Got my mind on menudo and menudo on my mind

Notice that it is menudo, not Menudo.  This is a South Texas blog so it is definitely menudo the yummy Mexican tripe soup that has the ability to clog arteries after the first spoonful while tasting divinely.

I am sure you guessed that I was on “vacation.”  Not that I went anywhere, I had my parents visiting along with my brother who just left this past week.  Here is my return video from the ride we took up to San Antonio to drop my brother off at the Amtrak Station.  Contrary to what it seems, I was going the speed limit but I had to pass up the other cars that were just going so slow.  We left Laredo at 3:00am, dropped him and and I was on the road at 6:30am just in time to watch the sun rise while I drove down Interstate 35.

video pending upload – stupid YouTube is not cooperating
The temp video, for some reason the audio is off. Waiting for a solution from YouTube and will post again once fixed.

But back to the menudo.  My return back to my normal schedule means returning back to Laredo fun activities – like MENUDO BOWL.  The 17th Annual Menudo Bowl is right around the corner – this Saturday, January 21, 2012.  What does that mean?  It means a whole lotta cooking is going to happen at LIFE Fair Grounds.

The sponsoring organization is Crime Stoppers.  You know them, right?  They pay out for tips that lead to arrests or stopping crime.  By law, Crime Stoppers organizations are not allowed to disclose calls which is very different than calling in a tip directly to a law enforcement agency or to using the EyeOnLaredo app or emailing (like I once attempted to do).  Well, in order to have money to pay for the tips, Laredo Crime Stoppers has to have a few fundraisers.  Menudo Bowl is the largest and most popular one.  Not only that, it is really cheap compared to other fundraisers – only $5 at the door with free parking.  Nice, huh?  If you go between 1pm – 3:30pm, you get a chance to walk from booth to booth – a total of 70 this year, SEVENTY – and get a taste of their menudo recipe.  Unfortunately, even though menudo booths make giant pots of menudo, if you don’t go early, some booths start to run out and well… $5 is still a great price for tasting different menudo recipes, voting for your favorite before 3:30pm and having some fun along the way.

From the Facebook Event that was created:

Join us for MENUDO and FUN!!

Doors open to the public at 11:00am until 7:00pm

1:00pm – 3:30pm = Menudo tasting & voting for People’s Choice

9:00am = Brush Country Trail Ride (from Hurd ranch)
10:30am = Sheriff’s Motorcycle Ride (from LIFE and back)
12:00pm = Team Roping
1:00pm = Laredo Wrestling Alliance performance
3:30pm = People’s Choice voting ends

Johnny Canales will MC throughout event with VMT students performing throughout the day. The musical line up is:
1:00pm = Grupo Retama
1:45pm = Love Gun
3:00pm = Zamorales
4:00pm = Zensible
5:00pm = Mick Cruz & Diamond Back
6:30pm = announcement of menudo cook-off winners!!

Food booths, Merchandise booths, Beverage booths, Nonprofit booths will be available for purchase or information.

Children’s activities in Exhibit Barn. For more information, contact Laredo Crime Stoppers Administrative Office at 956-724-1876 or email crimestoppers@bizlaredo.rr.com. Website: http://www.laredocrimestoppers.org/

Check out the photos from one of my early posts in 2010.

On a sad but worrisome note, my hopes for minimal impact to the three injured workers in the Pearsall Fracking explosion and the repercussions for the area. Here is the KSAT News link to the explosion of the fracking tank which released hydrogen sulfide into the air. Ojala nunca pase en el condado de Webb.