Red Hot Chili Peppers

Jeff and I went to the Red Hot Chili Peppers last night. We really enjoyed it and the people watching was amazingly hilarious.

I will say that I wasn't as impressed with the Red Hot Chili Peppers show, as say, the Foo Fighters (I know, I know). I like bands to introduce all the musicians, do their little solos, and really interact with the crowd. I felt like they were just trying to get through the show, meet their 2 hour requirement, and leave. Apparently they thought the crowd was good, though, because one of the radio stations here was talking about how Flea tweeted out about how great the show was.

Our seats were good:



And the people watching was phenomenal. We walked around the Forum while the "unusual" opening act was playing, then settled into our seats after they finished. From the time we arrived until the time we left, here's some of who we encountered:
*A multitude of women wearing clothing they shouldn't have for various reasons including, but not limited to: overweight, inappropriate for wearing anywhere but in your own home (and maybe not even there), and age.
*Men thinking they are much younger, better looking, or stylish than they really are by wearing too tight tshirts (and Red Hot Chili Peppers tshirts at that- never, NEVER wear the tshirt of the band you are seeing at the concert!) and fedoras, which prompted Jeff's comment of "I'm 40 pounds away from being able to wear a fedora."
*Lots of dads and teenaged sons enjoying the concert together. Reminded me so much of my dad and brother going to Music Fest when Kyle was in middle school. We were sitting a few seats down from one family and at one point, the dad reached his hand out in a "low five" gesture and the kid slapped hands with him. One of those moments where the kid knew his dad was cool for bringing him to the concert, took a break from texting and recording the show on his phone long enough to let him know.
*We had the pleasure of being a few rows up from a girl who obviously loved the Red Hot Chili Peppers. LOVED THEM. She couldn't have been more excited to be there. So excited, in fact, that she must have lost her mind long enough to forget a bra. And forget that she forgot a bra because she had no qualms about letting the off-the-shoulder, loose fitting retro Pink Floyd tshirt fly all over the place as she's dancing. Her poor boyfriend was just trying to keep up with her dance moves because he sure didn't know any Red Hot Chili Peppers songs. Did I mention she had an old school disposable camera when the pictures she was taking on her phone weren't acceptable?
*And in the row in front of her was a gentleman wearing a blue seersucker blazer who must have been under the impression that a hidden camera crew from So You Think You Can Dance was there because he was poppin' and lockin' like his life depended on it.
*The stereotypical drunk guy was in front of us, swaying to the music until he fell on just about everyone around him, sloshing beer, fist-pumping, pointing enough to take someone's eye out, and trying to sing along, but failing miserably.
*Perhaps the winner of the night was the woman leaving the Forum the same time we were. I don't know how else to describe her attire other than small. Shirt was too small and too short. Shorts were too short and too small. And the whole outfit was too exercise-y. I mean, the whole get-up deserved its own word like "exercisey" except I don't know that she's ever exercised, but maybe she does because of the black basketball shoes she was wearing. A new, possibly infected, tramp stamp was proudly displayed, as were some questionable bruises all over her legs. I'm not sure what was going on with her, but she seemed to really have enjoyed the concert, still hollering all the way outside.
*I completely forgot when I first published this to mention the pot smell. I've been to enough Music Fests to pinpoint what pot smells like and it wasn't long into the concert that you could smell it...close to us. We could never pinpoint who it was, but honestly, how bold are you that you'll not only chance smoking inside the Forum, but smoking weed at that? It didn't take long for the cops to descend on the area, walk around a little, then leave, so whoever it was apparently got the message.

Jeff and I both took the day off today, so we took Cooper downtown for a walk after getting a lazy start to the day. And who do we see downtown? Pink Floyd tshirt girl! I'm not lying. Jeff and I got the biggest laugh and her attire hadn't changed much since last night. Oddly enough, there were quite a few people lurking downtown wearing Red Hot Chili Peppers tshirts like they'd slept at the Forum and just ventured out around noon.

There have been lots of concert announcements for the summer, but we don't have anything planned. To really show my age and how crazy my music tastes are, I want to see Chicago and Bonnie Raitt Live at the Garden. We'll see if that actually happens!

Easter Celebrations

We had a very low-key Easter this year. Not too long ago, we bounced from house to house on holidays and now, we don't do as much of it. I kinda miss it, but it was nice to have a fairly lazy day.

We started the morning waking up to see what the Easter Bunny brought to our house:



Loved the Thomas the Tank Engine Easter Egg


Toy Story 3 was a big hit.

We got ready for church, but honestly didn't know what to expect. I normally go to church by myself and Cooper isn't known for his ability to sit still. My parents get to church early on holidays, but they weren't able to find seats, so we all ended up in the Narthex. It worked out well because Cooper last about 30 minutes before Jeff and I alternated keeping him busy outside so others in church weren't disturbed. I thought that was pretty good!

Jeff and Cooper outside church


I LOVE this picture!

After church, we headed to my parents' house for a late breakfast and to see what the Easter Bunny brought.

He has worn his galoshes around the house all week!


If you look close enough, you can see chocolate dripping down his chin. Mommy and Daddy agreed to one piece of chocolate; YaYa gave him another. That's also a glow stick he's holding. Nothing like a sugar high and rave party to get your Easter going!


Us on Easter Sunday.

We had lunch at Mamaw's and visited with my mom's side of the family before making it back home in time to see the adorable Bubba Watson win the Masters. How can you not just love him?

Monday, Jeff and I had our 7 year wedding anniversary and tonight, we're celebrating by going to see these guys:

I'm excited and it will take me days to recover from being out so late. I'm an old lady. And I may need to borrow my child's glow stick to fit in with tonight's crowd.

Rhodes Easter Egg Hunt

We had such a good time last year at the Rhodes College Easter Egg Hunt that we decided to go back this year. I was battling a migraine and Cooper hadn't had a nap, so Jeff was just trying to get through the day with us. Did I mention Cooper knows when he goes to Rhodes, he gets to ride in Nana's work golf cart? Yeah, it didn't take long for that request to kick in.

The Easter Bunny was there, but even with Bobo's help, he wasn't so sure about him:


Once the egg hunt, started, Cooper was on a mission:




Impressive picture not only because Cooper and I are both looking almost in the same direction, but also because I am making a rare appearance in a picture with my child!


All of us after the egg hunt, but before the golf cart rides with Nana, Bobo, YaYa, and Pops.


And just because it's so cute- Avery sometimes ends up sleeping with Cooper. She's a patient dog and even though I know there are times she wishes he'd just go away, she really does protect Cooper.

Bread Crumb Chicken and Weight Loss

I found a recipe on, you guessed it, Pinterest for OMG Chicken. On a personal note, I'd like to rename the dish Bread Crumb Chicken because OMG seems to be a pet peeve of mine I didn't know existed. It bugs me, much like any shortened version of pregnant (ex: preggo, preggers) or using the letter Z to pluralize words (ex: "hugz" instead of "hugs"). I'm just weird like that.

Anyway, Bread Crumb Chicken looked good and seemed easy. I was even able to find a similar recipe that was Weight Watchers approved, so Jeff was on board. I ended up combining the 2 recipes, so the points were more than originally believed, but I still think it was better than some other crud we've been known to eat.

Bread Crumb Chicken
*4 boneless, skinless chicken breast
*1/2 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
*1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I know I used more than this)
*Bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken in a greased Pyrex dish (I used Pam). Mix sour cream and Parmesan cheese, then spread mixture over chicken breasts. Sprinkle bread crumbs over chicken, as desired (ours had a light coating, but you can use as much as you want). Bake for 30 minutes or until juices run clear.

Here's the finished product:


I have this fear of serving undercooked chicken, so I may have cooked ours a little too long. As in, I spent 15 minutes cleaning the burned pieces out of that Pyrex dish and it's still not completely clean. Oops.

I do have to brag on Jeff for a moment. He is in his 4th week of Weight Watchers and doing amazingly well. He's lost 17 pounds so far and has noticed a difference in the way his clothes fit. We've been going on long walks downtown the past few weekends and he and Cooper are now getting up to go on my morning walks with me. He says he's starting to feel his competitive side come out, so we're both hopeful that he will continue with the program.

Mallie Girl

After a very long illness, my parents made the difficult decision to put our family dog, Mallie, to sleep this afternoon. The story goes that I had moved into the dorms, Kyle was always at baseball practice, and my dad was covering ballgames and meetings, so my mom told him that she either needed a dog or another baby to keep her company at night. DOG IT IS!

So Christmas break my freshman year of college, we adopted Mallie, a Westie, who was estimated to be 2-3 years old, already house trained, and my mom's best friend from the beginning. Always "pleasantly plump", none of us could ever deny sharing our food with Mallie who just had the perfect way of turning her head in the cutest way and "sitting pretty" to get just what she wanted.

A few years ago, she started having health trouble. Eventually diagnosed with diabetes, she was on daily medicines that seemed to bring her back to the dog she once had been- running, rolling around, and acting like herself. It wasn't meant to last though and last summer, we all thought she would have to be put to sleep before we went on vacation. She rallied again and up until about a month ago was doing okay, all things considered.

In the past few weeks, she had more accidents, started losing teeth causing her gums to bleed, she couldn't see or hear, her ear was oozing, and she was having trouble walking. After talking it over with our wonderful vet (we take Avery to the same one), it was decided that Mallie would have a "last meal" of Cherub tomatoes and that my parents would be with her. I got to say my good-byes after dinner last night and was okay today until my dad texted to let me know she was gone.

This past summer, when we initially thought Mallie was going to pass away, my dad found a poem about the Rainbow Bridge. It's basically about how all our pets all play and enjoy Heaven together, then one day, your pet will realize you've made it to Heaven and your cross the Rainbow Bridge together. I can't do it justice, but if you're an animal lover and in the mood for a cry, Google it. When my dad texted, my mind immediately went to the Rainbow Bridge and I was a mess.

Here's my sweet Avery Girl with my sweet Mallie Girl:


As a family, we waited a long time for a dog. Most of mine and Kyle's friends growing up had a dog, sometimes more than one. We had a bird and rabbits growing up, but we were all excited about getting Mallie. She was wonderful, sweet, and a constant protector. See you at the Rainbow Bridge, Mallie Girl.

Spring Break!

Last week, I was on Spring Break and honestly, it's one of the best breaks I've had in recent memory. I was able to get a lot accomplished, spent quality time with Cooper and Jeff, and had some time to myself. I was relaxed and willingly admit it was very difficult to return to work.

My break started with a Friday night yoga class, taught by Jeff's aunt, Susan. She surprised everyone with wine afterwards and I have to say, it's probably the best yoga class I've been to! Nana and Bobo volunteered to keep Cooper so Jeff and I could have a night out Saturday. We tried Rizzo's Diner, a relatively new, locally owned, restaurant downtown. I had the cajun chicken pot pie and Jeff had the meatloaf. We both agreed that we could tell the food was good and would like to try it again, but would definitely try something different next time. My chicken pot pie was SWIMMING in heavy cream and butter sauce- kinda gross. After dinner, we went to see "Friends with Kids", which basically consisted of the cast from "Bridesmaids" and was about how dynamics between friends change when kids are brought into the picture. I loved it; Jeff thought it was okay, but we both agreed the storyline was pretty true to life. Sunday, Jeff worked at the golf course and I got started on my Spring Break project- painting our new closet and bedroom doors. We picked Cooper up, then headed to my parents' house to celebrate Uncle Tada's 25th birthday.

Monday, Cooper and I spent the day together. He really enjoys watching a show on PBS called "Super Why" about a little boy named Wyatt and his friends who solve problems, focusing on word and letter recognition. We watched the episode a few times, then started playing with Cooper's LeapFrog alphabet refrigerator magnets. I amazed at how quickly he picked up letter recognition. He can say the alphabet and we're not completely there, but I was shocked at how many he was able to point out to me.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Cooper went to Lala's house while I worked on painting the doors again. I was able to finish the coat closet, our office bedroom and closet door, the master bedroom door, and Cooper's bedroom door- much more than I anticipated being able to do! I went to another yoga class and got my hair done Tuesday and even got in some shopping late Thursday afternoon while Jeff and Bobo took Cooper to play golf.

Cooper and I spent the day together again Friday. I had no idea it was supposed to rain all day, so my plan of taking him to the zoo was nixed. Instead, we opened the blinds, watched it rain, and talked about "kunder." A few more viewings of "Super Why", a long nap, and Jeff was home for the weekend. We watched the Memphis game , then had our tradition Friday-night-during-Lent meal of cheese pizza.

Saturday was so pretty, so we decided to go for a walk downtown. Cooper did great. Last year, he started trying to escape from the "scroller", so we weren't able to go on many walks. This time, he rode in the stroller until we made it to a neighborhood area, then held Jeff's hand (he refused to walk with me) until we got closer to a busy street, then willingly rode in the stroller the rest of the way.


We found a fountain, which entertained Cooper for 2 minutes as he was throwing pennies into it.


"Daddy run with Coopie!"


I think we wore him out. Plus, with the nasty Memphis basketball loss the night before, he's ready for football.

My parents offered to keep Cooper Saturday night, so after meeting them at church, Jeff and I headed out...for what, we didn't know. I wanted to see "Jeff Who Lives at Home", but Jeff didn't seem interested. We wanted to eat someone we normally wouldn't be able to with Cooper in tow, but downtown was crawling with St. Patrick's Day revelers. We ended up at tried-but-true Amerigo's for a late dinner. Then my parents called- Cooper was screaming and they couldn't get him to calm down. He kept asking for us. It broke my heart and I think they were bugged by it, too. I suggested putting in "WoodyBuzz" aka "Toy Story" and that seemed to help.

Sunday, Jeff went to work and I worked around the house. I made granola, did laundry, watched CBS Sunday Morning with coffee that was still hot when I started drinking it and without interruptions (this never happens!) and right as I got started on my walk, my parents called saying they were at our house with Cooper. They'd had a big morning, too- chocolate donuts for breakfast, another viewing of "WoodyBuzz", then a trip to Turtle Bayou. Cooper will tell you the turtles live in "chocolate water", which I guess would be a pretty accurate description of muddy water. We played outside until Jeff came home from work, then spent the afternoon sneezing and sniffling (the pollen is AWFUL this year) before going to Nana and Bobo's for dinner.

And a new discovery: Cooper has decided he doesn't want him picture taken.

NO!

We also have taught him that Mommy's name is Jana and Daddy's name is Jeff, thinking we were being smart and working towards knowing information in case of emergencies. Yeah, now he's calling us by our first names instead of Mommy and Daddy sometimes. Oops.

Lemonade Chicken

I am so proud of Jeff. He started Weight Watchers last Wednesday and so far, so good. He's really taking to the challenge and I'm trying to be supportive by not asking for Chick-fil-A for every meal.

I am able to log in to the Weight Watchers website using his account to find recipes and check nutritional information for restaurants. The first recipe I found that looked both good and easy was for lemonade chicken. I made it tonight and Jeff loved it. I thought it was good, but for this, I want Jeff to like it so it encourages him. Even Cooper liked it!

Here's the recipe:
*4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
*1 can frozen lemonade, thawed
*1/3 cup soy sauce

Mix thawed lemonade and soy sauce together. Spray a 9"x13" Pyrex dish with Pam and arrange chicken in it. Pour lemonade/soy sauce mixture on top. Back at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

The only thing I may do differently is flip the chicken halfway through cooking. The mix will be thin, so it rolls right off the chicken, but flipping it might keep some of the mixture in the chicken.