Got a grandbaby nephew in the oven and today is supposed to be his birthday. Ain't heard a word yet, but with all the new fangled ways to do things these days I'm not surprised. Back when I was born they used to do the announcing be smoke signal and telegram. Now, holy moley! You gotcha cell phone calls, text messages, Facetime, Snapchat, Facebook page, Facebook group, Facebook messenger, Twitter, Instagram, Tumbler, and on, and on....
When we had our first born, we entered the hospital around 8 p.m. and he came to us by C-section at 8:34 the next morning. The hospital didn't have 637 tv channels to watch. In the wee hours it was her and the contractions, me, and the few infomercials that were being telecast at cheap rates that time of night.
Once Matthew got here it was a mad rush to the payphone. Luckily I had my roll of quarters with me. Cling, cling they went! The Maw-in-law was with me, and she was more excited than anybody. She was getting all flustered, and yelled at me, "well fiddle! Where do the quarters go on this pay phone???!!!" I had to calm her down a bit, let her use the one I had, and explain to her that she was trying to feed quarters into a credit card slot on that particular pay phone! Lord, I am so glad that I've never had to take her to a Casino! All the calls got made in spite of that credit card one!
When I got raised, all they had was cotton diapers. With good poops and bad, it was the same process! Those with money paid for a diaper service. The rest did the self service cleansing regularly. When mine came along, it was all about disposable diapers and wipes. We were lucky that the diaper genie was invented during our time. That sucker could hold a few days of used-ups at a time, with a built in senor telling you it was time to dump, you know, the smell! Nowadays, I'm guessing my version of the diaper genie is long gone. This new generation probably has one that incinerates each one, or recycles it into garden fertilizer!
In my day, they killed a rabbit for some strange ritual. With ours, the spousal unit merely peed on a sweet tart contraption. With her, there were no ifs, ands or buts, she was 100% pregnant both times. These days I think the sweet tart thing is history too. There has gotta be an IPhone or Android Application that these women have on their phones that picks up some kind of sensory reading and sends the findings to the OB-GYM.com app and they get some type of message telling them its time for them to start eating all kinds of weird combinations of food items! Their hubbies need to go ahead and find one of those online child birthing classes. And forget about that new truck or sportscar, its SUV time. He'll also need to be stocking up on those e-cigars to hand out on birth day!
Car seats are another thing. In my time, first you bought an infant carrier. Then you upgraded to a car seat that you moved from car to car. That car seat was good for at least two birthings Now it's a combination all-in-one. You have one carrier, and at least six base units, two for you, two for the grandparents, and to for those sister-in-laws that fight over baby sitting rights!
I saw a commercial the other day where a baby came out, grabbed the nearest IPhone, and got things rolling then and there. I won't be surprised if it happens with this one. Come on ACE! You've got a crowd of folks waiting on ya!
Retired in 2012. I'm trying to out run old age and boredom. So far, I'm winning the race!
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Let's get physical!
Went in for my latest wellness visit this past week. I am always uneasy when it comes time for the dreaded finger stick, and I'm not talking about a needle!
In walks somebody called a physician's assistant, in training. A woman, oh boy. Thoughts of dropping my drawers for her for that God awful finger probe flow into mind. Ok, there has to be a hidden camera somewhere, and somebody is gonna jump out and say gotcha!
She tells me she wants to go over my medical history and do a brief exam before the doctor comes in to summarize. Oooookayyyy. She starts down her list of questions, any issues with this and that, etc... She gets to the one where she asks about shortness of breath.
Something goes off in my head, kinda like that little red devil that sits on your shoulder, waiting for the right moment. Then it just comes out of my mouth: "shortness of breath? Only when I'm around naked women!"
Well, that caught her off guard! She stepped back, took a breath, collected her composure, and said, "you know, I married one just like you. I can't wait to see how this ends!" Suddenly she had me! Thought of that finger stick rushed into my head!
The rest of her questioning went off without a hitch, and then she told me to lay on the table. Oh crap, what's next??? Thankfully it was routine stuff I'd done countless times before! But still, I kept wondering, when's it coming.......
She finished with her exam, and my heart rate started going back to normal. Now, lab work, she said. Whew! Safe for now!
Everything on the lab results were in tolerable limits, thanks to the medications I've been taking for the past 10 years. Blood sugar, however, has been creeping up. My weight has also been creeping up.
Doctor came in and went over briefly what I had experienced over the last 20 minutes. Seems there is a new blood test they will do next visit that looks at blood sugar. The test will determine if you are a good candidate for their little magic pill that helps to lower your sugar levels. And, I got out of their with just the PSA test reading, and no FINGER!!
I made up my mind on the way to the parking lot that some things have to change. Sugar and carbs have got to go! Some of this is easy, as I already gave up sweet tea and sweetened colas long ago. I have also cut back on the volume of fried foods, but even less will be better. The hard part is the carbs from bread, taters, rice, etc.... hell, I've gotta be part oriental with as much rice as I consume!
So, the challenge is on. The only loser can be me, and the winner, regardless, will be my overall health. Gotta start somewhere, at sometime. Might as well be now! Fingers crossed....
In walks somebody called a physician's assistant, in training. A woman, oh boy. Thoughts of dropping my drawers for her for that God awful finger probe flow into mind. Ok, there has to be a hidden camera somewhere, and somebody is gonna jump out and say gotcha!
She tells me she wants to go over my medical history and do a brief exam before the doctor comes in to summarize. Oooookayyyy. She starts down her list of questions, any issues with this and that, etc... She gets to the one where she asks about shortness of breath.
Something goes off in my head, kinda like that little red devil that sits on your shoulder, waiting for the right moment. Then it just comes out of my mouth: "shortness of breath? Only when I'm around naked women!"
Well, that caught her off guard! She stepped back, took a breath, collected her composure, and said, "you know, I married one just like you. I can't wait to see how this ends!" Suddenly she had me! Thought of that finger stick rushed into my head!
The rest of her questioning went off without a hitch, and then she told me to lay on the table. Oh crap, what's next??? Thankfully it was routine stuff I'd done countless times before! But still, I kept wondering, when's it coming.......
She finished with her exam, and my heart rate started going back to normal. Now, lab work, she said. Whew! Safe for now!
Everything on the lab results were in tolerable limits, thanks to the medications I've been taking for the past 10 years. Blood sugar, however, has been creeping up. My weight has also been creeping up.
Doctor came in and went over briefly what I had experienced over the last 20 minutes. Seems there is a new blood test they will do next visit that looks at blood sugar. The test will determine if you are a good candidate for their little magic pill that helps to lower your sugar levels. And, I got out of their with just the PSA test reading, and no FINGER!!
I made up my mind on the way to the parking lot that some things have to change. Sugar and carbs have got to go! Some of this is easy, as I already gave up sweet tea and sweetened colas long ago. I have also cut back on the volume of fried foods, but even less will be better. The hard part is the carbs from bread, taters, rice, etc.... hell, I've gotta be part oriental with as much rice as I consume!
So, the challenge is on. The only loser can be me, and the winner, regardless, will be my overall health. Gotta start somewhere, at sometime. Might as well be now! Fingers crossed....
Going for the Crown
Last night we had the annual running for the roses, sash and crown here in Mississippi. The Miss Mississippi Pageant is broadcast live, running for two hours on one of the local television stations.
The old pageantry of years past somehow seems a bit lost, but for a group of eighty people in a "closed group" on Facebook, we look forward to this event for 364 days every year!
This group was formed several years ago, as a result of a each of us doing commentary individually on Facebook during this very same pageant. Each of us would see each others comments and add to them. Our individual comments were lighting up the FB news feed like crazy. We were all like jealous pageant mom's on steroids! Our regular Facebook friends did not know what to make of all this!
In a brainstorm dream, out fearless moderator came up with the idea of a closed group for the next pageant, which was Miss America, just a couple of months later. Needless to say, it was a hit amongst our group of pageant followers, and we are now a group of over eighty, and most of us have never met, all being friends of the moderator!
This year was almost like watching the Superbowl! We had pre-game commentary. " Ok, what channel, because my cable viewing guide doesn't show it being on WLBT?" "How many Casino ads will we see this year?" "Will the plastic surgery ads take over this year?" "Wonder why there are no dentist commercials with all those fixed smiles??"
WLBT cut over to the pageant right at the 8:00 hour. It was obvious from that cut over that the pageant preliminaries had already been going on for some time. One of our crew had been in attendance all week. She noted that the Fire Marshall had visited on Wednesday, and ordered 40 seats be removed in the name of fire safety. You know there had to be some hot and angry pageant attendees whose prepaid seats were nowhere to be found!
The cut over went into the introductory musical dance opener. It didn't take long for the commentary to begin! The first live song, you guessed it, lip stinked! Hopefully the audience didn't notice it as much as our group did!
We were introduced to this year's hostess, and right off the bat, some in our group noted that she had a baby only seven weeks earlier. Some noted, "that must be the reason for that dress"! It was a bright red one with an open back. The wireless microphone pack looked like a battery pack for an android adult size doll! She later changed into a blue dress that provided even more commentary. Her boobs offered up one note that she looked engorged! I noted that the veins popping out of her cleavage were the same color as her dress!
The evening gown portion was uneventful, as the girls all looked stunning in their choices of gowns. Their athletic trainers would be proud. The plastic surgeons work was perfect. One girl was caught by our group, her white bra strap was exposed, under her black dress. This is a big no no in the pageant world! Then, one contestant, made it known that her mother had breast cancer, and that she, had undergone a preventative double mastectomy. Wow! We all wondered, would she make it to the next round?
The comment of the night came from our moderator during one of the segments where they announce the awarding of scholarship money. "You have to just love it when a contestant is awarded a $1,000 scholarship while wearing a $6,000 dress!
The "talent" portion for the top ten had us all wondering, how bad could the others have been??? One girl doing ballet looked like a spinning top! Singers had Daddies asking Mommas "and how much have we spent on voices lessons???"
The swimsuit portion was the hit of the night. Some wondered if the spray tan solution was sold in 55 gallon drums. It looked like some of the contestants had put on their bodybuilder shine before their entry onto the stage! Our comments centered around the shoes! Some wore platform wedges and one contestant had the dreaded "toe overhang"!
Finally, it was down to the top five! It's interview question time! Most of us were of the consensus that last year's runner up was the odds on favorite, this being her last year to compete. Yep, she got picked and made it through her question without a slip!
The anticipation was building for the announcement. The lengthy song and dance numbers during vote tabulation just added to the suspense! Finally, it was time!
The stage was full of dignitaries. Along with the crown bearer, the Governor and Lt. Governor were at the ready with the bouquet of roses and the Miss Mississippi sash. It's time!
After the first few announced placements, we learned that the odds on favorite didn't make it to the top two. It was now down to Miss Rebel from Ole Miss and Miss Golden Eagle from USM. The winner, the blonde violin player from USM!!!
Our group all expressed how much fun we had experienced together over the past 2.5 hours. We are all at the ready for the next one. Bring on the Miss America Pageant!!!
The old pageantry of years past somehow seems a bit lost, but for a group of eighty people in a "closed group" on Facebook, we look forward to this event for 364 days every year!
This group was formed several years ago, as a result of a each of us doing commentary individually on Facebook during this very same pageant. Each of us would see each others comments and add to them. Our individual comments were lighting up the FB news feed like crazy. We were all like jealous pageant mom's on steroids! Our regular Facebook friends did not know what to make of all this!
In a brainstorm dream, out fearless moderator came up with the idea of a closed group for the next pageant, which was Miss America, just a couple of months later. Needless to say, it was a hit amongst our group of pageant followers, and we are now a group of over eighty, and most of us have never met, all being friends of the moderator!
This year was almost like watching the Superbowl! We had pre-game commentary. " Ok, what channel, because my cable viewing guide doesn't show it being on WLBT?" "How many Casino ads will we see this year?" "Will the plastic surgery ads take over this year?" "Wonder why there are no dentist commercials with all those fixed smiles??"
WLBT cut over to the pageant right at the 8:00 hour. It was obvious from that cut over that the pageant preliminaries had already been going on for some time. One of our crew had been in attendance all week. She noted that the Fire Marshall had visited on Wednesday, and ordered 40 seats be removed in the name of fire safety. You know there had to be some hot and angry pageant attendees whose prepaid seats were nowhere to be found!
The cut over went into the introductory musical dance opener. It didn't take long for the commentary to begin! The first live song, you guessed it, lip stinked! Hopefully the audience didn't notice it as much as our group did!
We were introduced to this year's hostess, and right off the bat, some in our group noted that she had a baby only seven weeks earlier. Some noted, "that must be the reason for that dress"! It was a bright red one with an open back. The wireless microphone pack looked like a battery pack for an android adult size doll! She later changed into a blue dress that provided even more commentary. Her boobs offered up one note that she looked engorged! I noted that the veins popping out of her cleavage were the same color as her dress!
The evening gown portion was uneventful, as the girls all looked stunning in their choices of gowns. Their athletic trainers would be proud. The plastic surgeons work was perfect. One girl was caught by our group, her white bra strap was exposed, under her black dress. This is a big no no in the pageant world! Then, one contestant, made it known that her mother had breast cancer, and that she, had undergone a preventative double mastectomy. Wow! We all wondered, would she make it to the next round?
The comment of the night came from our moderator during one of the segments where they announce the awarding of scholarship money. "You have to just love it when a contestant is awarded a $1,000 scholarship while wearing a $6,000 dress!
The "talent" portion for the top ten had us all wondering, how bad could the others have been??? One girl doing ballet looked like a spinning top! Singers had Daddies asking Mommas "and how much have we spent on voices lessons???"
The swimsuit portion was the hit of the night. Some wondered if the spray tan solution was sold in 55 gallon drums. It looked like some of the contestants had put on their bodybuilder shine before their entry onto the stage! Our comments centered around the shoes! Some wore platform wedges and one contestant had the dreaded "toe overhang"!
Finally, it was down to the top five! It's interview question time! Most of us were of the consensus that last year's runner up was the odds on favorite, this being her last year to compete. Yep, she got picked and made it through her question without a slip!
The anticipation was building for the announcement. The lengthy song and dance numbers during vote tabulation just added to the suspense! Finally, it was time!
The stage was full of dignitaries. Along with the crown bearer, the Governor and Lt. Governor were at the ready with the bouquet of roses and the Miss Mississippi sash. It's time!
After the first few announced placements, we learned that the odds on favorite didn't make it to the top two. It was now down to Miss Rebel from Ole Miss and Miss Golden Eagle from USM. The winner, the blonde violin player from USM!!!
Our group all expressed how much fun we had experienced together over the past 2.5 hours. We are all at the ready for the next one. Bring on the Miss America Pageant!!!
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Watermelon
Son #1's girly friend returned from an all girl beach trio the other day. One thing that she brought back with her was the biggest striped watermelon that I'd seen in quite some time!
I knew it was coming, as she sent me a text with a picture of it in her Mom's lap. That sucker weighed in at over 40 pounds! Not sure where she got it, but her Mom's lap will never be the same.
Once she walked in with it, I knew the anticipation was gonna kill us. It was gonna take at least 2 days to put a good chill on that sucker! Luckily there was enough room in our outside fridge for it to it. The number one question was "could we wait"?
You have to wonder how do those guys know when to pick'um. I don't know that I've ever seen an under ripe one. The absolute worst kind is one that is over ripe, the texture is nothing but mush! Nothing to do with these but toss it, and hope for better next time.
Well, this 40 pounder made it through the cooling stage, now time to cut! There is no greater anticipation than waiting to hear that sound. You take a knife, the longer the better, and stick it in, almost to the end of the handle. As you slide the blade down the side of the melon, you listen for that snap and crackle of the melon beginning to split in two. Yes! You hear it! Oh man, it's gotta be the sweetest one of the season!
When the boys were young, I occasionally could get away with "cutting the heart out of it" for a quick tasty sample. The spousal unit finally caught on, and now she is forever reminding me "don't you do it!"
My slice is officially on my plate. The anticipation of that first bite is killing me! My utensil of choice is a knife. Just me, the melon slice and a knife! Some go with a fork, and some even have a shaker of salt. What's up with that???
The first cut for me is always the portion of the heart that makes it to the plate. I always have my fingers crossed that there is enough of the heart to wet my appetite to get me through the next phase of attack.
I cannot stand watermelon seeds. Some folks just cut off pieces, begin to chew, and spit the seeds out as they go. Not me! I use the knife blade to pick out as many seeds as I can. The next challenge is to cut off as many pieces, preferably with no seeds at all.
If the melon is really sweet, you can't get enough of it. I'll whittle that sucker all the way down to the white part of the rind. Sometimes they are so good you have to go for another piece!
Man! I've just made myself hungry for another slice of that bad boy. Now, I'm glad the girly friend went for that forty pounder!
I knew it was coming, as she sent me a text with a picture of it in her Mom's lap. That sucker weighed in at over 40 pounds! Not sure where she got it, but her Mom's lap will never be the same.
Once she walked in with it, I knew the anticipation was gonna kill us. It was gonna take at least 2 days to put a good chill on that sucker! Luckily there was enough room in our outside fridge for it to it. The number one question was "could we wait"?
You have to wonder how do those guys know when to pick'um. I don't know that I've ever seen an under ripe one. The absolute worst kind is one that is over ripe, the texture is nothing but mush! Nothing to do with these but toss it, and hope for better next time.
Well, this 40 pounder made it through the cooling stage, now time to cut! There is no greater anticipation than waiting to hear that sound. You take a knife, the longer the better, and stick it in, almost to the end of the handle. As you slide the blade down the side of the melon, you listen for that snap and crackle of the melon beginning to split in two. Yes! You hear it! Oh man, it's gotta be the sweetest one of the season!
When the boys were young, I occasionally could get away with "cutting the heart out of it" for a quick tasty sample. The spousal unit finally caught on, and now she is forever reminding me "don't you do it!"
My slice is officially on my plate. The anticipation of that first bite is killing me! My utensil of choice is a knife. Just me, the melon slice and a knife! Some go with a fork, and some even have a shaker of salt. What's up with that???
The first cut for me is always the portion of the heart that makes it to the plate. I always have my fingers crossed that there is enough of the heart to wet my appetite to get me through the next phase of attack.
I cannot stand watermelon seeds. Some folks just cut off pieces, begin to chew, and spit the seeds out as they go. Not me! I use the knife blade to pick out as many seeds as I can. The next challenge is to cut off as many pieces, preferably with no seeds at all.
If the melon is really sweet, you can't get enough of it. I'll whittle that sucker all the way down to the white part of the rind. Sometimes they are so good you have to go for another piece!
Man! I've just made myself hungry for another slice of that bad boy. Now, I'm glad the girly friend went for that forty pounder!
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Rebel 101
With a new freshmen season coming near, now would be a good time to go over the rules of the games for those newbie parents that will be on campus visiting their college student this fall.
1. At that school up north, one doesn't greet each other with a "hello", or "how ya'll doing?" Now one must greet with a "hotty toddy" and reply with a "hotty toddy"! This kinda takes care of those unpleasant moments when you don't know what to say. Rumor has it that it has been spoken to love ones in the box whose whole life was all about the red and blue.
2. Your freshman son must have in his wardrobe a navy sportscoat, kaki dress pants, and a selection of ties. Bow ties are optional. The sports coat, on occasion has been known to be used as cover in the stadium when one is stuck in the crowd and has to pee!
3. Young ladies are required to wear their three inch heels to the Grove on at lease three home football weekends. The heels are required in order to insure that the soil on top of the majestic oaks gets good aeration.
4. On football Saturday, you must remember to cover your twelve pack or case of your favorite adult beverage. It is usually the incoming freshmen that has not yet gotten the lowdown on the hoedown in the Grove. Once "busted" it is your responsibility to recycle responsibly!
5. Tailgating is no longer all about the chicken strip. Once in College, students must develop a taste for a variety of dips, pasta salads and finger sandwiches. Rest assured, there will be chicken fingers present, but not in the volumes of years past.
6. It is permissible for young coeds to wear panty hose in lieu of a Florida summer tan, but under no circumstances is she allowed to also wear open toed shoes! Her great grandmother would roll over in her grave!
7. Coolers of all types will arrive for the tailgaters party. Personal coolers, rolling coolers, and chest coolers of all colors and sizes. One does not necessarily need to place a lock on their cooler. The lid must, however, be secured tightly. Any accidental spillage on the Grove loop is fair game for Security to claim!
8. Prior to your arrival on football Saturday, please have the GPS coordinates of your tent site locked and loaded into your cell phone. No point looking like lost sheep on your first visit.
9. For you ladies on your first visit, please be prepared for your first encounter with a "port-o-john". Restroom lines are quite long in the few buildings that are open, and there are only two "hotty toddy potty" trailers.
10. The number one rule to remember on your visit is that "they may not win every game, but they never lost a tailgate"!
1. At that school up north, one doesn't greet each other with a "hello", or "how ya'll doing?" Now one must greet with a "hotty toddy" and reply with a "hotty toddy"! This kinda takes care of those unpleasant moments when you don't know what to say. Rumor has it that it has been spoken to love ones in the box whose whole life was all about the red and blue.
2. Your freshman son must have in his wardrobe a navy sportscoat, kaki dress pants, and a selection of ties. Bow ties are optional. The sports coat, on occasion has been known to be used as cover in the stadium when one is stuck in the crowd and has to pee!
3. Young ladies are required to wear their three inch heels to the Grove on at lease three home football weekends. The heels are required in order to insure that the soil on top of the majestic oaks gets good aeration.
4. On football Saturday, you must remember to cover your twelve pack or case of your favorite adult beverage. It is usually the incoming freshmen that has not yet gotten the lowdown on the hoedown in the Grove. Once "busted" it is your responsibility to recycle responsibly!
5. Tailgating is no longer all about the chicken strip. Once in College, students must develop a taste for a variety of dips, pasta salads and finger sandwiches. Rest assured, there will be chicken fingers present, but not in the volumes of years past.
6. It is permissible for young coeds to wear panty hose in lieu of a Florida summer tan, but under no circumstances is she allowed to also wear open toed shoes! Her great grandmother would roll over in her grave!
7. Coolers of all types will arrive for the tailgaters party. Personal coolers, rolling coolers, and chest coolers of all colors and sizes. One does not necessarily need to place a lock on their cooler. The lid must, however, be secured tightly. Any accidental spillage on the Grove loop is fair game for Security to claim!
8. Prior to your arrival on football Saturday, please have the GPS coordinates of your tent site locked and loaded into your cell phone. No point looking like lost sheep on your first visit.
9. For you ladies on your first visit, please be prepared for your first encounter with a "port-o-john". Restroom lines are quite long in the few buildings that are open, and there are only two "hotty toddy potty" trailers.
10. The number one rule to remember on your visit is that "they may not win every game, but they never lost a tailgate"!
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Beneficial My Ass!
The dogs and I were spending the day outside the other day. The two browns were barking at the neighbor dogs and catching a few rays while Henry was on one of his search out and destroy missions, leaving no stone unturned and no leaf unsniffed.
I was back and forth from the front yard toting boards to the saw for a couple more of my cooler box projects. You have to fool the browns because they will be out that gate and gone before you know it. They usually return after exhausting every bit of pee that they can muster to sprinkle all of the mailboxes from my house to the end of the street.
I gently set the boards down, leaning them against an old grill of mine that doesn't get much use anymore, but it was my first stainless model and this ole griller just can't seem to be able to part with it. I was about to head back to the front yard, when BAM! I'd been hit in the back of the head with a stinger! I reached back to swat, musta missed, and BAM! that sucker done got me again!
I immediately figured out that it was a wasp. He was a bugger bear, because both stings went through my cap and into my head, which is as hard as they come. I look up and see at least eight more heading my way. I put my butt into reverse and retreated outta there! Ole Henry dog got curious and came over to investigate. I tried to tell him about the wasps, but seeing that he is a Boston Terrier, he mostly only understands that Northeastern dialect of English. It didn't take those wasps very long to zero in on Henry, popping him at least twice!
All four of us made it back to the coolness of the house. I had to make sure that those two stings didn't affect me out in the heat. The dogs didn't mind coming in, as they all went to the water bowl at the same time.
Later, I went back to inspect the scene of the crime. There they were, all lined up on the back of the grill, like planes waiting to take off an aircraft carrier, at least six to ten of them. I wasn't too clear on the count, since I only had one eye on them and the other on the several that were still in the air, buzzing in circles, looking for the next threat!
Wasps are supposed to be a beneficial insect, killing and feasting on other insects. A friend of mine on Facebook mentioned that wasp stings help with arthritis. Not sure about all that, but the back of my head has a small knot on it today from the sting.
Yesterday I went to Wallyworld to pick up some wasp spray. I get the kind that kills on contact and you can squirt from at least 15 feet away. I got the one that came as a two pack (glad I did!). I walked back to the old grill, and there they were, just a buzzing around like the day before. I got to the backside of the grill and spotted those same bad boys lined up ready to go. The first squirt took them all down. Hot damn! I took a pause, to take a look, and from out of the vent comes another swarm!
I sprayed and sprayed, knocking them out of the air and picking them off as they came out of the vent. I just hoped the can didn't run out of spray! Finally everything calmed down. I raised the lid of the grill and started spraying again. There wasn't one or two nests, there were three! I gave them a good soaking until there was no more juice coming out of the can. They may have won the battle the other day, but I had won the war!
I was back and forth from the front yard toting boards to the saw for a couple more of my cooler box projects. You have to fool the browns because they will be out that gate and gone before you know it. They usually return after exhausting every bit of pee that they can muster to sprinkle all of the mailboxes from my house to the end of the street.
I gently set the boards down, leaning them against an old grill of mine that doesn't get much use anymore, but it was my first stainless model and this ole griller just can't seem to be able to part with it. I was about to head back to the front yard, when BAM! I'd been hit in the back of the head with a stinger! I reached back to swat, musta missed, and BAM! that sucker done got me again!
I immediately figured out that it was a wasp. He was a bugger bear, because both stings went through my cap and into my head, which is as hard as they come. I look up and see at least eight more heading my way. I put my butt into reverse and retreated outta there! Ole Henry dog got curious and came over to investigate. I tried to tell him about the wasps, but seeing that he is a Boston Terrier, he mostly only understands that Northeastern dialect of English. It didn't take those wasps very long to zero in on Henry, popping him at least twice!
All four of us made it back to the coolness of the house. I had to make sure that those two stings didn't affect me out in the heat. The dogs didn't mind coming in, as they all went to the water bowl at the same time.
Later, I went back to inspect the scene of the crime. There they were, all lined up on the back of the grill, like planes waiting to take off an aircraft carrier, at least six to ten of them. I wasn't too clear on the count, since I only had one eye on them and the other on the several that were still in the air, buzzing in circles, looking for the next threat!
Wasps are supposed to be a beneficial insect, killing and feasting on other insects. A friend of mine on Facebook mentioned that wasp stings help with arthritis. Not sure about all that, but the back of my head has a small knot on it today from the sting.
Yesterday I went to Wallyworld to pick up some wasp spray. I get the kind that kills on contact and you can squirt from at least 15 feet away. I got the one that came as a two pack (glad I did!). I walked back to the old grill, and there they were, just a buzzing around like the day before. I got to the backside of the grill and spotted those same bad boys lined up ready to go. The first squirt took them all down. Hot damn! I took a pause, to take a look, and from out of the vent comes another swarm!
I sprayed and sprayed, knocking them out of the air and picking them off as they came out of the vent. I just hoped the can didn't run out of spray! Finally everything calmed down. I raised the lid of the grill and started spraying again. There wasn't one or two nests, there were three! I gave them a good soaking until there was no more juice coming out of the can. They may have won the battle the other day, but I had won the war!
I went back out there this morning to inspect the damage. I grabbed a stick to knock the first one loose, and oh CRAP! More cousins were on the loose! One popped me on the back and Ole Henry had learned his lesson from the other day, as he was up by the back door laughing at me. I grabbed the second can of spray and went at it again, this time leaving no prisoners behind. I smushed up the nests to make sure no more of these "beneficial insects" would be coming back a third time.
Beneficial my ass!
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Why Is Its
Sometimes you sit back and have to just wonder "why is it" that way:
1. Henry, the Boston Terrier, is notorious for crawling into the bed with you to take a nap. Then, it hits you, bam! SBD! One of those silent but deadly gas attacks! But then when you do it back to him, he ups and leaves!
2. Why is it that when you pull through the drive thru and you plainly state "I want 2 number threes" the order screen only shows one even after they read it back to you....
3. Why is it when you finally get your flip flops to fit just right the toe thong breaks....
4. Why is it that when your child's good friend goes out to eat with you, then they order the most expensive item on the menu, and then don't eat it.
5. Why is it that some relatives are all about the holiday season but never bring an entree for the meal?
6. Why is it that some people will put an empty carton of milk back into the refrigerator?
7. Why is it that the last person out of the room at bedtime will leave a light on?
8. I wish I was as good at winnng poker as I am at winning the dinner tab at a restaurant.
9. Why are dogs so eager to run outside, only to turn around and give you that look "dude, aren't you coming?"
10. Why are Mexicans so good at cooking rice and beans but suck at coming up with a variety of desserts???
11. Why is it that women run the tap water when they are "doing their business". You went into the restroom afterall!
12. Why do women feel the need to buy something at a convenience store when they go in to use the restroom. I just paid for a tank of gas at the pump!
13. Why do gas prices end with 9/10ths. Just round it up and be done with it!
14. Some establishment are already doing this one. Why not ask the customer to round off his purchase to the next dollar, with the extra going to a specific charity?
15. Why does that water have to come out of the dispenser before the mustard. Hate a soggy bun!
16. Why is it that I had plenty of items in my head when I started but only 16 made it to this list....
1. Henry, the Boston Terrier, is notorious for crawling into the bed with you to take a nap. Then, it hits you, bam! SBD! One of those silent but deadly gas attacks! But then when you do it back to him, he ups and leaves!
2. Why is it that when you pull through the drive thru and you plainly state "I want 2 number threes" the order screen only shows one even after they read it back to you....
3. Why is it when you finally get your flip flops to fit just right the toe thong breaks....
4. Why is it that when your child's good friend goes out to eat with you, then they order the most expensive item on the menu, and then don't eat it.
5. Why is it that some relatives are all about the holiday season but never bring an entree for the meal?
6. Why is it that some people will put an empty carton of milk back into the refrigerator?
7. Why is it that the last person out of the room at bedtime will leave a light on?
8. I wish I was as good at winnng poker as I am at winning the dinner tab at a restaurant.
9. Why are dogs so eager to run outside, only to turn around and give you that look "dude, aren't you coming?"
10. Why are Mexicans so good at cooking rice and beans but suck at coming up with a variety of desserts???
11. Why is it that women run the tap water when they are "doing their business". You went into the restroom afterall!
12. Why do women feel the need to buy something at a convenience store when they go in to use the restroom. I just paid for a tank of gas at the pump!
13. Why do gas prices end with 9/10ths. Just round it up and be done with it!
14. Some establishment are already doing this one. Why not ask the customer to round off his purchase to the next dollar, with the extra going to a specific charity?
15. Why does that water have to come out of the dispenser before the mustard. Hate a soggy bun!
16. Why is it that I had plenty of items in my head when I started but only 16 made it to this list....
Friday, June 12, 2015
Yeti
I remember growing up, my Dad had one of those metal Coleman ice chests that was built to last. Those were the days when you bought something one time and you never thought of replacing it because you just didn't have to.
Along came the petroleum industry with their plastic encased foam coolers that now come in every size, shape and color. These items are so mass produced that it is more practical to just replace it with a new one than find the replacement parts and extend the life of it.
Then, out of the blue, some avid outdoorsman got to thinking that there has to be a better solution for their game needs than just regularly replacing them with a new one. And thus, the Yeti cooler was born!
The Yeti was built for the outdoorsman that loved to hunt and fish and bring home the spoils of their adventues without becoming spoiled on the way home. The Yeti is built so well that once sealed up, there are no worries of any major ice meltdown.
With a cooler being built so well it has to come at a significant cost. It does, and they are very pricey. But, it will be the last one you will ever buy. You will even go "old school" and buy replacement parts like the rubber latches and the handles. You will even buy the accessories to lock that sucker down so that it doesn't grow legs and disappear.
The other manufacturers have even gotten in the act once they saw Yeti taking an ever growing market share. But, the Yeti has gone into full cult status overload!
The original market for Yeti coolers was the outdoorsman. Now, every college bound kid is getting one as a graduation gift. Couples are receiving them as wedding gifts. These coolers are now being sold in several colors and they even have several college logos in their inventory.
Yeti coolers are easy to spot at the beach. When fully packed, it takes 2 to 4 guys to get them to your spot in the sand. My nephew and his buddies had one with them during spring break one year. After enough beer had been consumed they got the bright idea "let's sink it"! Those were some of the funniest pictures I'd ever seen! These full grown young bucks trying to ride their Yeti like it was one of those bull riding bucking machines!
Last year, at my cousin's daughter's wedding reception, beer was packed in Yeti's by flavor. I'd never seen so many big boy Yeti's in one place! It was funny watching to see which flavors would go
first and what would be the lone holdout!
The boys at Yeti are quite the inovators. First, they came out with the gaming bigboy cooler, then gradually adding smaller versions for the tailgaters, the beach crowd and now the weekender guy. They have even added color options mentioned earler. Now, they have expanded their product line even more!
Remember that Stanley thermos your dad had that he took with him hunting or on long hour work days? They would keep coffee hot for hours. Here comes Yeti! They have expanded their product line to include their "Rambler" and "Colster". The Rambler is a 20 or 30 oz tumbler with a sippy top and the Colster is an aluminum can holder . Both are made of steel, like the Stanley thermos, but they are marketed toward the ice shaking crowd and the beer & soda drinker.
I bought two of the 30 oz tumblers for the spousal unit, since she is a lifetime ice shaker. We took them out for a test drive last night using hotel ice, and I got the anticipated result this morning, all melted :-(. I knew that hotel ice wouldn't go the long haul because it is so thin, and it didn't. Next up for testing will be chunky ice! The tumblers themselves did not disappoint. Once filled, the liquid contents, in my case Diet Dew, was ice cold in just a few seconds. And, the cups do not sweat due to their insulated design. The literature on these recommend handwashing only. Despite the price, $29 and $39, I think there tumblers will be giving Tervis a run for their money!
These Yeti boys aren't done yet. They now have a "soft cooler" bag called the "Hopper" and an accessory bag called the " Sidekick". If you're thinking lower price point, forget it! The Hopper has 2 sizes and are priced at $299 and $349!
My guess is the Yeti boys are already working on something new, maybe a clothing line made of the Hopper material??? Stay tuned!
Along came the petroleum industry with their plastic encased foam coolers that now come in every size, shape and color. These items are so mass produced that it is more practical to just replace it with a new one than find the replacement parts and extend the life of it.
Then, out of the blue, some avid outdoorsman got to thinking that there has to be a better solution for their game needs than just regularly replacing them with a new one. And thus, the Yeti cooler was born!
The Yeti was built for the outdoorsman that loved to hunt and fish and bring home the spoils of their adventues without becoming spoiled on the way home. The Yeti is built so well that once sealed up, there are no worries of any major ice meltdown.
With a cooler being built so well it has to come at a significant cost. It does, and they are very pricey. But, it will be the last one you will ever buy. You will even go "old school" and buy replacement parts like the rubber latches and the handles. You will even buy the accessories to lock that sucker down so that it doesn't grow legs and disappear.
The other manufacturers have even gotten in the act once they saw Yeti taking an ever growing market share. But, the Yeti has gone into full cult status overload!
The original market for Yeti coolers was the outdoorsman. Now, every college bound kid is getting one as a graduation gift. Couples are receiving them as wedding gifts. These coolers are now being sold in several colors and they even have several college logos in their inventory.
Yeti coolers are easy to spot at the beach. When fully packed, it takes 2 to 4 guys to get them to your spot in the sand. My nephew and his buddies had one with them during spring break one year. After enough beer had been consumed they got the bright idea "let's sink it"! Those were some of the funniest pictures I'd ever seen! These full grown young bucks trying to ride their Yeti like it was one of those bull riding bucking machines!
Last year, at my cousin's daughter's wedding reception, beer was packed in Yeti's by flavor. I'd never seen so many big boy Yeti's in one place! It was funny watching to see which flavors would go
first and what would be the lone holdout!
The boys at Yeti are quite the inovators. First, they came out with the gaming bigboy cooler, then gradually adding smaller versions for the tailgaters, the beach crowd and now the weekender guy. They have even added color options mentioned earler. Now, they have expanded their product line even more!
Remember that Stanley thermos your dad had that he took with him hunting or on long hour work days? They would keep coffee hot for hours. Here comes Yeti! They have expanded their product line to include their "Rambler" and "Colster". The Rambler is a 20 or 30 oz tumbler with a sippy top and the Colster is an aluminum can holder . Both are made of steel, like the Stanley thermos, but they are marketed toward the ice shaking crowd and the beer & soda drinker.
I bought two of the 30 oz tumblers for the spousal unit, since she is a lifetime ice shaker. We took them out for a test drive last night using hotel ice, and I got the anticipated result this morning, all melted :-(. I knew that hotel ice wouldn't go the long haul because it is so thin, and it didn't. Next up for testing will be chunky ice! The tumblers themselves did not disappoint. Once filled, the liquid contents, in my case Diet Dew, was ice cold in just a few seconds. And, the cups do not sweat due to their insulated design. The literature on these recommend handwashing only. Despite the price, $29 and $39, I think there tumblers will be giving Tervis a run for their money!
These Yeti boys aren't done yet. They now have a "soft cooler" bag called the "Hopper" and an accessory bag called the " Sidekick". If you're thinking lower price point, forget it! The Hopper has 2 sizes and are priced at $299 and $349!
My guess is the Yeti boys are already working on something new, maybe a clothing line made of the Hopper material??? Stay tuned!
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
Long Road to Get There
Special roadie trip this week. The Spousal unit had a business meeting in Picayune, MS at the local hospital. As most of ya'll know, nobody goes through Picayune! From there we would head southeast to Point Clear for yet another business conference.
Two of my dear friends that followed on Facebook and that also read this blog have joined us via digital tagging. Both have or had medical issues that limit their travel. I've had a fun day of tagging!
We left The Rez, and headed to Brandon, taking the back road through Puckett, then on.to Magee. I tagged our virtual trip mates Sharon and Donna at the Krystal/Roo store for a little Pre-lunch snack.
First stop, Hattiesburg: Hattiesburg was kinda the half way point to Picayune and a get spot for lunch. In years past, on highway 49, across from USM was a.local restaurant called Chesterfield's. The place.burned several times and they finally gave up on the bad luck from that location and moved out to highway 98, just past Interstate 59.
Our lunch tell was limited so we just ordered a salad and a sandwich. The extended menu looked awesome. The waitress suggested the house.specialty dessert!
OMG! This thing was awesome. A slice of pecan pie adequate daily, dipped in batter, fried, served a la mode, with whipped cream, caramel, and fudge drizzled across the plate! Thankfully I credited virtual lunch mates Sharon and Donna with eating half of this dessert!
We finally made it to Picayune, our next stop. The spousal unit had a business meeting at the local hospital. This was.a great opportunity for me to do some tagging! After that dessert from Chesterfield's in Hattiesburg, it.was definitely time to get out blood sugar checked!
My friend Teresa and WH moved here last year and she chimed in on my tagging! WH is a local minister so i asked for one of his quickie prayers to get us back on the road. Little did I know that prayer would lead us to Paul's Bakery, the originator of the King Cake!
Most of our roadie trips have a local bakery stop in them, but are usually last minute, later in the day, and the pastry selections are usually limited. We walk into Paul's and oh, my! The pastry cases are full! They even have cream cheese king cakes!
The spousal unit made her selections, including a king cake, some canolis, wedding cookies, and petite fours. The cookies and the canoli didn't make it to the Louisiana State line! OMG! May have to route ourselves back to Paul's on the return trip home!
Finally, we were pointed East! We stopped in Gulfport to top off the gas tank, and since it Was a Kangaroo station, it was all about the ROO!
As we made our way past Biloxi, I could not resist another tag. Up popped the Imperial Palace Casino. We just did a virtual pass through the.parking lot, since Donna and Sharon were holding on to their roll of pennies for the dog track!
Another tag opportunity presented itself as we reached Ocean Springs. I figured neither has every been to the Shed for some Q! As Donna was finishing.off her virtual barbecue, I kept hearing her mumble "treadmill! Treadmill! Treadmill!
Finally, we reached Alabama! Sharon got so excited about the tunnel, that she somehow made the horn honk a few times as we made our way through!
Nine hours after our departure, we made it to the Marriott Grande at Point Clear! Room is huge with a bay view. Hope Sharon and Donna don't mind sharing the couch. I figured I'd fold them up in it since they are only here in a virtual since. And this is wedding anniversary week!!
Off for a real dinner the a good night's sleep. Gotta wonder what tomorrow will bring!
Two of my dear friends that followed on Facebook and that also read this blog have joined us via digital tagging. Both have or had medical issues that limit their travel. I've had a fun day of tagging!
We left The Rez, and headed to Brandon, taking the back road through Puckett, then on.to Magee. I tagged our virtual trip mates Sharon and Donna at the Krystal/Roo store for a little Pre-lunch snack.
First stop, Hattiesburg: Hattiesburg was kinda the half way point to Picayune and a get spot for lunch. In years past, on highway 49, across from USM was a.local restaurant called Chesterfield's. The place.burned several times and they finally gave up on the bad luck from that location and moved out to highway 98, just past Interstate 59.
Our lunch tell was limited so we just ordered a salad and a sandwich. The extended menu looked awesome. The waitress suggested the house.specialty dessert!
OMG! This thing was awesome. A slice of pecan pie adequate daily, dipped in batter, fried, served a la mode, with whipped cream, caramel, and fudge drizzled across the plate! Thankfully I credited virtual lunch mates Sharon and Donna with eating half of this dessert!
We finally made it to Picayune, our next stop. The spousal unit had a business meeting at the local hospital. This was.a great opportunity for me to do some tagging! After that dessert from Chesterfield's in Hattiesburg, it.was definitely time to get out blood sugar checked!
My friend Teresa and WH moved here last year and she chimed in on my tagging! WH is a local minister so i asked for one of his quickie prayers to get us back on the road. Little did I know that prayer would lead us to Paul's Bakery, the originator of the King Cake!
Most of our roadie trips have a local bakery stop in them, but are usually last minute, later in the day, and the pastry selections are usually limited. We walk into Paul's and oh, my! The pastry cases are full! They even have cream cheese king cakes!
The spousal unit made her selections, including a king cake, some canolis, wedding cookies, and petite fours. The cookies and the canoli didn't make it to the Louisiana State line! OMG! May have to route ourselves back to Paul's on the return trip home!
Finally, we were pointed East! We stopped in Gulfport to top off the gas tank, and since it Was a Kangaroo station, it was all about the ROO!
As we made our way past Biloxi, I could not resist another tag. Up popped the Imperial Palace Casino. We just did a virtual pass through the.parking lot, since Donna and Sharon were holding on to their roll of pennies for the dog track!
Another tag opportunity presented itself as we reached Ocean Springs. I figured neither has every been to the Shed for some Q! As Donna was finishing.off her virtual barbecue, I kept hearing her mumble "treadmill! Treadmill! Treadmill!
Finally, we reached Alabama! Sharon got so excited about the tunnel, that she somehow made the horn honk a few times as we made our way through!
Nine hours after our departure, we made it to the Marriott Grande at Point Clear! Room is huge with a bay view. Hope Sharon and Donna don't mind sharing the couch. I figured I'd fold them up in it since they are only here in a virtual since. And this is wedding anniversary week!!
Off for a real dinner the a good night's sleep. Gotta wonder what tomorrow will bring!
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Favorite Restaurants in Mississippi
Read a list of top ten restaurants in Missisippi yesterday and not only were a lot of my favorites not on the list, but I've missed out on over half of them! Here is my list, in no particular order:
1. Greenwood: Crystal Grill is honestly the only eatery I go to when I'm there. There are quite a few others but hey, how do you beat their cutlet and mile high pies!
2. Ocean Springs: The Shed BBQ. The first time I tried it I hated it, too smokey. It was right after it had practically burned down. Glad I went back. I love their sampler plate. And they just won Memphis in May!
3. Indianola: honestly cannot pick a favorite when I'm in the area that I grew up. Peasoup's for old fashioned drive in. Lost Pizza, my favorite Pizza chain of all time that originated here, Blue Biscuit for hometown goodness, and NOLA for that plate of something special.
4. Greenville: Does Eat Place for the beef and hot tamales. Gino's for a burger
5. Inverness: two great eateries in my hometown. Hometown is awesome, and Town Market is to die for. Its a tie, cannot pick a favorite when it's your home town.
6. Natchez: Roux 61 is my favorite, but Fat Mama's for Tamales and the Castle for Sunday brunch. And, Pig Out for the Q.
7. Biloxi: There are way too many for a favorite. The Biloxi Schooner for lunch. Mary Mahoney ' s because it is a survivor. Half Shell and it's location, Le Bakery for its fresh turnovers, the the head momma just cracks me up!
8. Southhaven: Huey's for bar food (they are all over Memphis but this is the only MS location) Memphis Barbecue overdid the smoke last trip but one visit doesn't knock it off my list. Steak & Shake because this is their only MS location (the Biloxi casino location doesn't count because of the smoke)
9. Starkville: Oby's will always be on the list. The Veranda is to die for. Little Dewey's for the Q. Lost Pizza for the Otis! Christ's for an old fashioned burger. Umi's for the bucket of bait.
10. Oxford: Ajax for the plate lunch. City Grocery for fine dining. Phillips Grocery for the burger. Taylor Grocery is a must, and Big Bad Breakfast, just because.
11. Gulfport: Half Shell, the twin sister to the Biloxi location. White Cap for sure. Blow Fly Inn just for the flounder! Captain Al's is a hidden gem.
12. Brandon: Lost Pizza Co's latest location
13. Madison: Georgia Blue, their first location
14. Ridgeland: Another Broken Egg for sure! You can't go wrong with Ruth. Pillow Donuts for the Apple fritter! Little Tokyo before it was sold. Tony's tamales. Tico for the beef. Cock of the Walk for bottom feeders and Amerigos for Italian.
15. Flowood. Mexican, just pick one! Georgia Blue for the blue plate. Pillow Donut for their fritter and blueberry cake donut. Table 100 if you want it fancy. Zeek's for the Greek in you!
16. Jackson: way too many to name, but.... Sakura Bona for sushi, Kiefers for the Greek in you. Pig and Pint for the pint and a bit of Q. Sal and Mookie's for a pie. Que Sera for seafood pasta and a burger. Dragos and Saltine for the Oyster in you. If downtown, the Elite, Mayflower and the Iron Horse for sure!
17. Hattiesburg: anything with Robert St. John's name on it!
18. Leland: Vince ' s for a Sunday evening treat. Lillos, just for old time's sake!
19. Clarksdale: Abe's BBQ hits a home run
20. Magee: Kangaroo station for Krystal burgers, Roo cup refill, and restroom. McAlisters for a call in pickup order and a potty break. Ward's for an old fashion chili cheese burger.
Well, that's 20 towns with lots of good eats. There are certainly more to pick from, but these are.my favorites. Always looking for more. Some you just find, but most come from recommendations from readers like you! Got one? Let me know!
1. Greenwood: Crystal Grill is honestly the only eatery I go to when I'm there. There are quite a few others but hey, how do you beat their cutlet and mile high pies!
2. Ocean Springs: The Shed BBQ. The first time I tried it I hated it, too smokey. It was right after it had practically burned down. Glad I went back. I love their sampler plate. And they just won Memphis in May!
3. Indianola: honestly cannot pick a favorite when I'm in the area that I grew up. Peasoup's for old fashioned drive in. Lost Pizza, my favorite Pizza chain of all time that originated here, Blue Biscuit for hometown goodness, and NOLA for that plate of something special.
4. Greenville: Does Eat Place for the beef and hot tamales. Gino's for a burger
5. Inverness: two great eateries in my hometown. Hometown is awesome, and Town Market is to die for. Its a tie, cannot pick a favorite when it's your home town.
6. Natchez: Roux 61 is my favorite, but Fat Mama's for Tamales and the Castle for Sunday brunch. And, Pig Out for the Q.
7. Biloxi: There are way too many for a favorite. The Biloxi Schooner for lunch. Mary Mahoney ' s because it is a survivor. Half Shell and it's location, Le Bakery for its fresh turnovers, the the head momma just cracks me up!
8. Southhaven: Huey's for bar food (they are all over Memphis but this is the only MS location) Memphis Barbecue overdid the smoke last trip but one visit doesn't knock it off my list. Steak & Shake because this is their only MS location (the Biloxi casino location doesn't count because of the smoke)
9. Starkville: Oby's will always be on the list. The Veranda is to die for. Little Dewey's for the Q. Lost Pizza for the Otis! Christ's for an old fashioned burger. Umi's for the bucket of bait.
10. Oxford: Ajax for the plate lunch. City Grocery for fine dining. Phillips Grocery for the burger. Taylor Grocery is a must, and Big Bad Breakfast, just because.
11. Gulfport: Half Shell, the twin sister to the Biloxi location. White Cap for sure. Blow Fly Inn just for the flounder! Captain Al's is a hidden gem.
12. Brandon: Lost Pizza Co's latest location
13. Madison: Georgia Blue, their first location
14. Ridgeland: Another Broken Egg for sure! You can't go wrong with Ruth. Pillow Donuts for the Apple fritter! Little Tokyo before it was sold. Tony's tamales. Tico for the beef. Cock of the Walk for bottom feeders and Amerigos for Italian.
15. Flowood. Mexican, just pick one! Georgia Blue for the blue plate. Pillow Donut for their fritter and blueberry cake donut. Table 100 if you want it fancy. Zeek's for the Greek in you!
16. Jackson: way too many to name, but.... Sakura Bona for sushi, Kiefers for the Greek in you. Pig and Pint for the pint and a bit of Q. Sal and Mookie's for a pie. Que Sera for seafood pasta and a burger. Dragos and Saltine for the Oyster in you. If downtown, the Elite, Mayflower and the Iron Horse for sure!
17. Hattiesburg: anything with Robert St. John's name on it!
18. Leland: Vince ' s for a Sunday evening treat. Lillos, just for old time's sake!
19. Clarksdale: Abe's BBQ hits a home run
20. Magee: Kangaroo station for Krystal burgers, Roo cup refill, and restroom. McAlisters for a call in pickup order and a potty break. Ward's for an old fashion chili cheese burger.
Well, that's 20 towns with lots of good eats. There are certainly more to pick from, but these are.my favorites. Always looking for more. Some you just find, but most come from recommendations from readers like you! Got one? Let me know!
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Mudbugs
This little critter goes by several different names, crawfish, crawdads, and mudbugs are just a few. These little buggers begin popping out of the ground in February and continue on thru June, and most end up in a big ole boiling pot full of Louisiana spices!
We had some out of state visitors here as instructors for a medical simulation training workshop. Two were from Oregon and the other from Ohio. None of these folks had ever seen a crawfish much less eaten one!
Dinner plans were set to meet at one of our favorite joints appropriately called "Mudbugs". Once all had arrived, the order was placed, including the mudbugs, but also taters, corn, mushrooms and sausage. The beverage of choice was of course draft beer!
The funniest sight was a young lady at the table next to us. She was enjoying a plate of shrimp, that most likely had been dipped into the same pot of seasoning. The funny part was that she was wearing food service gloves! I couldn't pass up an opportunity like this! While ragging her about the gloves (all in fun), she fired back "hey! The seasoning is too hot for my fingers and in just had a manicure!"
We were well into our beer when our order arrived. We gave our guests the "the how to and why talk" reminding them about the pepper. My burn rule for eating mudbugs 101 is that your fingers and lips are gonna burn, but once you have reached a certain level of numbness, it's time to go for broke!
Their first taste was the mushrooms, and we got a big whoa! Outta that! Then the tail popping lessons began. All three of our guests passed the head sucking contest with flying colors. A few crawfish were sacrificed up front on learning the art of tail popping, then they all were elbow deep into the bugs!
They loved everything about this experience. They could not believe how fast the service was. That led into the discussion of the art of cooking bugs, dumping them into big coolers and serving them up by the pound. One noted that "he didn't think the average tourist could find a place like this!" I replied that he was right, unless they "Google mapped" crawfish!
Lots of pictures were snapped and we're immediately shared with their friends and families by way of test message and FB. The rest of the evening we had the background buzz of the jealous reply messages coming back to their phones!
Two of the workers walked by toting a 55 gallon garbage can full of tonight's bucket trash. I relayed the story about our neighborhood crawfish boils of years past. We would cook, usually on Friday night. The garbage pickup wasn't till Tuesday. You knew it was going to be bad for the trash guys on Tuesday when you could smell it on Monday and our house was four doors down!
The meal was done, and our dinner engagement was a success. One noted that there weren't any mosquitos. I said "of course not, would you want to suck the blood of somebody full of cayenne pepper!" Our guests returned to their hotel rooms to prepare for the next day's lesson plan.
One can only wonder what happened during the night, with all the cayenne pepper floating around!
We had some out of state visitors here as instructors for a medical simulation training workshop. Two were from Oregon and the other from Ohio. None of these folks had ever seen a crawfish much less eaten one!
Dinner plans were set to meet at one of our favorite joints appropriately called "Mudbugs". Once all had arrived, the order was placed, including the mudbugs, but also taters, corn, mushrooms and sausage. The beverage of choice was of course draft beer!
The funniest sight was a young lady at the table next to us. She was enjoying a plate of shrimp, that most likely had been dipped into the same pot of seasoning. The funny part was that she was wearing food service gloves! I couldn't pass up an opportunity like this! While ragging her about the gloves (all in fun), she fired back "hey! The seasoning is too hot for my fingers and in just had a manicure!"
We were well into our beer when our order arrived. We gave our guests the "the how to and why talk" reminding them about the pepper. My burn rule for eating mudbugs 101 is that your fingers and lips are gonna burn, but once you have reached a certain level of numbness, it's time to go for broke!
Their first taste was the mushrooms, and we got a big whoa! Outta that! Then the tail popping lessons began. All three of our guests passed the head sucking contest with flying colors. A few crawfish were sacrificed up front on learning the art of tail popping, then they all were elbow deep into the bugs!
They loved everything about this experience. They could not believe how fast the service was. That led into the discussion of the art of cooking bugs, dumping them into big coolers and serving them up by the pound. One noted that "he didn't think the average tourist could find a place like this!" I replied that he was right, unless they "Google mapped" crawfish!
Lots of pictures were snapped and we're immediately shared with their friends and families by way of test message and FB. The rest of the evening we had the background buzz of the jealous reply messages coming back to their phones!
Two of the workers walked by toting a 55 gallon garbage can full of tonight's bucket trash. I relayed the story about our neighborhood crawfish boils of years past. We would cook, usually on Friday night. The garbage pickup wasn't till Tuesday. You knew it was going to be bad for the trash guys on Tuesday when you could smell it on Monday and our house was four doors down!
The meal was done, and our dinner engagement was a success. One noted that there weren't any mosquitos. I said "of course not, would you want to suck the blood of somebody full of cayenne pepper!" Our guests returned to their hotel rooms to prepare for the next day's lesson plan.
One can only wonder what happened during the night, with all the cayenne pepper floating around!
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
You Eat What?
With food combinations, you never know what works well together until you try it. But, how in the heck do some of these things get together? Its kinda like the first Reese's peanut butter cup ads, an accidental combination that works. Now you can't wait for Easter candy season for those peanut butter chocolate eggs!
A cousin of mine was in college at MSCW (yep, WAY back in the day) and was on a limited budget. She was left with a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (blue box only!) and a can of tuna. You guessed it! She combined the two and came up with her version of Tuna Mac. She mentioned this to my Mom one day, and a family favorite was born! My siblings and I loved it, and my boys can't get enough of it. The Spousal Unit on the other hand will not touch it. Simply cook the Mac as directed, drain the can of tuna, and then combine the two before serving!
Corn on the cob gets a bit weird. As a teenager, during the holidays, we would go to the Reedy's house on Christmas Eve. They did their family celebration that night, and always greeted us with "come on in!" One of their meal traditions was corn on the cob. Back then, this was a special treat during winter time. I got blown away when I saw them grab mayo from the jar with a butter knife, and begin spreading it all over the corn! Good GOD! We were at the beach a few weeks back and were grilling corn on the grill, shucks, silks and all. My good friend Jenn, mentioned, "oh I do that, but with a twist." She pulls the shucks back, spreads out the mayo, adds some seasoning, Parmesan cheese and some lime zest. This girl is all in with the fingers in the jar of mayo! Once the corn is all doctored up, She pulls the shucks back over the corn and grills away!
Mayonaise, not just a sandwich spread. Not sure how it ends up on the plate by itself for all the stuff to end up in it. Friend Kim's husband dips his broccoli in it. My friend nicknamed "Rebellious" says her grandfather mixed it in with peas and she dips her Fritos in it! Another guy uses mayo instead of butter on his cornbread.
Does anybody eat fries naked anymore? I now know why Chic-Fil-A is so popular these days. Its not just the chicken anymore! Chic-Fil-A, in the old days, only put a pickle on the sandwich. The fried chicken was and is put in a bun and stuffed in a foiled pouch to keep it warm. The restaurants have a station with all the paper products and condiments that you desire. But, the ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise isn't put just on the sandwich anymore! Yep, kids and adults alike are squirting ketchup, mustard and even mayonnaise on their fries! WTH????? Ketchup is the old standby, but mustard and mayonnaise???
Ketchup is even showing up in stranger places. Growing up, we had a neighborhood bully that was always messing with us. One day my Mom was preparing lunch and she mentioned "you know, putting ketchup on your hot dog will make you stronger". That bully never messed with us after that! Same goes for my corndog, no mustard for me! I gotta wonder about my friend Bonnie, ketchup on grits??? Betty puts it on her scrambled eggs while another does it to mash potatoes!
Elvis and his famous favorite sandwich did the makeover on bananas. Two slices of white bread, covered with a layer of smooth peanut butter, followed with plenty of sliced bananas in between, coated on the outside with butter and fried. One of my beach queens, we call her the "Barefoot Contessa", likes to eat slices of banana dipped in peanut butter with a fork. My all time favorite is the frozen banana, dipped in chocolate, and rolled in nuts, typically enjoyed at fair time. I don't eat it, I just sit back, watch and laugh! Women trying to bite off a rock solid frozen piece of banana with their teeth and not mess up their lipstick is hilarious! None of my friends will attempt this feat in my presence anymore!
My neighbor Kevin is from south Louisiana. Kevin is the go to guy for anything cooked creole or Cajun. One time I went to him for a red sauce recipe. He handed me one of his cookbooks that had nothing but sauce recipes in it. After several minutes of flipping the pages, Kevin looked at me and said "Bill, just bring me the entrée, I'll take care of the sauce!" That Shrimp and grits was to die for! On another occasion, Kevin cooked up one of his big ole pots of gumbo. His kids and some of their friends were coming for a visit. Kevin doesn't own a small pot, so the whole neighborhood gets an invite. The gumbo is done, and the rice is steaming. Plate time! Those kids from Louisiana got the frig and pull out a bowl of tater salad. A big scoop of tater salad hits their bowl, followed by a ladle full of gumbo. Do what???? I guess you've gotta have a little bit of creole, Cajun or coonass in you for that!
If its an appetizer you want, according to Betty, try peanut butter on crackers with a dill pickle slice on top. Here is a man course for ya form my northern friend Della, " Salmon croquettes with mashed potatoes and sweet spaghetti on top". I got to give her credit, she has developed a taste for all things southern, except for marinated and grilled bacon wrapped chicken livers!
Southern Catfish ain't just for frying anymore. The Crown Restaurant in Indianola is famous for their catfish pate. And, Baked or grilled catfish basted with a mixture of lemon juice and mustard is awesome! Damn@ I just made myself hungry!
If you've got some other oddball foodie combinations put them in the comment section. Just might make another addition to this post!
A cousin of mine was in college at MSCW (yep, WAY back in the day) and was on a limited budget. She was left with a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (blue box only!) and a can of tuna. You guessed it! She combined the two and came up with her version of Tuna Mac. She mentioned this to my Mom one day, and a family favorite was born! My siblings and I loved it, and my boys can't get enough of it. The Spousal Unit on the other hand will not touch it. Simply cook the Mac as directed, drain the can of tuna, and then combine the two before serving!
Corn on the cob gets a bit weird. As a teenager, during the holidays, we would go to the Reedy's house on Christmas Eve. They did their family celebration that night, and always greeted us with "come on in!" One of their meal traditions was corn on the cob. Back then, this was a special treat during winter time. I got blown away when I saw them grab mayo from the jar with a butter knife, and begin spreading it all over the corn! Good GOD! We were at the beach a few weeks back and were grilling corn on the grill, shucks, silks and all. My good friend Jenn, mentioned, "oh I do that, but with a twist." She pulls the shucks back, spreads out the mayo, adds some seasoning, Parmesan cheese and some lime zest. This girl is all in with the fingers in the jar of mayo! Once the corn is all doctored up, She pulls the shucks back over the corn and grills away!
Mayonaise, not just a sandwich spread. Not sure how it ends up on the plate by itself for all the stuff to end up in it. Friend Kim's husband dips his broccoli in it. My friend nicknamed "Rebellious" says her grandfather mixed it in with peas and she dips her Fritos in it! Another guy uses mayo instead of butter on his cornbread.
Does anybody eat fries naked anymore? I now know why Chic-Fil-A is so popular these days. Its not just the chicken anymore! Chic-Fil-A, in the old days, only put a pickle on the sandwich. The fried chicken was and is put in a bun and stuffed in a foiled pouch to keep it warm. The restaurants have a station with all the paper products and condiments that you desire. But, the ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise isn't put just on the sandwich anymore! Yep, kids and adults alike are squirting ketchup, mustard and even mayonnaise on their fries! WTH????? Ketchup is the old standby, but mustard and mayonnaise???
Ketchup is even showing up in stranger places. Growing up, we had a neighborhood bully that was always messing with us. One day my Mom was preparing lunch and she mentioned "you know, putting ketchup on your hot dog will make you stronger". That bully never messed with us after that! Same goes for my corndog, no mustard for me! I gotta wonder about my friend Bonnie, ketchup on grits??? Betty puts it on her scrambled eggs while another does it to mash potatoes!
Elvis and his famous favorite sandwich did the makeover on bananas. Two slices of white bread, covered with a layer of smooth peanut butter, followed with plenty of sliced bananas in between, coated on the outside with butter and fried. One of my beach queens, we call her the "Barefoot Contessa", likes to eat slices of banana dipped in peanut butter with a fork. My all time favorite is the frozen banana, dipped in chocolate, and rolled in nuts, typically enjoyed at fair time. I don't eat it, I just sit back, watch and laugh! Women trying to bite off a rock solid frozen piece of banana with their teeth and not mess up their lipstick is hilarious! None of my friends will attempt this feat in my presence anymore!
My neighbor Kevin is from south Louisiana. Kevin is the go to guy for anything cooked creole or Cajun. One time I went to him for a red sauce recipe. He handed me one of his cookbooks that had nothing but sauce recipes in it. After several minutes of flipping the pages, Kevin looked at me and said "Bill, just bring me the entrée, I'll take care of the sauce!" That Shrimp and grits was to die for! On another occasion, Kevin cooked up one of his big ole pots of gumbo. His kids and some of their friends were coming for a visit. Kevin doesn't own a small pot, so the whole neighborhood gets an invite. The gumbo is done, and the rice is steaming. Plate time! Those kids from Louisiana got the frig and pull out a bowl of tater salad. A big scoop of tater salad hits their bowl, followed by a ladle full of gumbo. Do what???? I guess you've gotta have a little bit of creole, Cajun or coonass in you for that!
If its an appetizer you want, according to Betty, try peanut butter on crackers with a dill pickle slice on top. Here is a man course for ya form my northern friend Della, " Salmon croquettes with mashed potatoes and sweet spaghetti on top". I got to give her credit, she has developed a taste for all things southern, except for marinated and grilled bacon wrapped chicken livers!
Southern Catfish ain't just for frying anymore. The Crown Restaurant in Indianola is famous for their catfish pate. And, Baked or grilled catfish basted with a mixture of lemon juice and mustard is awesome! Damn@ I just made myself hungry!
If you've got some other oddball foodie combinations put them in the comment section. Just might make another addition to this post!
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Roadie Trips and the Paths They Take You
You never know where a roadie trip will end.
A friend of mine has a concessionaire's service called Funny Face Foods. They travel all over the southeast selling their wares. When not on the road, they have had their trailer set up along Hwy 49 in Yazoo City serving the weekend crowd. They just recently set up in Canton, Mississippi, just off exit 119, in a gas station parking lot.
Funny Face has one of the best desserts I have ever eaten, a red velvet funnel cake served with cream cheese icing. This thing is awesome, and it has won them several festival awards along the way.
A friend of mine has a concessionaire's service called Funny Face Foods. They travel all over the southeast selling their wares. When not on the road, they have had their trailer set up along Hwy 49 in Yazoo City serving the weekend crowd. They just recently set up in Canton, Mississippi, just off exit 119, in a gas station parking lot.
Funny Face has one of the best desserts I have ever eaten, a red velvet funnel cake served with cream cheese icing. This thing is awesome, and it has won them several festival awards along the way.
When I saw their latest posting on Facebook about their newest parking spot, and they were open for business, It was roadie trip time! I could barely wait for the spousal unit to get home!
Finally, we were in the road, up Hwy 25, to Hwy 471, to Hwy 43! Then to Nissan Parkway, I55, and then our destination, Canton exit 119! Believe it or not, this is actually a short cut for trips up I55 N, bypassing Jackson, Ridgeland, and Madison. We exit the interstate and to the immediate right is the Valero gas station where Funny Face is located.
All of a sudden, the bottom falls out of our trip, they have closed for the day! Seems the City of Canton has a regulation that limits these types of food vendors on the hours that they can operate within the city limits. Today they closed at 5 p.m. and it was now 7 p.m. Damn! That dang funnel cake was on my taste buds the whole ride over! Oh well, plan B. Downtown Canton here we come!
We make it to Downtown Canton in a matter of minutes. Canton is known for their town square with the courthouse in the middle. Guess what? On a Monday night, the Square is closed up tighter than a rusted top to a mason jar full of your favorite salsa! What now???? Plan C of course!
We decided to head south on Hwy 51 to Hawkinsville (i.e. Madison) for another try. As we made our way south, we passed the time looking at the latest establishments to build up along the Highway. Wow! There is even a Donut Palace in Gluckstadt! Decision finally made, Georgia Blue, here we come!
Georgia Blue is a local establishment that now has several other locations. They have a great menu selection, but are know for their daily blue plate specials. With the trip so far being a bust, we decided to go for the full meal deal, appetizer, main course, and of course dessert!
Our waitress, Emma Holmes, was awesome! I decided on the country fried steak, which she said they were out of. With a little encouragement, she said she would see what she could do, but I gave her option B just in case. Lucky me! The chef went ahead and prepared five more of my request, just in case other diners requested it. A table of three young lasses next to us got three of them! The best was yet to come!
The appetizer we picked was the crawfish crepes. OMG! The sauce is absolutely to die for!
I later inquired if the sauce was available for sale. Good ole Emma came through again! The sauce is made daily, never frozen, YES! I was having visions of this stuff at the beach, served on pasta with an awesome salad! They sell it in a Styrofoam cup, a little less than a half pint for $10. I figured two of these would be just right for the pasta, more is better, right???
Dinner was finished off with their peach cobbler a-la-mode. But,my thoughts we now about the next beach trip with this sauce in hand, can't wait! Emma Holmes and Georgia Blue, we will be back!
You just never know where a roadie trip will lead. Be flexible, Plan B,C,D ... And you know it, I'm already making plans for a return trip for that funnel cake and those crepes!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)