Blue Christmas in Memphis

Yours Truly sends you Happy Holiday wishes!  Hoping everyone had a Merry Christmas and plans for a HAPPY New Year!  It was a little blue in Memphis for Christmas since I was separated from my children and family but West and I made the best of it and had a fun time!
 
We started off by spending a quiet Christmas  Eve at the Casa Del West Downtown.  The plan was for me to make us a lovely lasagna for CE dinner and just have a quiet night.  During the Kroger shopping extravaganza earlier that weekend, I forgot to purchase a bell pepper.  So, West and I decided to take a little walk North on Main to the City Market in hopes that they might have one.  Our first stop along the way was to the Center for Southern Folklore.  They are a private non-profit organization dedicated to documenting and presenting the people, music and traditions of the region.  They have a shop and sell all types of art work, music, trinkets, etc.  They have bands that come in and play as well. 
 
The City Market was a SCORE and I secured a rather sad looking bell pepper but a bell pepper none-the-less!  Got a little aluminum pan too since there was a tragedy in my Pyrex cabinet the night before and I lost 2 pans!!  Now that was weird.  They were SHATTERED like maybe Big Foot had stepped on them or something!  I really think it's the vibrations from the Amtrak station across the street that shifts things around and it was just a matter of time before they fell or did whatever caused this tragedy.  But, it's all good.
 
Lasagna got prepared, baked, and most importantly....EATEN!!!  We settled in for a long winter's nap.  Christmas morning came bright and early.  We opened presents, all of which were very nice and well received!  I got West some ORANGE camo New Balance shoes....oh yes, every bit as sexy as I know you think they sound!

I was treated to some of the things I love most....perfume, lotions, bath gels, and makeup!!!  I also bought West a wonderful print from a gallery right down the street, D'Edge Art Gallery.  You can check it out on FB.  They have several artists who display their artwork but my favorite is George Hunt. West had seen this print recently and really liked it.  It's made a handsome edition to what we now refer to as our "Memphis Collection" of art work! 

Since it was just West and YT for the morning, we had made plans to go to Christmas Brunch at the Madison Hotel Eighty3. This was a really nice little restaurant. It was adorned with some really amazing artwork - all graffiti-like in nature.  Beautiful colors and textures!
 After perusing the menu, we both decided to have the Christmas plate special.  Man....what a treat!  Turkey, ham, dressing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans, candied carrots, and rolls.  Then for dessert....blueberry bread pudding!  It was quite possibly the best bread pudding Yours Truly has ever had!  It was moist, creamy, and had the best caramel sauce on top....delish!!!


We made our way back home and needless to say....I fell into the bed for a long nap!  I awakened to find that West had conducted the traditional de-decking of the halls on Christmas Day!  Our next destination...the Folks and Family Christmas!  This was YT's first Christmas with the West Clan and was I in for a treat!!!  Marilyn outdid herself and the dinner was DIVINE!!  Beef tenderloin, salmon, ham, spinach and strawberry salad, her to-die-for cheesy potato dish....then fabulous desserts!  Gary made a beautiful coconut cake, there was pecan pie, and I made my Mom's Better Than Sex On The Beach cake....it was just all so good!

Next came presents!  This was so much fun!  I'll not go into details but I'm very happy to report I have added several new cookbooks to my arsenal....particularly pleased that I received several Barefoot Contessa books! After a fun filled evening, we headed back downtown in the cold rain just praying it would not all freeze up by morning!  
So, the blues didn't last too long and now we are looking forward to ringing in a NEW YEAR in style!!  Here's wishing that everyone enjoys the rest of 2012 and remember...be nice to people....tell the ones you love how much you truly love them and until 2013....keep it safe out there!!  Until next time - Love, Yours Truly 

Updatin' In Memphis

Yours Truly has been a little busy lately and neglectful of my blog.  Let me catch ya up!!

West and I have gotten settled into the new place downtown and absolutely love it!!!  About once a week, we walk to dinner and enjoy our little neighborhood.  The last Friday night of each month is the Last Friday Trolley Art Tour.  All of the galleries are open, several have music and there is wine and snacks at most.  We have done this once and it was really fun!  Met several new people and saw some amazing art.

Last night we met West's buddies from college, Chip Grimm & Stephen DiMeglio, and participated in a Live Video taping at a place called Ditty TV.  It was streaming live online and the band was John Paul Keith and the 145's.  It was SO much fun! Their music is amazing...very high energy.  It's a little bit country, a little bit rock n' roll.  Little Americana....little Rock-a-Billy.

After the music, we went across to Ernestine & Hazel's where we met some more friends of Chip's, The Pittman's.  Super nice people!  The guys all shot a couple of games of pool and we all talked and laughed.  After the Pittman's left, we mossied across the street and down the block to Double J's.  There was an AWESOME band playing there, The Tommy Akers Band.  We ran into some other people we've met there and continued to keep the little party going!

It's not a party every night but we are taking advantage of this downtown living.  This past week we trollied and walked to do some Christmas shopping.  We stopped into a local place called The Blind Bear Speakeasy...which offered some wonderful selections indeed.  We split a few appetizers for dinner....creamy mac & cheese with lobster, warm pretzel bread with beer cheese and philly steak egg rolls.  Yum yum indeed.  But the beauty of it is we walked the mile home so I didn't feel too guilty with the nibblies!

So if all this talk of music and food has you ready for some adventure, come on to Memphis and see us!  So remember to be nice to people, and tell the people you love just how much you love them! 

Until next time,I remain Loving it in Memphis, 

Yours Truly.

Sweet Home....Ala....Memphis....

OMG....what an evening in Downtown Memphis! Yours Truly and her beloved, West, walked a block to do a little Christmas shopping...and Lo and Behold...across the street was Ernestine & Hazels. This is an amazing establishment where it has been written "Upstairs was once a noisy brothel; a couple of barflies have apparently turned out to be ghosts. And there you have it, just another all-American dry-goods-store-turned-watering-hole, where God knows how many broken hearts have been avenged and vendettas executed." 

This establishment is just 1 block north and across the street from where West and YT live...I have been just salivating to go in there since it is proclaimed to be "haunted"..."visited"...well, you get the point. So....YT and West...after a little trip to American Apparel....where YT happened to spy and procure a Raspberry Beret...the kind you find in a second hand store...we just directed our feet across the street and strutted right in.  This is a DIVE, with a capital D-I-V-E, bar of the truest nature....NO renovations whatsoever....But, did I mention? They have THE best juke box in all of Memphis-dom....so, we did our usual mosey'ing in....and as we were the only folks there  (besides Keenan the barkeeper) at the moment, we pretty much had the rule of the roost.  

So being Nosy Rosy that I am...and it was reputed to be "haunted"....I took a little venture upstairs ....yes, alone.  It was, admittedly, a little on the creepy side...and I did proceed with a sense of...caution.  
It was dark, shadowy and well....shall I say....creepy.  I did not linger...As I made my decent of the stairs...I was about 4 steps  from the bottom to the door out....the stairs above me....CREEKED....like someone was following me.....yes....the hairs on the back of my neck ....STRAIGHT OUT...,the adrenaline.....shot through me...and I got a COLD CHILL and could not find that door knob fast enough!!  That's all I got to say about that....Oh except I DID have one of their famous SOUL BURGERS...and they DO have the BEST jukebox in alll of Memphis-dom...

So, recovering from said weird experience, I send you all the invitation to COME TO MEMPHIS....we'll leave the light on....be nice to one another and tell the ones you love...that you love them!  Until next time, Love....Yours Truly

Shakin' & Movin' in Memphis!!!

 Yours Truly has really fallen behind on the posts lately.  Please forgive me because so much has been going on in MTown..  West and I have FINALLY settled into a place of our own and the last 2 weekends have been dedicated to moving, unpacking, unpacking, and unpacking!  It's looking really good after a lot of HARD WORK!!!! 

The entire move got off to a, well, shall I say, BAD START.  We signed a lease, and were told we could move in on November 3.  So, YT made all of the arrangements...ALL of the arrangements.  Moving company...check; utilities on...check; U-Haul Cargo Van....check; change of address...you guessed it...check!!  Then, I find out 2 days prior to D-Day that ...the current tenants are not going to be OUT November 3 but are MOVING on November 3.  SAY WHAT??  You've got my $$, I have a lease that says NOVEMBER 3, and I can't move in???  This is not making me very happy.  After some back and forth phone calls and emails, it's worked out that THEIR movers are going to be there Saturday from 2 to 4 and we can move in after 4.  Ok, not perfect but it's a plan.

So, the big day arrives.  I have to be there early to meet the furniture delivery truck since West and YT bought new furniture after 20 years.....yes, it's awesome.  I go to the apartment and what do I discover???  She has not even finished PACKING YET!!!!!!  WHAT????  This is NOT happening!!!  But, being YT, I try to make the best of it and help.  West hired a few of his workers to come help us move our local stuff so they get there and what do they end up doing?  Yeah, they MOVED the current tenant out.  Moved almost ALL of their stuff for them!!! 

Well, in the midst of this, my furniture arrives.  So, it's a 3-ring circus to say the least.  Now, I mentioned that her movers were supposed to be there by 2:00.  Guess what DIDN'T happen?  If you guessed that her movers did not show up, well, you get a gold star by your name my friend!  But, Cary and Tyrell, bless their little pea pickin' hearts, they just kept on moving her stuff out...they were work horses!!!  Her husband, who was not there because he was already in Michigan, called at some point, discovered her PRE-PAID movers had not shown up and he called some of his buddies so the Calvary showed up and then it was a 5-ring circus!!!  Now, keep in mind, after 4:00 we had told our movers that they could begin moving us in.  So, begin they did....see 5-ring circus comment! 

Oh, did I mention....she had a DOG that was running around during the middle of all of this?  Oh, yeah, she did.  Poor Cash...he was a good dog....but VERY confused!!!  At long last....their stuff was gone.  Now, she had scheduled someone to come in and clean at 4:00. This place was a pig sty and she was NOT a housekeeper....sweet as could be.....not a planner, not a cleaner.  And, of course, the cleaning service no-showed.  I sensed a pattern developing here.  But, we made due. 

Eventually all of our things were moved in, movers gone, helpers paid and gone and West and I were FINALLY in a new place of our own!!!   We were bone weary and hungry so we cleaned up, walked down the street and found a neat little spot for dinner, Double J Smokehouse and Saloon.  We mossied on in, crawled up onto a bar stool and I had one of the best steaks I've had since leaving Shertown....Shawn at The Library has spoiled me in the steak department.  I now compare everything to his!!!  This one came close, but did not surpass!!  But, we did meet our lovely waitress, Murphy, and she was just sweet as pie!  We had a great meal, dragged ourselves back home and fell exhausted into our bed. 

It was indeed a long day...followed by many more long days but I'm happy to report that the Casa Del West Downtown is 99% unpacked and fully functioning!  We are ready to receive guests and look forward to my daughter Ali and her husband TJ who will be our first when the come for Thanksgiving!  So, I leave you now and remind you....be ever thankful for what you have, tell the ones your love just HOW MUCH you love them and be nice to people!!  Until next time, Love - Yours Truly.

We Were Walking In Memphis

Yours Truly is happy to report that Memphis survived the weekend visit of the Shertown Girls of 84!! What a great time we had too. It started out with breakfast and mimosa's at the Casa Del West - Memphis Style on Friday morning. After getting everyone unpacked and settled in, we decided to journey downtown so the Girls could see the new Casa Del West - Downtown! It was a drizzly, dreary and COLD day but we bundled up and headed out!

We stopped in at my favorite restaurant, S.O.B. (South of Beale) for some lunch and libations!  We ordered several appetizers and they were all SO GOOD!!!  We had cajun potatoes with house made dip; hummus with roasted tomatoes, pickled peppers, artichoke hearts and olives; fried avocados with olive tapenade and balsamic cream sauce; gumbo with crawfish, andouille, and jasmine rice; potato pancakes; SOB Bar Pie with house made mozzarella, basil, and roasted tomatoes. Our drink selection included a Sticki Palmer with Stoli honey vodka, iced tea, and lemonade; a French Kiss with champagne, St. Germain, Stirrings pomegranate, and club soda; a salted karmel martini and a dirty martini champagne.  We left full and happy for sure!

We headed back to the house and spent the evening there.  My Mtown Girls, Teressa & Clare, came over so they could meet the Shertown Girls and we had a BLAST!!!!  Lots of much needed laughter indeed!!!  Saturday dawned bright and sunny and Tonya, Angie and I headed to the nail spa for a much needed pedicure.  Karen and Laura met us afterwards for a little shopping and then we had lunch at Newk's. 

Saturday evening was reserved for Beale Street!!  We started at B.B. King's and listened to a very talented young man named  Will Tucker.  From there, we pretty much made the circuit!  My personal favorite was Wet Willies's, which is where I made my Memphis debut as the tambourine player for Patty Harper & Faultline, the awesome band playing there! 

Sunday morning came way to soon and the girls loaded up and headed back to Shertown bright and early.  My heart was so happy to see them arrive and so sad to see those taillights on Big Red turn the corner!  But, I know I'll see them soon as I have a trip home scheduled for December 5.  Until next time, hug and love those you are with because you never know when you might see them again!  As always - be nice to others!  TaTa for now!  Love, Yours Truly

Shertown Girls of 84 ...Heading to M-Town!!

Yours Truly has been having a slow few weeks compared to recent history!  But, I am MOST excited to report that I'm going to have visitors this weekend!  Yes, The Shertown Girls of 84 are loading up and heading to Memphis this Thursday after they all get off work!!  Does this make Yours Truly happy?  You Bet Your Sweet Bippy it does! We have not made a lot of "set in stone plans" because that's just the way we roll, but 3 of us are planning to have our tootsies pampered Friday at the Elite Nail Spa.  This is YT's favorite spa and it's just ever so nice!  I hope the girls enjoy it as much as I do!

We do plan on some major SITTING OUTSIDE ON THE PATIO time and I'm most happy to report that West FINALLY got the Bistro table out of storage!!! We are monitoring the weather because there is a possibility of rain on both Friday and Saturday....but we won't let THAT put a damper on our fun!  We are planning to head downtown and take in Beale Street and find some yummy food along the way.  I wanted to be able to show them the new Casa Del West - Downtown but we'll only be able to see the exterior.  But, don't worry because I WILL be posting pictures as soon as we are moved in and start making it our own!

It feels like it's been so much longer than 3 1/2 months since I've seen my girls...but I know once they roll in....the laughter and catching up will commence!  I'll be sure and update you on all of our shenanigans next week.  Until then, I'm just counting the days and minutes until I get to see the Girls of 84! Until then, stay happy, tell the ones you love how much you love them and be nice to others!!  Love - Yours Truly

 

Got A Condo Made of Ston-a....In Memphis!!

At long last, Yours Truly is ESTACTIC to report that she and West have found a new place to call their home!!  We'll be living in a condo in downtown Memphis....yes, where all the lights are bright!!!  We get to move in November 3rd and we are both so very excited!!

This good news also brought on a round of furniture shopping here in Bluff City yesterday.  After several stores, and as many sales people following us while claiming they'd leave us alone and let us browse, we found something that spoke to us both!  Now, West and I are pretty in tune to what the other likes and we are pretty easy shoppers, both in the furniture and the house-hunting field.  We looked at 2 condo's and immediately fell in love with the first.  The End.  We looked at furniture....casting our eyes upon a particular grouping and ....well, that was it!

Now, backing up a little before this shop-a-fest, we did squeeze in a little fun for the weekend by attending the 40th annual Pink Palace Crafts Fair.  According to their website, "The Pink Palace Museum is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the Southeast. You can walk through a replica of the first self-service grocery store in the country, Clarence Saunders' Piggly Wiggly. Explore the cultural and natural history of the Mid-South through exciting exhibits, dioramas, and audio-visuals. Trace Memphis' development from the time of Spanish explorers through the Civil War and the yellow fever epidemics. Learn from the award-winning medical exhibit how health care grew to be Memphis' largest industry."  The craft fair was quite an event, many vendors with high quality arts for sale. YT found a lovely piece of pottery to add to her collection and cannot wait to get her collection unboxed in her and West's new home!

I'm sorry to say I'm just jumping all over the page today but it was indeed a busy day. On Friday night, prior to learning that we had been granted the lease for the condo, YT was catching up on some Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with Guy and lo and behold...he was spotlighting a funky little place....in Memphis....called SOB (South of Beale).....which happens to be ON MY NEW STREET....S. Main Street! I was so excited to hear about this little place. So, when the call came in bright and early Saturday from the lovely realtor Medley that had been helping us, well....you KNOW I was gonna drag West there for a bite to eat!!

The menu was wonderful!.A few of their specialties include their Jack and Coke Bread Pudding and popcorn that they serve while you wait...it's seasoned with brown sugar and their house Cajun spice and it's ADDICTING!! It's made in one of the old fashioned air popcorn makers, GENIUS!  YT had a wonderful breakfast burrito that was served with Gouda Grits (yes, yum!) and West had a hash dish and I must report that the man that prior to his return to Memphis wouldn't touch a grit, now orders them whenever possible!  So, he had the Gouda Grits too!  Did I mention that the libations during this brunch were $3??  $3 Mimosa's, $3 Bloody Mary's.  I decided then and there ....this is going to be my new neighborhood hang!!  Did I mention the patio seating outside?  Yep....might have to wait until Spring to enjoy that but you know I'mmaBeThere!!

So, after a day full of excitement - we made our way home for the evening and just honestly vegged the rest of the day!  Yours Truly did make a big pot of potato soup with one of the starter mixes we  bought at the craft fair...but that was the extent of the evening.

So, full of anticipation about our upcoming move, I leave you with the thoughts I always do.....be nice to each other, enjoy each day to the fullest and tell the ones you love how much you love them!!!!  Until next time, Love - Yours Truly.

Zydeco Hits Memphis!

Friday night found West and Yours Truly on the lawn of the beautiful Overton Park at the Levitt Shell.  Why, you ask?  Well, it was to enjoy the music of Lil Malcom and The Houserockers, don't ya know?  That's right.  Yours Truly experienced her first lawn concert in Memphis.  And what a glorious night to be outside it was! 

We started the evening with a cocktail and appetizer at a nice little restaurant in Midtown, Boscos Squared.  West had oven roasted shrimp while YT sampled some freshly made hummus - a combination of traditional hummus along with black bean hummus.  Both....were fabulous! 

Next, we made our way to the park.  We were meeting a friend of West's, Chip, whom he has known since college.  We made our way into the park, selected where we would set up base camp and settled in to wait for the show to begin.  The Shell is quite lovely and better yet, the shows they produce are free to the public! They do have a mission, which I was able to locate for you:

"We will build community through music and education, finding common ground for a diverse audience.  The Shell's rich musical heritage, prime location, thoughtfully renovated facility, and multi-cultural musical programming make it the ideal setting to bring the Memphis community together."  Now, if that's not a great mission, I don't know what is!

As we settled in, West was kind enough to purchase a cold beverage for YT as we thought you could not bring your own beverage of choice into the park.  Seems they have recently changed this rule, but I was able to experience another first...a nice cool refreshing sip of locally brewed beer, Ghost  River.  Yours Truly is most definitely not what I call a "foo foo beer" drinker but this was a nice pale golden ale and it was indeed very good!  As you can see...they are award winning brewers! 

Our friend Chip made it to our base camp and he was fully prepared with a nice cooler of Bud Light.  Now, that's a smart man!  And while we had grapes, cheese and crackers, he shared his Bud Light with us too! 

After a nice introduction, the band finally took the state!  And what wonderful music they did play!!  This was a band of all family members and they just plain out brought it!! By the end of the evening, they even had WEST on his feet for a little dance with Yours Truly!!

So it was another splendid evening in Memphis.   Until next time, turn up some good music, be nice to people, and tell the ones you love that ya love 'em!!!  Love, Yours Truly

Birthday Extravaganza!

Yours Truly had the MOST amazing day yesterday as I set about celebrating the day I was born!!  Yep...it was indeed my birthday.  I'd like to first and foremost thank The Madre and The Padre for that!!!  Now, on to the festivities!

The day started out on the right foot when I arrived at my desk at work and was greeted with a beautiful miniature birthday cake and a sweet card from my friend Teressa.  She has made me so thankful each day to be a part of this FedEx Freight team!  She is a sweet lady and a kindred soul!

The next part of the morning was a greeting from my sweet friend Clare who showed up with a cute birthday balloon and funny card!  I do love me a good birthday card!  I could tell that this day was just going to be getting better and better!  Clare's mind was already on where did I want to go to lunch....yep - it was looking good alright!

I received a few more cards and started getting lots of greetings via FB, text, email and phone calls!!!  I am already slipping into Princess mode, if you didn't notice before! 
We decided that Mexican food sounded bueno for lunch.  There was a group of 5 of us and we headed out to the Las Delicias Mexican Bar and Grill for some really good food!  We started out with queso and guacamole and chips.  Yours Truly had chicken taco's and rice.  It was so fresh and, well, delicias!!!  We headed back to the office and tried to stay awake the remainder of the afternoon.

West had called early and wanted to take me for birthday dinner....anywhere I wanted.  Now, the possibilities were endless it seemed but I finally decided to try a new restaurant we had seen, www.circamemphis.com.  I invited Clare to meet me right after work, since she was sweet enough to buy my lunch, and have a glass of vino on the patio while I waited for West to make our 7:00 pm dinner reservation.  The weather yesterday was absolutely glorious and the patio was an excellent idea, even if I do say so myself!  We shared a very nice cheese tray and a few glasses of vino and West showed up a little bit early!  The 3 of us sat outside and had a really nice visit and at 7:00 Clare headed home (although we invited her to stay) and we proceeded to go inside. 

This was a super nice restaurant....very classy, very swanky!  We were shown to our table and began to peruse the menu.  Let me tell you about the menu.  Being that it was evening, in a classy & swanky restaurant, you know that the lights were fairly dim.  Well, we opened up the menus and much to our delight...they were LIGHTED!!!  Yes, lighted I tell you.  Back lighting, similar to an Ipad or Kindle...so you could actually READ the menu offerings without fear of setting fire while trying to get the candle close enough to read!  It was GENIUS....honestly! 

After we calmed down enough from the excitement of the lighted menu, we made our selections.  West had a lobster & shrimp bisque for appetizer and I had bread since Clare and I had that divine cheese tray earlier.  For dinner, YT ordered one of her favorites, lamb!  It was served with a sweet potato and shitake mushroom flan.  Yes, folks...sweet potato FLAN.  It was also served with asparagus and carrots, just a beautiful plate to behold.

West surprised me and selected the black group and shrimp entree.  He typically will not eat fish unless he's caught it himself and "looked it in the eye" to see if it's healthy.  Yeah, I know.  Anyway, there he was...ordering that grouper like he'd been out to see that morning and caught it himself!!  Not only that....it was served with grits!!  Again, this is the man that claims he doesn't like grits because he isn't sure what a grit is.  Corn...it's corn....we know that and he knows that but I believe he just is trying to be difficult but that's ok...still love him!

So, we discussed out dessert options early in the ordering game with our delightful waitress Kate and she needed to know if we wanted souffle because is prepared so it's served hot and fresh as soon as your meal is finished.  Now, keep in mind at the beginning of this scrumptious feast, she asked if we were celebrating anything special and West said why yes, it's my wife's birthday.  So....Miss Kate filed that away and as we were enjoying our meal, the chef himself, John Bragg, came out of the kitchen and stopped by our table.  He inquired if ours was the birthday table, we chatted a moment and he moved on.  We had just finished eating when out came the most delightful birthday souffle I have ever laid eyes upon!  It was hot, fresh and just delicious!!  It was served with a side dish of melted, thick, rich chocolate and we were instructed to crack open the souffle and pour the chocolate inside.  It also was served with some wonderful vanilla ice cream.  Just absolutely the best dessert I have had in a long time!  Thanks to Chef John and the entire crew at Circa...it was a glorious way to end a truly spectacular birthday for Yours Truly in Memphis!

We made our way home, fat, sassy, full, happy and tired!  There were several birthday cards awaiting my arrival and to my delight several included gifts!  Let's just say...there will be more shopping in the near future!

So, the first birthday separated from my Shertown friends & family ended up being just a lovely day!!  I thank all of my M-Town girls that are becoming so dear to me and I send thanks and love to my Shertown girls who sent me such a sweet card and posted such nice notes on FB.  Thanks to my family for loving me as well.  Yours Truly is touched by the outpouring of love!  As I leave you...remember...live each day to the fullest...be nice to people and if you can't be with the ones you love, love the ones you're with!!!

Stepping Out In Tunica

Happy Sunday to you all!  Yours Truly and West have decided to skip
our usual Quest for Brunch this morning as we had quite an evening last night at Harrah's in Tunica, Mississippi.  And, BTW....I love typing Mississippi.  Yes, I do say the little saying each time I do it too...you know the one we learned in school...M-I-CROOKED LETTER-CROOKED LETTER-I-CROOKED LETTER-CROOKED LETTER-I-HUMP BACK-HUMP BACK-I (in case you had forgotten!) I did whip up a nice little omelet for myself and that was just dandy by me!

Anyway, the purpose of this little journey down SH 61 was to see Mr. Ron White at said Harrah's as an early birthday celebration for Yours Truly!  We were meeting some friends, Bobby & Leah, and I must say I was very excited as I had never been to the Harrah's in Tunica before!  And, Ron is so stinkin' hilarious I knew some good belly laughs were in store!

Now, I had to prepare for this evening so my newly found friend, Clare, met me at a cute little boutique here and helped me select a few outfits ....well, they weren't all for the evening but perhaps some pre-birthday shopping.  The shopping goddess was on my side and I found some delightful treasures!  After shopping, I went over to Clare's apartment and lounged at the pool with her, and several of her friends that I have been introduced to.  It was a very relaxing afternoon indeed.  And the weather.....Lordy but it was GLORIOUS!!!!

I headed back to the Casa Del West - Memphis Style and managed to sneak in a little nap before getting ready for the festivities.  I figured it was going to be a later night than usual.  I woke up, got dolled up and West was getting pretty dolled up too!  We jumped in the car...80's music on the radio, sun roof open and headed to Tunica!  Now, Tunica is right smack dab in the middle of what used to be just about all cotton fields.  It's a nice little drive out of Memphis and we arrived in no time.

We got there a little early so we could give Harrah's a little of our money.  Not too much....remember that shopping spree!  But, we played some slot machines, won a little, gave it back and at the end of the evening, we were about even but it was fun!  Now, did I mention we were having dinner before the show?  No?  Oh well...let me mention that we were having dinner at the Paula Deen Buffet!  My oh My....it was simply the BIGGEST buffet I had ever laid eyes on.

The line to get into Ms Deen's was pretty darn long but fortunately there was a beverage cart set up so you could imbibe in a little pre-dinner libation while waiting.  And, that line moved pretty fast to be so long.  We made the most of the time and laughed and visited with Bobby and Leah.

I cannot even begin to tell you what all was offered once we got through the line and paid and were shown to our table.  But I can tell you...it was crab legs night!!  YT can just flat out put away some crab legs!!  But, let me tell you what all I can remember about the buffet offerings:  Prime rib, baked chicken, roast beef, shrimp, crab legs, lasagna, spaghetti, chicken and rice casserole, fried catfish, mac & cheese, creamed corn, corn on the cob, green beans, sweet potatoes, new potatoes, Lima beans, grits, and on and on!!  I haven't even mentioned the dessert counter....cupcakes, cakes, pies, cobblers, and of course....Nana Puddin'!!!

By the time we had our fill, it was time to head to the event center.  This was a really nice place!  There was an opening comedian that was really good but we waited patiently and pretty soon he took the stage...Ron White!  He is a little foul mouthed....but the things he thinks of.....just too darn funny and so real!!!  We laughed so hard....I think we burned off 1/2 the calories at least from the buffet.  I'm quite sure of it!!  The show wrapped up around 11:00 and we spent a little bit longer back in the casino before heading to Valet and picking up the zoom zoom!

I must say it was just such a fun evening and I thank my beloved for treating Yours Truly to such a fun time!  I am glad that we had new friends to share it with too - thanks to Bobby and Leah!  Now, as we ease into Sunday, with a few chores under our belt, we plan on some major R & R this afternoon!  Wishing everyone a peaceful, happy Sunday and remember...stay happy, be nice to each other and always make the most of every day!  Until next time, Love Yours Truly.