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2022 August | Doctors, June’s Birthday, Conferences, Competitions, and Mentorships

August 31, 2022 by Mellie Dee Leave a Comment

20220803 | Basic Embroidery Sample

August 3, 2022

Finished up one of my embroidery kits with this being the last one. I had the most fun doing this mostly due to the wheels and the surrey stiches.

20220810 | June Chemo | Minuti Coffee & Los Balitos

August 10, 2022

June’s chemo has been mostly us trying to decide what pick up to eat or drink to bring there. Los balitos burritos and coffee.

20220812 | Houston Restaurant Week | Frankenstein | Avenida Brazil Churrascaria Steakhouse

August 12, 2022

Frankenstein and I went to our first Houston Restaurant Week together. Avienda Brazillian Steakhouse hit the spot for all the pichana I wanted.

20220813 | Lobster Seafood Meal

August 13, 2022

Lobster was on sale so Mum got us all our own. I went all out and did a seafood boil type meal with sauce from Yummy. Ughhh so good.

20220819 | Annual Check Up & Mia's Table

August 19, 2022

Did my annual check up and found out I in fact do not mind oatmeal but that it was made to be nasty growing up in the sense that my folks never put in flavoring or fruits to help mask the cardboard. When they went to do my EKG, the pads kept falling off. I think they gave up and the lady told me it was most likely due to my great moisturizing skills.

I stopped by Mia’s Table for a quick lunch before having to go to my dermatologist for my flare ups.

20220824 | June Chemo | Los Balitos

August 24, 2022

Another round of chemo, another road of Los Balitos burritos. I usually don’t have anything going on during this time so it was nice that I was able to attend an interactive meeting.

20220825 | Frankenstein | Gen Korean BBQ | League City

August 25, 2022

Went to GEN Korean BBQ with Frankenstein. Over ordered per usual and stuffed our faces. Over a year and a half, we still have some great conversations. And he still listens to my work woes where I “feel” the whole world is ending. Lady at work has been a bully and unbearable to where I contemplated on quitting.

20220826 | Chicken Orzo Dinner a la Frankenstein | Smoothie King

August 26, 2022

I worked out of Frankenstein’s house which I’ve never done before. He woke up super early which is surprising to me as he usually wakes up at night. He left for a bit and showed up with Smoothie King. After he dropped mine off, he left to his garage to work on some things as I continued working with a group on a competition project.

I forgot to pack underwear, gross, I know. And he made the trip to Target with me during rush hour! I then proceeded to get him to drive me to Joann’s to purchase embroidery things for an upcoming project then HEB for dinner ingredients.

First meal he’s ever made me! I thought we were going to cook together like usual but he told me to watch telly and relax. Orzo pasta with lemon chicken and a side of veggies because that’s all I ever want. So damn good that I tried mimicking his at home the week after.

20220827 | June Birthday

August 27, 2022

For June’s birthday, we had our usual meal and cake. We opted for this pancake ice cream cake because she would always go with Mum every weekend for either IHOP or Denny’s. It’s been a while due to everything going on though. It got a lot of laughs when we revealed it.

20220828 | Hatchet House Texas | Frankenstein & Mellie Dee

August 28, 2022

Work has discounts for some activities and they were having a lottery for Hatchet House Texas for “couples”. Axe, star, and knife throwing which Frankenstein was totally down to lose sleep on. We had pizza and beer as part of our meals. I realized I was better at start throwing.

20220829 | IMAGE Conference, Starbucks, Studio X

August 29, 2022

I was able to attend the IMAGE conference even though it was only for one day due to my busy week. It was nice to get out of the normal routine and attend something. Wychico was also there at the same time so we stuck with one another and got Starbucks for lunch as all the other places was filled up. We bumped into one of our leadership team members who got us an invite to Studio X happy hour at True Anomaly. I talked to new folks and networked while munching on tacos and drinking beers. It was nice to see what others were doing in other companies.

20220830 | FEL Competition at Greentown Labs

August 30. 2022

My group and I met up an hour or so earlier to practice our presentation for the first time before heading to Greentown Labs for the FEL Competition. Although we did not win, it was a great experience. I got out of my shell and did something I never would have done, meeting amazing peers who I probably won’t ever see again. I also got a lot of IMs/texts afterwards on a job well done with my presentation skills. If you know me, you’ll know I’m the worst at it so it was nice to hear.

20220831 | WEN Mentoring | Maggiano's

August 31, 2022

I joined WEN to get some mentoring from people outside of work that is in the same field as me. The kickoff dinner was at Maggiano’s where I met some of the folks that would be in my group. We were all mistaken that we would be served dinner but I guess getting some snacks and wine was worth it. The two ladies I met seem to be cool so I have high expectations now.

Filed Under: Eateries & Drinkeries Tagged With: American, Barbecue, Houston, Houston Restaurant Week, Italian, Korean, League City, Mexican and Tex-Mex, Pizza, Sandwiches and Burgers, Seafood, Sightseeing, Steakhouse, Texas

2022 May | My Birthday, Rizzo’s Surgery & Breast Cancer

May 31, 2022 by Mellie Dee Leave a Comment

20220530 | Puzzles | Lego Ice Cream, Batman, Superman, Star Wars, Beach, Friends, Oil & Gas | Emmy & Ethan

I finished 7 puzzles this month! SEVEN. Well more like six and a half but it’s more Frankenstein’s fault since it was his puzzle his work folks started and couldn’t finish. My first 2000 piece puzzle couldn’t be finished because of it.

The kids loved seeing how fast I could finish the puzzles. I even got them into it by buying them their own. They continually redo them and haven’t got sick of them yet.

20220501 | Ethan, Rizzo | Monica & Osvaldo's Baby Shower | Mellie Dee

May 1, 2022

Ethan follows me around as much as he can. It’s like having another Rizzo around. I don’t mind it though … when he’s not loud when I’m in a meeting.

Monica invited me to her family and friend baby shower. I haven’t had homecooked Mexican food in so long. I savored it for sure! Osvaldo showed up late when it came to opening presents. It’s weird how you know someone for so long but after not being together for a long time, it feels a little foreign. It was nice to see their family and catch up though.

Ethan and I went on a walk with Rizzo afterward. That boy overheats SO fast. After 10 minutes he was already red in the face. He didn’t want to go home though.

20220505 | Ethan, JJ, Jacob, Mallory, Mellie Dee, Rizzo | Park, Elyson Cafe

May 5, 2022

After work I took Ethan to play with JJ and Jacob at their neighborhood park. We ordered food from Elyson Cafe and just watched them do their thing. They are all so grown up and can do so much by themselves. It’s crazy how five years ago, Mallory and I were hanging out alone, with no babies around.

Brudda came and brought a soccer ball and easy to travel goal posts. Rizzo was chilling next to the soccer ball and with the name, found it cute.

20220506 - 20220507 | Ethan & Rizzo | Sushihana, Early Mother's Day Crawfish, Mother's Day with Gma

May 6, 2022

Brudda, Dad, Ethan and I went to Sushihana for lunch. Mum came during her lunch hour. Later that night Sissy and BIL came over and we had an early Mother’s Day celebration by ordering food from Yummy. There was SO much leftover especially since I hadn’t been feeling well and was afraid my stomach would be even more upset if I ate the spicyness.

May 7, 2022

We went to Gordon & Patsy’s for our usually Mother’s Day dinner with Gma. It was nice to all be together again.

20220511 | Churrascos and Wine | Work Event on Campus

May 11, 2022

Work had a get together event and for the first time in my life, I was served ALCOHOL on campus! And I’ve worked on this campus since 2008! They catered from Churrascos so I could have gotten beer or even liquor! So crazy how things have changed.

20220511 | Birthday Dinner | Mallory, Beth, Mellie Dee | Santiago's | Katy, Texas

Later that night I met up with Mallory and Beth at Santiago’s for my early birthday dinner. We, okay I, I went a little crazy and ordered way more than needed. But everyone knows that by now. The pichana is a clear winner and I cannot wait to come back here!

Also wanted to add that when they arrived, they were trying to convince me to have my bachelorette party in Las Vegas … because they want to go. First off, not engaged and won’t be any time soon, and second, not a super big fan of Las Vegas. Let’s just go as a girl’s trip instead?

Per usual, thankful for these two ladies that always finds time to shower me with love.

20220513 | Birthday Song | Ethan & Emmy | Ikea with June, Elements Massage, Jollibee

May 13, 2022

Day off, I had a video from Dad. A recording of Ethan and Emmy singing happy birthday to me. I wonder how long they’ll continue using the fake cake you see in the picture. Emmy’s been using it since day one. And Dad added a candle so that they can blow after singing. They “fought” to blow it for sure.

June had a biopsy done the day before to check for breast cancer when she felt a lump. She wanted to celebrate my birthday and make me feel special so she went with me to Ikea even though she wasn’t feeling well. A week or so later, her results came back positive and reality hits hard.

We walked around and bought nothing. I noted some dressers that peaked my interest but with the lack of supplies, I’ll wait to make a decision. We bought ice creams and soft serves along with a chocolate cake to serve as my birthday cake.

I dropped her off and headed off to my massage at Elements Massage. Frankenstein’s present to me for Valentine’s Day. I sadly didn’t get my hot stones but they left credit of $5 for me next time. Sigh … someone get me a gift card here so I can use it up.

I walked around and went to different places for my birthday discounts like Kendra Scott and Nothing Bundt Cake. I came home to a fully decorated table with the Jollibee I ordered June and I for lunch. Pictures of table below. She went all out.

20220513 | Birthday Dinner | Ambrosia | Houston, Texas | Mum, June, Sissy, BIL

Mum, June and I met up with Sissy and BIL at Ambrosia for my birthday dinner. It was very different but it was delicious. Their décor was super cute on the patio with twinkly lights and all. We took pictures and realized that Sissy and I looked like twinsies. Per BIL, true sisters dress alike .. gross. haha

20220513 | Rizzo, Birthday Flowers from Frankenstein, June's Decorations, Gifts from Everyone

We went our separate ways. Mum and June sang happy birthday to me as I opened presents and ate the cake we got from Ikea. Literally look at the table. She printed out pictures, made paper flowers, blew up balloons and all.

Presents poured from all over the place this year and I feel so so so loved. My biggest surprise was Frankenstein’s flowers he had delivered. I never cared for flowers but I realized it’s who gives them to you. These weren’t pity flowers or flowers “stolen” from someone else’s bouquet. They were bought for me and only me.

Don’t be fooled by the other flowers with Rizzo. Sissy got those for boss’s week and gave me one. Mum loved them and took the vase along with it. haha

20220514 | Crawfish & Feng Cha | Gordon & Patsy | Mum, June, Sissy

May 14, 2022

Mum, June, Sissy and I had crawfish at Gordon and Patsy’s. You would think they made it for me for my birthday but in reality, since Mum has been a bit depressed, he wanted to treat her some food and get her out of the house. Sissy ordered us Feng Cha since she was craving boba. Mine did not taste good at all.

20220515 | Birthday | Frankenstein | Perry's Steakhouse | Lunar Eclipse | Artemis

May 15, 2022

I drove to Frankenstein for my date night/birthday surprise. When I got to his place, I changed, got ready, and we headed to the mall. I’ve been wanting to go to a mall with him but sadly, since it was a Sunday, everything closed early. We were both clueless since we aren’t big in person shoppers. He got excited when he remembered I wanted to go to a Container Store but, yep, closed.

We hung out on the field a bit, people watched and talked about random things. Then he told me go guess which restaurant I think it was. I got it wrong, but he had made reservations at Perry’s. I was able to go all out and we ordered drinks, martini flight for me! I liked his drink more though but I don’t remember what it is. He got the pork chop and I opted for the expensive steak. We got a side of Brussel sprouts and loaded mashed potatoes. We had quite a lot leftover.

We are horrible selfie takers as you can see above. We sat on the field again and watched the night sky, then made our way back to his place where he pulled out his telescope and camera. We walked down near the golf course and watched the lunar eclipse. He took a lot of pictures and I laid down on the blanket and read through an article where we could assess one another. I think that article brought us closer together and I was able to speak easily without fear of him getting angry. Sigh, so nice.

That’s one of his moon pictures from the lunar eclipse. This picture doesn’t do it justice since I kind of pixelated it.

The next morning I sat on the porch and relaxed as he continued to sleep. Artemis hung out with me as well. Look at those YELLOWS!

20220517 | Lunch with Chelsea | Cajuu | Katy, Texas

May 17, 2022

Chelsea and I finally got to grab lunch together at Cajuu. We’ve been wanting crawfish and the flavour here is perfect, the price, not so much. We’re both alike and showed up with presents for each other’s birthdays that passed. And being able to catch up with her is always a treat. We complain about things but we are so thankful for everything we have.

20220519 - 20220520 | Rizzo Surgery | Gulf Coast Vet | Houston, Texas | Mellie Dee

May 19, 2022

Rizzo has been fighting a bump and sneezes and breathing issues since the end of November and they finally said he needed surgery. The fear I was going to lose him was HUGE. We spent a few minutes alone in the car together. I cried a lot and although Frankenstein was far away, he did something that made my heart so full so that I could focus on something else when I was in the waiting room for him to go in.

Rizzo had to stay the night but was told all was well. He had a bacterial cyst, unsure how and why, but it ate through his bone and impacted three of his teeth. Luckily they were able to make the incision in the mouth rather than on his face. He still looked rough when I picked him up the next day but he healed up well. He kept trying to nibble on his IV arm so I sewed him a collar pillow. He actually loves it and doesn’t mind me putting it on him.

20220530 | Emmy, Ethan, June, Swimming, Target, Fun

May 21, 2022

Emmy and Ethan are here again! We went to Target for some fun, played in water with LOTS of water balloons, made toilet paper tube animals and more.

20220526 | Splash Pad | JJ, Jacob, Mallory, Emmy, Ethan, Mellie Dee

May 26, 2022

I took them to the Splash Pad in Mallory’s neighborhood after work one day. They played with JJ and Jacob first at the Splash Pad before moving to the playground. Its so nice that they have a friend the same age as them Sadly they don’t live anywhere nearby else they could be best friends!

20220527 | Nursery | Mum, Ethan, Emmy | World Market

May 27, 2022

Mum, Dad, June, and I took the kids to IHop. Afterwards Mum and I took the kids to the Nursery and TJMaxx. We shopped for a bit and dropped Ethan and Mum home. Emmy and I continued our shopping adventures.

20220527 | Dim Sum Box | Katy, Texas | Emmy, Jenny, Le

When we were about to pick up food and head home, I get a phone call from Jenny and Le that they were nearby and we decided to eat lunch together at Dim Sum Box. Super expensive and the food is normal with a way smaller menu. My favourite is their special garlic shu mai.

20220528 | Rainforest Cafe | Katy, Texas | Sissy, Emmy, Ethan, Mellie Dee

May 28, 2022

Sissy came and we took the kids to Rainforest Cafe. They were both scared at first when the thunder happened and the animals went crazy. Ethan literally sat on half my lap holding my arm for dear like practically the whole entire time we were there. We walked around the mall and headed home.

20220528 | Crawfish Cafe | Houston, Texas | Jenny, Le, Emmy, Jennifer, Jimmy

Later that night, I took Emmy to Crawfish Cafe for dinner with Jenny, Le, Jennifer and Jimmy. Their fried shrimp is better than most Chinese restaurants! But the flavour I got for the crawfish was meh. I should of listened to Jennifer and gotten the one she recommended. Next time!

20220529 | Frankenstein | Cooking "Panang" Curry

May 29, 2022

Jenny and Le came and picked up Emmy to go back to Dallas. Ethan was still here though.

Frankenstein made plans to cook dinner together since we were both off for Memorial Day. We decided to make Panang Curry which might have been a mistake seeing how there’s not many Asian stores around. We went to Kroger to pick up our ingredients and it was a hit and a miss. Coconut cream/milk was EXPENSIVE there but we substituted and did our thing and I will say, although it tasted nothing like Panang Curry it was still delicious.

Filed Under: Eateries & Drinkeries Tagged With: American, Asian, Cajun, Chinese, Coffee and Tea, Dessert, Fast Food, Houston, Japanese, Katy, Mexican, Seafood, South American, Steakhouse, Sushi, Texas, Thai

2022 April | Team Building, PPDM Expo, & Ethan’s Back!

April 30, 2022 by Mellie Dee Leave a Comment

Hi world, it’s been a while. But I’m here and ready to spit out some updates. Lots happened, sad and happy.

20220421 | Work Team Away Day | Watsons | Houston, Texas

April 21, 2022

Helped plan a team building. It was at Watson’s and we were given drink tickets. Everyone loved the games we had especially the one trying to figure out what supplies deem useful if you are stuck at sea.

20220424 | Paris Day & Night Puzzle

April 24, 2022

The last puzzle I finished in April of a couple in Paris. I heard it’s stinky there but hopefully one day I can make it over there.

20220426 | PPDM Expo Day 1 | Houston, Texas | Rose, Mellie Dee, Joel, Miao, Jade, Caleb, Jonathan, Rizzo

April 26, 2022

I was able to attend this year’s PPDM Expo which was pretty nice. Rose and I rode together and even stayed for their happy hour. So much free food and drink ticket fun. And swag!

20220427 | PPDM Expo Day 2 | Houston, Texas | Rose, Mellie Dee, Kelly

April 27, 2022

The second day was just as fun especially knowing who was showing up or not. The presentations weren’t as interesting as the first day though.

20220429 | Shine on Heights Salon | Tutti Frutti with Sissy & Mum

April 29, 2022

Finally got a hair cut and another dye job. My cut was a little rushed but I was able to fix it myself. Later that night, Sissy came over and we grabbed frozen yogurt with Mum. It’s been a long time since it was just the three of us and it was nice.

20220430 | Ethan Comes to Houston | Mum, Mellie Dee | HMart & BingSu | Hot Pot

April 30, 2022

Mum and I went and picked up Ethan for another stay in Houston. We stopped by HMart to buy some groceries and had lunch at Bing Su. Later that night we had hot pot with Dad and June.

This boy has so much energy and every time he leaves, my heart gets so sad! Same when Emmy is here.

Filed Under: Eateries & Drinkeries Tagged With: Asian, Bars and Pubs, Dessert, Houston, Katy, Texas

202204 | Arizona Trip | 1st Anniversary

April 18, 2022 by Mellie Dee Leave a Comment

202204 | Arizona Trip | Frankenstein | Wingstop | League City, Texas | Ronny Chieng Speakeasy

Thursday, April 14th

I worked until almost 6pm. I had plans to go be at Frankenstein’s by 6pm! It was crazy but pushing through and finishing chapter one of my paper for work class was worth it because coming back Monday, I didn’t have to worry too much about it.

Anyway, I finally made it to his place after 7pm and he pranks me by making me think he packed the smallest duffle bag for the trip because I tend to pack “a lot”. Hey, I’m a girl. We have more things!

I hadn’t eaten all day and only drank one bottle of water. My hands were shaking and although I was not hungry I knew I had to eat. We watched Ronny Chieng Speakeasy on Netflix and ate our DoorDash Wingstop for dinner and headed to bed.

202204 | Arizona Trip | Frankenstein | Day 1 | Hobby > PHX | Phoenix, Arizona | Mellie Dee

Friday, April 15th

We wake up SUPER early for our 6am flight. We both like being at the airport early. Yay. We were lucky and got the whole row to ourselves. I mostly played on my iPad and watched Flashpoint before opting to sleep with music in my ears.

We arrived at Phoenix, picked up our bags and headed to our rental car. We were upgraded twice and went on our merry way. It was the one we initially wanted but realized wasn’t necessary so it all worked out.

202204 | Arizona Trip | Frankenstein | Day 1 | Original Breakfast House | Phoenix > Flagstaff
Garden Hash & Eggs (mix “hash potatoes”, peppers, onions, asparagus, spinach, mushrooms and cheddar cheese, topped with two eggs your way and served with toast, biscuit, or pancakes) | $13.95 • Green Pork Chili Benedict (two tamale cakes topped with green pork chili, two poached eggs and scratch hollandaise sauce) | $15

We started driving to Flagstaff stopping at Original Breakfast House since we hadn’t eaten yet. There was a wait and they even had a sign that if it was a busy day, your group will only have an hour and a half before getting kicked out! How crazy!

The food was better than expected, and they give you a lot! We both had leftovers. Frankenstein’s tamales were perfect. The masa was super sweet to me as well but he thought they tasted normal. I opted for the biscuit and ordered their sausage gravy to go with it. The biscuit was sweet which was weird for me. Also having asparagus in my hash was different. Not a fan but I ate all the veggies I could.

This place has cinnamon rolls which I really wanted to order but was so full to do so. The whole time I was there, I noticed every few minutes another cinnamon roll was being served to another table so it must be a hit!

202204 | Arizona Trip | Frankenstein | Day 1 | Flagstaff, Arizona | Downtown Shops | Macy's European Coffeehouse & Bakery

When we got to Flagstaff we parked the car and walked around downtown. We mostly went into shops I looked up and wanted to check out.

  • Babbit General Store
  • Bright Side Bookstore
  • PJ Chilcottage
  • Blackhound Gallerie
  • Basement Marketplace
  • Zani’s

He just wanted to take pictures of downtown so it worked out since I dragged him everywhere. We stopped by Macy’s European Coffeehouse & Bakery for a quick pick me up before continuing around downtown.

202204 | Arizona Trip | Frankenstein | Day 1 | Lowell Observatory | Flagstaff, Arizona

Afterward, we stopped by Lowell Observatory. My man loves all things space and this is the place where Pluto was discovered!

I typically dislike tours or “lectures” as they put it but our lady was THE BEST. I did not fall asleep and I retained a lot more information than I thought I would. Either I have to admit to Frankenstein that this shiet is interesting or maybe, just maybe, this is literally the best tour guide ever.

The telescopes are GIANOURMOUS. I was actually disappointed that it was too windy to use. Luckily their cluster of smaller (compared to the giant ones but the cluster is still huge) telescopes were able to be used later in the night.

202204 | Arizona Trip | Frankenstein | Day 1 | Shift Restaurant | Flagstaff, Arizona | 1st Anniversary | Mellie Dee
Chef’s Tasting Menu | four courses + intermezzo | $70/person

We checked into our little house we rented. It was super cute and perfect for just the two of us. We laid around for a bit since we hadn’t really stopped since we arrived and then made a pit stop at Basha’s for water. Then it was time to check into our reservations for our first anniversary dinner celebration at Shift.

We didn’t know what to really order so we opted for the Chef’s Tasting Menu. Our first ever Chef’s Tasting Menu. If one person wanted to do it, everyone at the table had to.

We started out with tap water for me, sparking for him, and Paloma for me and a bourbon for him before our courses started to come.

  • 1st Course | Roasted Red Cabbage (fermented soy, Greek yogurt, pickled caraway seed)
  • 2nd Course | Mushroom Cavatelli (spicy miso beurre blanc, maple eel sauce, pea vines)
  • Intermezzo | Sorbet (evoo, sea salt, chevre)
  • 3rd Course | Escolar (coconut corn broth, piquillo relish, curry walnut dust, chive oil)
  • 4th Course | Mint Chocolate Churro (variations of chocolate, earl grey gelato)

I loved every course and if I had the money, I’d do tasting menus everywhere! It’s nice to get a bit of everything. We were both surprised about the cabbage and made me want to go home and try to do the same. It was better than I expected it to be. The dessert wasn’t bad. Nothing to write about but it was nice to have gelato since our first date was Menchie’s. He said it’s not the same since it’s not frozen yogurt but I’d like to think any form of ice cream, gelato, froyo is okay.

My favourite hands down was the sauce from the second course. If they mix that with the escolar from the third course, I think it would be the perfect pairing. Frankenstein on the other hand loved the third course.

My leaste favourite has got to be the intermezzo. The goat cheese and sea salt ruined the sorbet in my opinion.

202204 | Arizona Trip | Frankenstein | Day 1 | Lowell Observatory | Flagstaff, Arizona | Night Sky

We headed back to the Observatory after dinner to catch the stars. Sadly the moon was shining so bright that it was hard to get the kind of pictures we envisioned. They’re not bad but could be better. Next time, we’ll check the moon calendar before booking flights to see stars.

We looked through those telescopes I mentioned earlier and bought things at the gift shop as a memorabilia.

202204 | Arizona Trip | Frankenstein | Day 2 | The Fred Harvey Restaurant | Grand Canyon Railway | Williams, Arizona | Mellie Dee

Saturday, April 16th

We woke up early and drove to Williams. We grabbed our Grand Canyon Railway tickets and ate a buffet breakfast at The Fred Harvey Museum. The tater tots and bacon were top tier. I joked I was going to snag some in my bag to eat on the train.

202204 | Arizona Trip | Frankenstein | Day 2 | Grand Canyon Railway | Williams, Arizona | Mellie Dee

The ride was a little over two hours but it was better than driving an hour and wait to park for another hour. They kept us entertained. They had a newspaper with facts, information, and coupons for restaurants. And once in a while they’ll have stories to tell about an area we were passing by.

What really kept me entertained for a long while was the family sitting in front of us. The little girl kept trying to get our attention … until she passed out from exhaustion.

The little cross picture are communication lines they used back in the day from the Grand Canyon to Williams. It’s still up, even though they don’t use it.

202204 | Arizona Trip | Frankenstein | Day 2 | Grand Canyon, Arizona | Mellie Dee

When we finally made it to the Grand Canyon, we were let out and were free to roam about the whole entire area. We walked and took SO many pictures. I love that he is the same so there was no anxiety of “oh crap, I shouldn’t take one” because half the time, he was too. We walked into the market place area, shopping a bit before jumping on the bus to head back to the train.

I got off the bus prematurely which could have been catastrophic if we didn’t make it back to our train by the allotted time. Luckily the couple in front of us, as well as the lady managing how many people can get on a bus at a time, let us on. Whew. Then we had an issue where we couldn’t check in since internet up in the canyon was spotty. Yay boarding group C!

On the ride back we were stopped by the bad guys. They were literally on horses! And even had two of them get on the train and once the train started going again, they walked through demanding money. The kids LOVED it. I even heard one said, “see you later bad guys!”

202204 | Arizona Trip | Frankenstein | Day 2 | Northern Arizona University | Fratelli Pizza | Lowell Observatory | Flagstaff, Arizona
Works (red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushroom, black olive, red onion, green bell pepper) • Flagstaff (hippie favourite! pesto, sun dried tomato, mozzarella, artichoke heart, ricotta, garlic) | $13/small 10″ pizza

When we got back at the depot, we walked around the shop and then drove back to Flagstaff. We passed by Northern Arizona University where Frankenstein’s coworker got their doctorate there. It was super pretty so he walked around for a short bit and got a few pics as evidence that he did check it out.

We decided on Fratelli Pizza for dinner. Two small pizzas that was still TOO much for us but we shoveled it down. Per usual, veggie meat pizzas are to notch. I was very surprised by artichoke on pizza though. I actually liked it although their sun dried tomatoes were too hard/chewy so I picked those off and gave them to him instead.

We were about to head back “home” when I realized the Observatory was still opened and I wanted to get the cap. He had gotten one but I was on the fence. Glad he was willing to go back so I could get it. It also gave him a chance to ask questions about one of the telescopes he was interested in to understand what programs it was using.

202204 | Arizona Trip | Frankenstein | Day 3 | Flagstaff > Phoenix | Chase Field | Gallo Blanco | PHX > Hobby
Gallo Guacamole (avocado, red onion, serranos, fire roasted tomatoes, orange segments, salt, line, cilantro & cotija with chips) | $6 • La Bomba Torta (al pastor, asadero cheese, lettuce, mayo & tomatillo salsa with pineapple) | $13 • Barbacoa Taco | $3.75 • Campechano Taco (longaniza, al pastor, carne asada) | $3.75 | Red Eye Coffee

Sunday, April 17th

Our last day, we woke up later than all the previous days and made our way to Phoenix. I had found a family owned Mexican restaurant but when we got there, it was closed … Oh Easter.

He found out Chase Field was close by so while I searched for a new place, he drove around and snapped pictures the best he could.

We ended up grabbing food at Gallo Blanco. Seriously one of the best Mexican foods I’ve ever had. Their al pastor is top notch although their guacamole could be better. Mostly because I’m use to the Texas way with a lot more vegetables and smooth. Theirs was SUPER chunky and I found a few avocado skins in there as well. Frankenstein said it’s to show how authentic it is.

We dropped off the car and went to the airport. We walked through different terminals to get our steps in and watched planes take off. With us being in boarding group C, we were lucky to find seats next to one another.

By the time we got back to Houston, I was pooped. We picked up our bags, got on a bus to get my car, drove him home, before heading home myself. Luckily I was home a little after 9pm which just feels like a regular day to me so work wasn’t too bad – especially since I got to work it at home.

Our first trip on our first anniversary was memorable. We did a lot and nothing at all. I came back, although tired, but refreshed. I’m not sure when our next trip will be but I’m ready …

Filed Under: Eateries & Drinkeries, Travel Tagged With: American, Arizona, Breakfast and Brunch, Chef's Tasting Menu, Coffee and Tea, Flagstaff, League City, Mexican and Tex-Mex, Phoenix, Pizza, Sightseeing, Texas, Williams

Eli Young Band, Double Date, and Seafood Boil

April 10, 2022 by Mellie Dee Leave a Comment

Gringo's | Eli Young Band at Wildcatter's | Mallory, Leah & Wes

April 1st

Mallory and Leah had plans to see Eli Young Band and ended up with free tickets and invited me to join. We met up with Leah and Wes at Gringos for dinner before heading to Wildcatters. He played a lot of newer songs but us oldies wanted the .. oldies. It was still fun though and loved the open space concert location.

Frankenstein and I had a video chat afterwards to pin down transportation for our upcoming trip. I cannot wait for our adventure!

Double Date | Frankenstein, Sebastian, & Paige | Harold's & Jeni's | Houston, Texas

April 2nd

Frankenstein and I had a double date with Sebastian and Paige. Our significant others meeting for the first time! We met at Harold’s for dinner and nonstop conversation. The food is as I remember from Houston Restaurant Week. It’s okay but not good for the cost. We headed to Jeni’s for ice cream afterwards and when I walked in, I almost choked on the sweetness. The ice cream was very delicious though and I loved that they give you a tiny wedge of waffle cone.

It’s crazy how Sebastian and I were only acquaintances in high school and only saw each other years and years later on a mutual friend’s television show. Now we are friends meeting each other’s people.

Free Ice Cream at Work, Homemade Enchilada Bowls, Shogun, Local Table

April 5th

I finally went back to work! And they were giving out free ice creams. Two days a week isn’t too bad. People are draining though. I haven’t napped since I worked from home on weekdays but I definitely did the two days I worked in the office. Sigh. My eczema got worse too but not 100% sure if it’s due to that. But I’ll do anything to blame being back.

I also made the laziest enchiladas ever. You can’t really call it that so I’ll call them enchilada bowls. I also had good eats from Shogun and Local Table. Not pictured: Thaicoon.

Chelsea & Mellie Dee | Mike's Seafood | Houston, Texas

April 8th

I finally had lunch with Chelsea! We’ve been wanting to do a one on one in so long but life keeps hitting us. It was amazing seeing her and catching up from family, friends and work.

We met at Mike’s Seafood on Hwy 6 and each got Platter A (snowcrab, shrimp, crawfish, mussels, potato’s, corn). The flavour was good but Yummy still wins out. But there’s a sauce served here called Mike’s sauce that won out. That paired with Yummy Seafood will definitely hit the spot.

I ordered a dozen oysters and she ordered boudin balls. The oysters were mostly huge. There were a few tiny ones which was a bummer. She was not a fan of her boudin balls and didn’t even eat them.

Mellie Dee Makeup Palette Testing

I bought new makeup to play with since the ones I had were old and needed replacing. I am also continually on a hunt to find makeup that is easy to travel with where it isn’t super bulky. I think I’ve found some winners! It didn’t come out horrible but it still needs help. Is anyone a pro? Help?

Rizzo Walks | Frankenstein & Artemis

I’ve been taking Rizzo on walks and a new section of the park opened up. It’s my new favourite way since there’s way less foot traffic so I get more peace. Rizzo is still a trooper even with the giant nose bump.

Frankenstein and Artemis made it in here because I missed their faces and got this cute shot back. Cannot wait to see them this weekend!

Filed Under: Beauty & Fashion, Eateries & Drinkeries, Music Tagged With: American, Concerts, Dessert, Houston, Ice Cream, Japanese, Katy, Mexican and Tex-Mex, Seafood, Texas

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