Eating Out

(I must be in some kind of time-warp or something.  Maybe the "or something."  I thought I posted my visit to a Chili's in Orlando, FL right after I got home.  Time warp?  Mind warp?  I dunno.  Anyway, I couldn't find it.  Perhaps I only THOUGHT about posting it . . . Hmmmmmm.)

Any way, I went to Orlando three weeks ago to spend a special day with my youngest daughter, her husband, their precious daughter, Baby Cakes, and son-in-laws parents at the LDS Orlando Temple.  It was a wonderful experience--even though it was exceptionally hot that afternoon!

As we traveled to the airport for my return flight--the in-laws had other obligations to attend to--the rest of us found a Chili's restaurant to feed our hunger.  Daughter and I chose to split a "Caribbean Chicken Salad" that sounded good.  Let me tell you, it was REALLY good!  The chicken marinade was excellent, not overpowering, but very tastey--like lime juice, maybe brown sugar, and other seasonings that when grilled, was better than I expected.  Add to that the pineapple, mandarin oranges, and cherries, cilantro, scallions, some salad greens--and honey/lime salad dressing--VERY yummy.  I want to eat it AGAIN!

OKAY!  I'M POSTING MY DISCLAIMER:   I'm not a professional food critic.  (Shock!)  Not a gourmet. (Double shock!!)  Just so you know.  (Now I know you all feel better knowing I'm just a regular person who's picky about what she finds at restaurants.)  No claim to culinary training or special knowledge of the culinary arts.  I just like to eat good food.  (But, I like some junk food, too, so there you have it!)

Tonight, my sweetheart took me out to eat on our regular Friday-Night-Date to "Hana's Japanese Sushi Bar and Grill" in Natchitoches, LA, a new-to-us place.  The decor was pleasant.  The meal, okay.  We each began with miso soup and a salad (iceberg lettuce, a whole "baby" carrot, one cherry tomato  with ginger salad dressing--left a lot to be desired) before our Spring Rolls.  They were passable, but I've had much better.  I had shrimp and vegetable tempura.  The flavor was not bad, but it was warm, not hot.  Rather than being light, it was heavy and greasy. The presentation, however, was attractive.  Husband had chicken terryaki served in a cast iron skillet on a bed of sliced onions with barely steamed broccoli florets..  The chicken was tender.  Each item was passable.  Not impressive. 

Of course, since we lived in Japan and had the "real deal" there . . .  we might be somewhat biased in our views.  However, we've had the privilege of  eating some excellent Japanese food in various places over the  40 years we've been married (as of tomorrow). And this meal didn't qualify/measure up/impress us.  Sorry, Hana's.

Chili's Caribbean Chicken Salad = **** (or 4 stars)
Hana's Shrimp Tempura and Chicken Terryaki dinners = * (or 1 star)

Once Upon a Time . . .

There was a little old lady, at a little old desk, typing on a little old keyboard, looking at a little old monitor, thinking she had so many little old things she could write about that she was rather overwhelmed and decided to call it a little old night.

And may each and every one of you have a good night.  Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Week Before Last

Family.  That's mostly what we did for a week plus.  And it was GREAT!  I don't get to see much of my kindred (my Mom and siblings and all the attendant family members therein) on much more than a yearly basis.  So it was very nice to get to hang out with various family members and eat with them!  (Eating is always good.)  And we told stories.  Fun, silly stuff we remembered from when we were all ages younger.  It was a good time.

I loved the scenery as we drove to and from Utah.  And the cooler, dryer temperatures that were further out west.  Past Texas.  In Texas it was H-O-T, hot!  And the wind blew.  Gales.  It seemed.  In Childress, Texas, it was H-O-T, hot AND the wind blew hot, too.  Whew.  (Now we're back home and just melting in the near 100 degrees during the day and 80 degrees something right now--just before midnight.)

In contrast, I was absolutely SHOCKED by the lush green in Price Canyon Utah.  In all my 60+ years, I don't remember EVER seeing such lush green vegetation in June in that canyon!!!!!!!!! Usually there's lots of brown, dry grass, bushes, stuff!   It was green, beautiful green everywhere!  Everywhere except where the rocks were bare.  Of course.  And I'm sure I've mentioned once or a jillion times how much I LOVE to see the Rockies.  Something in my very blood just swells at the beauty of those mountains and valleys, the rivers, the ancient lava cracks and flows here and there beside the road.

Nature just fascinates me.  One of these days I got to take some geology classes--in the Rockies, naturally.  There is such variety in types of rocks . . . the color of rocks, solid rocks, smooth rocks, crumbly rocks, cool layers of sedimentary rocks with what looks like veins of black coal, or green oxidized copper, or red sandstone, and on and on.  It's overwhelming.  And yet, I remember hearing someone say to me after her second trip to the mountains out west:  "I don't know what the big deal is.  If you've seen one rock, you've seen them all."  Ouch!  My perspective is so very different! 

I have a picture of the clan, or a small portion thereof, that my SIL took one evening as we gathered. (That's all of us that were together that evening.)

Mom's hair is its natural color with just a little white close to her face.  Just so you know.  She's very proud of that fact.  She's the oldest of 5 and ALL her siblings were solid white years ago.  In fact, her baby sister began going white at 17 years of age, and was solid white by 35.  My older sister and I are the only girls that let our "white hair" be white.  I'm not sayin' if either of the other sisters is white or not.  I don't know for sure.  I think some of the brothers are showing a little white here and there, however.

My Sister-In-Law was so sweet to take such good care of us while we stayed at their house and she organized and took all the fun fotos!

This one includes my Mom, me, my Oldest Younger Sis, one of her grandsons, and that's our Baby Sis hiding behind her hair.

We are a silly bunch, as you can see.  On the sofa you see Baby Sister, Next Older Sister, Mom and Me--I'm the shortest of us all, in case you're wondering, #2 in birth order and Sisters.  Oldest Brother and Youngest Brother (Baby of the Family--which he loudly and consistently disclaims) are behind we women folk. There are 2 more brothers missing and the Oldest Sister, not to mention all the Step-siblings and the vast array, i.e. multitude of offspring related to all of us!  I've lost count of how many of us there are.  It's well over 100 and includes 5 generations.  Aren't we a good looking lot, though. ; P  Family is great!

Something New, Something Blue

Okay. I'm trying out something new. And it's blue. Change is good . . . Right? Well, change is always happening around us, so here I go. I'm changing the looks of things around here. That's it.

Oh, and I'm getting a brand new refrigerator on Friday. I think. I absolutely hate to let the old one go. I mean, it's been part of this family longer than three of my four children! Seriously--and we're talking more than 30 years, okay?

I've coaxed it, cleaned it, called the repairman about once a year for the last three years or more, but it was so faithful for so long--and it's actually larger than the one that's replacing it. On Friday. Sigh. My children tell me I have to learn to let go. Hmmmmm. I wonder.

I've let each of them "go" out on their own. Every last one of them. And at some time or another, they've each come back. Hmmmmmm. Does that mean . . . that this fridge will follow that pattern . . . you know . . . since it's been in the family longer. No. Nuh, uh. Surely not. There will be no room for it. And, and, and, well. You know. It's NOT my CHILD, after all.

Old refrigerator friend, you were outstanding. You kept tons, tons of food cold or frozen for over 30 years. Except, you know, for those few times I didn't quite get you defrosted like I should have when the frost-free coils froze up solid. Then I had to deconstruct your freezing compartment and melt the built-up ice with my hair dryer and reconstruct your innards, or some of them and you'd perk along nicely, until about a month ago. I suppose you just got tired. You've be resting for two weeks now. Oh, how faithful you have been. Thank you from the bottom of my heart--and pocket book. That less than $300 we invested all those years ago were worth far more than than we could have possibly imagined at the time.

Now if appliances were designed and built to last like you were. What a wonderful world this would be. We'll miss you. *Sniff*

Look Who Came to Grandma's

This precious little package, "Baby Cakes" according to her three cousins, came to visit along with her Mom and Dad a couple of weeks ago.
None of us will be the same! She was just delightful.

Little Britches here is trying to share his most favorite lovey with her. That's a serious indicator of his affection for this tiny, sweet cousin of his. And his big sister, Miss Noodle, loved every opportunity afforded her to "mother" her baby cousin with loads of affection.

See how happy Miss Noodle is to "babysit"?

Grandma will never be a professional photographer because she clicks the shutter just before or after the cutest expressions. These pictures might not do Baby Cakes justice. (And, of course, I'm not prejudiced in my thoughts of how cute and adorable my grandchildren are. Never. Ever.)

Grandpa is performing his familial duty--a tradition of the grandfathers in his family--giving the grandbabies their first chicken bone to gnaw. I've never seen one who didn't relish the treat. It works so well for teething babies. Baby Cakes wanted more. Her Auntie, mother of the older 3 grandchildren, had done such a good job of removing most of the goodies from the bone, that little but great fried chicken flavor was left for BC to enjoy.

"Grandpa, it's yummy. Thanks. But, I want more.
My tummy IS NOT getting full, just so ya know!"

Can you tell how much BC's mom adores her? Well, it pretty much a mutual love.
We can testify that they love each other. Bunches.

Missing male cousin, Young Chef, and BC's daddy are floating around in the picture folders somewhere. I'll try to fish them out one day . . . soon??? Or maybe not so soon. My calendar is so full. But I love them both very much! They just didn't get in front of the camera much.

Currently all grandchildren have left us to weep and wail at their absence. We miss each of them so much when they're gone. The quiet is refreshing, but also a little empty. *Sigh*

Make Up Your Mind Already!

What is a person to do? On the very same day I received two pieces of mail. They were conflicted. One was from "The Scooter Store" with a "hook" line on one side: "Feel like yourself again."

Strange, but I think I normally "feel like" myself. I should ask my husband to give me a hug, maybe and see if he thinks I still feel like I usually do. Did. Once did 10, 15, 20, 40 however many years ago. I'm sure he would begin with one of those questioning, brows-knit-together kind of looks. You know the kind I'm talking about.

Then, the second piece of mail was from Gerber Life Insurance Company. Their "hook" was on the front: "Help secure a brighter tomorrow for you child today." As all my children are adults, and each has their own set of issues to deal with in this strange economic, wild, weird political world we live in, I surely would like to "help secure a brighter tomorrow" for each of them, but, HEY! They're adults. It's they're job now, doncha think?

Another thought flashed in my mind!!! Oh, no! Does Gerber Life Insurance Company know something I don't know? Is there a possibility I'm pregnant again? I mean, the other day when I was having x-rays, the tech did ask if there was any possibility of my being pregnant.

What's a woman to do? At my age, with children in their 20s and30s, it COULD be possible. I did meet and visit with a woman who gave birth to only two children--who were 34 years apart . . .

Should I go buy an EPT kit now? Should I wait for Mother Nature to give me some sign? Stranger things have happened, I've been told.

The ad people should just get together and stop trying to make me conflicted. Am I so old I need a scooter to get me from place to place? Or am I so young that I need to consider buying life insurance for a new baby? I don't know what to do!!! Is the sky falling? Would I need a scooter if I had another baby? For me? For the child? For my poor husband who might have a virtual heart attack if I told him we're going to have another baby? (It was weird enough being pregnant at 48, let me tell you. It was a "blighted ovum" so we don't currently have a brand new teenager. I probably would need a scooter or something to get me through each day, if that were the case.)

Should I panic? Have a day at the spa to sort through all this advertisement overload? (Not that I've ever been to a spa, but who's asking?) What would you do? Buy the scooter AND the baby life insurance? Help!

The Hunt Is ON!

Easter afternoon, and the hunt was on!

I see more! (Wonder if I can beat anyone else to these over here?)

You gotta be fast!

(I think I inadvertently bleeped a photo? How did I do that?)
We're making progress!

There are some eggs hiding up here? Really?

Did I find the last one?

Mom's on monitoring duty. Look at my haul!!!

Gotta keep my eyes pealed for any more possible eggs.

We didn't do too bad, now, did we?

Huh? I'm not so sure I got an equal share.