A swift punch in the face

Remember that cookbook I mentioned?  That just made my day?

Yes, that one.  I was so excited to receive this in the mail that I punched myself in the face.  Literally.  Ripped open that packaging so quickly that my hand flew back and connected with my face.  Which caused Craig to laugh and laugh and laugh at me, and I think I actually did something practical like ice my face.  Which was probably dramatic.  But so was the punch in the face, so it really all goes together.

I mean, this may be the only time my name makes it out in the world in print (unless you count any number of boring tax things I worked on while in DC, which I don't count since they were...boring tax things), so I overreacted.

There I am!  Woot woot!

My notes are responsible for things like pan de campo, ruby red sweet rolls, and coconut tres leches cake.  And I just had way too much fun testing recipes.  How to turn this into a job...

Go forth and make these things.  Check out the Homesick Texan blog.  Buy the book of deliciousness (Kindle edition, only $9.90!).  Make tasty food.

Holidayapalooza 2010, A-town style

...and now, landing in DFW the night of the 23rd.  And not going to A-town until the next morning.  Why is this, you ask?  Well, you try booking a flight from Norfolk to Amarillo within a day or two of Christmas and see what all you come up with.  That doesn't cost a bajillion dollars.  Hence a late arrival in the state of Texas, one night at the Hyatt Regency DFW (which was actually rather lovely and quite reasonably priced), and an early Christmas Eve flight into Amarillo...where I learned, in addition to the fact that baking adventures are generally always awesome, the following things...

Mexican food is, without a doubt, always delicious and guaranteed to produce a smile.  Love you, Abuelo's.

I love homemade Christmas ornaments, especially the bug-eyed gingerbread man.  He holds a special place in my heart.

I'm in need of some "keep calm" advice these days, for sure, as evidenced by the presence of this cute baby book in my stocking AND a "keep calm and carry on" coffee mug gift from my sister.  Deep, calming breaths...

Festive holiday socks are the BEST.  Thanks, Mom!

Nothing makes a man happier than beer, really.  Especially Shiner Holiday Cheer.  Doubly especially when it's cradled by a Seahawks koozie as gifted to my parents by Craig as semi-retaliation for their efforts encouraging him to become a Cowboys fan.  Oh dear.

A-town pictures here.  Enjoy.  Also, we spent a LOT of time playing with the Wii and generally chilling.  Also, I got to see some highly wonderful Sullivan gals who totally made my night.  Also, it's always, always nice to be home.  Really, really nice, actually.  Dallas time is coming...

Bryan backyard moments

Happiness is...

A-town highlights, Turkey Day Eve edition

I've been up since 5:00 AM EST, which is not the most awesome thing in the world given my general distaste for embracing the early morning hours, which also means that my brain is a little mushy right now.  So you're not going to get anything overly witty or informative today, just a quick rundown of the day's highlights.  Some of which are kinda ridiculous.  That's just how I am.

Item #1:  I'M ON VACATION!!!!
Item #2:  Never having flown Continental out of Reagan before, I wasn't sure what to expect from that terminal...but I was pleasantly surprised to see an Einstein Bros just waiting for me.  Not so pleasantly surprised when my "pumpkin bagel with pumpkin cream cheese, please" turned out to be a pumpkin bagel with HUMMUS on it, which I didn't discover until I was at the gate with no time to get it fixed.  DISGUSTING.  WHO DOES THAT?!?
Item #3:  Relatively uneventful flights - always a good thing.  Amused by the pilot on the Houston-Amarillo leg who announced "Ok, take a seat - we're about to go really, really fast."  I like it when they mix it up a bit.
Item #4:  Lunch at Tacos Garcia makes me really, really happy.  You just can't get this stuff on the east of coasts.

Chips and queso are sooooo tasty!  None of this "cheese dip" business!

Item #5:  You know those ridiculous little machines at assorted restaurants and grocery stores that sell silly things like fake tattoos?  Amanda and I chipped in a quarter each to buy ourselves a sticky wrecking ball.  Yes, it's as goofy as it sounds.  But it's provided us with more entertainment than you would think for a fifty cent outlay. 

I'm aware that I'm ridiculous.

Item #6:  I hadn't touched Wii Fit in a year.  But this afternoon I did.  And I'm gravely concerned with what I've done to my body in the last year.  Implementing personal health program ASAP.
Item #7:  "ASAP" for aforementioned personal health program means after Thanksgiving.  I baked two pies tonight.  I love love LOVE baking pies.
Item #8:  We had one of those really beautiful Panhandle sunsets that you miss when you're gone.

Happy Thanksgiving Eve, y'all!

Support the little people

I go back and forth on the Black Friday, post-Thanksgiving shopping extravaganzas that grip our nation.  I'm all for a great bargain, but not at the expense of sweet blessed sleep, my sanity, or dealing with the truly ridiculous crowds.  I mean, last year we even drove by Best Buy on Thursday night just to check out the camping situation, and it was pretty ridiculous.  With temperatures expected to dip into the teens in A-town on Turkey Day, I'm hoping those crazy people bundle up and prepare to face the elements so their hands aren't too frost-bitten to carry out their massive purchases.

That being said, the Bryan clan will usually get out and do a little bit of shopping over the holiday weekend - just not before the crack of dawn, that's all.  We like to hit up the stores when all those people who didn't sleep the night before have collapsed at home, therefore freeing up store space for us...the sane people.  And this year, I'm going to make it a point to do at least a little bit of shopping on Saturday to support the little people.

American Express is sponsoring Small Business Saturday, encouraging consumers to head outside of the giant box stores (not that there's anything wrong with giant box stores - they do come in awfully handy, and Target is one of the happiest places on earth) and put their dollars back into their community by shopping at small, independently owned business. And if you’re a proud AmEx card carrier, you’re eligible to earn a $25 statement credit on any purchase of at least $25 on Small Business Saturday at any locally owned independent small businesses that accept American Express.  Register here to get a $25 statement credit.  I'm certain that terms and conditions apply.  That's where the lawyers come in.

I might just have to go spend some dollars at Roasters...perhaps treat my family to some caffeinated treats to properly fuel us for allllll the shopping adventures!  Besides, shopping is my cardio...

Deep fried goodness

Last weekend I was in Dallas for a number of reasons...and yes, one of those happened to be fried food.  And a football game.  How much more Texas do you get?

Reporting from the State Fair of Texas, fried food capital of the entire universe.  Prepare for spikes in cholesterol levels coupled with extreme levels of taste bud joy.  Well, mostly joy...

First bite at approximately 9:30 AM...breakfast of champions...the classic Fletcher's corn (I refuse to call it "corny") dog...

100% delicious, as always.  There's something to be said for the classics.

Round two was a halftime break (thank goodness the Red Raiders only screwed up the game just enough to win - I swear, I don't know what these boys are thinking) and consisted of chicken fried bacon and the single non-fried item of the day, Polish sausage on a stick.

My dining companion rejected the dipping sauces for the chicken fried bacon, which I happen to think greatly enhanced the chicken fried baconness when I tried it a few years ago.  I think a little ranch and/or honey mustard could have lifted the experience just a touch, but it was still crispy deliciousness.  And truly, it's hard to go wrong with meat on a stick.

You have to follow that up with dessert, right?  And not just any dessert, DEEP-FRIED dessert.  How convenient that we were in the general vicinity of an impulse purchase and what turned out to be my winner of the day....the deep-fried s'mores Pop-Tart.

It was delicious and amazing in every way.  Just the right amount of melty whipped cream (obviously sprayed from a can, which is really the only way to do it when you're complementing a deep-fried breakfast pastry) and drizzle of chocolate syrup and dabbling of chocolate sprinkles.  Super yum.

It's a good thing I fell in love with the Pop-Tart, because the next fried adventure was a complete and utter bust.

Deep fried beer.  Truly one of the most disgusting things I've ever tasted.  It may have been one of the most creative food offerings at the fair, but it certainly wasn't the most delicious.  Basically a concentrated beer syrup in a ravioli-like encasement with plenty of flaky salt on top, served by screaming ladies insisting that you put the entire thing in your mouth and just chew.  You know, so hot beer won't gush out and spew on you.  GROSS.

We both tried one, then handed the remainder of our portion of off to these guys...

...who echoed our sentiments exactly.  We told them to save their coupons for an actual beer.

Moving on to one of the most anticipated items of the day, and the WINNER of best fried amazingness at the fair this year according to the powers that be...deep fried Frito pie.

I don't know if it was worth the wait (40 MINUTES!! ridiculous!), but it was pretty tasty, especially with a little salsa and sour cream smeared across each bite.

Probably not the best idea to get my annual physical while these culinary delights are working their way through my arteries...

My weekend job

Ok, yes, my weekend job does often consist of the same work that the Monday-Friday gig necessitates, but not quite to the extent it used to this time of year.  And really, I like to focus on weekend job requirements like "sleep in" and "catch up on magazines" and "watch excessive amounts of television" and "generally be lazy," all of which I happen to think I'm exceptionally good at. 

Lately, though, I've tacked on an actual job of sorts.  A random, every third weekend or so kind of job that I actually really like doing.  You see, there's this awesome Texan ex-pat living in New York who goes by Homesick Texan and has a fantastic blog and is having a cookbook published next September and through some magic of the emails and interwebs is having me test recipes for the cookbook, which I am insanely excited about.  I can't really tell you anything about the recipes or what I've been making (otherwise the legal-types will come after me, ick), but I requested desserts and baked goods, and that's what I've been getting, and they're amazing.  And dangerous.  Like, need to get this stuff out of the house as soon as possible so I don't consume all of it in one sitting kind of dangerous.

This job doesn't exactly come with an astounding salary...in fact, I'm getting paid bupkis, but I don't care about that at all because I'm having fun in the kitchen and doing something I really love.  My anal nature is great for analyzing each part of the recipe and tweaking and perfecting.  I get to write a little bit AND play in the kitchen.  How do I do this full-time, please?  Oh, I do get a mention in the cookbook and a free copy when it's published, so that's compensation enough for me.

So, in the midst of all this Tex-Mex goodness...one weekend I got all nostalgic and made chicken tacos and guacamole and tomatillo salsa and a dessert experiment in the form of Mexican chocolate pralines, which turned out better than I thought and quite tasty given that there was a minor candy thermometer mishap in the middle of the process.  I really, really love food.

Photo by Lisa Fain at Homesick Texan

They've gone city!

Not so very long ago, the intrepid conquerors of the vast, silent expanse of flat, arid land known as the Texas Panhandle (or as a normal person might call them...my parents) traded in their country life for a city adventure in the D of C.  Yay for vacations in my own city!  Also, a little more yay for the bounty of Texas goodness that my parents, knowing I'm yearning for a return to the motherland, hauled halfway across the country for me.  New Red Raider shirt, assorted "don't mess with Texas" goodies, a massive peanut patty in the SHAPE OF TEXAS, and.....tortillas from Rosa's!!  I used them to make breakfast tacos one morning, and I think Dad was pretty jealous of my morning meal.  Thanks for the goodies, parents!

After rescuing the parental units from the airport, we made our way to their hotel for a drop-off of the stuff, which was very quickly followed by a short drive over to Ray's Hell Burger for some much-needed sustenance in the form of massive, juicy, delicious burgers.  Super yum.  Long day of travel, so we called it an early night to be well-rested for our DC adventures the next day.

Thursday morning, Erin's Personal Taxi Service dropped off the parents at the Holocaust Museum so they could jump in the pre-opening line and snag tickets for us while I ditched the car at home and Metro'd back over to the museum.  Let the Metro adventures begin!  Mom did a pretty good job with the map and was much more with it than the horribly confused woman who kept asking me where the Vermont Avenue stop was.  Ummm...there is no Vermont Avenue Metro stop.  She could not be convinced of this, however.  I try to help when I can, but come on, people, work with me.  We did have a little Metro adventure of our own as I abandoned my parents on a bench at my home stop and ran home and back to drop off Dad's pocketknife (yeah, that pocket item wasn't going to go over so well at the Holocaust Museum, or really anywhere where you have to pass through the metal beepy gates and security of any kind - we're not in Texas anymore!).  They had plenty of people-watching to keep them entertained and stayed on their bench.  Good job, parents. =) Then we continued on over to Union Station for one of Mom's favorite ways to see a city - a Duck Tour! 

I've done these a couple of times in Boston, and Mom and Dad toured their way through Seattle Duck-style - it's really a pretty cool way to get a good overview of the major sights in DC.  We cruised up and down the National Mall and splashed down into the Potomac, where Dad got to take the Duck for a quick spin (photo captured by Captain Mike, who timed it to get the Washington Monument sticking out of Dad's head):

Even with the little kids spinning us in circles in the water and Captain Mike experiencing some close merge encounters getting on and off highways, everything was going wonderfully and we were all having a peachy time...until we paused outside the National Museum of the American Indian and the Duck...well, the Duck died.  As in, lost all power and could not be coaxed into restarting at all.  You know it's not a good sign when Captain Mike has to crawl out and pop the hood, hoping that whatever's wrong is one of the few things he knows how to fix.  Fortunately, we were stuck in the shade.  Doubly fortunately, the problem was some wire that just needed to be popped back into place, and we were back on the road in no time.  Well, we never left the road, actually.  Just blocked traffic for a little while.  Made it around the Capitol and back to Union Station, quacking all the way - woohoo!

After the Duck Tour we had one of Dad's favorites for lunch (can you say PIZZA?!?), and then we made our way over to the Holocaust Memorial Museum for an afternoon in pretty stark contrast to the jolly morning we'd had.  I'd actually done this one before when Diana and Trinity came to town last summer, and honestly didn't think I'd mind going through the exhibits again...but I think I'm done with that one now.  It's a very sobering experience and has definitely made a lasting impression on me.

So let's continue on to the next morning...which wasn't exactly uplifting, either, since it consisted of touring Arlington National Cemetery.  At least it was a beautiful day!  I also have to say that compared to my last experience in Arlington National Cemetery, which was about five years ago in blistering heat and suffocating humidity as Amy and I climbed hills and felt as though we might actually die, this time around we covered a lot more ground in greater comfort courtesy of the Tourmobile.  Best $7.50 you'll spend on the trip, trust me.  Now, if only the massive hordes of school children would pay attention to the signs asking for a little silence and respect.  Geez, kids, I realize this may not be the highlight of your week invading our nation's capital, but take it down a notch, would you? 

We made a stop at JFK and also witnessed the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier by members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry, all of whom could snap me like a twig if they so desired.

And look, a picture of the three of us!  This is from Arlington House (Bobby Lee's house), and we even managed to get the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, and Capitol in the background behind us.  Thank you, kind soul who took the picture a couple of times to get it just right!

After our cemetery adventures we loaded up in the CR-V and began our journey to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, part of the National Air and Space Museum that's way the heck out by Dulles and is super-ginormous so that it can hold massive, massive things that stay up in the air through the magic of engineering and innovative thinking.  I'd actually wanted to go for a while, and not just so I could check if off my list of Smithsonianity list (only five to go!)...and I think I now know where I get my minor obsession with air and space things.  It's all Dad!!  He LOVES this stuff!

We probably could have used a little more time there - sadly, it really is a heck of a drive AND we spent a decent amount of time at the cemetery...but at least we didn't have to shell out the $15 bucks for parking (since we got there right after 4:00!) AND we got there just in time for me to make the last elevator run up the observation deck where you can check out all the Dulles airport action.  Which actually wasn't quite as cool as I was hoping, but I did make use of reflective surfaces for a self-portrait while you can see some random "mountains" off in the background.

We did see all kinds of cool things, like space shuttles...

Who can find Mom & Dad??

...and an SR-71 Blackbird, which apparently goes uber-fast and Dad was WAY excited about...

...and oodles and oodles of really cool flying things, like the Air France Concorde and the Enola Gay and many many many many many many many more.

And as a grand finale to the day....Harrison actually sat on Mom's lap.  Of his own free will.  For at least seventeen seconds.  It was kinda amazing.

Alllllll of the pictures are up here and here on Picasa, so feel free to browse away to your heart's content and see pretty much every airplane ever made.  I can't wait to see Mom's movies!

Sing me one more song about old San Antone

I have a hard time with this East Coast, Mid-Atlantic, wherever-it-is-that-I-am world where people have NEVER HEARD of Pat Green.  I'm not saying you have to love his music or even know a single lyric, but to have never even HEARD of him?  I miss Texas.  I mean, I may be somewhat biased in this regard since he went to Tech and all and I feel some sort of loyalty there, but come on, people.

Needless to say, I was in need of a dose of Texas last Saturday, so I rounded up a couple of fellow Texan ex-pats and we made our way over to the 9:30 Club for the sounds of home.  We even managed to get there in time to snag our prime spot right up by the stage...I refer to it as "our" spot since we were pretty much exactly where we were last year when Pat Green came to town, which I thought was pretty cool.  Ok, it wasn't exactly the same - I'm not sure if they were expecting a stampede to the stage or what, but we had some pretty serious barricades blocking us from getting closer than three, four feet away.  Watch out for those rowdy Texans!

Texas flags flying from the second floor seating. Cowboys boots and hats in abundance.  An abundance of acoutis guitars.  Ahhhhhh.  Just what I needed.

This time around was a little bit different from last year's show.  I didn't bother taking my camera since, sadly, the 9:30 Club won't let me use it in there...and both batteries for my trusty old Olympus were completely drained when I thought to check it on my way out the door.  Opening act this year was someone I'd actually heard of, Wade Bowen, who was far superior to the crazy overalls lady from last year.  Pat was a little less drunk this year, and they couldn't quite recreate the infamous pick toss.



But all in all, a pretty great evening of country music and a little bit of home here in our nation's capital.

Back on dry land!

And have actually been back on said dry land for several days now, but due to general vacation laziness that follows an eventful week of Caribbean cruise adventures and a rather unfortunate computer incident that you'll hear all about in the posts to come, I haven't fully rejoined the world of the interwebs, connectivity, and blogging.  However, with 2009 rapidly coming to close and oodles of goings-on over the last couple of weeks and in the weeks to come, I'm going to attempt to toss in some year-end blogging specials and get you all (and myself!) up to speed.  Although we're not going to get fully up to speed.  I can promise you that now because in the next few days I'm a little busy catching up with dear Dallas friends over tasty meals and girly pedicure time, ringing in 2010 with a bang, journeying to San Antonio for some Alamo Bowl adventures (sans Mike Leach, unfortunately - I'd really like to get the whole story there), and flying my way back across the country to D.C.  That's the kind of busy I like to be, though.  And it certainly is nice to be back in the land of ya'll, Chuy's, and refrigerators filled with Shiner.  Thanks for letting me crash, Vaughns - it's good to be among my people.

Flaky goodness

You think I'm going to go on this long-winded ramble about pie crust, what with the title of "flaky goodness" and all...and I mean, flaky pie crust is just one of the best things ever, but in this particular instance I'm going to use the "flaky" to refer to actual flakes. 

Flakes of snow!  I've moved to the East Coast, supposed land of blizzards and winters galore, but where do I see my first snow of the season?  Good ol' Amarillo, Texas.  See, it does snow in Texas.  People don't believe me on that one sometimes, and I just have to emphasize that's it an exceptionally large state with a vast, vast array of climates.  And up here in the Panhandle...it snows.  Happy winter, everyone, and here's hoping the Amarillo airport isn't thrown into a tizzy with the wintry mix we're receiving today.

Siblings galore

To the untrained eye, one might think I have just one sibling, a delightful gal who plays a key role in sister awesomeness.  To those in the know, I've actually had a rather large rotating cast of brothers and sisters in my life.  I daresay my dad, technology guru by day and cowboy by night, loves any number of his equine children just as much as he loves his human children*, and my human sister and I often refer to the horse crowd at our place as our brothers and sisters.  So, it's high time I introduced you to the rest of my "family."

The little girls, Dolly & Genie:

Sweet ol' Ginger, who was not too fond of the auto-assist illuminator on the camera and only wanted to be captured from afar:

The golden blur that is Nic on his way to dinner.  Also known as "Mr. Nickers" (by me, anyway) and "Pretty Boy" due to his general golden nature.

And of course, not just the ponies.  Meet Harriet, the rather faithful barn kitty who is quite proficient in killing rodents.  I know, I know, you really shouldn't name the barn kitties because their lives are a little unstable in general, but she's just the sweetest thing ever and had to be named.  Plus she looks an awful lot like Harrison.  Also not fond of the focus illuminator.  She usually looks much more pleasant and cheery.

And last but certainly not least, the faithful watchdog, Buckwheat:

So there you have it, my...slightly extended...immediate family of brothers and sisters.  Needless to say, I'm still working on the dusk/nighttime photography and assorted camera settings, and I'm skipping the editing on these pictures until they end up on my computer.  But you get the general idea.  Home, home on the range!

* Just kidding, Dad - I know the human kids are at the top of the list.  Phew.

Vegetable? What's a vegetable?

Breakfast:  coconut cream pie and coffee.
Lunch:  Rosa's.  It doesn't even matter what I had, it was Rosa's.
Afternoon:  Sonic cherry limeade.
Dinner:  leftover Thanksgiving feast.
Later in the evening:  grabbing ice cream from Braum's with a couple of friends.

And I might have some pumpkin pie when I get home.  Just sayin'.

A culinarily delightful West Texas day.

And yes, I realize this is about the most desperate of the NaBloPoMo postings, but this is it for today, folks.  At least I kept my verbose tendancies to a minimum.

I should be in bed...

...because my flight leaves at 7:00 AM tomorrow and you know how I feel about mornings in general and it's just going to be rough.  And I'm flying out of BWI rather than the much more convenient Reagan, which means a bit of a drive in the morning.  But you know what?  I'm so looking forward to allllllll of this that I don't really care how much sleep I get tonight:

• Haven't seen my parents since Christmas 2008 (this happens when you live halfway across the country!), and I CAN'T WAIT to go home and spend some quality time with my family.
• I have amazing friends who will also be journeying to or living in A-town, and I can't wait to see them.  Kerry Marie, Sarin, Darcy Lee, Kahlich gals - here's looking at you.
• Hello, it's Thanksgiving!  Time for pie and turkey and dressing and all that crazy awesome FOOD!  Oh, and I'll throw some thankfulness in there, too, I promise.
• Not being at work. =)

Ok, I'm not so excited about my flight back to D.C. landing at 1:00 AM on, technically, Monday morning and then driving myself home and then dealing with a fur child who will probably give me this face...

...and cry at me for abandoning him and then waking up far too early to drive out to Tyson's Corner because someone happened to sign up for training that day.  Ugh. 

But for now, I'm going to think about family and friends and pie and all that I love about going home for Thanksgiving.  I can't wait.

The next hot spot

Every Sunday the Washington Post Arts & Living section does a few travel features, and you know who snagged a piece of the spotlight for the first weekend in November?  None other than the Texas Panhandle.  That's right, the place draws you in with its rich history and captivates with..."a vast, silent expanse of flat, arid land that is almost defiantly inhospitable to human activity."  Well, if that's not a selling point, then I don't know what is.

Ok, the article does go on to actually celebrate a few local spots, and while I don't necessarily think of the Panhandle as one of the world's most exciting travel locales, it certainly holds a special place in my heart.  Especially when the details section of the Washington Post directs you to fly into Oklahoma City to get to the Panhandle.  Oh, heavens, Amarillo at least has an airport.  It's even an international airport.

Some of my Panhandle, and specifically, Amarillo, favorites, just in case you ever feel the need to explore that flat, arid land.  And yes, there will be a lot of food involved.  Specifically...Tex-Mex.  There's a lot of other delicious food, of course, so I'll wax nostalgic on those in connection with something else.

• Tex-Mex rules.  Go to Tacos Garcia and order the Tampico plate.  And then go to Rosa's for anything (and at least one tortilla) and Leal's for the green chile queso and Abuelo's and The Plaza and I wish Paradise Too was still around.  The waitresses knew my family there.  Best nachos and Spanish rice EVER, and Mom and Dad would always spring for the Andes mints at the end of the meal.  I loved that place.  Oh my gosh, Taco Villa!!
• Stanley Marsh 3 signs.  Not III, 3.  Yes, he's that kind of guy.  A eccentric rich guy who gets a kick out of getting people to put up crazy signs like these all over town:

• The Tri-State Fair.  I didn't realize what a good show they actually put on until I stopped in at some really unforgettable fairs in Abilene and Lubbock (we're keeping the comparison in the smallish zone, kids - of course the Texas State Fair is awesome) and developed a greater appreciation for the fried ice cream from Amarillo's finest vendors operating out of trailers.
• People are generally nice here.  That finger lifted off the steering wheel is a greeting, not the finger.  The land of ya'll and howdy.  Something to be said for that.
• Semi-seasons.  It totally snows in Texas.

There's more, but that'll do for now, ya'll.  Except for one last sunset.  And a few power lines stretching across that vast, silent expanse of land.