Pecans – Easy Pickin’, Not So Easy Crackin’

My next-door neighbors (not the mean ones) have a large pecan tree in their yard. I honestly didn’t know it was a pecan tree because I am not good with gardening and trees and such and never in the past has it produced any pecans. Apparently this year was a good year for pecans though and I have found a plentiful supply in my front yard. I have picked up a lot of them and they are mine for the keeping since 1) they were in my yard and 2) no one lives in the house next door. Yes – that’s right no one lives in either of the houses beside me. Not sure what that says about me. I didn’t have a nutcracker and so I went out and bought one and started cracking away and the pecans I gathered from my front yard.

There must be some sort of secret way to crack open pecans that I am not familiar with because every time I go to crack open a pecan it turns into a pile of cracked shell and tiny pieces of edible pecan. I have a friend, Margaret, who is in her eighties and she can crack open pecans with perfection. I am going to have to get her to show me how to crack these babies open, because so far, I’m not too good at it as this was never a feat I needed to accomplish in the past. I typically just buy pecans already shelled when I need them.

Speaking of Margaret, she has a large pecan tree on her property, which is how I know that she can crack open pecans with perfection. Back in the fall I made her some cornbread dressing and she returned the favor by baking me some cookies and bringing me pecans from her pecan tree. Margaret’s tree produced a lot of pecans this year as well. She had some pecan thieves come onto her property and steal pecans from her. She got tired of these vandals coming on to her property, which was clearly marked no trespassing and so she started driving over to the pecan thieves and chasing them off of her property – a woman in her eighties! I hope I have that much spunk when I am her age!

You know what’s better than a bowl of pecans? A bowl of Reese’s Cups! Umm… good!

Slumdog Millionaire: A Review

Sometimes movies that are nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture can be, well, let’s face it, can be a little weird. It takes a particular type of movie watcher to sometimes agree that the Best Picture winner was indeed the year’s best picture. Slumdog Millionaire is not one of those movies. It is really fantastic. Tony and I went to see this movie on Saturday night and I think I can speak for both of us when I say it was great. Two friends of mine recommended the movie to me and upon their suggestion, we decided to watch it. I found it to be captivating right from the start. It’s more than a rags to riches story and the in-depth content of the movie will likely surprise you. I found that I have been thinking about the movie quite often since seeing it. The actors do a fantastic job of enveloping their characters, and the story line is simply amazing. It is a definite must-see!

Tony's take: pretty good

The Case of the Stolen Buttercups

The people who own the house next door to me are mean. That’s the nice way of putting it. I’ll spare you the details for now. Recently, we had some unseasonably warm weather where I live, which apparently made some of the flowers around town think it was spring. There were two or three large groups of buttercups that blossomed at the house next door to me. Now, keep in mind no one lives there. These people bought the house over two years ago and have been doing some sporadic work on it, but have yet to move in. I’m praying they never will. So, Tuesday I had the day off work and some of my friends were coming over to watch American Idol later that evening. In an effort to spruce things up around the house, I decided I would go and cut some of the buttercups from the mean people’s house. I ran over with my scissors and snipped away. As I was walking back home with my loot, my neighbor from across the street, Jeff, came out to put some mail in his mailbox. I started laughing and yelled over at him that he caught me! He also thought it was funny as he is well aware of the meanness of the homeowners next to me. So, that is the story of the stolen buttercups. But they are quite lovely, don’t you think?

Wes and Amy -Name The Baby!

My friends Wes and Amy are having a baby girl in April. The middle name of the baby will be Elizabeth and their last name is Bryan. The proud parents-to-be have narrowed the first name down to six choices. Be sure to check out this week's poll to vote for your favorite first name for Baby Bryan!

Deal of the Week

First of all let me apologize for not posting as frequently as my one reader would probably like. I was really excited when I first started this blog, but the newness wore off after a week. Go figure. Not to mention the fact that nothing exciting has been going on lately. So, maybe in the next few weeks something exciting will happen. If I have some time later today I may review a movie I saw recently. So, stay tuned.

This week’s deal of the week comes from TGI Fridays. Most of the world has probably gotten this coupon through email, but in case you haven’t, here is the link: http://www.tgifridays.com/promos/bogo_2009_02.aspx?fromsearch&gclid=CM38h5zG4ZgCFQRkswodojvjcQ

It’s a coupon for buy one entrée get one free. A guy I work with has gone about four times already. It’s definitely a good deal if you’re trying to be frugal. So, go on out there and pump up the TGI Friday’s economical outlook by eating there for dinner. Happy Eating!

Deal of the Week

Have you ever tried Rachel’s yogurt? No? Me either; but, this week’s deal of the week is buy one get one free yogurt from Rachel’s. They have lots of interesting flavors and I’m sure you will find one to satisfy your taste buds. Just fill out some information and voila – you get a coupon. Here’s the site: http://www.rachelsdairy.com/community-offers.php Happy Shopping!

Skydiving: Not for the Faint of Heart

Today I’m going to tell you a story of adventure! For my 30th birthday back in 2007, I decided to jump out of an airplane – with a parachute. Most people think it is crazy to jump out of a perfectly good airplane, but I am always up for a little excitement and thrill seeking and I had always wanted to try it. My brother had gone skydiving the year before and I wasn’t going to let him be the only fool in our family. So, when the weather got warmer and I had a little money saved up, I set off to accomplish my crazy goal. My best friend Jackie went along with me so she could gather up my remains when they splattered across Cullman County, AL.

Here I am driving to my next adventure.

Here's Jackie putting on a brave face in the passenger seat.

The date was set – May 19 – and we rose early in the morning to head out on my adventure. This took place so long ago that I honestly can’t remember what time my jump was scheduled for. I think 10:00, and we arrived about an hour before. When we got there, I went up to the counter to pay my fees and sign my life away. After all, these people don’t want to be held responsible for me trying to kill myself.

Here I am signing my life away.

After all the paperwork was filled out, we had to sit around and wait. And wait. And wait. It seems that waiting and watching other people jump out of airplanes is the thing to do when you’re at the air strip. We eventually had to go get lawn chairs out of the trunk of the car because we were waiting so long. It was interesting to see all those other people jumping out of an airplane, but when you’re about to do it yourself, you’re ready to get the show on the road, if you know what I mean. Finally after much waiting, it was time to gear up.

Here I am getting geared up for the jump.

I did a tandem jump – after all I’m not completely crazy! And my tandem partner was Jeremy. And finally after waiting four hours – that part I do remember – it was time to load the plane.

Here Jeremy and I are walking to the plane. Don't those jump suits make a gal look sexy? If you look closely you can see Jackie in the background snapping a photo.

How many people can you load onto a small aircraft? That was the game we played when loading up the plane. The inside of the plane was so teeny I could only imagine just a handful of people in there, but before it was all over with, there were about 15 people on our plane. Jeremy asked me if I was okay and told me that I was the calmest person he had ever jumped with. And I’ll be honest with you, I was not scared or nervous or even excited. I think I was just numb – well, numb and hungry. After all, I did have to wait four hours –with no food – before the jump.

Finally after a long wait and years of wanting to know what it would feel like to jump out of an airplane, it was time for the jump!

We jumped from 16,000 feet and the free fall lasted for one minute. It was amazing. You know that feeling you have in the pit of your stomach when you’re on a roller coaster? Well, that doesn’t happen when you skydive. You literally feel like your flying. There was no sensation of a free fall and I suppose that’s because you are falling so fast and the wind is so strong.

If you are concerned about face distortion – then do not jump out of an airplane.

Jeremy grabbed the pull string after the one minute of free falling and the chute deployed. And we drifted back down to the earth. This part was much less fun than the actual free falling. I guess the euphoria had worn off and I thought I was going to vomit. Not to mention the fact that the harness was so tight I thought my legs were going to be cut off. I had huge bruises on my thighs for about a week.

Sailing back to the earth.

So, I arrived back on the earth in one piece having accomplished one the more adventurous items on my “to do” list. It was definitely worth the money and the time – even the four hour wait. Would I do it again? Probably not, but then again, you never know.

So sexy!

Deal of the Week

This week’s deal of the week is $31.50 worth of coupons from SC Johnson Company. To get your coupons, go to http://www.rightathome.com/tipsandcoupons/

Happy Shopping!

Crazy Eyes

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: A Review

This past Sunday (February 1) was my 32nd birthday. Back in the Fall, Tony bought tickets for us to see the Broadway Production of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” which came to our fair city this past week. The final performance was on Sunday, my birthday, and that was the date for which he bought tickets.

Let me tell you, folks, if you have not seen this show, run, don’t walk to the nearest showing and go see it! I have been a fan of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” the movie since I was a small child. I’ve watched it hundreds of times. So, I was really anxious to see how it would play out on the stage. It was FANTASTIC!

There were a lot of great scenery changes, which some shows don’t always have. They had five or six real dogs in it that periodically ran across the stage, and every time they showed up, it made me laugh uncontrollably! This show was very well cast, which was a nice treat because sometimes the people playing the parts aren’t always as great as they could be. And the car – it flies! It was so amazing! Most of the songs from the movie are also in the live production, which made me want to get up and dance with the actors at times, but I refrained myself and stayed in my seat. I just tapped my foot to the beat. It was a great show for young and old alike. Definitely go see this one if you have an opportunity. The information for this tour can be found at http://www.chittyontour.com/index.html So, check it out and see if it’s playing at a location near you.

These guys were hilarious!

Ode To Diet Coke

This Ode to Diet Coke was posted on my old blog last year. I really like it and of course, my love for Diet Coke hasn’t wavered since then. So, I thought I would post it here on The Chronicles of Nat. Enjoy!

I love Diet Coke! When I was in the fourth grade, my teacher, Miss Foutch (now Mrs. Davis) drank three or four, heck, maybe even five Diet Cokes a day and I never understood why. I would always ask her, “Miss Foutch, why do you drink so many diet cokes?” You see, I thought Diet Coke was gross, I much preferred the sugary Coca-Cola Classic. As I got older, a junior in college at the University of Alabama to be exact, I discovered the joy a Diet Coke can bring a girl. When the can is really cold and that dark delicious cola pours down your throat, it is simply satisfying and delicious! There was a time when I became like Miss Foutch and drank four or five Diet Cokes in a day. But, I’m much more sensible now and typically only have one a day. Occasionally I will have two, well, maybe even three on a really crazy day. And so, I have written an Ode to Diet Coke.

When my stomach’s achy and I feel like I might croak,
all I need to pick me up, is a little Diet Coke.
When I’m feeling poor and I tell folks that I’m broke,
I surely hope that I can afford a Diet Coke.
When my dog is laying beside me and I give her a little poke,
wouldn’t it be cool, if she could fetch me a Diet Coke?
When my day is crazy and I’m really tired of folks,
all I need to calm me is a little Diet Coke.

The Tide: An Introduction

My dog’s name is The Tide. It was originally just Tide, but my dad added the “The” to her name and now everyone calls her The Tide. Well, everyone that is except for my boyfriend, who calls her Sadie. Before we started dating he had a dream that her name was Sadie and I guess you could say the name stuck. So, she is now affectionately known by Tony as Sadie.

The Tide was adopted from the Pitt County Animal Shelter in Greenville, North Carolina. She was one of seven puppies which were listed as the seven dwarfs at petfinder.com. For those of you looking for a new pet, check out http://www.petfinder.com/ – it’s a really great site. As you can imagine, I have lots of funny stories about The Tide and I hope to share some of those with you in the future. But, for now, I just wanted to let you know who she is and share with you some pictures of her chomping on a rawhide bone she got for Christmas from my parents – also known as her Mamie and Poppa.

Terry's Pizza

For those of you that live in the Huntsville area, you are probably familiar with Terry’s Pizza. Terry’s Pizza was a Huntsville staple for many years until its closing in 2005. It had been open for 48 years according to a post I read. I had intended to put some information about Terry’s pizza in this post, but haven’t been able to find much on the history of the establishment. I can tell you that my parents used to go on dates there. You can now get Terry’s Pizza at Star Market in Five Points.

This is Star Market

So, on Saturday, I traveled the one mile down to Star Market and picked up a small sausage Terry's Pizza. I traveled by car, because, well, it was cold outside. It was around noon and my boyfriend Tony hadn’t called me to tell me he was hungry, so, I figured that meant I was on my own for eating lunch. I didn’t feel like cooking anything, it being my birthday weekend and all. So, I called up Star Market and ordered a small sausage pizza.

This is my pizza!

I went to pick it up and my mouth was watering before I got home. I was rather hungry.

Doesn't it look yummy?

It was yummy! I ate half of this one. It only costs $5, which is a steal. I had the leftovers for lunch yesterday. Well, I shared with my dog - both meals. Anyway, if you live in Huntsville and are looking for a yummy pizza, try Terry's at Star Market in Five Points, you won't be disappointed.