Reviewing: 2014 Year in Review – October through December

Part 3 of my 2014 Year in Review. October The Paul McCartney concert that was supposed to happen in June was rescheduled for October. He did not disappoint. He was another bucket list artist I have always wanted to see. I think I teared up four times during the performance. The…

Reviewing: 2014 Year in Review – May through September

Part 2 of my 2014 Year in Review. May The second weekend of Jazz Fest we saw Bruce Springsteen on the main stage. It was jam packed and hard to hear him and it made us realize that we should never main stage Jazz Fest again. Not worth it.

Reviewing: 2014 Year In Review – January through April

2014 was a great year, one filled with fun memories and many great opportunities. Now that grad school is over, I can finally start blogging again, so to start, let’s wrap up last year. January We started the year going to Space City Con in Galveston, Texas. We’ve never been…

Crafting: Cara Mia Crafting

Wow, it’s been awhile! I have missed you, cooktraveleat. Alas, my grad school work and my full time teaching job leaves me negative amount of time to blog. It’s enough I remember to breathe and eat. But I am on my winter break, so I’ll try to squeeze a few…

Eating: Drago’s

I married well for a number of reasons.  One reason is that Cristina has family in Panama City Beach, Orlando, Washington DC, Italy, and Australia.  It is truly a chore to have to travel to these locations to see family. (By the way Cristina…when are we going to Australia?).  Another…

Eating: A Tale of Two Chain Restaurants

Recently, for various reasons, we did something we rarely do. We ate at chain restaurants. Now, we are not snobs. I could eat at IHOP anytime anyone suggests it. Cracker Barrel is truly a tradition for us when on the road and that comes from both sides of our families.…

Eating: The English Tea Room

Cristina has been very indulgent of my new tea obsession. She has encouraged me to get the right tools I need and does not say a word when I buy a new tea just randomly. So, when I took her to the English Tea Room in Covington for Valentine’s Day…

Eating: Smitty’s Seafood

Boiled seafood must sound like the most boring bland food in the world to an outsider. Yet, we all know in Louisiana our boiled seafood is everything but boring or bland. Boiled seafood is more than a meal; it’s a celebration. We were celebrating the fact that Cristina’s mom and…

Drinking: Local Brews

Being an ex-smoker, I don’t drink a lot of beer. Some people prefer coffee with their cigarettes; I always preferred beer. And the cheaper the beer usually the more I crave a cigarette. It’s truly the only time I crave one. So I rarely drink. Yet, I do enjoy a…