February 2010 Archives

Bob Costas just said, "And, the always enjoyable, giant inflatable beaver!"

Awesome.

At the store last night, Fuzzy and I saw this:

What?

"Late Night Tacos at Midnight Doritos"

First of all, the name is redundant. Couldn't it just be "Late Night Tacos Doritos" or "Tacos at Midnight Doritos." No, it had to be "Late Night Tacos at Midnight Doritos." Just say it outloud. It is the only option.

Now, lets also set this straight--it isn't just "Taco Doritos." No, the late night taco at midnight is a very specific taco, the taco that comes after drinking way too much and deciding that you need to eat tacos before you make it home (I've been there, Lord, have I ever been there.) However, I think most people after a night of drinking will actually stop and get tacos at midnight. I think there is only one demographic that this Dorito is marketed for. Stoners.

I personally think that this is the funniest and most preposterous idea for a food item ever. Yet, every review I've read on the internet says they are amazing. There is only one way to find out. I'll let you know how it goes.

UPDATE: We tried the Doritos in question last night. I was super excited and wanted to make a big ceremony out of it, but we anticlimactically just ate a couple of them. I was completely indifferent. I guess they do kind of taste like a taco, but I was wanting it to be a rich greasy taco sensation. Instead, it was like a mild taco flavored Dorito, like a Taco Bell flavored Dorito instead of an authentic taco Dorito. I ate about 5 of them and was done. They aren't terrible, but they aren't great. Fuzzy said he would eat them with a dip. But I rarely ever just kick back with a bag of Doritos, so now we have a whole big giant bag of them and zero appetite for them. Ah well.

Up next is the "Late Night Last Call Jalapeno Poppers Doritos." I think I might like those.

Fuzzy and I were talking about how awesome it would be to be a snow monkey hanging out in hot springs all day. Then, he made it a reality.

A few weeks ago I got the best email from Fuzzy. It went a little something like this:
"Do you have plans February 20-21st weekend? If not, save those dates."

BEST EMAIL EVER! With all the stress and change that's been going on, a weekend away was a great idea and something to look forward to. The purpose of the weekend was just to escape and forget all of our troubles. The plan: to go to Kalamazoo.

Why Kalamazoo? For some reason I have no idea where it came from, a few months ago I decided that I wanted to try cross country skiing. Yeah, this Southern girl thought it sounded fun. Fuzzy's also been wanting to take me sledding, something else that I had never done except on a piece of cardboard on our hill growning up. And on the occasional times that it did snow a little in MS and we would be able to sled down on snow, once down the hill would scrape all the snow away. So Fuzzy bought us a sled a few weeks ago for whenever the next big snowfall would occur. And Kalamazoo is home to one of our favorite beers ever, Bell's Brewery, so it was win win, and a plan was made.

We started the vacation weekend Friday night by going to a little pizza joint in our neighborhood that we'd never been to, Gino's North. It was awesome. The atmosphere was awesome, the food delicious, and the manhattan I ordered was just perfect. It was dark and cozy, and we snuggled in and had a nice time.

Saturday morning, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast that Fuzzy made, took our time packing, watched some TV and headed over to sent some cross country skis from Viking Ski Shop. [Fuzzy requested "Nordic skis." I later asked him what that meant, and he explained to me the difference between Nordic and Alpine Skis. What this meant to me was--ah! Like a Nordic Track!]

We had a nice time driving across Indiana and into Michigan stopping for food and candy whenever we wanted. We made it in to Kalamazoo at about sundown, so there would be no skiing that day. Not to worry! We had reservations at a gorgeous bed and breakfast called the Kalamazoo House, so we checked in there and met the innkeepers Laurel and Terry who were so super sweet. The room was gorgeous, and we had a big giant hottub in the bathroom. Score!

There was a Chihuly chandelier out the window of our room. So pretty.

We got all dolled up and headed down to the brewery. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting it to be--namely, the people weren't too helpful or friendly, the food wasn't that great, and we were confused a lot of the time. BUT! They had beer! Beer glorious beer! We tried a Golden Funk (1 each, and it was delish!), a bitter one that was rough on its own but great with food, an amber ale, a barley wine and a double cream stout. There was an adorable band playing, and Fuzzy and I loved drinking and dancing, dancing and drinking. So fun. After their first set, we were full of beer and tired, so we headed back to the hotel where we found cookies on a plate with our names on it waiting for us. So sweet!

YUM!

Sunday morning we enjoyed the B&B's delicious breakfast and coffee, and took some naps while waiting for the ski park to open at 1:00. After we checked out of our hotel, we went next door to the Kalamazoo Institute of Art where we saw a really fun Looney Tunes exhibit.

Then it was time for skiing!

Fuzzy gave me a brief tutorial, and then we were off into the woods! It was so fun and so hard, too. I loved every second of it. Climbing hills, skiing down little ones, and falling. Oh, was there falling. I fell at the bottom of hills, I fell standing still. I fell forward, I fell on my side. I fell a lot. But I laughed about it and kept getting back up! I kept singing a song with these lyrics "Winter Sports! I grew up in Mississippi!" We laughed and skied and I sweated and fell. It was awesome.

Me!

Fuzzy was a natural.

It was awesome being out in the woods.

After about an hour and a half of woodland winter fun, we packed up and headed over to the Nature Museum, where we hoping to find a good sled hill, but instead I got the heebie jeebies a lot about snakes that I knew were in the building.

Skiers!

Owl! We also took some photos of these hawks that were so pretty. Fuzzy took a video of me falling, but was too nice to put it online. I think it is hilarious.

We headed back to Chicago in the late afternoon/ early evening, but made a quick stop in to the St. Julian Winery. They were closing, but we were able to grab a couple bottles, which I look forward to opening soon. After lunch, we were hit with a massive scary blizzard in Indiana and on into Illinois. I was frazzled and tired, Fuzzy was frazzled and tired, and we were white knuckling it back into Chicago. We made it in at about 8:00, and without any warning, Fuzzy took the Wilson exit instead of our normal Sheridan exit.

"Why are we getting off here?" I asked.
"Because we are going sledding," my adorable, thoughtful, spontaneous sweet husband said.

So we took off up a hill with our sled and an inner tube we bought the day before and sledded over and over and over! We laughed so hard and screamed and played and it was the best ending to a perfect weekend.

Sled hill on Wilson.

I did it!

Overall, we had a great time, and we have many more weekend getaways planned for the future. Its amazing what one night away can do for your spirits. Thank you, Fuzzy!

While I was gone last week, Fuzzy and Parker made me special messages to help me through each day. Here are two of them. Enjoy!

I got back into Chicago last night. It is good to be back home and in my regular life with my sweet husband and comfy bed. It is great to be back at work. It's time to focus on my mental wellness, too, so I can keep going and be a support for my mother and brother.

I probably won't be able to talk about this trip for a while. It was too painful. I will say that I will have to go back down soon, and frequently over the next several months, so this is really just the beginning. However, I am happy to say that we made some major advances in mom's care and well-being, so for the first time in 2 years, I feel like we are on the right track.

I was in a constant state of prayer over the last week, and it helped. I am starting to understand more why things are happening the way they are instead of being all woe is me. Of course, I don't know if I will ever understand disease or mental illness, and I think I will always be angry and hurt that our family, that was once the most hilarious and tight-knit family that ever lived, has become the source of so much sadness and pain. I don't know if things will ever get better or easier, but we are trying our best and getting through the best we can.

Serious kudos to my mom this week. She made some great advances and hard decisions, and I am so proud of her for her courage and will to make things better for her. This week was harder on her than it was on us.

Thank you all for your prayers, emails, texts and comments. They helped a lot.

Much love to all.

Tonight we've made some good advances. I think we might be moving in the right direction. We have a lot of work ahead of us, mom, C and I, but we can do it. More trips home, some cleaning and moving, some phone calls, answers and hopefully solutions. I just want mom to be happy and safe and able to take care of herself.

Today was a really bad day, but it's been a really good night.

Thank you all for your love and support.

Kate, I will take you up on your offer in the next couple months.

For you MS readers- we are now looking for homes for mom's beloved cats Bootsie, Buffy, and Bobbie (my favorite) as well as home for her two dogs Sadie and Woofer. If you know of any homes, please leave me a comment.

Thank you. Love you all.

Snow has stopped. Sun is out. Power is back.

This week is the hardest week of my life.

Mental illness is such a bitch. Seeing your mother live in squallar (however it is spelled) is even harder.

I've shut down. Lost my ability to care. But yet, I keep getting hopeful, silly me, and then I keep getting angry.

I wish I was in Chicago with my wonderful husband and friends.

At least I have the amazing and strong support and united front with my big brother. I could not do this without him.

The cats are going away on Monday, in the morning before I come home. Then, we work from long distance, and figure out the next step for mom, her living situation (which should be in an assisted care apartment), the house, and ourselves. Cause my God, Christopher and I need to focus on our own lives for once.

I am still very grateful and aware of my blessings. Sometimes it is hard to see through the funk, though.

Why does Vicksburg have to get a 6 inch snowfall therefore shutting the town down, taking the power out, and leaving us no way to move forward on our work or even boil water while we are here this weekend?

Trying to stay positive...not doing a good job of it...

I made it out with only a slight delay and am now about to board my connecting flight in Orlando.

Let me just say this-- it is REALLY hard to not sing outloud along with Lady GaGa when you are rocking out on your iPod on an airplane.

If I can make it out of town tomorrow with the WINTER STORM OF DOOM that is heading our way, I'll be away from the computer until next week. I hope that everyone has a great week full of fun, love and laughter.

Please send some positive thoughts and blessings down to Vicksburg this week. Thank you.
xo

We did it! Saints win! Tears of joy!!

Things are rough these days for the Reid family.

It's been an emotional week, and next week is going to be a hard one.

Christopher and I are going down to Vicksburg to work on the cleaning and the moving and the "what's next."

I am completely fried and beat down, but we just gotta keep going, one day at a time.

If you are in MS and have any land or are looking for some kitty companionship, please leave a comment and let me know. We have a lot of sweet kitties who are looking for immediate new homes.

Last weekend, I went down to Starkville to visit with Melissa and Delia. The last day, I popped in to Vicksburg to see Mom for a few hours. The weekend was good but also pretty difficult. Here are some photos.

Delia with Shipleys Donuts, the best donuts in the world.

Me, Melissa and Delia at Restaurant Tyler

Man, I love the South.

On the way back to Jackson, I stopped by the cemetery to see Dad. I love making his grave pretty gaudy with knick knacks and the like--he would love that.

Happy Birthday to my mom!

This picture is from May 2006, but it really cracks me up.

A couple of dorks, I tell ya.

Happy 40th Birthday to my darling husband Fuzzy!

When I used to think about what my life was going to be like when I got married, never did I imagine that I would be with such an amazing, funny, caring, compassionate and wonderful man. I am so blessed. Fuzzy has been my best friend, my rock and support for the last 6 years, and I'm a better person when I am with him. We have so much fun together, and plus, he is a major babe. What a hottie!

Happy Birthday, Fuzzy!

(Awesome hat by Crow's Nest Shop.)