Jan 24, 2013

G'day Y'all

by Emmie Dark

Hello lovecatters! As you might have guessed from my posts on LoveCats, I tend to travel quite a bit and I'm often posting from different places in the world. Well, it's the same deal this month and that's why my post is a little delayed -- after all, it is still Wednesday (morning!) here in Los Angeles!!

And I have to say, winter here in LA beats the stinkin' summer weather at home in Melbourne right now. We've got blue sky, sunshine, about 25 during the day. Chilly enough at night to need a jacket, but that also means snuggling into bed with the doona. Quite frankly, it's no wonder the rich and famous choose to base themselves here.
Venice Beach. Yes, it is winter.
Spotted my first celeb yesterday -- Jason Segel from "How I Met Your Mother". He was just walking down the street with his arm around his girlfriend, all casual-like. (I imagine his girlfriend is probably someone famous too, but I don't pay enough attention to the right kind of magazines to know that. In fact, I have probably walked passed dozens of celebrities but I just don't know who they are!)

Last weekend I went to Texas to visit with a friend. I got to see Dallas and the gorgeous city of Austin. The slogan for Austin is "Keep Austin Weird", and it's definitely my kind of weird. The city is full of food, music and quirky peeps. It's also the home of the Texas Longhorns (college football team) of whom I have become a serious and loyal supporter (at least, I own a lot of merchandise now). One of these days I'll actually get to see a game, but at least this time I got to meet Bevo, the team mascot -- not surprisingly, a longhorn steer.

G'day, y'all.
Texas is definitely a place for good food and lots of it, if you're so inclined. My friend (a native Austonian) took me to the secret, best barbecue place in the whole of Austin. Do you remember the opening credits of The Flintstones? Where Fred pedals his car into the diner and gets served a rack of ribs that are so huge they tip the car over? Yes, that.

Just a small dinner for me, thanks.
I had the "junior plate" which consisted of two ribs. TWO. I managed to eat one. It was delicious and I kept eating way beyond "full" because it was so yummy. (Oh, and FYI, the beer I drank is a local brew called Shiner Bock, a brewery that's been around for decades which was formed by European immigrants who definitely knew how to made a decent lager.)

The only thing I missed out on in Texas? I did not once see any sexy cowboys. I didn't even see any non-sexy cowboys. Still.... that's just a reason to go back!!

PS -- My good news is that while I'm over here I'm working on the copy edits for my brand new erotica novella, "Spellbound", due out with Destiny Romance in March! I'll keep you posted.

15 comments:

  1. Sounds like you're having a blast!!!

    You're right, that meat platter looks like something from The Flintstones - LOL. Am sure it was delish!! Shame about those cowboys - are you sure? Bet you looked high & low ;)

    LA in winter is stunning. I just love those sunny days - just like in Qld :)

    All the best with your edits :)

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  2. Hi Emmie - sounds like a fabulous time. One of the things I remember most about LA (been over a decade since I was there though)was the size of the plates - but they have to be big to hold all that food I guess. Hope you enjoyed the ribs!

    PS - I think Jason Segal's gf is actress Michelle Williams. (But things can change daily in Hollywood I guess)

    Great post. And congrat's on the upcoming novellla!

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  3. Hi Emmie-- what a wonderfully glamorous life you lead! So jealous! I love Jason Segal...so funny, and Helen is right, his most recent gf is Michelle Williams, so if the girl you saw him with wasn't cute, petite and blonde you could be on to a world exclusive!

    I'm always amazed at the amount of food served in US, but somehow you adapt- you start your trip eating half the stuff on your plates, but by the end you're asking for seconds!

    Enjoy your trip and come home safely! Looking forward to hearing more about your novella!

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  4. Ooh, Michelle Williams -- she's kinda more famous than him, right?? Yes, the girl he was with was definitely petite and blonde and pretty, so there you go, I saw TWO celebrities!!

    The serving sizes here are pretty phenomenal, but I have noticed a pattern -- the more expensive the meal is, the less actual food you get! I had a wonderful dinner last night out with friends, but if I hadn't shared one of my friend's leftovers, I would have been left hungry by the teeny-tiny little portion of duck that was my meal!

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  5. Gorgeous beach photo there, Emmie. But I think I like the photo of that plate of food more. Umm...I have to ask what are all those sides. I'm thinking mashed potatoes, some kind of relish (?), baked beans, a slice of bread and onions (?). Anyway, looking at it is making my mouth water. :-) Yum!

    P.S. Love the title of your Destiny novella!

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  6. Hi Emmie ~ The joys of travel are so many. My husband and I have found a lot of wonderful eating places by asking locals where they go to eat out.

    LOL on the more you pay the less you get. That is often the case. It's okay with me as long as the less is delicious.

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  7. Wait a second, no sexy cowboys! I would have thought those ribs would have had them flocking. The ones on your plate, also.

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  8. Hi Emmie,

    What a fantastic time you're having. I'm so jealous! I had my first trip to the States last year and I can't wait to go back.

    That's REALLY funny about the more expensive the food, the less you get too.

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  9. Michelle -- from what I recall, the sides were potato salad, beans, pickles and slices of raw onion. The potato salad was okay, but I didn't eat any of the rest of it. The way my friend put it was, "You don't come here for the sides". LOL!

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  10. Kaelee -- I'm the same -- whenever I get the opportunity, I'm asking locals for recommendations on where to eat!

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  11. Dora -- LOL! After all this food you can't even SEE my ribs...

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  12. Thanks Barbara -- I'm having a great time. Hope you get to come back States-side soon!

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  13. Glad you enjoyed the whirlwind tour of Dallas and Austin! You are definitely a certified Texas Longhorn fan now, and Bevo can't wait to meet you in person when you return for a football game one of these days. (Just don't tell Bevo that those ribs we ate were made from...his cousin. Horrors!)

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  14. Great pics, Emmie! Those ribs look good enough to eat and for more than one person even though it's a "junior" plate... I'm wondering how big a full serve is!

    But, hey, no cowboys?? Mmmm, that is a good excuse to go back on a quest!

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  15. Emmie, I love seeing the photos from your travels - thanks for sharing them with us!

    Like Barb, I had my first US trip last year and would love to go back. Maybe 2014. :)

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