Hello Dolly...

The storm is here. Hurricane Dolly is now a category 2 . Luckily the power here is still on. However the itensity is getting worse. What is worrying us is that Dolly has stalled and it just might head slightly north of Brownsville. If that happens then we will probably leave Port Aransas. We are already in the red zone and the surf is at 12' and expected to be 18'. There are tornadoes in Corpus Christi. So, we are going to stay for right now. We have had one major band come in and the rain was sideways and doors inside the house opened by themselves. The pressure was really bad. But now it has let up for now.

A Storm is a-brewin'...

Oh lovely, a hurricane is headed our way! Right now it is tropical storm Dolly. It is expected to be a category 1 hurricane before it hits this afternoon. Port Aransas is under a hurricane warning but there are no evacuation being ordered. We are staying. Actually we can't wait! All the bars here are thrilled as it should be a huge party. Some businesses are closing and boarding up. The clouds are coming in and we will head down to the beach in a while before the rain hits. A few years ago we were here during hurricane Emily and we had a blast.

Vacation Time...

I know I have not been very diligent with the blog lately. There has been many things going on at work that have kept me from my ninja duties. We had our quarter end and it was a mess, I have finally finished the after effects of the quarter end and now I am interviewing for a promotion at work. Second interview is tomorrow!

Fortunately I will be on vacation all next week. I will be in Port Aransas for my yearly trip to the beach. No computer, no phone (minimal actually), no tv, no nothing!! Just me, a book, beer, and sand. I cannot wait to get recharged. When I get back I will definately have new Cooking with Karens in the works, food reviews, and trip memories to share.

The Invasion Has Begun...

Every year the ladies in pink arrive in late July to attend their annual cult meeting at the Dallas Convention Center. Yes folks, the Mary Gay Kay convention has arrived. For three weeks there will be nothing but perpetually smiling ladies (and a few men) dressed in shades of pink all over the place. Downtown will look like it was washed in Pepto Bismal.

Although slightly annoying as it is the Mary Kay convention does pump lots of cash into the local economy. This year’s theme is “Celebrate the Dream”—blah blah blah.

There are more than 35,000 attendees with 6 million in prizes to be given away. These folks rent 46,000 hotel rooms (this number is odd since there are only 35,000 attending). 829 lucky Mary Kayers will take home the pink Cadillac. Last night we went to El Fenix for dinner and the waiters were all wearing pink ties and the tables all had signs welcoming the convention. So for the next three weeks, downtown will be tickled pink. And I cannot believe I just wrote “tickled pink.”

Forkboy on Hook, Line & Sinker

I love fish. I love catfish. I especially love catfish when it is deep fried. The best catfish I have ever had was in Colorado. We would catch the fish ourselves in a creek behind the house and then fry it up that evening for dinner. Nothing like catching your dinner! What comes somewhat close is a quaint little urban-esq hole-in-the-wall called Hook, Line, & Sinker. The restaurant has a “fishing hut” feel about it. When I am eating there I get disappointed that when I look out the window there is not a large body of water staring back at me. There are misters on the patio but that isn’t really the same thing as a lake. Oh well.

The Food:
I just love when 90% of the menu is fried! I usually get the 2 piece fillet basket ($6.25). This includes two fresh catfish filets, four hush puppies, and fries. Nothing is cooked until you order it. The fish, fries and pups all come out steaming hot! The fish is flakey, moist, and has been deboned. The hush puppies are good but taste a little starchy. They could use more seasoning. That does not keep me from eating all of mine and all of Ron’s. I love hush puppies! You can also get the same basket with fried shrimp. The shrimp are huge, juicy and full of flavor. Anything you get fried will not be greasy. I don’t know how they do it but there is not an ounce of grease anywhere. And when I am feeling really in the mood to eat I order the Snow Crab and Boiled Shrimp (market price but usually around $18-$20). You get a pound each of the crab and shrimp with new potatoes and corn-on-the-cob. This is a lot of food and is perfect for sharing.

The Service:
The service is easy but can get really crowded. You order at the counter (from which you can see the entire kitchen), take a vibrating coaster and find a seat. During peak times HLS is so packed that I refuse to go. I will go at 11AM for lunch and be the only one in there. If you eat outside then you order inside and pick up your food outside. The service is overall friendly and fast.

The Atmosphere:
This place is very simple with a nice open and comfortable feel. HL&S is nothing fancy at all. Just about all walks of life dine here. Go during off-peak times because the place is packed!

Food: 3.5
Service: 3.5
Atmosphere: 2.5
Health Score: 94

Hook Line & Sinker
3103 Lemmon Ave.
Dallas, Tx 75204

Coors beer bottles...

Coors Brewery has come out with new packaging. You know your beer is cold when the mountains on the bottle turn blue. I know another way to tell when my beer is cold…..by touching it. How God damn lazy can one be? This new gimmick only benefits those few individuals with no sense of touch. The only other people who just love this are those who buy sofas with coolers built into them. This is truly one of the dumbest things I have ever heard. I guess I should not complain since I don’t drink Coors considering it tastes like pee.

White Hole...

There is a Dallas City Hall blog over at the DMN that I love to read. This particular blog entry has to do with John Wiley Price. Yes, the ignorant jack-ass is still at it. It seems that the county commissioners were discussing issues with the central collections office (think traffic tickets):

Commissioner Kenneth Mayfield, who is white, said it seemed that central collections "has become a black hole" because paperwork reportedly has become lost in the office.
Commissioner John Wiley Price, who is black, interrupted him with a loud "Excuse me!" He then corrected his colleague, saying the office has become a "white hole."
That prompted Judge Thomas Jones, who is black, to demand an apology from Mayfield for his racially insensitive analogy.

I cannot believe that someone has not buried JWP, who is black, somewhere in the Trinity River. The blog did not say whether or not Mr. Mayfield, who is white, apologized and if he did then shame on him.


7/9 UPDATE:
Commissioner Mayfield has no intentions of apologizing!! Good for him!!!!

Mayfield remains unapologetic about his use of the word.
"Anybody who's offended by that statement needs serious psychiatric help,"

It seems that everyone else is on Mayfield's side. Which means that about 95% of Dallas County believes that Joh Whitey Price is a fucking idiot.