Snow, snow, snow... Oh, at last! I would have never believed them Texans had I not seen it with mine own two eyes.
It's official then... Austin indeed has a winter season :) Just a little bit more snow would be fun!
But not too much though ... don't want to resurrect the snow shovel from Boise, ID!
2006 is when we had our last Fall pictorials and that was in Boise, Idaho. Fall 2007 was an extremely busy time for us because of our relocation to Austin, Texas - so no photos then. So this year 2008, we've done it again!
Last Friday, we went to the McKinney Falls State Park. There was a bit of color to the autumn leaves but not as much as there are in Idaho or in the East Coast. Perhaps if we went there earlier, there would be more leaves and more colors. Still, it's a pretty place!
Some things to remember when taking group portraits in parks:
Of course, it goes without saying that you need to check the weather and do reconnaissance of the place for good locations even before the actual pictorial date!
I'm sure you have good tips, too. Any tip to add to my list?
For a year now, we have been planning to dine at Cannoli Joe's in South Austin, but somehow, Buffet Palace always wins out. I see it often when I go through Ben White Blvd/290/71. Al has dined there a couple of times courtesy of the big company (or is it from the boss' wallet?) and says he likes it, but not for everyday meals. So, I was intrigued...
So finally, we have an excuse to check it out (Hi, Tita Rory!).
After church last Sunday, we all met up at Cannoli Joe's and here is my "review":
FOOD
It was buffet style, aka smorgasbord...
Anyway, food was okay - the different pasta dishes were tasty, the grilled vegetables were good, the salads were okay,too. Different from our everyday fare, but nothing really spectacular. Lots of oil - olive oil, I guess, since Italian cuisine is known for that.
I tried the cannoli for dessert because that's what the place is named after... and was disappointed. I really do not know what a good cannoli tastes like but that did not taste great by any standard.
On the other hand, I may not be reviewing the food fairly because I avoided the meat section because of the meat-heavy meal on Saturday night. I didn't see any shrimp, fish or any seafood though. Maybe that means, I have to go back and try them once more :)
And we are not wine people, so I have nothing to say regarding that.
The good thing is that you don't have to order and wait long for your food to arrive.
AMBIANCE
Very nice place... the waiting area was large, warm and interesting. The bar was near the entrance and there were plenty of partitioned dining areas which made the place feel cozy.
The dishes are displayed in what looked like street stands. (It reminded me of Street Life in Glorietta - is that place still there?)
Got this clip from YouTube to give you an idea what it looks like inside...
STAFF
The Front person, the Waitress and even the Accordionist were friendly and accomodating.
PRICE
Sunday Brunch costs $13.99 for adults and $5.99 for kids under 12 years old. Not cheap.
Tita Rory and Tristan said that for the food we ate, it would have been probably less expensive to eat at Buca Di Beppo because they serve family-style. Hmmm... maybe next time, we'll try that place :)
Heard of either Italian restaurants? Care to share your experience?
Due to persistent public demand (ahem...), here is the greatest turkey recipe on earth!
Read more...
On Thanksgiving day itself, Al and I really had no special plans. We just wanted to finish the painting the walls ...
Joey called before noon though and invited us to have dinner at their house. And go we did and were greeted with tableful of food that Shiela and Mamang cooked
- Turkey lettuce wrap, Sliced turkey, Pancit, Grilled salmon, Fresh veggies, chips and dip. I brought Chicken Teriyaki (and ingredients for Vietnamese noodles - which remained off the table since there was plenty of food already).
The "real" Thanksgiving celebration happened last Saturday though. We had friends and family over. They wrote out what they were grateful about in their lives. Then Tristan spoke about "The True Meaning of Thanksgiving".
Then it was chow-time! Since it was a pot-luck, we had plenty of gooood food! The only thing I regretted was that I was not able to truly taste the rest of the food too much because I stuck with the turkey :). I have to say I was mightly pleased with the turkey! (I will share you the greatest turkey recipe on earth on tomorrow's post!) I also concocted the cranberry (etc) iced tea and the gulaman (sans sago) drink which the guests loved :)
And of course, we had games! The kids enjoyed upstairs (courtesy of Ann and Shiela) while the adults laughed through 20 Questions and screamed lots during the 1, 2, 3 Pass card game.
And so, lest we forget what thanksgiving is really all about in the midst of all the food, games, fun and celebration... here's my list of what I am thankful for:
I am thankful for being alive, for having all my senses and my body is complete.
I am thankful for having lived a full life and seen a lot in this world.
I am thankful for family and friends who have colored my life.
But most of all, I am thankful to God who loves me, who is faithful even if I am not and who is always more than enough for me!
I know this post is a week late for Thanksgiving but Scripture does say to "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18) - not just on Thanksgiving day!
So, what are YOU thankful about?
I have noticed a lot of small cars recently and I thought these were European cars which were imported in. Well, I learned a few days ago that they are called Smart Cars and I finally, I got to touch and sit on one!
The Smart Car is obviously small. They're cute and as Janice, the lady owner above said "be prepared to be a spectacle" or what this other owner calls "smiles per mile":It's officially called smart fortwo - of course, because it is designed to carry 2 persons only. From the inside though, it does not feel like it is a small car andit is actually surprisingly relatively (did I just use 3 adverbs???) spacious for a car its size!!! It's got some cargo space - and I mean, just probably some 8 cubic feet. That didn't stop impresarios from fitting in much more people into it though:I'm very sure they are not going anywhere at all!Anyway, the Smart Car is sold at a base price of $12,000. With a couple of upgrades, it could easily go up to $17,000 - almost as expensive as the bigger Honda Civic.It definitely has high mileage at 45mpg. Assuming 10,000 miles per year usage, that translates to about $2000 savings per year versus a Honda Civic though. So, the Smart Car may definitely be an alternative cheaper way to commute. The Smart Car is made by Mercedes. So yes, it is indeed a European car and it can do a lot of fancy moves. Check it out!
And being Mercedes-made, one expected its passing crash tests with flying colors at 30 mph. Here's another version at 70 mpg though:I think the Smart Car is good for normal city driving and I'm sure that this is the perfect car for some people. In fact, it seems it is developing a cult... uhmmm... enthusiast following already. There is a waiting list to get it and a $99 reservation fee, too! As for me, I don't think I am ready for the Smart Car. I like my cargo space to be larger than its 8 cubic feet capacity. We do a lot of out-of-town driving so I feel safer in bigger cars. But that's just me.
Have you noticed these small smart cars in your streets recently? What do you think of them?
This is the gas price last week!
This is nearly the gas price when we first moved to Boise in 2003. Woohoo! I wonder if everything else will have a price roll back??? Or is that wishful thinking?
Anyhow two months ago... Kuna, the Honda Pilot, required $60 to fill its tank. Although I saw the gas price sign before I went into the gas station last week, I was still pleasantly shocked when I heard the pump stop at $27!!! (I guess I didn't do the math…)
Low gas price is good. I hope it stays that way. Lower to the sub-$1 level is even better and I told Al that I would buy him "something" if it does go down to that level. Hehehe ...
For a while last week, we let our guards down and used Kuna a lot without any hesitation. But eventually, we just naturally gravitated back to using the small car.
No point in unnecessarily spending more for gas even if the gas price is low (this time). After all, it gets us from point A to point B safely and comfortably as well.
How has the gas price affected your driving habits and car purchase plans?
That is my perfect alibi for not blogging the whole week! And I do have proof for it. :) This is us in action as we painted one of the Living Room walls in dark brown (Homestead Brown by Sherwin Williams paints).
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