As a late-twenty, early thirty-something gal, who happens to be single, I am well aware of the societal backlash that comes with being my age and not married or having kids. For some reason, it is more acceptable to have a brood of children hiding under my skirts and working on a 3rd divorce at my age than it is to be a “never married, no kids” kind of chick. It’s like people assume that there must be something wrong with me.

I had begun to let myself agree with the norms of society and the judging eye of my mother. I began to wonder what was wrong with me… I began to consider marrying someone to make others happy. Then I pimp slapped myself and got back on track.

I have to think positively about where my life is at this point. Nothing good ever came to a Debbie Downer, especially not happiness. I am fiscally responsible. I have an amazing job that I love. I have wonderful friends and a (pretty) supportive family. I think that letting other people’s opinions on how I should be living my life have an effect on how I live it is like just asking a bird to do a fly-by bombing on a good hair day – it’s self-affirming mutilation. Why do that to myself?

So, kiddos, here is where I stand. I may be single. And I may not have kids. But, I do have a great life. It’s all about what you make of it. My idea of happy may not be yours. That’s good – because your happy is probably not mine. I don’t do well with poop and vomit. So, you have your kids and I’ll have my cosmos and we can both envy parts of each other’s lives.

I mention this because today, when I was at C&H Hawaiian Grill, I dropped my ticket on the ground by the trash can on the way out.  Normally, I may or may not have noticed and I may or may not have picked it up.  Today, however, I picked it up quickly and I picked it up for a reason: I respected C&H and wanted to do my part to keep it clean.

I have limited experience with Hawaiian food, so I took my Guamanian co-worker with me.  What we found was a busy place that served really good food.  From their website:

Hawaii is known for its beautiful sunsets, tropical weather and friendly ” Aloha” spirit as well as its blend of multi-cultural cuisines. C & H Hawaiian Grill is dedicated to bringing you the best Hawaiian dining experience by serving a delicious selection of “plate lunch” foods and American cuisine, with exceptional service in a beautiful and comfortable atmosphere.

We believe in serving large portions of high quality food at reasonable low price. “Ono” means ” delicious in Hawaiian, and our food says it all.

The part to pay attention to is “large portions”.  If you are as hungry as I was, then head on over to C&H Hawaiian Grill.  The environment was laid back.  Your order the food at the front, and they call your number (the ticket I dropped) a few minutes later.

Phyllis ordered the LauLau plate which is “pork wrapped with taro leaves and steam cooked for several hours until tender.”  She thought the dish was excellent and only finished half, saving the rest for her husband.  Below are two pictures.  The first is the laulau unopened, and the second shows the pork on the inside of the taro leaves.

As my wife knows, one of my favorite meals is chicken (any kind of chicken) and white rice.  So I ordered Chicken Katsu, which is “Crispy breaded chicken fillets served with our ono katsu sauce.”  I really enjoyed the chicken katsu.  The sauce was fantastic and I chose to dip the chicken in the sauce.  The rice was nice and sticky and I even liked the macaroni salad, which I am not prone to do.  Below is a picture of the chicken katsu.

I also ordered two manapuas, which are steamed buns filled with pork.  I ordered these because they looked like something I used to eat in Singapore.  We called them char siew baos, and I remember a friend who ate them every day after school.  I was too full to try one, but I am looking forward to eating it when I get home today.  I also noticed they served lumpia, which I also remember fondly from Singapore.

I am definitely going to be going back to C&H multiple times in the future, and there are several other interesting items on the menu to try.  As a big fan of sashimi, I really wanted to try the Poke (raw marinated fish), but they were all out.  They also make a hamburger called a “loko moko” served with gravy and two eggs.  Below is a picture of their menu.

It appears, though, that as the years wear on….the subject matter of my searches has become increasingly less-interesting, and is scarily reflective of how lame I’ve become.

Back in my colorful college days, you could have found such nonsense in my search history as (er, nonsense which I’m choosing to disclose):

“margaritas to-go austin, texas”
“joe’s towing austin, texas”
“managerial accounting for dummies”
“austin police station”
“how to cure a vicious hangover”
“free parking on 6th street”

Tonight, friends, THIS was what just went down in my Google search history:

“what to pack for first day of daycare”

Like, are we really being serious?! I’m like, Queen Bee when it comes to list-making…however this was the first list that reaffirmed my fallibility. In my repertoire of lists, I have a daily To-Do List, a revolving To-Do List that goes EVERYWHERE with me, keep a Grocery List taped to the edge of the counter in the kitchen….and never forget the proverbial Bucket and Mental Lists. HELL, at the peak of my cluelessness — I was even able to come up with a “Hospital Bag List” for my birthing vacay. But this mother has thrown me for a LOOP!

My little one has been on a waitlist here in town for over 6 months for day care at one of the local churches. We were stoked to get the phone call last week, notifying us that his turn had come to enroll, as a kid in his age group has been bumped up into an older class. Fortunately to this point (he’s 15m old) my mother and grandmother have absorbed full-time baby duty while we’ve worked…..giving US peace of mind — and HIM a 100% ooey-gooey spoiling environment to enjoy! However, he needs to be around other kids — at least occasionally — and there’s no other place I’d rather him be than with the nice ladies at his ‘school.’

Now with that said, back to my recent lapse in resourcefulness…

So Ryder’s first day of ‘school’ is tomorrow, and it didn’t dawn on me until just now (8:57pm the night before) that he’s not just going to Grandma’s House tomorrow. I need to be prepared to cry! I need to be prepared to feel guilty, selfish — and ironclad all at the same time. We’re already a few hundred bucks deep into this commitment, so I need to be prepared to stand my ground and not give in the minute he looks up at me and wells up at the utter disgust he feels for me leaving him with all these snot-nosed strangers and their keepers! I need to be prepared to walk away from him, knowing this is the FIRST time I’ve ever left him in the hands of ANY stranger! I need to PREPARE a bag for all of these shanannigans to take place….or those keepers are REALLY gonna hate me for dropping off a screaming and sorrowful teething toddler — with no directions, no instructions, no utensils — and no regrets. I would be a bad, bad mommy.

Somewhere between a delicious piece of cheesecake and my list of necessities (extra diapers, wipes, clothes, food, etc…), I begin over-thinking this whole daycare thing by wondering if I’m supposed to bring cookies or a box of goodies, or something, for my son’s inaugural day at ‘school.’ (??!) You know there’s always that mom that’s extra-thoughtful that brings all the kids a cellophane-wrapped doily with some appropriate treat in the middle!

What should I bring? I know my kid reacts a bit questionably in new environments, so should I bring a round of coffees (laced with Kahlua!) or kolaches as a peace offering to the keepers for their plight? Have all the other moms brought treats? Is that even ALLOWED!? I don’t want to be that one derelict mom whose kid immediately becomes the laughing stock of the Blue Room because his mom didn’t bring any offerings to her kid’s first day of school.

…Yeah, THAT negligent beast that spent the entire night before blogging about whether or not to bring said peace offering to class…and ended up NOT doing it after all!

It was then that I turned to the good people at Google and brought them my troubles. After perusing a variety of results, I realized that no one really had a good answer for me other than ‘bring extras of EVERYTHING.’ Well DUH. I scoured many a mommy-blog, to no avail. It seems I’m, indeed, the only overly-thoughtful mommy in this BIZ that ever considered bringing goodies to their child’s first day of school. Psha! DOUBTFUL.

But alas, I spent this entire evening packing, catching up on old Chelsea Lately episodes and blogging. I may forever be regarded as that heartless mommy that dropped her inconsolable superstar off at daycare for his first day — and didn’t even bring an armload of Sausage McMuffins!

…and better yet, cupcakes or no cupcakes, I’m going to bed tonight with the peace of mind of knowing I’ll spend the entire day tomorrow, and the coming weeks at the *very top* of one of my most highly coveted Lists: Ryder’s SH*T List.

Please advise: No cookies or delicious treats were made during the production of this blog entry.

Ok, I’ll refrain from boring the smarts out of you – I was never good at poetry.  But, you get the point.  I’m a junk food addict.  If I could, some days I would probably mainline slush puppies.  Alas, on my quest to live a life more full of holistic health – I have tried to cut back.  I’ve been somewhat successful.  I wouldn’t go so far as to say “success,” is the right word.  I’ve been ok.

But, I am writing these words today as a point of accountability.  I am pledging two things – one, no more junk food.  If it doesn’t cluck, swim, moo (93/7 moo) or grow from the ground I’m passing.  Not because I want to, and not because I don’t think I’ll ever touch junk food again, but because I want to get my health back on track.  To me, that is more important that those delicious, delicious ice cream sandwiches.

I guess you are dying to know what my second pledge is since the first was so earth shattering!  My second pledge for all near and far to know is that I am officially training to run a 5K on March 29^th.  I started a program this week that is supposed to get me from the couch to the finish line in two months.

Normally, I would have kept this under wraps and only told everyone once the tasks were complete.  But, I read somewhere that you should shout your goals from the rooftops (or treetops…some top) to be held accountable for them by others.  It’s supposed to motivate me.  So, here is my culpability claim.  I will cross that freaking finish line if I’m dragging myself by the fingernails over it.

So, you are my conscience.  Don’t let me down.

Then again, I was told a similar story from a co-worker recently that gave me pause. She was in a similar situation on the Clear Creek Rd. exit. A hot little red convertible bucked the traffic system and weaved in and out of cars before finally driving down the side of the road to get in front of the crawling line of cars. My friend was furious – who did this red convertible driving woman think she was? As my co-worker pulled up to work (we work at Metroplex Hospital), she saw the same red car, parked in – of all places – a handicapped spot. She began to walk over to the owner to give her a piece of her mind when the woman pulled out her bloodied, unconscious child from the passenger seat.

So, before I overuse my most astute middle digit or expand upon my plethora of shocking shout-able obscenities, I’ll take the time to remember that everyone is going through something. I will never know what Mr. Miata’s story is, but I won’t waste time being angry with him any longer.

I’ll just scooch my car onto the shoulder a little, so he can’t get past me.

What? It’s a year of progress, not perfection!

• It was a Spanish Colony (Columbus – 1802)
• It was a British Colony (1802 – 1962)
• The official language is English
• The two major ethnic groups are Indo-Trinidadians (From India originally) and Afro-Trinidadians (From Africa originally)
• Many different religions are present in Trinidad and Tobago. The largest two are Roman Catholics (26%) and Hindus (22.5%).

If you want to read more about Trinidad and Tobago, I promise it is worth the effort: Wikipedia.  The reason I chose Mom’s Hot Roti for the first restaurant blog is because it reflects the diversity that makes Killeen great.  Trinidad and Tobago has one of the most interested demographic heritages in the world, and I think that Killeen has one of the most interesting demographic heritages in Texas.  Is there any other town in the US of 120,000 people that can support a Mom’s Hot Roti?  Maybe, but I can guarantee they are few and far between.

Needless to say, the food at Mom’s Hot Roti reflects the ethnic makeup of the island.  Much of the food is a combination of what one would typically expect of Caribbean food, but with a major influence from Indian cuisine.  Roti is unleavened flatbread, and is common in food in India and Pakistan, as well as in Southeast Asia.

From Wikipedia:

Roti also features prominently in the diet of many West Indian countries, especially Trinidad and Tobago,Guyana and Jamaica. West Indian roti are primarily made from wheat flour, baking powder, salt, and water and cooked on a tava. Certain rotis are also made with butter. There are several types of roti made in the West Indies.

I took my wife with me so we could order a couple of different dishes.  I ordered Mom’s signature dish – which is basically Curried meet and rice wrapped in Roti.  The owner described as something you would order from a food stall vendor on the side of the street in Trinidad.  My wife ordered one of the daily specials, which was a Chicken curry served with beans and Rice.  To spice things up a bit, she ordered coconut water and I ordered some ginger beer (no alocohol).

I really liked the Roti, but it might not be for everyone.  Unless you really like curry (I do after growing up in SE Asia), then you may not like Mom’s.  Disclaimer: there are bones in the chicken = don’t plan on eating it like a burrito.  This didn’t bother me at all, in fact the meat fell right of the bone and was very good.

My wife really liked her curry.  Another disclaimer: if you don’t like mustard be sure to ask if the curries contain mustard.  I had never had a curry that contained mustard, and mustard is the only thing I all but refuse to eat, so I was not a fan of this.  However, my wife really liked it.

We didn’t finish our drinks, but when combined with all of the Caribbean flags and the laid back atmosphere, they really did add to the atmosphere and make the experience feel very authentic.

All in all I would recommend Mom’s Hot Roti to anyone who is either A) Adventurous, B) Likes curry, or C) Wants to experience something very authentic.

Since we were at 440 Plaza, we had to go over to O-Mart and get some bubble tea, which is a whole other story itself, and one that I may save for another entry.

Here is the link to the Flickr Set.

I think it’s bizarre, and a little bit unusual that I’ve cried somewhere during EVERY event I’ve watched since Lindsay Vonn won her gold.  All Apollo Ohno has to do is blink and I become a blubbering mess!  Trust me, if you knew me — you’d find this bizarre, and unusual too.

AND, speaking of bizarre and unusual happenings, how about our recent SNOW day!?  Was it more bizarre and unusual that: (a) it snowed….or, (b) that it snowed on a day that was sandwiched between days where we could wear shorts and flip flops, and no one would look at us sideways?  If you guessed (b), you were correct.  Everyone in town with children (or juvenile tendencies) was out of school, off work…and going BALLISTIC in their front yard.  I saw snowmen the size of SASQUATCH (!!!) on more than one instance in my neighborhood yesterday morning as I was taking Ryder to my mom’s for the day….and she lives one block up-one block over from me.  Wow.

….not that I wasn’t acting like a typical Texan-In-A-Snowstorm ignoramus in my own front yard.  Psha!  Been there, done that — and got the pictures to prove it!

<<Insert pictures depicting the numerous instances where I dressed up the baby, reminiscent of Ralphie’s brother in A Christmas Story, and we ventured out for photo-ops>>

Then I returned to work yesterday morning at 10am.  Ha!  And apparently SO DID EVERYONE ELSE IN TOWN!  February 24, 2010 will forever reign as the “WORST Morning Rush Hour in the History of WORST Morning Rush Hours in Killeen.  EVER.”

Ever.

Next week’s a huge week in politics…if anyone cares.  It’s the 2010 primaries that will determine which political contenders will represent their party in the general election in November.  The most buzzed-about winner that will be determined next week (March 2) will be the Republican candidate for Texas Governor: Perry/Hutchison/Medina and his/her Democratic counterpart (Shami/White) in November.

ALSO, something to be paying attention to — will be the special election to fill the seat of the late Lt. Col. Art Trujillo on the Killeen ISD Board of Trustees.  The remaining Board members decided to conduct a special election during the regular election in May to fill the empty seat.  Filing period has already started, folks, so throw your hat into the mix if you believe the children are our future!

Well, onto bed I go.  Though I know I won’t sleep since I’m so HOTLY anticipating Leno’s return to Late Night this Monday!

T

“Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?” –George Carlin

PS: Is it ME…or has Ft. Hood been SCARY loud these past few days?!?  Our dealership is footsteps away from Heights on 190, and I thought Wal-Mart had exploded today when my entire office spontaneously shook.  After a few seconds, though, I remind myself of the proximity we have to Ft. Hood — and suddenly — I get an even MORE unsettling feeling in my stomach….because there’s always that lingering possibility that those noises could be coming from something other than field practice.

Glass Bottle of wine within reach…. CHECK!

DVR’d “Bad Girl’s Club” on TV, and the rest of my repertoire of senseless reality TV pleasures in queue…. CHECK!

Swirling thoughts of random samplings from my daily dealings, and a forum through which I may share them…. CHECK!

…and most importantly…

Creative juices flowing…. CHECK!

Why I’m here.

I’ll begin this first entry by stating that I’m truly not sure why I was asked to be here.  Frankly, I’m one of the worst writers I’ve ever met…and ever since I’ve become a true grown-up, I’ve become less wordly, more cynical and my life has become TREMENDOUSLY less interesting as time wears on.  HOWEVER, fortunately for you [the presumed unfortunate reader, as I’ve never been known to keep a “long story short”], I managed to live the life of a rockstar until I became a mommy (circa age 26…I’m now 27), so I hope to litter this blog with anecdotes from a not-so-distant past life…while I share with you thoughts on those current.

Rewind 27 years….

Where I’ve been.

Born and raised in Killeen, Texas.  2001 Ellison High School grad, with a major in drillteam high-kickin’ ass and takin’ names.  2005 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN grad, with a double-major in Austin-hybrid-hopeful-homeless-conservative-liberal-idealism, and a minor in Finance.  2006 graduate as a resident of Denver, CO, with a major in “I’m a TEXAN, get me OUT OF HERE!!!!”  2007 study abroad opportunist, back to the hip-happenin,’ cultural gumbo capital of the world: Killeen, Texas…and it’s been here that I have remained.  In walks that quintessential boomeranger.

At that point, I’d been around the world…and I’d, I’d, I’d…..actually never found my proverbial “baby.”  Little did I know, he’d been right in front of me since pre-pubescence.  My husband and I have known each other since middle school, although I grew up on the “Ellison” side of town, and he: “Killeen.”  It wasn’t until a multi-local-family Caribbean cruise in October 2007 that we discovered we had rather post-pubescent feelings for one another….and here we are now, married with a home, a REALLY, really, ridiculously good looking baby boy, and the coolest cat this side of the Mason-Dixon.

Who I am.

Who the hell knows?

What I do.

One answer: E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.  My first-and-foremost career passion lies in politics.  I interned at the Texas Capitol throughout college and thereafter, and its infectious environment has never allowed me to leave it, totally.  Though I’d planned on being a stay-at-home mom after having my baby in December 2008, an opportunity came available to run the local office for one of the area State Representatives (Ralph Sheffield).  The job allowed me the flexibility to enjoy time with my son during the workweek, yet also allowed me to get my political fix here in the local community which was SO incredibly fulfilling.  I truly hope to be able to shed some light on the area political realm through this blog, as I seek to encourage all new and existing residents to become involved in community activities as it can be so extraordinarily enriching.

It wasn’t until late 2009 that I was approached by a long-time friend, fellow Ellison Eagle…and better yet….fellow LONGHORN…..to join the team at his family’s business here in Killeen to help in marketing and overall business development.  It was a bittersweet decision that I made to leave politics for the private sector, as I knew I loved what I was doing….but had to leap for the exciting opportunity to work alongside a good friend.  Now, I do just that: marketing/business development for Patriot Buick-GMC here in Killeen, and I’m loving every minute of it.

What I expect you to get out of this.

Everything, yet nothing all at once.  Please don’t come to this blog seeking the local prophecy, or any sort of clairvoyance.  I can’t take that sort of pressure.

If you visit this blog because of anything more than simply stumbling in randomly, I expect you will leave with:

• [perhaps] a chuckle;
• information on local happenings;
• information on local organizations and their various purposes;
• some FABULOUS ideas on TV programming you should tune into;
• ENLIGHTENMENT: more than likely illustrated by situational quotes from George Carlin, Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar of Wayne’s World, Chris Rock, Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne of Dumb and Dumber, Margaret Cho, Jack Handey, Eddie Izzard, Kenny Powers of Eastbound and Down and Tony Soprano, among others; and
• an extra reason to appreciate this region, and all that it has to offer.  This place is absolutely, hands-down a diamond in the rough.

Thanks for tuning in, kids.  I plan to update this blog quite frequently, so please try to tune in to N2K.com for updates on local goings-on, friendly faces and exciting news.  Please feel free to email me at trhamden@gmail.com if you ever have any direct questions about what to do, where to find “X,” or if you really, REALLY like to drink wine, talk politics, watch trashy reality TV shows and read equally questionable celebrity gossip magazines.  We may discover we were separated at birth.

T

“Why is it that we will laugh at a man in a clown outfit, but we won’t laugh at a man just walking down the street carrying a clown outfit in one of those plastic dry-cleaner bags?” – Jack Handey

1. No national chains.
2. Smallish.  I am not going to be precise here, but a good out of the way restaurant needs to feel cozy.
3. Once I have done one type of food (eg Korean) I am going to move on.
4. If someone offers me free food – I will probably take them up on the offer. =)

I may or may not add to that list.

Why am I doing this?

For one, I love food.

But, there is a more important reason.  Here is a common criticism I hear of Killeen, “There is nothing but chain restaurants.”  There are a lot of chain restaurants.  But there is much more.  Think about it: everytime the US Army goes somewhere, a little bit of new culture comes back to Killeen.  What other town our size in Texas has German bakeries, a Koren language newspaper, and a yearly Guamanian food festival?

The cultural diversity in Killeen is special and unique.  The goal of this blog is to use food as a means of highlighting the diversity that we can’t take for granted.

If you have lived in Killeen for a while you can appreciate the character that diversity gives the community.  If you are new to Killeen, you can not let the bright signs on highway 190 dominate your life, and explore with me the hidden gems in Killeen.

Suffice it to say, the more I see cute teddy bears hugging hearts filled with candy just waiting to be given to an unsuspecting (but totally expecting) lady, the more my stomach turns over this morning’s breakfast burrito. Not that I’m a cynic or anything.

On my 2010 quest to live a better, more balanced life, I am committed to looking at the bright side of crappy situations. For example – if I step in a mound of rancid dog poo, normally I would geek out like a school girl and throw my shoes as far away as my wimpy arm could throw them. But, the new and improved “2010 me” is going to think of the positive side of a smelly, crusty shoe. New shoe shopping!

And so, on this road of positive thinking, instead of thinking about all of the sad things about my relationship ending, I’m going to think of the positive side. I have more bathroom counter space. No more smelly, scaly feet rubbing on mine throughout the night. And the biggest positive of all – I am now free to work on me.

Although February is the month of love, who said it had to be the month to love someone else? I’m declaring February is the month to love ME! Not you, you can love whomever you would like, but it’s the month for me to love me. That’s one thought about February that doesn’t make me want to vomit.