The Lost Symbol

I just finished The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown, author of The DaVinci Code. I enjoy his style of writing because it keeps me on my toes, and the chapters are really short. Before I know it I have read 50 chapters because they are just short enough to "read one more."

The basis of this book is Masonry, and it is based in Washington, DC. I enjoyed the tours of the city you get by reading his descriptive interpretations. I wonder how much of his books are fact. He is so good at writing things that would make sense to be true. I mean, it's possible that there really is a bible buried under the cornerstone of the Washington Monument. It was tradition to bury photos, letters, time capsules, books and the like underneath cornerstones. His description of a cornerstone is accurate, so who's to say his idea of the bible being underneath one in our capitol city is wrong? I intend on looking for his descriptions of things in DC when I visit there this summer.

Anyhow, his writing is great if you are wanting mystery, horror, and enlightenment all in one. He has great cliffhangers at the end of every chapter as well as many story lines to keep you reading "just one more" before cutting the lights at night. There were times in reading this book that I felt scared, sick to my stomach, excited, pensive, intrigued, and inspired all at once. He brings passion out in his readers. Within the 133 chapters, I forgot it was placed all in one night. There are so many background stories and flashbacks that until the end I forgot it was really only a twelve hour story.

Tribute to my Daddy

My daddy turned 60 today! For those of you who haven't met my father you are missing out. I can't imagine life without my daddy. When I was little and we still lived in California I remember him always coming home smelling like diesel and pine. He was a logger. He would sit on his brown recliner and I would climb up on his lap and watch tv with him. On the weekends he would take many hours to work on making our pool beautiful, and then we would jump in and play jaws. He was such a kid back then. We had a three wheeler that he would ride around the yard and do wheelies on. He even invented Socco which is soccer on 3 wheelers. Kinda dangerous. Anyhow, I won't bore you with endless stories of my father, but he is a great man. He has a distinct laugh that fills a room. His whole body scrunches up when he laughs. He loves a lot without saying I love you. My dad has the best smile with a cute little mustache that makes him look like Mario. He is Italian through and through. So, Happy Birthday Daddy! Thanks for always loving me and always teaching me to follow my dreams and laugh about life. Love you.

Tastiness

Here are a few things that have been going on in my food world.

PF Changs Great Wall of Chocolate Cake. It's a must order every time I go. Dark rich chocolate covered in raspberry sauce and fresh berries. Zach and I split a piece with no shame.

Zach has invented the Fromelet. This is an omelet with 2 egg yolks that are fried. So you get the scrambled taste of eggs as well as the gooey yolk.

And lastly, here are some bean burritos I invented.

Recipe

can of corn
can of black beans

Season with cumin and warm on stove

Ranch Dip
Cheese
Lettuce
Taco Sauce

Side with Kroger Lime Tortilla Chips and Salsa

Hunka hunka Memphis

Zach's mother was in town last week so during her visit we all played tourists. On Monday, we went to Memphis to see Graceland. Bert has overwhelming love for the man. We toured Graceland, stayed in an Elvis themed hotel, ate at an authentic BBQ restaurant that picked us up in a pink limo, and ended the night watching Elvis movies. It was a truly unforgettable experience. Here are some photos:

Money Money Money

I wish for more money. Or more hours at work. Or a better paying job that is perfect. Yes, that is what I wish for today.

Skipping Saturday

I started a blog about something that just continued to irk me yesterday, so I am gonna leave it alone and just skip Saturday entirely. I don't need my blood pressure going through the roof.

So for Serene Sundays I will share my love for beer. I love getting together with friends and having a few beers, listening to a show, having a bbq, playing cards...etc. I didn't always like beer. Like most girls, I preferred fruity drinks. Somehow I acquired a taste for great beer. I am a snob when it comes to beer though. For me there is nothing better than a thick Guinness on tap, or an ice cold Killians even. I curl up with a good beer like some people do their coffee.

Carthage Photo

Only in a small town like Carthage will a BLT be the healthiest thing on a menu and a tractor be in the middle of traffic.