Last Thursday I went home to AZ to visit family, see my little brother in Cabaret, & celebrate my Great Grandma's 87th birthday. I had a GREAT time but it was really hard to say bye this time. Partly because I averaged about a day with each family member & partly because AZ is still home & NC has never been.
My flight to PHX wasn't a nightmare but wasn't a breeze either. My plane was in NYC when I landed in Memphis. 3-4 hours later I was finally on my way to AZ. It was OK, I plugged in my Kindle Fire & watched a movie, read a book, ate some BBQ, etc. My neck was really stiff by the time I landed in PHX, though.
My mom picked me up at the airport & we quickly headed for something to eat. Mom had been waiting for me to arrive for awhile at this point & had been day dreaming of tacos at Tacos de Juarez. It was a nice little taqueria dowtown, definitely recommend it! After lunch, we picked up by Grandma Ligon & headed for shopping at Nordstrom Rack. I'm a not a big fan of the Rack as their petites section is seriously limited. My mom found a really cute pair of shoes, though. After shopping, we went to my step-dad, John's, parent's house for dinner. It was really nice seeing them again, they are really good people :)
Friday we got up & headed for the outlets at Anthem. Phoenix is really beautiful this time of year. I'm used to it being a little more green but it is still one of my favorite sceneries. It's nice to be able to see into the distance after 9 months of living in trees. After finding a perfect fitting pair of jeans, we headed up the hill to Flagstaff. It was really cold but the weather was clear, thank goodness! John & Mom took me to dinner at a really nice new local spot, Tinder Box. Definitely recommend it, even though it's little pricey. After dinner, was Cabaret. My great grandmother, grandma Lovett, Dad, grandpa Lovett, Mom, & John were all there to see Robert. He was really good. He's always been a character & he really hams it up for this production. He's been taking dancing lessons & he's a natural! Hard to believe with those long clumsy legs of his but there you are. The play itself was pretty dark & disturbing but we all agreed that Robert was fantastic & we largely enjoyed it. After the play we all went out to celebrate with a few drinks. I didn't get to celebrate too much because I forgot my license in my pants' pocket!! Dumb luck :( It was fun hanging with Robert, though. I miss him so much out here!
Saturday I headed back down to PHX with my Dad & 2 dogs. Once we got to PHX, we went for lunch at really good mexican place Los Dos Molinos. Their enchilada sauce was to die for! It is definitely on my list of places I have to eat at when in AZ now. :) After lunch, we mostly hung out with my grandparents. Sunday we spent pretty much the entire day with my great grandmother. We chatted at her house with my Grandma's sisters & then headed to my Aunt Charlene's to watch the Super Bowl. I'm not into sports really at all but I enjoyed girl talking with my Aunt & her friends. It was not good for my diet, however. Too many good options & no diet options. Oh well, I survive. Monday my Grandma Lovett & I hung out for most of the day. We went out for breakfast at our favorite place, Mimi's Cafe. Normally we split the stuffed french toast but after the Super Bowl, I really had to watch the diet so I got a frittata instead. After breakfast we prepared the chicken we had set out for dinner & then went to see Big Miracle. It was really cute. For dinner, we made fried chicken the Ruhlman way. Really salty. I think I prefer the way I make mine....baked! The grease really upset my stomach. And then, Tuesday I left.
So, it was a real whirlwind. Especially since after I got back to NC, Jeff & I took the dog for a walk, went out for dinner, & then went to a Town Hall Meeting. The meeting was for the widening of the road I live on, so it was important. It lasted until 11pm though & I had to work Wednesday. Our mayor is just the most pompous *insert objective here*! He kept rambling on & on about the history of the project & his opinions. I swear if I could, I would run against the idiotic jerk! Anyway, it was a good meeting because DOT did decide to back off on the encroachment. The easement lines have largely been erased or knocked back 10feet from the original position. And I appear to have saved my Magnolia Tree :)
I work Wed-Fri, which was work. Thursday I was in the cash office again & I was over again. At least I am always over & never under but it still isn't good. I'll get the hang of it soon, I hope! Or maybe they'll stop scheduling me to do that particular job ;)
Friday night we went over to Jeff's parents to have dinner with his sister & her fiancee. Jeff's mom made lasagna & I made myself a lasagna like dish with Rotini noodles since the low carb brand does not sell lasagna noodles. My dish was very good so it was OK. I also made an apple streusel with xylitol. That was excellent!
Today Jeff & I went for hike after tutoring & picking up our CSA food. We went to a new spot on the Eno River, it was really pretty & Tammy enjoyed getting in the water :) After the hike we did our grocery shopping. Our monthly Costco trip, along with Kroger. For dinner tonight we are having split pea soup. I make mine with smoked sausage & mint & I like it a lot (it's really really simple to make!).
Tomorrow we will probably go for another hike. Our friends, Brian & Molly, just came back from Tanzania (they were there all of last year!) so we are having them over for dinner. I am going to make mole. Monday we are going to celebrate Valentines since I tutor Tuesday nights. Oh well. This year I am making stuffed quail with mushroom risotto & a grand marnier cheesecake. I'm very excited about this meal! Hope you all have a very pleasant Valentines with your significant others & know that you are all always in my thoughts & heart. :)
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