I Was Walking in Memphis

What a great weekend! I went to Memphis this past weekend and got to got to the annual "Memphis in May" BBQ-Fest. It was fantastic. I don't know how many bbq teams there were but it was well over 300 and they were competing in various BBQ cook-offs(ex. ribs, pork shoulder, brisket, etc.) It's one of the "Superbowls" of the BBQ world and it smelled like heaven. What I did not know is that it is also a huge 3 day party. Every team has a tent set up and many of them come complete with a real bar and real bartenders. There were several 3 strory scaffolds set up complete with dance floor on the bottom, lounge area on the 2nd floor and who knows what on top. One of the highlights of my trip was watching a girl fall off while dancing on a bar. She was ok, which is why it was funny. The only down side was that I didn't get to sample as much of the BBQ as I would have liked, but that gives me a reason to go back.

I did have some very good BBQ at a place called "the Rendezvous". You know it's gonna be good when the place is in an alley. The ribs were good, the brisket was great.

*one thing to note, Memphis is a dry rub town so for those of you who are used to the wet stuff, go to Memphis with an open mind and a jar of your favorite sauce in hand.

Saturday night I decided it was time to really live it up so i went to bingo, that's right, bingo. Now, I've played some small time bingo before but this time I was in the majors. The hall was huge, the action was fast, and I was always one number from winning. But the concession stand was selling fried bologna so I'm pretty sure I'll be back. The speed round is my personal favorite. They don't call letters just numbers and it's one after the other with no pauses, ya gotta be quick on this one. It caused me to think that bingo is probably the perfect thing for old people because you really have to be thinking all the time. So it seems like a good activity to keep those elderly neurons fring and sharp. I don't know if there has ever been a study conducted but there should be.

Sunday I had a veggie pizza with canned corn on it. I've never been big on corn, as a child I hated it, but I have to admit that canned corn(not creamed corn) actually works well on pizza.

Then I drove home just in time for my housemates birthday party, which was at my house. Some one else did the grilling, I did the eating, and thanks Bern for the ice cream cake. Oh, and Sadie thanks everyone for the "this and that" that y'all gave her.

So, that was my weekend. Special thanks to my peeps in Memphis for your kindness and hospitality, I had a blast and look forward to coming back real soon.

Pleasnant Surprises

So when I Pulled up in the driveway to day I noticed a pleasant surprise in one of the gardens in front of the house. I don't know what they are but they are pretty. a pleasant surprise indeed. I moved into this house about 11 months ago. I guess these flowers had already bloomed by then. So now, 11 months into living here I found out something new about the place. Interesting, eh?

I never thought I'd say this....

.....But I am honestly bummed out right now because my yoga class was canceled tonight.

I've been looking forward to it all day(something else I never thought I'd say).

I came home from work. Took a nap so that I would be well rested, left early to make sure I didn't get stuck in traffic. Walked in and there was the sign on the door. Instant deflation. I've only done yoga twice so I really don't know why I'm so upset. I guess I see it as kind of an escape, and hour for me where nothing and no one else matters, me time, for lack of a better expression.

So I did what any down-trodden man would do. I came home and made my self a spinach salad. Leaf spinach, Baby Bella Mushroom, and dressing. A very sparse salad, but surely you didn't think it would have all the fixin's, I'm depressed remember? I wish BR had a dairy queen, that would make me feel better(Thibodaux had a DQ, that might be the only advantage it had over BR).

Alls I can say is that if pilates is canceled tomorrow I might have to burn down the"Y".

Thoughts on a Sunday Evening

I like my family, as crazy as they may be.

I think my dogs are 2 of the best things that ever happened to me. I have learned a lot about myself while taking care of these 2.

I like to run, but I don't like to run away from things, anymore.

I think Sunday night is often worse than Monday morning. It's hard to enjoy Sunday night when you are counting down to Monday morning.

I think that honesty really is the best policy.

I think that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

I think that Jazz Fest is freakin' awesome but is way over priced.

I think i can, I think I can, I think I can.......

I that teaching is the right career choice for me.

I think I need a vacation from teaching. just a week or so.

I would love to travel more, no destinations in mind, just see where I end up.

I would also like to travel to specific destinations like Sicily, Scotland, Germany, Spain, Machu Pichu (sp?), Japan, China, and a few others.

I wish I was more comfortable in my own skin.

I wish my skin was less fuzzy, sometimes.

I think the guy/gal that 1st mixed chocolate and milk was a genius.

I think I will keep what makes me smile the most a secret.

I think I will keep what makes me most unhappy a secret too.

I think that caller ID is killing the art of conversation. A possible future blog post?

I think that life is a series of highs and lows, twists and turns, hello's and good-bye's.

I think that life is too short and we should tell the people we love that we love them.

I think I share too much of my personal business sometimes, which is completely new as in the past I kept everything inside.

I think it's good to let things out, but not to just anyone.

I think I should do less thinking and do more doing. Don't think, just do.

I think we focus too much on our stuff. Uncle Tommy was right Friday night when he told me that all the money in the world could never buy him the happiness he had while spending a few days with his grand kids, and that no possession would ever be as important to those kids as the memory of the time he spent with them.

I think I'm gonna go sit on the porch now and watch it rain. feel free to stop by and join me. I'll save a chair for you.

"Come on Sadie and Lily, Let's go outside".
"Good girls".