A Pound of Thoughts

To get home relatively early on Sunday night, my Dad and I (he was my co-pilot during the trip) had to leave at lunchtime from the seminar. I hated missing the rest of the presentations - especially Chris Smith and the “SEO for Bloggers”. That is one that I was looking forward to. Maybe I can find it on UStream later on.

We decided that Tex-Mex would be the way to go to finish out our trip to Dallas. So, we found On the Border on Northwest Highway in Mesquite and decided to eat there.

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This is the strangest thing I’ve ever heard.  A 35-year-old man from Great Britain drank himself to death - but not with alcohol.  He did it with water:

An investigation into how Shaun McNamara died revealed that he drank himself to death after consuming too much water. His body was found on the floor of his bathroom last September. At first, doctors thought McNamara had suffered a heart attack. It was not until an autopsy revealed that he had downed so much fluid, so fast, that his brain had swollen, the Mail reported.

I had never heard of water intoxication until a lady from California drank herself to death during a radio contest.  I’m just wondering why or how this poor man drank too much water.

You can go here to read more in the Daily Mail article.  For more on water intoxication, go here.

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This time of year (from late May to October) is a big time for birthdays.  As I reported earlier, we had birthday celebrations last week for my niece, Hannah.  Last month we celebrated for Andrew, Shawn, and Katie, as well as my brother Sandy.

Tonight, we are gathering at a local Mexican restaurant to celebrate the birthdays of two of my sisters, Peg and Dragon Fairy.  I will be taking my camera, so I’ll get some good pictures tonight.  I just don’t know what I’ll order - chimichangas or chilaquiles??

Afterwards, we are going to Dragon Fairy’s house to eat cake and ice cream.  I’ll get some pictures then, too.

I just hope I don’t eat too much.  Until later…

Update (2:08 a.m. Sunday morning):

This is the restaurant where we ate.

This is what I ordered - Chilaquiles Locos.  Doesn’t it look delicious?

This is Dragon Fairy with her sombrero.

This is Peggy with her sombrero.

I’ll post more pictures later.  Or if you want, go here to look at them.

I have been looking all over the internet for a picture of a birthday cake for my sister, and I think I’ve finally found one on Flickr!  So, KK, here ya go!

I might have to change my Starbucks ritual now….On second thought, NAH!

Starbucks said Monday it would raise its U.S. prices for lattes, Frappuccinos and other freshly made drinks by nine cents, the second price hike in less than a year. Starbucks cites energy and dairy costs as some of the reasons.

read more | digg story

Happy4th of July, everyone!  Eat plenty of burgers and brats, and be careful when shooting off your fireworks!

Bumped and Updated (9:19 p.m.): I told you I’d add a picture of my T-shirt, and here it is:

(08:58 a.m.)…Um, well, I don’t know! Anyway, something happened over the weekend that has the Mississippi Gulf Coast pretty excited. My wife being one of those very excited. The Hard Rock Casino Biloxi is finally open!

I have a T-shirt from there now (since my mother-in-law went and we didn’t). I will post the picture of it later on this evening when I get home. Be sure to come back and see it!

Here’s some quotes from the Sun Herald article:

Brothers Emile and J.B. Fallo liked the view from the parking garage. They liked the elevator.

When entering the tall, but narrow, lobby on the Hard Rock Casino’s opening day, Emile and J.B., 74 and 85 years old respectively, pointed admiringly at the rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia - shirts, pants and guitars.

The brothers Fallo have lived in Biloxi forever, they said.

“We done seen all the casinos,” J.B. said. “We just wanted to see this one.”

Apparently, it’s a pretty spectacular casino:

“Let’s go see the pool!” J.B. shouted above the din, adding to an onlooker that he had watched its first construction from his apartment in the Windjammer across U.S. 90 before Katrina. “You’ve got to see this pool. They’ve got a bar around it.”

I wonder what the sculpures were that these two were taking pictures in front of:

Further into the lobby, mother and daughter Rubyan Gibson and Anna Howell were taking turns taking pictures in front of the sculptures in the lobby area while quietly bopping to the tunes blaring from the speakers.

“This is amazing,” Howell, 19, kept saying to her mom.

Gibson, 44, kept beaming in agreement, adding: “I love this music!”

And not only Mississippians were there…I imagine there were people from all over there for the Grand Opening:

Keith Brooks said he got here a little early from Pensacola this morning and headed next door to the Beau Rivage while waiting for the Hard Rock to officially invite guests almost two years after Katrina delayed its opening.

“We won a little bit, lost a little bit,” Brooks, 37, said, while smiling and scanning the slot machine horizon.

Although we are not gamblers, we will be going there to eat this weekend - at the Hard Rock Cafe. I must say I’m looking forward to it!

Okay, the meme for today is five favorite dishes….So here goes:

1.  Lasagna:  My all-time favorite.  I can not get enough of this, especially when it’s made from scratch!

2.  Chicken Spaghetti:  Not just your ordinary spaghetti.   It’s gotta be homemade chicken spaghetti.  (Preferably Sherry’s Chicken Spaghetti.)  There’s just something about the noodles, drenched in melted velveeta cheese swirling around your face as you’re sucking them into your mouth!  Yum!  (I wonder if that earned me a “PG-13″ rating? HA!)

3.  Sirloin Steak:  When I’m in the mood for some meat, this is what I want.  A juicy, hot-off-the-grill, thick sirloin steak.  I prefer them medium well, where they still have a little pinkness and flavor.  Top it off with A-1, and you’ve got yourself a tasty meal.

4.  Chocolate Delight:  The dessert of desserts.  The King of Kreaminess!  Whipped cream, chocolate pudding, graham cracker crust, chocolate shavings, yummmy.  There’s usually a fight over who gets the last bit when this is served!

5.  Root Beer Float:  Simple, yet satisfying!  Give me a frosty coca-cola glass, three scoops of cookies ‘n cream ice cream, soaked and floating in A&W Root Beer (or Barq’s if there’s no A&W).   Best when served on a hot day! 

Today has been one of those days…I woke up - after only getting about four hours sleep - feeling absolutely terrible.  I was exhausted, my throat hurt (and still hurts), and my stomach wasn’t feeling too well.  Work was about as drab as it possibly could have been.  I felt like I had chills all day.  And did I mention my throat hurts?

I tried to eat three square meals, and that didn’t sit too well with my already peeved stomach.  I had two scrambled eggs cooked in unsalted butter (1 tbsp) and two small sausage patties for breakfast.  For lunch I went to Wendy’s and got a frescata sandwich (yes I got fries, too, to my shame) and tonight me and the wife had Sonic for supper.  Terrible fast food.  I won’t be doing that tomorrow!  I am so sick of fast food.

We watched “The Break-Up” tonight for the first time.  Thought it was going to be funny….It wasn’t.  It was mediocre, and I am definitely glad we did not see that in theaters.  I thought it was going to be a little more light-hearted, but MAN the use of the g-d word!  The more I think about it, the less and less I like the movie.  If you haven’t seen it, don’t.  If you have, well, you know what I’m talking about.  Where’s the humor in seeing two people despise each other?  Oh well, ‘nough about that.

Well, guys, it’s late and I’m tired, and I’m probably not making any sense whatsoever.  So, I’m wrapping this post up…Ugh, what day is it?  Is it really Monday?  It feels like Monday take three….maybe Tuesday will be better.  ‘Night all!

Okay…Newscoma has tagged me for a food meme.  Now she says she lives in Hooterville, but, I don’t think any place could resemble Hooterville any more than LuceVegas!  Okay, here it is…

1. Add a direct link to your post below the name of the person who tagged you. Include the city/state and country you’re in.

Nicole (Sydney, Australia)
velverse (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
LB (San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy)
Selba (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Olivia (London, England)
ML (Utah, USA)
Lotus (Toronto, Canada)
tanabata (Saitama, Japan)
Andi (Dallas [ish], Texas, United States)
Todd (Louisville, Kentucky, United States)
miss kendra (los angeles, california, u.s.a)
Jiggs Casey (Berkeley, CA, USA! USA! USA!)
Tits McGee (New England, USA)
Joe (NE Tennessee, USA)
10K Monkeys (Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA)
Big Stupid Tommy (Athens, Tennessee, USA)
Newscoma (Weakley County, Tennessee, USA)

And me!

Eric (George County, Mississippi, USA)

2. List out your top 5 favorite places to eat at your location.

Okay…Here’s my favorite grub-pubs:

 1.  Rocky Creek Catfish Cottage:  Dubbed “The Catfish House” by locals, it’s the best place within a 50-mile radius to get all-you-can eat catfish.  (You do know that Mississippi is the catfish capital of the world, don’t ya?)  You can choose either whole or fillet, and there are plenty of other things on the menu if you’re not feeling up to eating catfish - like shrimp, grilled fish, salads, hamburger steak, just to name a few.  It’s only open on Thursdays-Saturdays, and between the hours of 6 and 8 p.m. there’s at least an hour-and-a-half wait.  But no matter!  Once you get in, you get stuffed!

2.  Catfish Point:  Now this restaurant isn’t in George County, but it’s only a ten-minute drive from my house.  And yes, they serve catfish too!  But they also have gumbo, a blooming onion for an appetizer, and a catfish platter that will make you wanna slap yo’ mamma!  Oh, and they have a live bluegrass band every Friday night!

3.  Aunt Jenny’s Country Buffet:  This restaurant serves southern cookin’ like you’ve never had it before - on a buffet!  Fried chicken, grilled chicken, turkey and dressin’, mashed taters, mac and cheese, turnip greens, salads, and bread pudding and/or peach cobbler for dessert!  You’ll never leave here less than stuffed…In fact, they’ll have to roll you out you’ll get so full!  It’d be my no. 1 if I didn’t like seafood so much!

4.  Hokie’s BBQ and Grill: Some of the best beef brisket you’ll ever put in your mouth.  I absolutely love their baked beans, too…a very unique recipe.  And they’re fast!  You’ll get your food within 5-10 minutes after ordering.  They already have everything prepared for you, and it’s always fresh!   Wonderful, wonderful BBQ!

5.  Ranchos Los Fuentes:  Wonderful Mexican food…Big portions, and excellent chimichangas and quesadillas!  Reasonably priced as well.  I think it’s around $20 for me and the wife, including drinks and all.  Of course, we always get the queso to go with our chips!

Oh well, there ya go!  Wow, I was able to keep it local!

For my tag, I guess I’ll choose Kat over at Just Another Pretty Farce, Jo at Jo’s Cafe, Basil, and Slarti at Shoot the Moose.  As Newscoma said, to meme or not to meme is strictly up to y’all!  Have fun!