Merry Christmas Eve, Eve!

Morning people! I actually woke up before 10 today! Gettin' my day started with a few phone calls from friends was nice. One from one of my best buddies in Sedona, AZ, and one from my long time friend Chris here in TX. We have big plans for this evening! Chris and I used to run around together in college when he was Rodeo buddies with a guy I used to hang out with in high school. Turns out, Chris and I got along a lot better than my high school friend and we kept in touch over the years. He is picking me up this afternoon and carting me over to Ft. Worth for a night of drinkin' and dancin' at the Ft. Worth Stockyards. Quite possibly my favorite place to go dancing in the world! Click HERE to check it out. I am so excited!

Needless to say we wont be driving back to Dallas tonight, so Chris will drive me home in the morning, then it's time to get things ready for christmas eve bbq dinner! :) Oh, today's lunch fare: Mini Deep Dish Pizzas.

Once again, a pack of crescent rolls. Some pre-made pizza sauce. I use the kind in a squeeze bottle. Some FRESH mozzarella. Mini pepperonis Shredded cheese. (your choice) Just smash out the crescents in the muffin tin. It won't be pretty. Who cares? Squirt about a tablespoon of sauce in the cups. Sprinkle as many pepperonis as you want on the sauce. Top with a nice slice of mozz. Sprinkle with the cheese blend. Pop in the oven at 350 for like 15-20 mins, just like the casserole from yesterday. You don't have to worry about the center being cold because I took them out when the edges of the crescents got brown and the cheese on the edges were crispy and the center was like MAGMA! Enjoy!

Suzy Homemaker.

I tend to get in the baking/cooking mood when I come home. This trip is no different! (Not to mention my new obsession, Pinterest.com )

I created a baked potato casserole today out of some leftover mashed potatoes I found in the freezer. Super easy.

I had about a cup of mashed potatoes, maybe a little more.
Half a cup of shredded cheese.
2 big thick cut strips of bacon, cooked.
Half a can of reduced fat crescent rolls. (Reduced fat. LOL why??? Who knows.)
I chopped up the bacon and mixed the potatoes and cheese in with them.

Preheat your oven to 350, not 375 like it says on the rolls. I did this because I was worried about the crescents being cooked and the potatoes being cold because those little guys bake up so fast.

Line a little greased baking dish with Crescent rolls. Plop in the potato mixture. I left enough crescent rolls hanging over the edges to bring them over the the top about an inch all the way around. Then I sprinkled some more cheese all over the top and edges of the crescents. Put it in the oven for about 20 mins, just watch it, when the top of the crescents get nice and brown and the cheese on the edges are crispy, it's done!

This is what it looks like. And it was freaking delicious. 

The only thing that I suggest is that you warm the potato mixture on the stove before putting it in to the crust. Mine was hot as hell on the edges and just warm in the center. Which was ok with me because I was starving. I think warming it before hand will eliminate the temp difference.  Other than that, it was great!

I am still laying low at home. I didn't even get out of my pj's today. It was awesome. I love vacation. 

Merry Christmas to me!

It's official! I am home in Dallas, TX for Christmas! I flew in last night at 9:30pm. My brother picked me up and immediately took me to Taco Bell, then home to my parent's house. It's pretty chilly... it was 36 degrees this morning... Whew! Yesterday was my 29th birthday, so Jeff is taking me out for drinks some time while I'm in town but I was so exhausted yesterday I didn't feel up to it. Maybe tonight but I'm still tired. Mom even put the tree up for the first time in 3 or 4 years. :) YAY! Merry Christmas y'all!

My new plant.

Her name is Carly. :)

Before and after.

I LOVE IT!!! That's my friend Joseph facebooking.... lol

I'm a lot of things...

But I'm not a liar. Nor am I a person who misplaces my most prized possessions. As some of you know, I have been missing my passport for over a month.... I knew it would turn up. I felt it. I put off the extensive  and expensive process becauase i knew in my heart that there was no way!!!! no way!!!! i would have let that most important document out of my sight. so there i sat. then I moved. then i prayed. and then i got on  line.... then i prayed some more.... then i absolutely gave up. I asked my best friend in boston to help me report it stolen after I asked mom. mom did give me me a helpful address.... I decided to just get a local id...... procrastination..... To put it into the most basic terms.... Chris Hennessee, Saint Christopher, Wait, I have strings, Wait there's a passport in this pocket, oh, must be where I keep important things. must be my guitar case. True story.

It's a beautiful day....

For a bike ride in the cemetery.

Before and After! My Little Kitchen in Paradise!

I have been HARD at work on my new place in between work and fun! I have also spent some pretty good money at home depot and the local hardware store. It's so fun and pretty much instant gratification when it comes to home repairs. This is my first time actually fixing up a place on my own and I am having a blast! Yesterday I finished my kitchen floor!

Here are the old cracked and holy linoleum floors...

And my new and improved faux hickory wood laminate! Wow! It comes in individual planks just like real wood!

It took me about 2 hours to cut and lay it all. Not bad! Now for the rest of the house!

Here are the crusty bar stools I found before...

And after!

TA DAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

I painted the kitchen a color called "grasshopper wing" LOL! It's awesome. Now it's time to finish those old cream colored counters and get some new knobs for the cabinet doors and I should be just about finished!

My New Place - Before...

Time to decorate this blank canvas! Any suggestions?
The first picture is the view off my balcony looking down charles st., towards Duval st. That's Irish Kevins at the end of the street. Lol. Here we go!

Feelin' Fresh, Feelin' Fly!

Ahhhhhhhh......

  I just had the most relaxing 3 days off in a row. I can't remember the last time I had that much time off! (besides when I was unemployed for 2 weeks a few months ago!) And let me tell ya, it was awesome. I did absolutely NOTHING. I watched too much tv, played on the internet waaaaaay too much, and somewhere in between naps I found a new place to live!

I have been working at two really awesome restaurants here in ole Key West. I absolutely LOVE both of them and the people I work with! It's been pretty tiring because the one place does breakfast and lunch only and closes at 5pm, whereas the bar opens up at 6pm and closes at 2am. The days I have to to both are the worst. but thats just thursday and friday.

Speaking of the bar, and my living situation, my new apartment is directly above my bar... lol! So convenient! It's a great deal. A friend of the owner comes into town one weekend a month and wanted to rent a place so he didn't have to find a hotel all the time, and I needed a cheap place to live, so we worked out a deal where we split rent! I get the bedroom and I can decorate however I want and when he is in town he will sleep on the futon! I tell you what, the universe is always throwing amazing things my way. Just when I think, "oh man, this is it, im really in trouble now, the universe has finally stopped providing for me!" BAM! Right on my lap on a silver platter. Guess it comes with karma. Don't be an asshole and good things will come your way. I will send pictures of the apartment when I get moved in.

Well, I am gonna grab some lunch and get ready for work!

I will leave you with this...

This is one of the MANY awesome Dia De Los Muertos tiles that line the bar at our favorite new local Mexican spot. Amigo's Tortilla Bar! I love them!

Movin' up and Movin' out!

Great news! I just locked down a new apartment, right downtown, right above my bar! I am so excited! A great price too! THANK YOU UNIVERSE! Now I just need my passport....

Hello There!

How y'all doin'?

Things are a bit crazy down here in old Key West! As per usual... It's slow season here, which makes the locals go a bit nuts. This is the time of year that people start getting cranky, mean, stressed out, and downright weird. The lack of people in town and the lack of money coming in creates a riff that is only cured by season coming back around. This time of year is my least favorite.

Finding things to do that you can do for free proves difficult on an island that is fueled by swirly frozen drink machines and electric cars.

It is 12:30am here. I have been asleep for like 4 hours, coming home after a bit of day drinking to take a nap ended up becoming my first half of tonight's sleep. Tomorrow starts my 2 days off before the "work week" begins. I'm going to stop drinking I think. Don't quote me or anything but I've really been on a roll this month. Stressed out about moving to a new place and work being slow and other things = self medication. A.K.A. Drinking.

I'm starting to think that booze is not the answer, more like the common denominator.

That was a pure rant.

Sorry.

Ok, back to the fun!

I have a ridiculously fun new bartending gig here on island. The people are great, boss is awesome and the money is good, not great, but it's a new bar and it's getting there. I really think I've found a good spot. I also work at at little restaurant that just does breakfast and lunch but it's closed till October 6th because it's slow season. When that swings back into gear I am gonna be really busy. Working 7 days a week is going to be tough but I'm hoping it keeps me out of trouble, lol!

I haven't been out on the water lately, sometimes we forget that it's one of the main reasons we live here. I did go to the beach with Ryan the other day, maybe I will do that again...

Ugh.... this is the lamest blog post I have ever written.

Sorry. I have zero inspiration. I am going back to sleep. Hopefully for a week.

I'm BAAAAAAAAAACK!