This weekend we went to a new drag brunch in Uptown Dallas and it was fabulous!
TNT Tacos and Tequila drag brunch is a sprawling afternoon show hosted by Mayra D’Lorenzo. There’s good food, a rotating drag cast, and lots of crowd interaction.
This weekend we went to a new drag brunch in Uptown Dallas and it was fabulous!
TNT Tacos and Tequila drag brunch is a sprawling afternoon show hosted by Mayra D’Lorenzo. There’s good food, a rotating drag cast, and lots of crowd interaction.
I’ve never heard of “cedar-planked salmon” before, but the package at the grocery store convinced me to give it a whirl.
I made the salmon with a bed of bacon-infused rice, which turned out to be the best part of the meal.
I recently ran into this adorable French Bulldog puppy at a breakfast spot. As always, the type of person who brings a dog into a food establishment is remarkably consistent.
But this is one was so cute that I didn’t mind this time.
I don’t know if I’d ever want a Frenchie — I think I prefer larger dogs, despite being the current owner of a sassy Chihuahua mix, or perhaps, because of that.
Proof that home cooking is not necessarily healthier — Michael figured out how to make a fast-food style breakfast sandwich at home.
The ingredients were simple enough and available at the local grocery store — English muffin, cheese, egg and sausage. I think the German breakfast sandwiches are probably healthier, but perhaps it’s time for a breakfast salad instead. 🥗
“Mobile order?”
“Yes. For Dennis.”
“Douglas?”
“Dennis.”
“Dubas?”
“Dennis. Den-nis. Like ‘Dennis the Mence'”
*Barista stares in 23*
*I spell my name*
This happens every week, and it’s even more comical for the rare non-mobile orders.
One of life’s small amusements is the various ways that my name gets misspelled on coffee cups. The most common misspelling omits the second “N” in “Dennis,” but I also get “Denise” frequently.
The cup surprises are less common now that I moved to mobile-ordering. But I’ll still get some odd-ball spellings at cafes where baristas have to manually write mobile orders on the cup.
“Dennis” seems like a relatively simple name to spell, but I am always cognizant that it’s not a very common name for people under 50 in the US. I’ve also met a few people who spell their name with a single “N,” so perhaps it’s not truly a misspelling for everyone. ☕
I always remind my friends that Dallas is a major American city and not the rural, oil-rig dotted cow town from TV, but there is randomly a “ranch” of sorts right outside of downtown.
The “Fuel City Ranch” is attached to a gas station with a 24/7 street taco stand on the banks of the Trinity River. The small ranch has longhorn cattle, a donkey, and a zebra.
The zebra and longhorns were thoroughly disinterested in us (probably because it’s 100 degrees), but the donkey came over in hopes of getting some illicit snacks. He was disappointed.
Ingrid the labradoodle was surprisingly not freaked out by Mr. Donkey (unlike the Deep Ellum sculptures). The donkey sniffed Ingrid, double-checked for treats, and then trotted off.
Ingrid the labradoodle at the Fuel City Ranch in Dallas, Texas.
Zebras and Longhorns at the Fuel City Ranch in Dallas Texas.
Tacos from the Fuel City gas station outside of downtown Dallas.
At least the tacos were good. 🌮
You can visit Fuel City Ranch at 801 S Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207.
It’s official — the labradoodle is terrified of the bird sculptures in Deep Ellum. I think it’s something about the curved reflective surface.
After some barking and growling, she eventually got over it, but it was hilarious.
Ingrid the labradoodle and a creepy bird sculpture in Deep Ellum, Dallas.
One thing that I did not miss about Dallas is that Texas summer heat.
Gunter the chihuahua is faring way better than Ingrid, my labradoodle, but neither lasts very long if the weekend dog walk starts too late. The Dallas heat is less of a problem during the weekdays however, when I spend most of my time cycling while working.
Fortunately, the low humidity here makes the heat tolerable, but my freshness is still constantly compromised. We are getting a much-appreciated break from the 100-degree days tomorrow thanks to some toss-off storms from Hurricane Laura. It’s strange that it takes a literal hurricane to break this heat wave, but I’ll take it.
The heat and related pit-stains return this weekend though, which is why we are setting our alarms earlier this time around. ⏰
This is perhaps the most Washington D.C. PSA ever. I’ve seen several of these COVID-19 safety PSAs in the Adams Morgan neighborhood, and agree that wearing a mask for Ruth Bader Ginsburg is totally worth it.
There were also less-successful PSAs about some dude named Ryan.
Washington DC COVID warning.
It’s been a very rainy summer in Washington D.C., and sometimes we get caught in the showers.
I spotted another mural by Lisa Marie while walking in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington D.C.
There are plenty of ferocious pitbulls guarding various places in Ivy City. The local convenience store is surrounded by a yard with two particularly aggressive pits that recently charged after my dogs on one of our morning walks.
Gunter (the Chiweenie) held his ground, and they actually became friends of sorts.
I recently got Gunter some University of Miami gear and he…doesn’t seem to happy about it.
As a Chihuahua mix, Gunter is extremely difficult to shop for. He’s exactly between sizes, so things are usually too large or small. In this case, the UMiami shirt is a bit too tight.
There’s a new Black Lives Matter mural along my dog walk route. This mural is in an alley near the corner of Mt. Olivet and Holbrook Street NE.
I grew up splitting time between Germany and the U.S., so soft-boiled eggs and breakfast sandwiches are part of my morning routine.
My labradoodle and I established a new routine over the past few months.
The rooftop dog park is one of the best things about my apartment building.
One of the best things about living in Ivy City is that I am only blocks from the U.S. National Arboretum. It’s basically a massive park that houses the original columns from the U.S. Capitol building.
The arboretum is an excellent place to walk the dogs and has become one of my go-to weekend spots lately.
It has been a long summer. Here’s the tea:
Work: It is busy, fun and challenging. I cannot believe that I started as an extern exactly two years ago! It is scary how quickly time passed, and how much has happened since I started. I still feel lucky to have been accepted to Georgetown’s tax law LL.M. program and to have started at one of the top law firms for State and Local Tax.
I remain actively involved with the law center and frequently meet with new tax students. It is a privilege to meet the new crop of talent every year, and even help some of them score interviews with us. I also took on three ongoing pro bono projects involving trans rights, death penalty law, and immigration — and I love that I work in a profession where I learn something new every single day.
One project for the fall is increasing my efficiency and building up my billable hours. I am also a board member of the DC LGBT Bar and the Texas Minority Counsel Program, which should keep me pretty booked and bless throughout the rest of the year.
This fall is filled with trips to Dallas (!!), speaking engagements (including Georgetown Law) and, of course, shenanigans. 💃