Padd Solutions

Fernando's Restaurant (2028 Paramount) - Not my most recent find, but definitely my favorite to come back to. The food is fantastic, I've never had to wait for a table, and there's a 10 flavor salsa bar! I've never been disappointed with any entrée, but I will say that the spicy pancake enchilada is my favorite. Instead of being rolled up in typical enchilada form, this plate comes with a pile of ground beef or cheese between two flat corn tortillas, covered in sauce and cheese, then topped with a fried egg. Yes thats right, fried egg on top of an enchilada. Delicious. Of course the plate comes with a side of their authentic rice and beans which are more flavorful than most. 2 can usually eat here for around $18!

Jamaican Flame (4132 Business Park) - If you can find this place, you're in for a spicy treat! Located in the Western Business Park (across from the animal clinic west of I-27) this small restaurant serves up massive amounts of flavor that's not the norm for Amarillo. The plantain chips and spiced guacamole is a must for an appetizer, and depending on your level of spice, I suggest the pork pasta or 3 meat combo as a entrée. Don't worry there is a spice level chart on the menu so there aren't any surprises here. Jerk chicken, jerk shrimp, jerk pork, any many more flavors are available from the prior chef for The Shack on 6th street. Moderately priced to not hurt your wallet for exotic flavor.

Coyote Bluff Cafe (2417 Grand) - This is old news to Amarillo hamburger fans, but I'm shamed to say that I somehow haven't eaten here in the 21 years I've lived here until just last year. Besides is coverage on Travel Channels: Man vs Food (watch the Amarillo episode if you haven't already), this place has gotten rave reviews from locals! I put my mouth to the test with their Burger from Hell and was very impressed. The burger came out of the kitchen with about an inch thick layer of jalapeños and habañero sauce. The burn was intense, but I made it through enough to even try my girlfriends regular burger, and even then I was suprised at the flavor. The meat has a good ground beef taste and is so juicy it pretty much soaks the bun. A side of cheese fries is a must, or add chili for even more taste. Prices are higher than you fast food joint, but well worth the extra cost. Beware plastic carriers, as Coyote Bluff is a cash only establishment!

Since my last entry, I visited with my advisor at UTA (and saw a bit of the campus) and set up my courses for the fall semester, applied for an got enough financial aid/loans to cover almost my entire first year at UTA, applied for an apartment at UTA, and got a few more issues settled out within all that.

Starting with the beginning, I met with my advisor on March 5 down in Arlington. While it was all a bit overwhelming, we did manage to get the basics of my first semester/year down on paper. Thankfully, I have taken almost all of my basics (minus a stats class and a failed life science lab) at AC, meaning I pretty much get to jump right into major specific courses. I also discovered I have to choose a minor to go along with my major, so I think I'm leaning towards psychology for that, as I'm really interested in the research/analysis part of advertising. I don't get to register for classes until April 19, so I hope all the classes I need are still available by then.

After my advising session, I spent the next few days in Dallas (and Austin) with my best friend, where we saw John Mayer two nights in a row. It was fantastic and definitely two of the best shows of his I have been to (we're already planning two more in September!). After a few days in Dallas, I headed off to California for part two of my spring break. Unfortunately, the day I left Dallas, a friend who I was supposed to meet up and stay with a few days later bailed on me, forcing me to change my plans. I decided I would stay in California until Monday, and then go to Tennessee to see my mom and sister for a few days. California was amazing. The friend I stayed with lives in Paso Robles (near San Luis Obispo), which is GORGEOUS. We drove down to Pismo Beach, where I saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time. We stood out on the pier and watched some guys surf and then trekked down below and got our feet wet for a little bit. After two days in PR, we drove the three hours into Los Angeles, where we had tickets for the Glee Paleyfest panel that Saturday night, March 13. That night could possibly be considered one of the best nights of my life. We were shown one of the new episodes that doesn't air until next Tuesday, April 13, which was then followed by a Q&A with (most of) the cast. It was a very surreal experience to be with fans like me and being in this environment with the cast. I actually got to talk to two of the cast members after the panel was over for a few moments. Seeing my mom is always great. She was very excited to see me, even if for a short amount of time. It's difficult being 1,000 miles away from her sometimes, but I manage. It feels like I'm missing a lot being so far away, but I have my own things I have to do here in Texas. Getting back from TN to TX was rough, though. I missed my flight that Friday, meaning I had to stay the night in Nashville on my own. I got an early flight back to Dallas the next morning, but ended up getting stuck in Dallas overnight because of the snow here in Amarillo. Luckily, I had family in Dallas who gave me a place to stay for the night, but needless to say I'm kind of sick of airports for awhile.

Now it's back to getting caught up and trying to finish out the semester here at AC. I applied for an apartment at UTA last night. It seems really nice; it's one of the newer ones, so all of my bills (internet, cable, water, etc.) are taken care of, minus the electricity. It also comes with a washer and dryer so I don't have to worry about having enough quarters, haha. It's not a bad price each month, so I'm hoping I end up with one of those instead of the older ones. I've never lived on my own before, so it's going to be an experience no matter where I end up.

I hope everyone out there is making it through the semester and I promise I'll be around to update more now that things have settled down. I'm about to start on a campaign for my Intro to Advertising class, which I'm way excited about, and there's plenty more transfer wise to keep you guys updated on.

Chelsea