Got Salsa?
I'm here! Getting here was an adventure, but a blog for another day. From getting up at 3:30am, to navigating to the airport in a downpour in the country with no street lights, to the y blisters on the back of my feet due to walking the lengths of many football fields in "less than appropriate" airport travel shoes, yes, a blog for another day.
I find myself in an interesting spot today. I am HERE! I am in Dallas with my family & friends, the ones I normally write this blog for. But since I have been up since 4:30am this morning (it takes me DAYS to adjust to that one hour difference) and no one else seems to be up to join me (even the dogs), I felt compelled to sneak into the living room and turn on the computer and share with my New England family and friends, what it is exactly I am doing down here: SHOPPING!!
Mom, Grandmommy and I got up on Thursday morning.....wait let me start that sentence over. I woke up about 4:30 or so and couldn't sleep. Came to the computer and re-did mom's screen saver with new, updated photos. Took a few photos for myself so I could put them on my screen saver at work when I get back. It was very "Nancy" of me, I must say. Up and maneuvering around in the dark, turning on the computer at crazy early hours.....okay, I didn't drop and do sit ups and push ups as it booted up.....I didn't do yoga or prepare a meal....I didn't work on a knitted masterpiece or read a French magazine. It was more "Kimberly's version of doing Nancy"....basically I was on the computer before sunrise. I pinched off a piece of chocolate chip cookie, grabbed a bottled water and plopped in front of the computer looking at precious photo after precious photo of my niece and nephew. And while, I hope to not make this a habit, I get it. It is truly peaceful at this time of the morning, and a great time to concentrate on emails and photos and all the best the computer has to offer. Grandmommy was up next and came to read on the couch. Then Mom came out of her room at 8:00, dressed and ready for the day. So as I was starting to say..... Mom, Grandmommy and I got up on Thursday morning and headed to Starbucks....one short black-eye and two skinny vanilla lattes later, we headed back home. What a great way to start the day. Could it get any better than this? OH YEAH!
Mom and I were going to spend the day together. Grandmommy was going to meet Mary. So, we parted ways and Mom and I decided to start off by taking care of business: grocery shopping. We needed food for Evan's visit, and food for the BBQ on Saturday. We started off at Sprouts and got most of the produce (David, you would have died....Haas avocados 3 for $1...needless to say, we are having guacamole. Red, yellow, orange bell peppers 67 cents a lb. and bunches of cilantro for 88 cents and fresh basil bunches for $1. A long cry from the $2 avocados and peppers at Ted's.) and Evan's pasta and pretzels. Then we headed back towards home to hit Kroger.
Let me just say, sometimes I wonder if I exaggerate the greatness of Texas...Dallas in general. I have a tendency to forget things that I am away from for a period of time. I tend to forget the flaws and remember things looking through those rose-colored glasses. I forget the struggles and compromises...the troubles or the worries. Out of sight, out of mind? No, for me it's more like out of sight, gosh I miss "that" (whatever "that" may be). It was always so perfect. Delusional? Coping skill? Just plain nuts? It's probably a combo platter for me, but it works. Anyway, I do wonder sometimes as I am walking through Stop and Shop....Am I just being "that way"? The big one in Glastonbury is pretty nice. Stew Leonard's has the whole talking animal Chuck E Cheese thing going for it. But after our visit to Kroger, I would have to say......Ummmmm...NO!!! Dallas grocery stores rock!! The giant Halloween display with everything from costumes to dinnerware was darling! Giant bakery with all kinds of treats....the sushi bar rivaled Feng.....aisles and aisles of everything from health food to crockpots. But this was the sight that made my eyes tear up. To Mom's embarrassment I'm sure, I had to take a photo. When I tease about not being able to find "the right ingredients" in New England, it's because I am used to this:
Rows and rows of tortillas...corn, flour, big and small, soft and crispy, thick and thin.....but you gotta have salsa:
Rows and rows of salsa! Each jar a difference in flavor and heat....texture and color to make the PERFECT Mexican dish! I had so much fun, as always, walking around the store. We got all our fixin's and were heading out to the car. This was our second grocery store visit:
So, 6 packages of buns, 8 bags of chips, 6 sets of Gladware storage bowls and 117oz of baked beans later.....yep, that's over 7lbs of beans, we are ready to party! Oh yeah, we got salsa! What kind do you want?
Mom and I spent the rest of the day shopping for shoes and clothes and purses and fun things like that. Had a late lunch and then back home. We had a great day talking and catching on things in person. Met back with Grandmommy and we got a chance to visit all together. It was such a nice day. It went by all too quickly.
Well, I hear the rumblings around....people are up and about. The coffee pot is running and I am off to get ready for the day. Mom and Dad are off to work and Grandmommy and I have nail appointments at 10:00. Hopefully, lunch with Mary and Bill and then back home to start preparing for the party tomorrow. Can't wait to see everyone!
I find myself in an interesting spot today. I am HERE! I am in Dallas with my family & friends, the ones I normally write this blog for. But since I have been up since 4:30am this morning (it takes me DAYS to adjust to that one hour difference) and no one else seems to be up to join me (even the dogs), I felt compelled to sneak into the living room and turn on the computer and share with my New England family and friends, what it is exactly I am doing down here: SHOPPING!!
Mom, Grandmommy and I got up on Thursday morning.....wait let me start that sentence over. I woke up about 4:30 or so and couldn't sleep. Came to the computer and re-did mom's screen saver with new, updated photos. Took a few photos for myself so I could put them on my screen saver at work when I get back. It was very "Nancy" of me, I must say. Up and maneuvering around in the dark, turning on the computer at crazy early hours.....okay, I didn't drop and do sit ups and push ups as it booted up.....I didn't do yoga or prepare a meal....I didn't work on a knitted masterpiece or read a French magazine. It was more "Kimberly's version of doing Nancy"....basically I was on the computer before sunrise. I pinched off a piece of chocolate chip cookie, grabbed a bottled water and plopped in front of the computer looking at precious photo after precious photo of my niece and nephew. And while, I hope to not make this a habit, I get it. It is truly peaceful at this time of the morning, and a great time to concentrate on emails and photos and all the best the computer has to offer. Grandmommy was up next and came to read on the couch. Then Mom came out of her room at 8:00, dressed and ready for the day. So as I was starting to say..... Mom, Grandmommy and I got up on Thursday morning and headed to Starbucks....one short black-eye and two skinny vanilla lattes later, we headed back home. What a great way to start the day. Could it get any better than this? OH YEAH!
Mom and I were going to spend the day together. Grandmommy was going to meet Mary. So, we parted ways and Mom and I decided to start off by taking care of business: grocery shopping. We needed food for Evan's visit, and food for the BBQ on Saturday. We started off at Sprouts and got most of the produce (David, you would have died....Haas avocados 3 for $1...needless to say, we are having guacamole. Red, yellow, orange bell peppers 67 cents a lb. and bunches of cilantro for 88 cents and fresh basil bunches for $1. A long cry from the $2 avocados and peppers at Ted's.) and Evan's pasta and pretzels. Then we headed back towards home to hit Kroger.
Let me just say, sometimes I wonder if I exaggerate the greatness of Texas...Dallas in general. I have a tendency to forget things that I am away from for a period of time. I tend to forget the flaws and remember things looking through those rose-colored glasses. I forget the struggles and compromises...the troubles or the worries. Out of sight, out of mind? No, for me it's more like out of sight, gosh I miss "that" (whatever "that" may be). It was always so perfect. Delusional? Coping skill? Just plain nuts? It's probably a combo platter for me, but it works. Anyway, I do wonder sometimes as I am walking through Stop and Shop....Am I just being "that way"? The big one in Glastonbury is pretty nice. Stew Leonard's has the whole talking animal Chuck E Cheese thing going for it. But after our visit to Kroger, I would have to say......Ummmmm...NO!!! Dallas grocery stores rock!! The giant Halloween display with everything from costumes to dinnerware was darling! Giant bakery with all kinds of treats....the sushi bar rivaled Feng.....aisles and aisles of everything from health food to crockpots. But this was the sight that made my eyes tear up. To Mom's embarrassment I'm sure, I had to take a photo. When I tease about not being able to find "the right ingredients" in New England, it's because I am used to this:
Rows and rows of tortillas...corn, flour, big and small, soft and crispy, thick and thin.....but you gotta have salsa:
Rows and rows of salsa! Each jar a difference in flavor and heat....texture and color to make the PERFECT Mexican dish! I had so much fun, as always, walking around the store. We got all our fixin's and were heading out to the car. This was our second grocery store visit:
So, 6 packages of buns, 8 bags of chips, 6 sets of Gladware storage bowls and 117oz of baked beans later.....yep, that's over 7lbs of beans, we are ready to party! Oh yeah, we got salsa! What kind do you want?
Mom and I spent the rest of the day shopping for shoes and clothes and purses and fun things like that. Had a late lunch and then back home. We had a great day talking and catching on things in person. Met back with Grandmommy and we got a chance to visit all together. It was such a nice day. It went by all too quickly.
Well, I hear the rumblings around....people are up and about. The coffee pot is running and I am off to get ready for the day. Mom and Dad are off to work and Grandmommy and I have nail appointments at 10:00. Hopefully, lunch with Mary and Bill and then back home to start preparing for the party tomorrow. Can't wait to see everyone!
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