The Armadillo Tales

Dinner Takes All

I've been watching this show for a couple of weeks.  The show is Dinner Takes All on the TLC channel.    The snopysis of the show is as follows:

"Each week, five amateur cooks will take a turn hosting a dinner party for the other four in their home. This is entertaining with edge as at the end of each evening the guests award points in three categories: food, presentation and entertainment. 

The host with the highest score out of a possible 120 points at the end of the week wins $1,000!" 

I'll be the first to admit that I am not a cook, not even close.   I think the most work I do in the kitchen is washing and slicing the armadillo's fresh fruit snacks and loading the dishwasher.    But I've watched these people and I'm not that impressed.   Maybe I watch too much Food Network, I don't know.   Is throwing a dinner party that hard?  Is it harder than it appears?   I think I can honestly do better than some of the contestants I've seen.    As the saying goes, maybe I'll put my money where my mouth is and host a dinner party sometime soon.    I'll post menus and photos when that happens but don't hold your breath.

I Love You

I love Diet Coke.   If you asked me what I would take if I knew I would be on a deserted island for a year ... a photo of my boys or loads of ice cold Diet Coke.   I would choose the Diet Coke.  ... Nah, I'm only joking, but I woulld think about it for a few seconds.   I don't think it's the caffeine that has got me addicted.   I believe it's the carbonation.  What I love most about ice cold Diet Coke is that slight burn of carbonation that you get in the back of your throat.   Now it has to be fountain Diet Coke, not can, not bottle ... fountain.   I am VERY particular as to what kind of Diet Coke I will drink.   I won't drink Diet Pepsi, can't stand the sweet taste.    I also won't touch can Diet Coke unless that is the ONLY Diet Coke available.   I need to have Diet Coke at least once a day.   I'm currently what you call a heavy user of the stuff.   Don't be surprised that everytime you see me I have a cup of fountain Diet Coke.   

I'm currently saving my pennies so that B-Dad and I can install a soda fountain machine.   No joke.     Oh I'd be in heaven if I had my own Diet Coke bar.   Life would be so good.

Today's Sumo Baby's Thought

Today's Sumo Baby's Thought ...

"How did my big brother get in there?   I can see him but I don't understand.   He's much bigger than that.     Hello?!    Can you hear me armadillo?  It's me, your baby brother.    I have to help him.    Mama keeps telling me to stop playing with this thing but I have to help my big brother.   I love him and he makes me laugh so hard.   Armadillo?    Hello?   ..."

(This is a photo of the sumo baby grabbing on to the video monitor.   The screen shows the armadillo taking his afternoon nap.)

Heat Wave

Woooweee!   The weather is sweltering today.   Definitely not an outdoor park day.    The armadillo had his Gymboree class this morning and thankfully it was indoors.   It was already starting to warm up when we were walking to his class this morning at 9am.   Of course today was Target Monday so we made our weekly stop at the Bullseye.    Surprisingly enough I spent less than $40.00.    I didn't have much time to look around as the sumo baby was getting fussy.   He's outgrowing his infant car seat and is starting to look as if he's overflowing out of the seat.   It's such a shame that he's going to have to move out of his seat.   It's so easy to take him in and out of the car while he's in the seat.  Now I'l have to take him out of the seat and put him into the stroller and vice versa when we need to pack up the car.   It will probably be much cooler for him to be directly in the stroller seat rather than the car seat.   The weather is supposed to be boiling the rest of the week.  Yikes. 

I wish I could wear tank tops but fashion rules prevent me from doing it.  I'm not so much afraid of my "jello biceps" wiggling in the heat.  It's my "farmer's tan".   I have a tanline on my arm, about 4 inches from my shoulder.  It's hideous.    I have a self-tanner but I keep forgetting to use it.   I'm afraid that it will turn my shoulders orange.   I don't know what's worse ... the tanline or Oompa-loompa arms.

Chow, No Thanks

Tonight's dinner came courtesy of Chow restaurant in Lafayette.    To sum it up, we were truly disappointed.   I've read a number of reviews that raved about this place so naturally I was hyped up.    I ordered their Short Ribs entree, B-Dad had the Thai Chicken Salad and the Artichoke appetizer, and the armadillo had the Kids Spaghetti/Meatball dinner.     Let me just say it wasn't so hot.   For the money we spent ... almost $50.00 it definitely wasn't worth it.   B-Dad made sure to let me know that tonight's dinner was a huge letdown.   I also got the chocolate cake desert.   That was probably the best item we ordered but seriously, what are the chances of screwing up chocolate cake.   The chocolate cake was more like a brownie and it was covered in chocolate syrup.   It came with vanilla bean ice cream which melted like crazy by the time we got home.  I don't think it was a good idea for the restaurant to pack the ice cream for takeout since it was over 90 degrees today and the restaurant was an open-air establishment.   Nothing like warm melted ice cream to top off a meal. 

All in all I would say that we would not go back to Chow.  Not unless they changed up their menu or if they were offering a 100% satisfaction guarantee.    What a bummer.

I Love Spam, Minus the Flower

The San Francisco Chronicle did a review on a Hawaiian restaurant called Hukilau.   The review indicated that Hukilau has "good food at low prices".   I've never been to this restaurant before but they don't have a location close by.   They have restaurants in San Francisco, Palo Alto and San Jose.   Hukilau offers up the customary "plate lunch" ... one serving of your meat choice with 2 scoops of rice and 1 scoop of macaroni salad.   Though I like mine to be "all rice" ... you know, without the macaroni salad.  I would like to try this place if I'm in the neighborhood but the photo above disturbs me.  First off it's a spam musubi ... a slice of spam wrapped in rice and nori (seaweed).   I love spam and the spam musubi but something about the photo makes it so unappetizing.   Just give me the spam musubi on a plate but hold the garnishes.   Spam is awesome enough to sit on its own.

Coming Through ... Mama with a Big Stroller

I truly wonder about people sometimes.   You know what I mean ... things people do that make you stop in your tracks and shake your head.  Well today at the mall I didn't just shake my head but cursed out loud.   When I go out to do errands with the armadillo and my sumo baby I take my Graco Duo Stroller.    It's not an umbrella stroller believe me.  I mean it's kind of big.   The other day I heard a teenage boy saying, "Wow looks like she's pushing a limousine.".   So of course with that mode of transport getting through doors can be somewhat of a hassle.   Holding the door open while pulling the stroller through normally isn't too much of a problem for me, but I'd rather not do that if I had the choice.

At my local mall I normally park near the food court on the street level.   I don't have an issue going in and out of the mall because they have the handicap doors.   There's normally a button on the wall both outside and inside.   The armadillo loves pushing the button when we enter and leave.   You know ... kids and buttons, it's some sort of obsessive compulsive thing I guess.   But geting back to the door ... as we were leaving the mall today the armadillo was itching to push the button.   He knows exactly where it is when we leave.   I maneuver the stroller so that he can push the button while still sitting down.   He pushes it, no trouble.   The door slowly starts to open.   As I get ready to push the stroller through the open door this woman squeezes her way in front of us.    "Damn, excuse you!" I say as I quickly try to avoid her hitting the stroller.   She of course says nothing, as if she didn't notice we were there and continues on through.   

I just don't get it.  This woman had no visible disability.   There was no fire in the mall today.   What's the rush?    You know what irritated me more.   There were five, count 'em FIVE other doors there that she could have used.   But she chose to cut me off at the handicap door.   WTF?!       

My Other Neighborhood

Don't forget to check out my other sites ... VOX, Goodnight Sweet Pea and Target Picks.

Plyé Plyé

"Plyé Plyé mumble jumble ... Plyé Plyé mumble jumble ... Plyé Plyé mumble jumble ... Plyé Plyé mumble jumble ... Plyé Plyé mumble jumble ... Plyé Plyé mumble jumble ... Plyé Plyé mumble jumble ... Plyé Plyé mumble jumble ..."     This is the conversation the armadillo and I had on our way to his Gymboree class this morning.  Of course this went on for a little over 5 minutes and by the end of the conversation I didn't understand what he was talking about.   I loved the fact that he was talking to me but I just wished I understood what he was talking about.   I kept saying things like, "Oh really ... Wow, that's so interesting ... I wish I was there to see it ... blah blah blah".   

The armadillo looked so adorable when he was talking.   He had a serious look on his face and he kept pointing outside of the car.   The armadillo is an awesome little boy.   Sure he has his moments but he can be so darn entertaining sometimes.

I just hope one day I figure out what "Plyé Plyé" means.

Can You Two Get Any Cuter?

TypePad was down most of the day so I don't have time for a long post.   I just wanted to post a photo of my 2 very special boys.   They are growing so fast.  I wish the days would pass a little bit slower so I can enjoy this time of their lives.   I know that they won't be 2 or 5 1/2 months for very long and I hope that I can soak in every minute of it.   

They are both sleeping right now and believe it or not I can't wait for morning.  That's when I'll see that big gummy smile from my sumo baby as he first wakes up.   Then I'll hear those size 8 feet running into the bedroom in the morning calling "Mama? Mama? ... Bye Mama" as he goes downstairs with B-Dad to eat breakfast.   

They are my little boys and I love them dearly.