Tag: Mexican food

My favorite local specialty

What’s the best local dish you’ve ever eaten while traveling?

Ah. I can answer this even in my exhausted travel state. Then I’ll tell you how close I came to being duped.

Bonus NM flower: Apache plume (Fallugia paradoxa)

I have two favorite dishes from my travels. First are the cluster oysters at Hudson’s on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. I do love those, as anyone who has had to endure me trying to open every single oyster can attest (right, stepsisters?).

Me eating the oysters

The other thing I remember is much simpler. It was an enchilada lunch in southern New Mexico, I forget exactly where. It was the perfect New Mexican style meal, with plenty of green chile goodness and the best beans and rice with it. I eat a LOT of Mexican food, so this had to be great to stand out. I hope we find that place again.

Mmmmmm

There ya go.

So, as we were driving home today, I got a message from my friend Trixie listing a bunch of items a family member needed to sell. It sounded like something she’d do. And I was excited to see a skid steer in the list, because we could use one, and the price was good.

“Skid steer”

So I messaged about it. She said other family were also interested (red flag) but that a deposit of $1,000 would hold it (red flag). I had to talk to Lee and Chris first. She stressed the urgency (red flag). I shared the photos she sent to Chris and he said it seemed like a good deal. I asked where we could come inspect it. She said they were “near here.” Where was “here?” (Red flag) Still I started to to PayPal the money to Trixie. She sent an email address that was not hers (red flag). Then I sent an image asking if it was right, because I didn’t want to pay a stranger. Silence (final flag). So I did what all those trainings at work said to do. I called her.

Use the phone function on your phone!

She was all flustered. “I’ve been hacked!” She said. So. No money went to fake Trixie and we don’t have a skid steer. But I do have my money. I sure blithely went through a lot of red flags. Am I turning into one of those gullible old people? Geez.

Don’t fall for any deal with a sense of urgency that seems to come from a friend. Call them after the first red flag.

So many red flags (photo from Pexels)

The dogs were very happy to see us when we got home. Much licking occurred.

Breaking in the Vacation Rental

I’ve spent my first night at your vacation rental, the Red House on Fannin, and I’m happy to report the beds work.

My friend Sheryl from Austin came up to see me and Anita, and it was really nice to be able to have her stay overnight rather than having to drive home in the dark just hours after she arrived!

Fun times at the Red House

Instead, we were able to drive around and look at Christmas lights, eat a fine Mexican meal at El Charro, then retire back to the Red House to catch up on each other’s lives. It was great for three of us hermit ladies to hang out.

Sheryl tested out the master bedroom and I tried out the bottom bunk. I quickly realized I need a reading light next to the bed, so I’ll get one with a USB outlet in it as well. The top bunk blocks light from the ceiling fixture. That’s an easy fix! We also figured out a few more little things like that, which I’ll implement this week as soon as I have a car I can drive.

What? Yep, my car started acting very oddly when we were driving to the Red House from the ranch, where I’d made Sheryl endure watching me ride Apache (it was back to work time for the horses!). It just didn’t want to shift gears. That was sorta scary, so I was glad we went down the back road. This morning we went over to look at the Venue where the guys were working, and I got some ideas for what to try before driving it to Austin. The best suggestion was to use the manual shift paddles, which I use so seldom I forget are there. That got me home with much less lurching.

The coffee maker worked, too!
Learning to use new phone camera features. And showing how I feel about life right now. Ya just don’t know what’s happening next.

I tried to get the car fixed locally, but they don’t do transmissions, especially of fancy city cars (implied, not stated). I did get the oil changed, which I know was also needed, because I’ve dawdled over getting it serviced for a while due to hating to go to downtown Austin. Of course, there are challenges with staying local. I was not at all amused to find that whoever changed the oil also changed the radio station to The Word, or some Bible station. Aha, KALD, which is a part of Houston Christian Broadcasting. I guess they were trying to kindly show me another public radio station to replace my Heathen NPR that was on. Except, it was OFF when I arrived at the repair place. Well, bless their hearts, I’m sure they meant well.

Meanwhile, Sheryl and I enjoyed a Mexican breakfast, because Los Comales makes the best breakfast I ever ate. After that, I tried to take her to the new coffee shop, but of course, it’s not REALLY open. Never fear, the coffee trailer run by my actual friends (Cloud 9 Coffee, it’s in a cute trailer) WAS open, so we got some fun lattes and forgot to get Anita her chai. Oops. Bad friend.

But, we did get to tour Anita’s house before Sheryl followed me home in case the car exploded. It didn’t, but the check engine light came on. I think we need to go get the other car, which is waiting for us at the dealership in College Station, due to us going out of town over the weekend and not engaging in obligations.

At least I got home and managed to get some work done. Soon as I’m totally done, Drew gets to trot around in circles some more. He has a new cinch that matches his saddle to try out, which will hopefully fit him perfectly.

I guess my life is just right. Some fun, some challenges, and interesting enough to keep my mind off the fact that we live in Bizarro World now.