after cleaning, spray an oxi-clean/water (mix oxi-clean into some hot water in a spray bottle) solution onto the area and scrub into the carpet with a brush.  Let sit for a while, then vacuum again.

This worked really well on our light beige carpet.  We actually had large areas that were stained darker and this worked like a charm to lighten them up.  I’m not sure I would use it on darker carpets though – you’d have to test in a small area.

Believe it or not, this carpet had an entire slushie spilled on it and it was never cleaned up.  I thought it wasn’t going to be salvageable, but with alot of scrubbing and then some oxi-clean and it looks pretty good if I do say so myself.  We replaced the carpets in every other room b/c they had cigarette burns and stuff that couldn’t be fixed unfortunately.  But we were able to save the stairs and one bedroom using this method.  It’s not perfect but it’s a rental.  And some spots I wasn’t too worried about b/c I knew there would be a bed covering it.  Now, to do my own house using this method.  I’m too busy cleaning houses that other people are going to live in that my own house is starting to suffer.  :-p

If you have any muck or gum on the carpet, the Goo Gone spray gets it off amazingly well! It again takes some muscle, but I’ve gotten whole pieces of gum out of the carpet with it AND construction muck (if you know what that means – it’s gooey, oily muck that manages to get on the carpet when doing construction work – I don’t know where it comes from but it always magically appears.) If you have kids, then you know that candy and gum are the worst offenders – comes off like a charm.. A tiny piece of candy flies out of their mouth when they chew and then dirt gets stuck to it and eventually you have a nice black spot on the carpet – I’ve gotten these out as well with this! It’s magic! Spray it with the Goo Gone and use a white cloth to rub at it until it’s gone – keep spraying and rubbing until you either crumble into a pile of dust or the stain is gone… :-p

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Jul
2016

How to Seal Grout on a Tile Floor

categories: Renovation

Here’s what you’ll need:
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First, scrub the grout thoroughly with a grout scrub brush (seen in picture) and water.  I actually use a water/oxi-clean solution to brighten the grout a bit (let the mixture sit on the grout for a little while to brighten it then scrub), but you could also use baking soda.  Make sure to wash off afterwards. Then, let dry for at least 24 hours.

Then, pour some sealer into the Grout Sealer Roller Applicator and roll on the grout.  I had to gently squeeze the bottle a little at times b/c I couldn’t tell if the stuff was coming out or to get a little more to come out, but it worked really well and the sealer stayed mostly between the lines.  If it gets on the tile, just wipe it off with a damp rag.  Let dry as per directions on the bottle.

Hopefully, this sealer will help keep the grout from getting stained.  We shall see.

 


Jul
2016

World’s Dirtiest Jobs – Cleaning behind the oven

categories: Renovation

After cleaning behind the oven in one of our rentals, I believe land lording could qualify to be on that show, “World’s Dirtiest Jobs”.  I joke, but seriously.  My husband usually does most of the dirty work and I do mean dirty.  This one was mine to own though b/c he just has so much other stuff to do that I don’t have the skills to do.  :-/  It pays to be skilled, eh?  I need to get him to teach me some more stuff so I can send him to clean the toilets, etc.  :-p

Here’s a picture of the before:

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And After:

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I used Greased Lightning and the Spray bottle of Goo Gone to get this clean.  I started with paper towels b/c I didn’t want to destroy all my rags, then finished with rags. And definitely wear gloves!  Some of the grease that was on the sides of the cabinets, I had to scrape off first with my handy dandy 14 in 1 painter’s tool which I’m going to have to devote a post to b/c I love it so much..  So relieved to have this project over.  Yuck.  I don’t think I’ve ever even cleaned behind my own oven – ugh..  I need to.


Jul
2016

Renovation Packing List

categories: Renovation

Every time we need to renovate a place or get it ready to be rented, we have to maintain two, sometimes three, households, so it’s important for us to keep a list of things we’ll need to bring and possibly leave at the rental property for a while.

Here’s our list of important items (this might help someone else out there):

Bryon’s toolbox (this is the black box that has everything – sorry can’t include it all here b/c I don’t really know what’s in there.. :-p)
Drill
Scissors
Spackle
Putty Knife
Screwdriver (all types)
Paper towels
Toilet paper
Pliers
Hammer
Small screw remover (it’s a tool, but I don’t know the technical name)
Trash Can
Trash Bags
Cleaning Gloves
Cleaning Rags
Sponges
Cleaning toothbrushes
Hand Soap
Dish Washing Liquid
Dish Washing Detergent
Paint Brush
Paint Rollers
Paint Tray
Paint Can Opener
Paint
Sand paper
Windex
Resolve Carpet Cleaner
Vinegar (for cleaning)
Bleach (for cleaning)
Ammonia (for cleaning)
Oxi Clean (for cleaning)
Baking Soda (for cleaning)
Spray bottle (for cleaning mixes)
Baby Wipes (for dirty hands and cleaning and everything under the sun)
Movie Player
Movie Player plug (adapter to adjust from car plug to wall plug)
Step Stool
Work Clothes
Butter knife
Forks
Spoons
Bowls
Plates (some glass some paper)
Cups
Chairs (lawn chairs or regular folding table chairs)
Folding table (optional)
Contact Paper (if need to recover shelves)
Vacuum
Broom
Dust Pan
Mop
Mop Bucket
Floor Cleaner
Hand Towels
Work Towels
Caulk
Caulk Gun
14 in 1 Paint Tool (see post on that: Painter’s Tools All In One: 14 in 1 paint tool)
Pumpkin Candle (secret ingredient for showing houses – everyone likes the smell of pumpkin, right?!?) and a nice red hand towel to hang on the oven handle – boom! rented! Everyone likes red. :-p
Snacks (lots of snacks for the kids AND motivation for the adults. For adults – it’s important to have those Mother’s brand cookies – they are like animal shapes with frosting and sprinkles. :-p)
Coffee – the pre-bottled kind that you can keep in the fridge – it’s quick, easy, it’s better than an IV (any kind – double espresso shot? anyone? Yes, please!)
Stuff for the kids to play with (sidewalk chalk, bubbles, water squirters, coloring books, crayons, markers, tablets, dvd’s, books (though they never choose this option – probably due to the 4 year old bugging them – and don’t bring over library books – it gets you into lots of financial trouble…))
Work Clothes for the kids (yes, I put them to work many times when they say they are bored – keeps them from saying they are bored. :-p)

I will continue to add to this list as stuff comes up.


Jul
2016

How I Met My Husband

categories: Blog

marriageMeeting my husband was sort of like a mini Bachelorette show for me.  I know a lot of people don’t like that show but I happen to love it.  :-p

I used to be an IT consultant before I decided to stay at home with the kids.  I traveled for work and basically lived in hotels out of a suitcase.  I gave up my apartment in Houston, TX at some point b/c it didn’t make sense to have one since I was never there and I didn’t want to have to fly back and forth every weekend.  I was on a project in San Francisco where they were trying to get me to live to reduce expenses on the project but I just couldn’t see living there (I was there for 10 months).  Being from Texas, San Francisco was just way too different for me.  The cost of living was the biggest shock to the system.  I couldn’t imagine paying the prices they were asking for housing and the raise wouldn’t have been nearly enough to cover the expense.

In addition, I feel like there is such a different culture in San Francisco than I’m used to.  It seemed to me that many of the men weren’t ready to settle down or weren’t interested in women or they only ate salad (which was probably the worst thing).  :-p  I got a lot of funny looks for eating huge plates of meat and potatoes on dates and men eating tiny, extremely healthy salads (kale used to only be used for decoration, right?) – no thanks, I’m not a brontosaurus.  Not just funny looks though – sometimes looks of disapproval which bothered me.  I don’t care that much about my appearance or health (I should care more about my health) that I’m willing to be unhappy (aka – only eat salad).  And, with the men I was meeting, it seemed to me that they cared a lot about appearance and being healthy which would only drive me NUTS.  Now, I hate to generalize everyone (I didn’t date everyone :-p) there but that was just my experience.  Whatever the case, I was just finding it hard to “settle down” which is what I really wanted.

When I saw a project come up in St Louis, MO, I was extremely excited!  A few of my friends were already working there and I got word that they were in need of people.  I jumped on it.  I’ve always had a thing for the Midwest though I’d never really been there (unless you consider TX part of the Midwest – not sure).  You could say my type of guy is a Midwestern guy.  They not only had to have the Midwestern look (manly man type of look – I guess the opposite of metrosexual) but also the values b/c it’s the values that I find the most attractive (good old-fashioned family values).

I signed up online from California to do a pre-dating (just like speed dating) event in St Louis, MO about a week after I arrived there.  I thought it would be a good way to meet some St Louis people and maybe they could show me around.  I had no idea that I would meet my husband there.  Though I did pray that I would.

There were 13 guys and 12 girls.  The age range was 25 to 35 years old.  There I had an advantage b/c I was 26.  You spend about 6 minutes with each person and then the organizers ring a bell and the men switched tables.  The women got to stay at the same table.  The held it at a bar called Llewellyn’s in the Central West End.  I arrived a little bit late from work so I didn’t get a chance to get a drink – which was definitely a Godsend.  :-p  We talked about basic things – what do you do for work, for fun, etc.  They had some ice breaker cards on the table, but we didn’t really use them.

How it works is that they give you a piece of paper with everyone’s names on it and you select the people that you would be interested in seeing again and if they also selected you, then the organizer will give them your phone number.  Everyone I talked to was really nice and interesting so I selected 7 people to see again!  Well, they all selected me too so I had 7 dates potentially to go on!  I went from having no social life to a crazy social life!  :-p  Bryon only had one date to go on with me b/c he was more selective on who he picked. That is, maybe the choices weren’t that great – hence, all my dates. I think many of the women were on the older side of the date range which is a big disadvantage at these things if the men are younger and vice versa. It all just depends on the candidates that sign up.

So, needless to say, I was busy.  I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss out on anyone so I went out with everyone. See my post about searching for the magical unicorn – Lighter Shade of Gray – this is completely in line with my personality- or personality disorder. :-p

Bryon was the last guy to call.  I had already gone on a few dates by the time he called b/c some of the guys called the second after they got my number which I wasn’t too keen on (looks a little frantic and desperate).  But I was waiting for Bryon to call b/c I really liked him – I had written some good things by his name.  I wish I had kept that paper so I could remember what that was but he was definitely a front runner – he definitely would’ve gotten the first impression rose if this was the real Bachelorette.  ;-P

So, finally he called and we arranged to meet up at the Spaghetti Factory in downtown St Louis at the landing.  I was living at Gentry’s Landing in downtown so this really worked well for me – I guess that’s why he picked it – very thoughtful.  Except I suck at directions and even though I went downtown everyday for the past week to get to my apartment, I missed my exit to get there and ended up going across the bridge into Illinois.  I was already running late from work, so I had to call and tell him I was going to be extra late.  He was very nice and talked me through how to get there.  And he was waiting outside for me when I arrived at the Spaghetti Factory to give me a big hug.  That was nice.

We ate great food and had great conversation.  It was really nice.  Then, we went down the street to get a drink – I can’t remember where.  We had to end the date a bit early (early for me b/c I’m not disciplined and never had a set bed time) b/c we both had work the next day and we ended with a small kiss on the lips goodbye.  Perfect.

While we were on the date, he arranged for a second date (that’s how you know the date is going well :-p).  He finds it funny though b/c when he asked what I was doing on the following Saturday, I asked what time on Saturday?  This indicated to him that I had another date which I had no idea that that’s what it indicated to him but that was true.  :-p  I did have another date but I was willing to squeeze him in.  :-p  Which was probably not fair to that other date but at that point I didn’t care.  Bryon was the front runner.

Fast forward to Saturday.  I went on my “other” date.  It was not good.  The guy I went out with was ready to be married like that day.  He took me to an Italian restaurant on the Hill which was nice and had great food but everybody in there was much, much older than us – like I think I we were the only ones that didn’t have white hair.  I was thinking that if I dated this guy, this would be us.  He was talking about me meeting his parents (it was our first date!) and marriage.  I got really scared off and I drank waaaaaay too much wine during that date.  I thought this guy doesn’t care at all who I am, he just wants to marry anyone.  I was dying to get off that date.

After dinner, I had him take me back to my apartment b/c I had scheduled Bryon to pick me up at 9pm to go to a comedy club.  I think my date had figured we would do something after dinner which I hadn’t even factored that in to my thinking in my original planning of this night.  I kept checking my watch b/c I was cutting it very close.  I didn’t want the two of them to run into each other.  I basically got out of one car, barely got inside, when Bryon called that he had arrived.  It was REALLY close and stressful!  I’m pretty sure I had to be a bit rude to my first date in order to race out of the car (like, I basically dropped and rolled out of the car when he pulled up to the apartment complex), but I didn’t want to get busted.  Woops!!!!

This poor planning almost ruined my chances with Bryon b/c by the time he picked me up I had already had a couple glasses of wine to get through my first date which didn’t go well.  To him, I wasn’t the same person he had met on the first date we had b/c I was tipsy Denise which is different.  We went to the comedy club and had an OK time.  I could tell something was off.  Then, he dropped me back off at my apartment.  I knew I had to do something to reel him back in.  So, I invited him up and showed him pictures of my family on my laptop.  He realized that I wasn’t crazy, tipsy Denise.  I was the same person he’d met on the first date – so long as I didn’t drink.  And that is history.  We found our crazily ever after.  And, in this area of my life, I found my magical unicorn. 🙂 Still searching for it in all the other areas. :-p


Jul
2016

Cajun Foil Packets for Dinner at home or Camping

categories: Recipes

If you know me well, then you know I love Cajun food! It’s my favorite thing to make and eat. Actually, I like Southern cooking, in general, but especially Cajun-style. I have to stop myself from putting Cajun seasoning in just about everything b/c I think it would make everything taste better, but I also don’t want everything to taste the same either so it’s a trade off.

My husband LOVES to camp. Me, not so much, but I try to make him happy and go every once in a while b/c I know he loves it. For me, it’s more that I don’t like bugs that I don’t like to go. And I cherish sleeping in a cozy bed with A/C.  And I like all the luxuries of having a bathroom nearby and being able to go to the restroom without a spider staring at me.  And so many other things, but the main thing is BUGS.

I seriously think that one day I will die of a heart attack from an ill-timed bug landing. But that’s another matter – maybe once I hit a certain age – I will have to refrain from going camping for safety reasons. :-p But, hopefully, right now I’m out of heart attack range – we shall see. Although, it’s also a safety hazard for those I’m with b/c I’m known to scare the pants off everyone around me as well when I scream like I’m being murdered so people might start banning me from going too.. :-/  We shall see.

But I do like the adventure of camping.  I think it’s exciting in some ways and fun stuff usually happens along with the bad stuff.  I remember a saying and I don’t know where it’s from but I didn’t make it up: the difference between an adventure and an ordeal is attitude.  So, if I keep in the right frame of mind, it is an adventure.  And if I don’t, it’s an ordeal for everyone which is not ideal.

Anyhoo, these foil packets are right up my alley for camping and even for not camping b/c I like real, hot food regardless of where I’m at. I think these foil packets are so easy to make for dinner that it’s also good for times when you are renovating a place. Of course, I learned about them on Facebook but I added to the recipe a little bit (cheese and sour cream make everything taste better, in my opinion).

I use regular frozen corn not corn on the cob b/c I don’t like to get messy. And after it’s done cooking, I add cheddar cheese and sour cream to the little packet and seal it back up so that it melts into it for about 5 minutes – it’s a must do! Then, you just spoon feed yourself directly from the packet. And each person gets their own individual packet so you can customize each one. My husband and 2 of my kids hate shrimp so I always do theirs with chicken and it’s just as good maybe even a little better, I dare say..

Ingredients:
-Shrimp or Chicken (cubed)
-Potatoes (cut up kind of small-ish – the smaller you cut them the faster they cook) – I get those small new potatoes from Sam’s club (prewashed) and cut them in quarters
-Smoked Sausage (cut up into bite-sized pieces)
-Frozen corn
-Olive Oil
-Cajun Seasoning (I use Tony Cachere’s b/c I think it’s the best) – copious amounts of this – don’t be scared. Well, for the kid’s packets go light on it b/c it can get spicy. But for the adults, let it rain!!!
-Sour cream
-Cheddar cheese

Directions:
Get a really long piece of foil – about the length of a baking sheet or a little longer and put the desired amount of food in the midddle (shrimp or chicken, sausage, potatoes, corn, drizzle of olive oil and desired amount (copious?) of cajun seasoning), then fold up all the sides and make sure it is sealed well (this seals in the juices so everything stays juicy and not that other word that everyone hates).

You can cook this in the oven or on the campfire. For the oven, place the foil packets on a baking sheet and cook at 425 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes – or until potatoes are soft and chicken is cooked through. It usually takes 30 to 45 minutes for me. You’ll start to smell the wonderful aromas when it is getting close to being done.  When done, open up the foil and add a dollop of sour cream and handfuls 🙂 of cheese, then close it back up and wait 5 minutes for the cheese to melt.

This can be customized in sooo many ways – I’m looking forward to trying all kinds of variations.  How about barbeque sauce instead of cajun seasoning?  YUMMM!!

Here’s a link to the original website where I found this recipe:
http://damndelicious.net/2015/08/26/shrimp-boil-foil-packets/