Venus Trapped in Mars Sports and Lifestyle Blog Dallas

19 March 2014

But they have eyes....

I'm back from the great state of Louisiana, and I most certainly do mean, great state! Louisiana is on a different planet from the rest of us when it comes to food. I mean, the creations and concoctions they manage to come up with are out of this world. I've been to New Orleans twice in the past for Mardi Gras, and as incredibly fun as that was, I didn't really get to experience all the food that Louisiana has to offer. It is somewhat difficult to take the time and enjoy your meal when you are scarfing it down on the side of the road, using the food simply as an aid in helping your body to process more booze.

As much as I would adore getting to travel all the time for work, they don't pay for my dogs to be boarded. At around $50 - $60 a night  (this is even the cheapest I found, there are places far more expensive) for two pups, that is a pretty penny I just can't afford. Maybe one day I will grow a pair and ask for them to help me out with boarding costs, dang it is hard on the single fur momma!



Anyway, back to Louisiana. We flew into Baton Rouge then drove about half an hour to Gonzales, La for the Louisiana Sportsmans Show. Someone pointed out that I could spot LSU's stadium from the highway, but I decided not to inflict my eyeballs with such a toxic poison so early in the trip.

The show on Thursday is always very slow, so naturally I took to the selfie generator, more commonly known to many as Snapchat. Can we please talk about how not terrible this braid I did was? Yeah, I know. #nailedit ---preciate ya Pinterest!


That night we went to dinner at a place called Don's Seafood. Holy toldeo. The food here was out of this world. The bus driver at the Park-n-Fly back in Dallas told me I just HAD to try Étouffée while I was in Louisiana. So being the trusting soul I am, I decided to listen to her and gave it a go. Boy am I glad I did. Hello deliciousness. Here is our smorgasbord that we all shared, family-style.


This is how I was told you were supposed to do it. I suppose this is kind of like ordering training wheels with your tequila shots? And then there were the poor little crawfish guys, they had eyes and they looked so sad :(

So sad, down into my belly. Once the show got underway, it was so different than any other boat show I've been to. The majority of the shows I go to in Florida are, well, I'll just say what one of the other guys said, "If there was a flood you could grab hold of any of the women there, and you'd have a floatation device." I just loved the Louisiana show because everyone was down to earth, not shopping for a mega-yacht and had a smile on their face! 




And then there was the dog jumping contests! This was the most adorable thing ever, and I'm going to find somewhere in Texas for Venus to compete in this because she would win and make us so much money. They had skilled competitors, like the pup above who jumped about 16 feet, and they had newbies... this little guy below was a newbie! 




So adorable! Oh, and don't forget to sign up for March Madness!! Since CBS doesn't require us to pick the play-in game winners, I've re-opened bracket entries until tomorrow at noon!  

Before I sign off today I want to introduce to you my girl Brit from One & 20! Brit is a sports fan, just like us, especially football! Today she is bringing some tips on attending a sports party. These rules will work for any sports, and can I just say, AMEN TO #3! Take it away girlfriend...

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hi! i'm britt from one&20, and i am addicted to sports parties.
if you only show up to a frozen four party for the puck-shaped snacks and the free alcohol like me and this guy...

... here are a few tips you might want to live by:

1. know which team your friends are rooting for so you don't cheer at the wrong time. you'll just end up becoming the pariah of the party. you'll know you've reached pariah status when something bad happens to their team and everyone begins cutting their eyes at the bad luck charm you've just become.

2. choose a sport that's at least SOMEWHAT related to what you usually watch if you do watch sports. i absolutely love football - a contact sport - so at least i know the appropriate reaction to this...



... if i'm at a hockey party. and if i already know my friends are big fans of the red jersey-wearing team (see #3), i'm obviously cheering for that hit #26 made.

a football to golf transition, on the other hand, probably wouldn't be so seamless (and i have no idea what kind of people have golf-watching parties, but i'm not judging).

3. don't pretend to know things you don't. there's nothing more obvious than a person who spent 30 minutes before the party to look up a bunch of names and stats. newsflash: ESPN and its multiple subsidiaries are 24-hour networks, which leads me to believe that a half-hour of web searching does not an expert make. i will fully own that i've gone to multiple non-football parties not even knowing the team names, and i still have friends and a good time because... 

4. just relax!  it's a party!


honestly, most people are so invested in the game that they won't even notice that you have no idea what's going on. if i'm super bored, i become the self-appointed drink- and snack-refiller. nothing is worse than being at a party where everyone is completely sober and starving and watching a losing team. 

if i'm really into it, i will watch and learn all i can, and i always follow the next rule.

5. save questions for long commercials or half-time. no one will find your curiosity endearing if you're trying to understand the game DURING the game. most fans aren't exactly fond of missing game moments to explain the theory of the sport to you - i know i'm not. just accept that you might be confused at first when you enter unknown territory and be prepared to learn as you go.

 
Make sure to go visit Brit's blog here,  oh and follower her on bloglovin and twitter while you're at it, Capish? See you kids tomorrow! 

26 comments :

  1. "If there was a flood you could grab hold of any of the women there, and you'd have a floatation device." I died laughing after reading that! That is hilarious! Sounds like you had a really awesome time :D How fun that you got to watch the dog jumping contests!

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  2. it looks like you had so much fun!! i mean yeah you were working but still fun. I love Don's so good. and get over it about crawfish. they are mud bugs!! It's one of my favorite foods on this planet. YUM. i'm glad you're back in TC tho!

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  3. Louisiana looks and sounds super fun! I've never been, but I love me some Southern food! I'd love to enter our lab, Bella, in a dock dog contest! She'd be a natural.

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    1. Louisiana is FANTASTIC...but I might be a little biased. ;-) You should check it out sometime!

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  4. I love Louisiana! I am from the MS Delta (very close to LA), and I am sad that I did not take advantage of being so close. There's a vibe in LA like nowhere else.

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  5. I'd love to hold a gator! And the doggy pictures are adorable.

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  6. I've seen dog jumping contests before and it's almost more fun to watch the newbies. :] Super cute lab!

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  7. Looks like you had a great trip! Last time I was in NOLA I had my first muffalata. Holy salty deliciousness Batman!

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  8. Looks like this was a great trip! One of these days, I really want to take a road trip down south so I can experience some of these places!

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  9. Louisiana!!! I'm all about my home state, and glad you enjoyed it too. There really is no place else in the world like it. :)

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  10. I love seeing those dog jumping contests - they look like they're having the best time. though i'm sure my heavy pugs would not do so well. I always imagine them just slowly sinking if I ever tried to get them to swim.

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  11. I'm always glad I don't have to travel for work. I don't like to leave my baby! She doesn't like it either, she has to go to day care with all the other dogs and she's all "what the hell, I'm a princess I don't belong with you commoners, someone save me!"

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  12. Don't ever disrespect LSU on their own turf, they are serious about LSU out there. I wore my Duke shirt once and bitches at cray. It's a good thing I'm a bit gangsta, and the sheriff's granddaughter. I'm glad you enjoy my families home state Louisiana. I wasn't raised there because I'm better than them, but I've spent many summers (child abuse if you ask me). I was also raised on that food, can you imagine growing up eating soul food all the time?

    If I stayed in Dallas like my aunt and uncle wanted me to, I would have taken V and G off your hands while you traveled the lands. I don't charge much just an occasional beer and snacks.

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  13. So we just went to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and I think we ate more than we drank, which means I gained 20 lbs. You have to go back to NOLA, just to eat, I mean SERIOUSLY. It is so delicious.

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  14. I respect you even more for not liking LSU. They are consistently the only place ranked above Lane Stadium on the "scariest places to play college football" lists. Also you are looking GREAT! Your hard work is definitely paying off!

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  15. You accessorized your work outfit like a champ in the croc photo. Well done!

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  16. All that food looks so yummy. That picture of you with the baby crocodile is so cute!

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  17. Crawfish kind of scare me, but I'm intrigued. That looks like a fun feast, though! Glad you had a great time in Louisiana!

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  18. Crawfish is one of my favorite things about living in the South. Tell me you tried sucking the heads!!

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  19. That foooooood! I've been to Lafayette, Louisiana twice in my life to visit family. I LOVED it there. The people, the FOOD, the partying! (Although I was too young to really party, it sure looked like they knew how to have a good time!)

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  20. Hey Sarah! Your pups are so cute!! It sounds like you had so much for there.. and how could ya not right?! All that food sounds like heaven. When I saw the craw fish my mouth started to water lol. Me and my b/f are dying to go one day. Life's too short not too! ;) xx

    Lisa,xo

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  21. I'm so glad you got to experience some of our amazing food! Next time you go, look for the étouffée dish that comes topped over blackened catfish- uh-mazinggg! Now you'll have to try some Dallas crawfish and tell me how they compare. I'm a little worried about that.

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  22. I would LOVE going to Louisiana! It sounds like you have an amazing time and I definitely need to go there one day! Those lobsters look delish!

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  23. Your trip to Louisiana sounds awesome! That dog jumping contest looks so cute...love that white lab puppy!

    -AJ
    OccasionallyAJ.com

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