Christmas...

Uggh the drive back from Phoenix on Christmas Eve totally sucked... Lisa and I were both exhausted from the weeks events... We made it into town by 8pm and I crashed on the couch... I woke up just in time to make Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at church... it was so beautiful to celebrate our Savior's birth...

Christmas Day was the same as it always is... I do love traditions... Doug and I were in the kitchen making Latkes...

Dad was on biscuit duty...

The food came out great... and everyone really enjoyed the meal and company...

It was a little surreal being around so much family over the past few weeks... surreal but good... My sister and I are getting along better than we have in years... and my Pop and Ron are healthy... I couldn't ask for more right now... life it pretty much all good...

After the festivities I got to go hang out with Shelly and Payton... he is such an awesome little man... Who would have thought that Shelly would be such a great mom...

Mothers...

Ohh my Mom... we have had such a sorted relationship over the years... She basically abandoned my sister and I when we were infants... She disappeared for 4 years, came back, kidnapped my sister, then left for a few more years after the police returned Lisa. She really settled down about 20 years ago when she married my step dad, he seems to keep her in check...

So she had a heart attack the week before Christmas, then a quintuple bypass on Christmas Eve... It was pretty rough on my sister and I... You mildly care for someone for years until you almost lose them... the thought of her dying actually brought me to tears... surprising to me...

Lisa and I drove out to see her in and out of surgery, then back the following week to make sure she was OK...

I have spoken to her on the phone since and she sounds ok... Just ok... Not sure what to feel... I feel weird... a little scared and emotional... Anyway she is alive and recovering at home now... I guess I have to leave the situation in God's Hands...

I guess a bonus to being in the Phoenix area twice in a month is we got to spend a lot of time with my cousins and their beautiful kids...

Chicken and Fries... with a Little Sandwich...

I love fried chicken fingers with fries... greasy delicious crispness...

The other day I made these and decided I wanted a little sandwich as well... it was crunchy and juicy...

Tacos...

So as Carmen and I discussed what we should eat this week tacos came up yet again... I thought good old fashioned ground beef sounded good...

I fried mine up crunchy...
She wanted hers on soft corn tortillas...

Both were delicious!

Busted...

Big time bummer: Someone busted into my truck and took my briefcase... I lost a lot of stuff...

Office Christmas Party...

This year we went to a posh restaurant down in Laguna for our office Christmas Party... it was SO BORING... mindless conversation, boring people, gross food... I left early to hang out with my friends... At least I had Mimi and Mrs. Sanders to pass the time with...

Noodles...

I am not a pasta fan... I don't know why... just too heavy and starchy...

I do however love chow mien... greasy, salty, full of vegetables... oh my mouth is watering just thinking about it... I made this batch with bok choy, sprouts, cabbage, carrots, zucchini, serrano peppers and lots of soy sauce...

I chopped up the vegetables and threw them violently onto the grill with a pound of chicken and shrimp and a couple scrambled eggs...

After drowning the entire pile in a bottle of soy sauce and tons of oil I got the shine and taste I was craving... I tossed it all together with some noodle and rounded out the plate with little frozen egg rolls... A true Asian delight...

Reflections of Thankfulness...

My family loves me... and I sure love them... this year for Thanksgiving Mom and Jim came out and I had a lovely time with them... We went all over town shopping, cooking, eating out, watching movies, visiting Grandma and Grandpa Bowman's grave site... it was truly a meaningful time as they both age into their golden years... Thanksgiving was amazing... Lisa was really nice to me, the food came out perfect (except the slightly dry fried turkey)... I have so much to be thankful for... when I am sad, overwhelmed at work, or just plain mad at the word I should reflect on the beautiful family the Lord has blessed me with... I really should...

Dinner was topped off with Paulie proposing to Shel, baby in arms... it was a perfect day...

Gosh I love my Pop and sister... they mean the world to me... I would be lost without these two...

Quesadilla...

I was dreaming of a nice chicken quesadilla so I made this one packed with good stuff...

I chopped up a ton of bell peppers, tomatoes and onions, nice and chunky. I grilled them on the flat top in a ton of butter until they were sweet and tender...

Meanwhile I had two nice chicken breasts frying up to a golden brown... Those I shredded into small pieces...

When all the ingredients were done I threw them together on the grill for a nice melting...

Talk about savory! The sweet peppers with the juicy chicken and spicy salsa... ohh so good...

Fried Chicken...

Why are the things that taste so good, so bad for us? I lightly floured this pile of chicken the other day, then tossed it into the deep fryer...

Laying on a bed of hot crispy french fries it was a juicy, crunchy delight!

5K for the Hungry...

As a member of the Board of Missions and Social Action at church I am constantly getting pulled into local events - something I am really beginning to enjoy! This last Sunday the church participated in the Annual Inland Valley Hope Partners "Walk for the Hungry. IVHP serves some 7 food banks in the IE which feeds close to 75,000 families! This is one of their biggest fundraisers of the year and were expecting 1000 participants. We showed support with 15 people from our church... it was a real challenge in the heat but such a worthy cause...

I put a post up on face book and asked just about everyone from work and was able to raise $160 for the cause... It's awesome to think if everyone was able to do the same a huge impact for the hungry was made in our back yard.

Knott's Scary Farm...

I just love going to Knott's Scary Farm... It really gets me in the mood for the Halloween season... Mimi and I bought tickets a few weeks ago and met up for a night of frights and chills...

We made lots of new friends...

Especially this little guy who chased Mimi screaming through the London Fog maze...

I always have a great time with my Mimi... what would I do without my friends...

Oven...

My Oven died... I cried... then I got this one... She is pretty...

Nashville...

So while I was in town for Sheri's wedding I got to piss around the city of Nashville for a couple days and see what trouble I could find... I stayed downtown at the Millennium Towers Hotel... it was just OK, but a great location...


I spent one night cruising around the bars and met some nice people over a drink or two... when I had a second day in town, I wanted to take in all the delicious food that is The Music City...

According to Guy Fieri there are two BBQ stops in town that are not to be missed... The first was downtown; Jacks Bar-B-Que... I was dripping sweat from the 90 degree weather as I walked down the street to the restaurant...


The AC in the dining room was a relief and the aroma of delicious BBQ inviting...


I ordered the Tennessee style BBQ sandwich with green beans & potato salad... it was OK, just a little bland...


Then I moved on to the second legendary place that was suggested; Hog Heaven... it was an old beat up shack tucked behind a McDonald's and there was quite a crowd lined up and eating outside...
I ordered another pork BBQ sandwich and this one was truly amazing! The meat was tender and juicy, the sauce was spicy and the bun, soft and delicious! THIS is what I was looking for!

On my way back from Hog Heaven I happened by a White Castle burger and had to stop... as I pulled in I noticed that they not only served White Castle Burgers, but Churches Chicken; IN THE SAME BUILDING!

Needless to say I gobbled down a hot a crispy chicken wing as well as my yummy little White Castle Burgers...

I drove around the city and saw a few more boring sites and sweltered in the disgusting humidity... As I pulled up to get gas for my rental car I noticed a Krystal Burger and had to stop and get one of those as well... almost as good as the White Castle, almost...

Nashville was overall a pretty boring city, lots of traffic on the freeways, hot, humid, and probably not a place I would ever visit again...