Real Men Cook

One of the great things about dating again is, well let's be honest, eating out!

Everyone knows that I really HATE, I mean H A T E  cooking and,  worse yet, cleaning up after it's done. 

But Lord love a man who can cook.

I  think I mentioned having dinner a few weekends ago at Gun's (high school friend mentioned in this post) . It was pouring rain, yet he braved the elements to grill some pretty yummy chicken.

 

 

Last night, he called to invite me to dinner with him and his son again.. Their home is on the way to mine, (only about 10 minutes away) so a slight course correction had me there by six.

 

 This time it was some pretty tasty burgers topped off with grilled poblano peppers! MMMM!!

 

Finding out that I have a gluten intolerance (which I had to explain meant no buns for me) meant I got to eat mine on a plate surrounded by yummy vegetables instead. 

 

He told me that he had taken some culinary courses back during his short time in college, and it had sparked his interest. He has loved to cook ever since,

 

Gotta love a man who can cook! Sure beats Hamburger Helper!

 

 

 



30 Years Ago Today....

They say life is a series of "Where Were You?" moments.  Those moments that pinpoint a place in time for  the whole world.  In my lifetime I can say, with certainty,  what I was doing during events such as the attempted assassination on Alabama Governor George Wallace,  the fall of the Berlin wall, Princess Diana's death,  the 911 attack on America,  the fall of the statue of Saddam Hussein.

I also can tell you what I was doing at the time of both catastrophic space shuttle accidents. Today is the anniversary of the Challenger accident.

30 Years ago I was home sick with the flu. I was mad that the news had preempted my soap opera with a space shuttle launch. Big... Fat... Hairy.. Deal. We were always launching something, right? My mother had called to check on me. She worked at a bank in the middle of my hometown. I could hear the hustle and bustle of the people in the bank in the back ground of her call. I was griping about how unimportant I thought this was in the world today, when the space shuttle exploded on the screen in front of my eyes. I said "Uh Mom, I think the space shuttle just blew up" She responded " The Space Shuttle Blew Up?!"  In that moment, you could have heard a pin drop on the other end of the line.

I will never forget that.

It's D Day

It's D day Inmate Brooks.  Soon, it will be OVER.

May the Lord have mercy on your soul.

72 MORE HOURS.....

Her name was JoDeann.

She was a huge tomboy as a kid. My brother, her, and Michael from across the street were inseparable when we first moved to Country Club Oaks. I was 12 that year, so my brother was 8. She lived next door.  She quickly became his best friend.

I have a ton of pictures growing up, and JoDeann is in most of them. Birthdays, pool parties, Christmas, prom, and just random pictures of nothing in particular. She was always at my house.  I regarded her as a little sister.

She was an effervescent ray of sunshine, and always went out of her way to make others smile. She was always smiling, laughing, and bubbly. She was fearless and trusting. She would give you the shirt off her back, the shoes from her feet. She believed in second chances and would often smooth things over between feuding friends. She was the peace maker.  I've often wondered what she would be like now.

Her life ended December 31, 1992. She was only 23.

In 72 hours, the worthless piece of crap who ended her life will be put to death for this crime.

Googling her name will bring up his smirking mug. Every time.

Here is the most recent news report. Every time the anchor mispronounces her name it makes me mad.

http://abc3340.com/news/local/alabama-family-looking-for-closure-as-execution-nears

I know that she would have been embarrassed by all of this fuss. Had he just taken her wallet and nothing else, I know she would have forgiven him. 

But now we will never know, because he never gave her that chance.

In 72 hours, it will all be over.

MLK Day 2016

 

Make the most of the opportunities you are presented

Volunteer to change someone's life.

~EnJOY

TGIF!!!

Whew! Finally Friday!

Today's post is a little close distance dedication for a good friend, who has apparently made it his mission lately to make sure that I am staying on the positive side.  Since reconnecting, his texts and phone calls keep me smiling. 

Back in the day,  I remember he was always a sweet guy who had no trouble coaxing a smile or laugh out of me, and he always dressed like a rock star.  But in the 80's, who didn't ?  In my mind's eye, he will forever be the kid with spiked hair and parachute pants. I was the Senior and he was one of the underclassmen that I "allowed" to hang out with me and my BFF and partner in crime.  I think it was because I was willing to drive them around. When he was finally driving age, his parents had purchased a 1970's era Trans Am, that he drove throughout high school before finally selling it. He was telling me just the other night that he thinks that he has found it again, and is in negotiations with its current owner to obtain it. Despite needing a little love, it still runs. I hope he gets it. Wouldn't that be cool?

For some reason, he was nicknamed after this song.  Not sure I want to hazard a guess as to why, but it's still a really cool song. 

 

"Love Gun"  KISS from the album of the same name (Casablanca Records 1977)

 

 

 

Rockin' way to end the week.

 

~EnJOY

 

The End of an Era

Today marks the official end of my family business.

It's the end of an era, and I'm not certain how I feel.

We raised chickens. Not yard birds. The chickens that become your whole/bone-in/boneless/wings/fingers/ nuggets. My grandparents started this business when they moved back from Michigan when my dad and his sister were young.

Our whole family has grown up around the business, including the grandchildren, even great-grandchildren.  My earliest memories include marveling at the thousands of fuzzy little birds.

A few months back, the supplier told my dad that "because of the age of the equipment and the buildings" they would "not be renewing the contract."  With my dad approaching his 70's, there was really no need to obtain a loan to make the upgrades.

And with that,  we are out of the chicken business.

I'm a little sad right now.

Hello 2016!

 

 

Good morning 2016!

I look forward to the promise and new adventure that you hold.

As always,

 

EnJOY!