Food Fest

Erica got home yesterday afternoon. And when we all get together, apparently the feeding frenzy never ends. I am laughing at just how bad we are. It started not long after Erica arrived. The kids went out for frozen yogurt. We have this place just up the road called Peppermints. Its a whole wall of frozen yogurt flavors, followed by another whole wall of toppings. You can have almost any fruit, candy, nut or sprinkles that you can imagine. Even cereals. And then you go to the counter and have your concoction weighed so you can pay by the ounce. Its kind of expensive, but absolutely delicious.

And while Bruce and I were still at work for the yogurt outing, we were home for Parker's at dinner time (eastern NC BBQ and slaw for those who don't know). Today was Dale's Indian Cuisine for lunch. Buffet-style. I only moderately tolerate Indian food, so at least I didn't eat disgusting amounts of it. I did decide that the curry chicken was pretty good but its not something I crave or go out of my way to eat. And tonight? Thai food. And that I do happen to love. I get mine really mild. I had the crispy chicken Pad Thai and it was as good as always. Stephen had the mango curry....at a heat level of 20. That's as hot as it can go. This is a different Thai place from the Thai 360 restaurant that we ate at last weekend with Jeanne and Calvin, but it is run by the same people so the menu is pretty similar. Stephen said that the 20 level at the place tonight was much hotter than the 20 level Mango curry he had last weekend. He didn't sweat, but he did get all red in the face while eating it. But he ate every last bite, and slurped up the curry broth afterwards, so apparently it wasn't too hot for him.

After pigging out on Thai food we went to yet another frozen yogurt place called Lo-Yo. The kids like it because the tart original flavor is really super tart. I think its good, but there are only about 5 or 6 yogurt flavors to choose from at any one time, and they did NOT have Peanut Butter today. That made me kind of sad. Peanut Butter yogurt is amazing. But I had chocolate with reece cup topping, so it was acceptable. Right now we are all stuffed and tired. Erica is going to be here until Monday morning, so.....who knows what tomorrow will bring. I might have to slow down with the feeding frenzy though. I am going to have to eat nothing but salads for the next week to make up for all of this decadence.

Trying Hard

We are trying hard to find our way back to normal after this long, heinous summer. I have a lot to say about Bruce's Dad's passing, the summer he spent so terribly sick. But not now. Its too much with me still. Its too raw. Maybe later I can sort it all out.

In the meanwhile, we get up and go about our days, go to work, run errands...all of it. We are finding our way, and eventually things will be ok again. I know this from experience. Erica is coming home to see us this weekend. Her visa was issued this week, and her plane ticket bought. She will be leaving for York at Thanksgiving. I get sad sometimes, but I am quick to push those thoughts away and think about how exciting its going to be visiting her over there. And the fact that her contract is for 2 and a half years. And how exciting its going to be for her to be able to spend her time off roaming around Europe.

And we are spending part of next week with some friends of ours. They have rented a beachfront house up in Corolla, NC. That part of the NC coast is our favorite. And its been a while since we have gone up there. We had plans to go up for our anniversary, but Dad was too sick. So this is a real treat, and I am looking so forward to it. That whole area: Corolla, Duck, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, and Hatteras is such a nice combination of beautiful and remote (there is even a nude beach if you know where to find it...its not on any map), but with shopping, restaurants, and interesting sights just a short drive away. If you ever go, be sure to catch a sunset up on Jockey's Ridge. Its the largest natural sand dune in the eastern US. The climb up to the top is somewhat arduous....its climbing a tall mountain of loose sand. But the view is worth it. The Hatteras lighthouse is where a lot of people go, but I didn't find it all that exciting. Maybe because the one day we finally decided to drive all the way out there (its a long haul), the darned thing was closed, and it was hotter than hell that day anyway. At least I saw it up close from the outside, and it was kind of amazing to imagine how crazy it must have been moving that thing. We watched the moving of the lighthouse on the news, but seeing it in person...what a feat!

Love to all!