Central Expressway in 1959...

This is Central Expressway in 1959.  Looking south...the building that you see near the top of the picture on the side of Central is The Meadows Building, which is still there today-that is off of Lovers Lane.  That overpass at the bottom is Walnut Hill.  Park Lane is the next overpass and then the cloverleaf overpass is Northwest Highway (which, on the right, would be North Park Mall.

Maury Povich...

Since I took the day off due to exhaustion and a terrible ear issue I have been watching daytime television.  This is something I rarely do but decided to indulge a little.  I allowed myself one show to watch since I needed to get a few things done around the house  and I really did not want to waste brain cells watching a full day of trash tv.  So I chose what was on at the moment...The Maury Show hosted by Maury Povich.  I remember seeing him as the host of A Current Affair.  Maury has also been a news anchor and also served two terms as president of the New York Chapter of the Television Academy.  He has been married to Connie Chung since 1984.  

I would have to say that his show is a higher class version of The Jerry Springer Show.  Mainly he sticks with shows dealing in paternity tests.  He should trade mark the phrases "You are the father" and "You are not the father."  Today's show dealt with the husbands taking a lie detector test to prove they were not cheating.  The last freak show was a couple who married really young (she is 16 and he is 23)-is seems her mama let her marry this dude.  Well she was concerned that he was cheating and he was just saying that she is being paranoid.  In the end, he wasn't cheating but he was concerned that the baby was not his.  BINGO!!  I got a two-for-one this afternoon with this episode.  So they performed a paternity test and yes the baby was his.  I was kinda bummed that they all had a happy ending.  I guess I had already gotten my fix from the previous couple where the lie detector test confirmed that he was having an affair with his wife's mother.  I mean how ghetto fabulous is that?  

I suppose Maury needs to keep working since Connie's career tanked after she interviewed Kathleen Gingrich (Newt's mama) back in the 90's.  You know the interview where she asked her what Hillary was like "off the record and off the camera?"  And ol' Kathy said Hillary was a "bitch."  LOVE it!  Anyway, Maury is bringing home the bacon now.

Camping...

Our camping trip was a success.  The weather was great and our camping spot was isolated and pretty.  Very wooded and a beautiful view of Lake Murray.  

In my personal opinion I believe that there were too many people that went. Overall about 24 people were there.  Parts of the group became a little cliquish which bothered me.  Oh well, I had a good time anyway!

This was also Moses' first real trip.  I was worried at first that he would run off.  I kept the leash on him but then started to feel bad about it.  So I gave him the benefit of the doubt and let him loose.  He went exploring a few times but mainly kept close.  Poor thing, he was so tired toward the end but he hung in there.  He even went for a little swim in the lake.  

Now I am at home not feeling 100%.  I am fairly certain that I have an ear infection and am generally just worn out.  

Camping...

This weekend we are headed to Lake Murray for the annual (sometimes semi-annual) Out Bitch camping trip. It is called Out Bitch cause it is a bunch of drunken bitchy queens who are trying to out bitch each other. There will be food, fire, and fabulousness. Details to follow on Sunday!

Cooking with Karen...

Ok, I know I have been really bad about not posting any CWK episodes. I am starting to get angry emails and complaints! After doing a few I decided that I needed some equipment-mainly clear glass bowls and a other things to really make CWK better. I have not been happy at all with what I have done thus far. So, I am going to start with incredibly simple dishes. Also, learning iMovie has proved very time consuming. I will post a revised CWK intro that I did a while back. This time there is an into, music, fad-ins, fade-outs, and credits!!! Tell me what ya'll think. I will have that posted this evening sometime so check back!! I promise that I will have a real episode up soon!

Last night's storms....

Here is cool shot of Downtown during last nights storm. The electric storms in Texas are just the best!

Forkboy on Hunky’s…

Saturday evening was full of gayness. We all went and played Gay Bingo at S4. Proceeds benefit the Resource Center which is a great foundation. Anyway, after bingo we were starving and decided to head over to Hunky’s across the street. Hunky’s is located at Throckmorton and Cedar Springs in the heart of the Gayborhood.

Food…
Mainly burgers and sandwiches. I usually get a cheese burger (3.95) with swiss and tator tots (1.55). This visit proved a bit frustrating. The place was really not busy which was surprising on a Saturday night. Our food took forever and my order was wrong. I always order a burger dry no pickles with swiss cheese. This burger had everything on it. I took it back in and the nice lady behind one of the counters took care of it for me. They cooked it immediately as I waited. Once the order was good I devoured the cheese burger. The meat at Hunky’s is ground fresh everyday and patties are all hand-formed. The meat is well seasoned and quite tasty. Of course they used shredded lettuce-which I HATE WITH A PASSION! But I digress. The tots are nice and crispy on the outside and mushy on the inside. The fries are cut thick and are good but I like mine thin and crunchy. You can sit at the bar and eat and watch your milk shake come to life! The shakes and malts are good but for some reason I keep comparing any shake I have to Sonic (best shakes in my opinion).

Service…
You walk in and stand in line and order from the counter. During peak times the line can be slow and basically a cluster *&^%. But everyone is nice.

Atmosphere…
The restaurant resembles a 1950’s era diner. Shiny vinyl booth seats and dark tables. There is a low bar with stools. The kitchen is all open as well. The place is quaint and very bright. There is a patio for outdoor dining. I highly recommend sitting outside. The people watching is great. Bears, trannies, drag queens, etc all walk by headed to the clubs. This is not a place that I love. But if I am in the area I will usually eat there if it isn’t busy.

Food: 2.0
Service: 2.0
Atmosphere: 3.5
Health Score: 90

Hunky’s
4000 Cedar Springs Rd.
Dallas, Tx 75219

www.hunkys.com

There is someone out there for everyone...

And good ol' Tyra Banks has to prove it...

The Barefoot Contessa...

We all know that I love food and I love to cook. Ron has his sports programs and I have my food network. My favorite television food personality is Ina Garten. She is known as The Barefoot Contessa and I simply adore this woman. Watching her show is like taking a chill pill. It totally relaxes me and puts me in such a good mood. It is apparent that she is well balanced and loves her life and her husband of 40+ years. She started out working in the White House as a budget analyst writing the nuclear budget under Ford and Carter. Not surprisingly she got burned out (no pun intended & she even has a pilots license!). Eventually leaving Washington, she purchased a specialty food store called The Barefoot Contessa in Westhampton Beach, New York. To make along story short she ended up selling the store years later (it eventually closed) and then The Food Network came-a-callin. She declined many times but finally caved in and her show is the highest rated on the network. Her show is filmed in her own kitchen in The Hamptons and often features her good (and most fabulously gay) friends.

If you have never seen her on TV then I highly recommend watching. Her cooking style is incredibly elegant and incredibly simple. I like to think of her as my informal mentor in the kitchen.

I came across an article in The New York Times that just make me love her even more:

“Bright-eyed and apple-cheeked,” Garten is enjoying unexpected success in the second half of her life. After 20 years of running a gourmet shop in the Hamptons (named for the Humphrey Bogart/Ava Gardner film The Barefoot Contessa), she sold the store and invested her own money in a cookbook, never expecting it to take off as it has. Now approaching 60, she has five cookbooks, a top-rated show on the Food Network, and a line of prepared foods.
But here’s the great part—Garten has rejected opportunities to expand even more. “She has turned down offers to start magazines or to be host for more TV shows. She has declined to endorse other food products beyond her own line and has rejected opening a chain of food shops.” Garten wants to preserve her quality of life, despite success. “There is a balance between having a life and having a business,” the article quotes her as saying.

That media whore Rachel Ray can suck it!

http://www.barefootcontessa.com/

Weather and TV...

Last night I was so looking forward to a new episode of 30 Rock. But it rained.

The weather reporters must feel that they do not get enough camera time so when it rains they preempt prime time. I think my feelings here can best be summed up from a text message I sent a friend of mine last night:

I hate the God damn weather service interrupting my tv shows! 30 Rock didn’t even show cause David fucking Finfrock had to break in with a “hey everyone…it’s raining” message for two fucking hours and now the fucking satellite is out! I get pissy when I miss my 30 Rock. And for the next three days the news will be nothing but “I lost my barn” stories.

So that was my frustration. Instead we played Wii. However, I will say it was a pretty decent storm and I thought this was a cool picture of what was about to pounce on Dallas:

Jennifer Garner...

For those of you who know me well you know that I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with Jennifer Garner. Today is her 36th birthday. I love this woman. She is sweet and smokin hot! She kicks major ass in action movies and makes me go gaga in her romantic comedies. And yes, I watched Electra and yes it was bad but I loved it because she was in it. I own the Rambaldi Cube from her show ALIAS and have a Sydney Bristow action figure. I even have her fabulous face decoupaged on a rock. So I just wanted to throw out some birthday lovin to my girl!!! Happy Birthday Jenn!!!!

Walking Tour...

I saw something this morning while waiting on my bus downtown that I have never seen in Downtown before….a large group of people taking a historical tour of Downtown Dallas. Being a native Dallasite that made me feel kind of guilty that I have not taken the time to really know the history of the city in which I dwell.

Getting Older...

My grandmother always said that “it is just hell to get old!” Her mind was as sharp as a tack but it was her body that ultimately failed. As I get older I am noticing things about myself that are changing. Some are surprising and some are just down right odd but it is the way the cookie crumbles. I have always thought of myself as a healthy person. I try and eat right and I have never smoked a day in my life. I don’t exercise as much as I should now. I know there are things that I could be doing better and I am working on that.

We all grow older together and as a result things start to happen that we are not always prepared for. A friend in New York is very sick. She had an aneurysm burst and the news is not good. I just think she is simply a fabulous person-so full of life and love and just so much fun. I just think it is unfair that at age 37 this should be happening. My mother recently went through a procedure to repair an aneurysm in her brain. I am certainly thankful that it was caught before any rupture. However, do to the same condition I never got to know my grandfather and my aunt. I love my friends dearly and I know that it is inevitable that situations like this arise. We would all be fools to think that we are invincible. Anything could happen to anyone of us at anytime. I am hopeful that Kellie will pull through and I am hopeful for her husband Ben and all their family and friends.

Happy Old People...

This weekend was the annual Pilsbury Bake-Off and it was held in Downtown Dallas. This was also covered by The Food Network so you know I was keeping up with the goings-on!! I just love to see happy old people, especially when happy old people win one million bucks! So this video clip gave me a warm fuzzy inside! She is just sooo happy!!!!

http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/hp/index.html?nvid=236082

The Murse...

I need a new murse. Actually I just really want a new one. I don’t NEED a new one. Generally I purchase a new murse every 18 months or so. What is a murse you ask? Murse = man purse. The murse is also known as a “mag” or “man bag” and can also be referred to as a “mote” or “man tote.” Ron just recently purchased his first murse (although I believe he preferres “mote”). He has started taking DART to work and needed something to carry his stuff in. We found a handsome black and blue mote at Target. It has lots of pockets and is suitable for a lap top. I kinda got a little jealous. I like his mote and we found the same one in all black. I think I just might have to venture out and get it. A murse is great for all occasions especially when traveling and comes in handy for everyday commutes. I highly recommend one!

The 44...

Ron starts a new job today at Perot Systems. Well, not a new job per se…he is going back to Perot. He decided that he wanted to ride DART to work to save money and save gas. I told him that we should do a trial run on the bus that will take him to and from the office. So yesterday we got on the route 44. This is the route for lazy people. We really didn’t notice it on the way up but on the return trip it got annoyingly funny. There was a stop every 5 feet! And there were people at every stop! I was stunned. The ride was stop and start, stop and start. A little ridiculous if you ask me! DART could shave off about 10 minutes on that route if they cut every other stop. Just annoying.

The Homeless Man...

Living downtown certainly has its pros and cons. One of the cons that we must deal with on an almost daily basis is homelessness. Lately it seems to be getting worse. Walking home, walking the dog, sitting on a patio of a café, or just existing in downtown we will all eventually have an encounter with a homeless person. They always ask for money and I always just ignore them and keep on about my business. Usually this is enough and they move on to someone else. There have been times when they become a bit pissy and try and guilt you into giving. Still I just keep on walking, headphones firmly in place.

Lately there has been a homeless man standing in the dark corners of the Dallas Power & Light tower directly across the street from my building. He is, by looks alone, an older black man with a grey beard. Very dirty and smelly. I have seen him many times. I pass by and he says nothing and I say nothing. Just the way it is. When he does speak he simply mutters. Obviously mentally ill and/or drunk-usually both. He has taken to standing in the dark recessed windows of DP&L and masturbates when a woman passes by. You can see it all! People have called the police and yet he still returns. Last night as I was walking Moses out he was sleeping in our lobby. I didn’t say a word to him and just walked out as usual. I called 911 and told them the issue. A policeman came along and removed him. I am not sure what they did with him but he certainly was no longer in our lobby.

I guess I have become immune to all this. I used to worry about them and give them money. But now I just step over them and then take an elevator ride to my luxury loft. I also get pissed when I see other people giving them food and money. It just makes things worse. A solution to keeping the homeless out is about as forthcoming as world peace. Ain’t gonna happen. Sometimes I feel bad and wish they had help. Sometimes I wish they would just disappear.

Forkboy on Dan's...

On the way back to the airport in Austin we stopped and had lunch at Dan's Hamburgers. I was starving so anything sounded good. Dan's is not in a great part of town and the building itself looks like a Dairy Queen. But, the 35 year old restaurant seems to have withstood the test of time. After stepping into the place my first reaction was that this was a former Dairy Queen. Old white tables crammed into what is a decent sized space. All the blinds were drawn so there was this eerie feeling of the place closing in on you. Just odd. We walked up to the cash register to order. The story goes that Dan and his wife Fran worked together until a divorce where she got half of everything and started her own place called Fran’s. Apparently, according to the locals, the food just ain’t the same since the bitter divorce.

Food…
The menu is basic. Mainly burgers. You could order your burger by the size-which I thought was brilliant. Small, medium, or large burgers. I ordered a medium burger, small fries, and an iced tea. The burger was ok, nothing to write home to mamma about. I think it makes great hangover food. The meat was not overcooked but not very seasoned. I had to add lots of salt and pepper. There were plenty of onions and two big slices of tomato. This pleased me. However, I was incredibly annoyed at the shredded lettuce. I HATE shredded lettuce on a hamburger. Just totally pissed me off. The fries were thick cut and fairly good. The best part of the entire experience was the iced tea.

Service…
It helps if you speak Spanish. They seem all friendly but have a blank look on their faces. You order at the window and pick up at another window when they call your number. Listen carefully cause the speaker system is as old as the restaurant.

Atmosphere…
Dark and old feeling. Not inviting at all. All the ultra white table made me feel like I was in a hospital-very sterile feeling. When we pulled up there was an old Town Car with “Jesus is Coming” written all over it. That was the highlight of the dining experience at Dan’s.

Food: 1.5
Service: 1.5
Atmosphere: 1.0
Health Score: 73 (acceptable)

Dan’s
844 Airport Blvd.
Austin, Tx 78702

Forkboy on Rattlesnake Inn...

I flew down to Austin this weekend for a friends birthday. It was decided that we would go to to a hole-in-the-wall place in a town called Florence, Tx(pop. 1080). The place was not as such a dive as I had imagined. It was very open and airy, concrete floors, large garage doors that opened up. There were pool tables and a shuffle board table as well. There are few places I go to that remind me that I am certainly a Texan. Kinda nice to be reminded sometimes. The Rattlesnake Inn opened the day after prohibition ended in 1933. The original building is still standing and there is a new section that was added for expansion.

The food...
They offer a small but diverse menu. Hamburgers, BBQ ribs, pizza, salads, and such. The price is super cheap too. There were 5 of us and I was STUNNED to find out that our bill was $70. After all the beer and ribs we consumed I was amazed at the cost. The burger I had was good size and perfectly cooked medium rare-just like I like it! The bun was sweet bread which seemed odd at first but I love sweet bread. I was very disappointed to see shredded lettuce on my burger. I HATE that!!! I prefer a whole piece of lettuce. So the meal was very messy since they piled it on. Overall the burger was fantastic-one of the best I have had in a long time. The fries were mushy and slightly undercooked. I had a bite of my friends pork rib and found it quite tasty. Very meaty and tender and very messy-just like a good rib should be. I did over hear from some that the potato salad had way to much mustard.

Service…
Our server was dressed in mostly tattoos and piercings, very little else. Service was attentive, fast, and friendly.

Atmosphere…
If you can get past the feeling of eating in your garage then I think you just might enjoy this place. We sat in a newer section where the pool tables and stage were. A very interesting mix of people were scattered about talking, drinking, playing pool. Lots of bikers and country folk. All very nice people. Lots of smoking as well so if you are sensitive to smoke then perhaps you should stay away. I came home smelling like a night out at the clubs. The band was excellent and covered a lot of Johnny Cash.

Food: 2.5
Service: 4.0
Atmosphere: 3.5
Health Score: I am pretty sure they don’t care

http://www.therattlesnakeinn.com/

6060 Hwy 195
Florence, TX 76527

Gastroenteritis…

Poor little Moses got sick. Poor little Moses pooped all over the house. Poor little Moses started bleeding from behind. Not good. He was lethargic and not eating. Apparently when he gets sick he gets in the bathtub. This was a good thing. I went to take a shower one morning and when I pulled the curtain back I could not help but notice the blood bath. The shower looked like a ritual sacrifice had occurred. So Moses was taken to the vet. He was severely dehydrated. So fluids and meds were given and he is perfectly fine now. He had Gastroenteritis which refers to the inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and resulting in acute diarrhea. Not fun stuff people, not fun stuff.

In The Best Interest Of The Child...

Such a heartwarming tale of two loving parents…

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/15851207/detail.html

Been Away...

Sorry I have been away and haven’t post much of anything lately. Things have been incredibly busy for me but now I am back! I will start posting again soon!

I will never look at a picnic table the same again...

Ya'll...this is disturbing. I mean WTF?????

http://www.wtol.com/global/story.asp?s=8082496