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!