Tag: food

challenges, perspective, Uncategorized

Growth

2chicksandapen

I’ve been thinking a lot of growth lately. Not physically growing like increasing my waist size. I’m thinking more like overall development in multiple areas of life.

Trying new foods for example. Over the past few months I’ve been wanting to increase my daily protein intake. I’ve dialed into various resources to get some hints and best practices. A few takeaways to share:

Compounding protein. Find what you like and increase the dosage. 3 ounces of ham? Just double it. Yogurt, double it. Maybe find a sugar-free Greek version you like. Maybe even a yogurt drink. Mix it up if you can. For me this was a growth area, learning new ways to meet my protein objective for the day.

Aging. Not always a fun topic to discuss for folks my age as there are many trials and tribulations associated with those around the 50-year-old mark. However, I’ve been learning new things. I’ve learned to enjoy road tripping in a RV which is in itself a skill to master. Then I flip the switch to my youngest child who is turning 18. The growth going into adulthood is so much different yet full of learning opportunities for both the parent and the soon-to-be adult. New jobs. Legal responsibilities. Taxes. Higher education. Bills. The list goes on and on. 

New environments. This summer I opted to play a new sport: pickleball. Never played before. Never watched a match in person or on TV. I fell in love with the concept of learning. Meeting new people. Stepping into a new arena of sorts. Challenging myself to be better. To learn new methods. To learn the lingo. All in all it was a great experience socially, physically, and cognitively.

Attire: we all have our basic go-to items. The favorite jeans. The sweats. The leggings. The favorite shirt. In the past few months I opted for a short in a color I absolutely never wear. I chose a couple of button-up shirts that are really not my style but definitely fun to wear on occasion. I mixed up a stable go-to outfit with something new and some old to change up the look a little. These little modifications represented growth to me. Oddly different growth than many may celebrate but for me it was growth in my own way.

Patience: mastering and remastering my patience muscles. This is serious growth. Dealing with kids who keep coming back for x, y, and z requires patience and patience on steroids sometimes. Adjusting to work / life balances as you hit the empty nester milestone. The golden years. The muscles that need flexing dealing with changes in partners / spouses or other complicated family dynamics. As we age we must undergo a serious re-haul of our patience muscles, more than once.

As a reflection person, I like to celebrate moments like these. Small as they may be to some, they were valuable enough for me to share on here. With that being said I challenge you to self-reflect and think about your own growth.

Have you challenged yourself to climb a new mountain?

Have you decided to take a trip of a lifetime to a new destination?

Have you decided to take a leap of faith and try something new?

Have you been thinking about betting on yourself? Go for it! You will never grow if you stay stagnant. You will miss opportunity after opportunity. Don’t just put a toe in the sand. Run into the ocean and get wet. Get wet in life. That’s when you grow!

travel

Out and About

2chicksandapen

I was recently out and about in a neighboring town. Wasn’t much of a planned itinerary but one that called for lunch at a local spot. Only Yelp reviews to help find the way. 

2Dog was the quaint little place my map was headed to. On a side road, not visible to those that pass the main drag daily. The outside decor had me curious and the inside didn’t disappoint either. From the cute salt and pepper shakers on each table to the decorations in every nook and cranny of the interior. Oh so many to share.

The cork wall. A creative flair I liked. Of course it also accented one of many cute salt and pepper shakers that I did photograph. Not sure what the other patrons thought of my actions but it was worth sharing thus I documented the experience with photos.

The bottle cap trim work in the background of some odd looking shakers. Another creative wall theme. As cute as the decor was, it was nestled in and old house thus requiring one to squeeze a lot into a small footprint while keeping the original charm.

Fireplace were repurposed. Old charm remained with accent pieces and some stone or pebble creation added for flair.

Food was good too. I mean that is why I went in the first place. This was a classic dish I often order for brunch. Shrimp and grits. In this case I opted for the sauce on the side as it had barbecue flavor whereas I would normally get a Cajun spin on the dish. Nonetheless I was unsure of the taste. A bit sweet for my liking but a good quality meal and the price was decent. 8.5 out of 10 on the food score.

A quick visit to the restroom and boom! This crazy naked lady is watching you. Talk about up front and personal. She might have been a bit odd and creepy for my liking but she was definitely going into the documenting pile. Of course the signage on the restroom doors were even cute: Dick and Jane. 

Another giggle as I passed the men’s room on the way out. Many more photos were taken but I will leave you with this. If you are ever in Gainesville, GA give this place a try. It’s only open for short times daily but it’s worth a try. If not in this area of the country, check out a small town restaurant you have never been to. I’m sure the experience will be worth it and it’s always great to support a small locally-owned business.

featured, TBH Doodle Gang, travel

RV Life 2023 Edition

2chicksandapen

April came and went. Missed the first road trip to Nashville, TN while the RV got some sprucing up. Took extra time thanks to back ordered parts. I will get a redo on Nashville though, just later in the year.

Here we are Memorial Day weekend 2023 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. A new state to call home for a few days. This trip we are parked at a motor coach resort. That means no pull behinds, no tents, and a different setup than we have seen in the past. This facility has many permanent residents and many who rent out condo style. They sell lots for astronomical prices, but the place is a little slice of paradise. Lots of privacy and beauty just around the corner from the hustle bustle of beach goers.

Tucked in behind the gates and tree cover are beautifully paved lots with varying amenities. Some have full outdoor kitchens. Others have fire pits and cushy outdoor furniture. Landscaping is on par for sure. Pretty blooms, palm trees and moss covered trees kept you dry when the light rain came in from the ocean. It also provided tons of shade during the heat of the day. The campus also had plenty of walking areas, a dog park, tennis courts, pickle ball courts, pool, gym and other common entertainment areas. No detail was missed here.

Although there were many people in town there were many empty spaces or RVs shutdown for a season or reason unknown to me. The peacefulness was nice and a welcome destination for busy old me. I walked for miles and miles this trip. Kids were around but it definitely seemed like more older families traveling vs young families with kids in tow. Dog park was empty every day I took my doodle gang, but I did see many dogs out for leash walks daily.

Each lot was slightly different in design. From the decorative pavers to the shrubbery. Some sites even had the South Carolina symbol in the pavement. That’s some extra flair for sure. Each unique site had privacy which was nice. There was a lake with a notice about alligators and my space was by the creek. I watched daily but didn’t have any alligator encounters. Thank goodness. 

I did have a visit about 3am one night by some angered animal. Not sure if it was bobcat or what but it scared the doo doo out of me for sure. I will never know what it was as the cameras didn’t pick up an image but it did move a chair so whatever it was it was big. It also made the loudest shrieks. Not sure if it mauled the cat next door but nobody said anything if it did.

Biggest takeaway on this trip is the amount of motor coaches in one place. I felt like I was at an RV show. There were older units, but not too old. 24 foot to 40 foot. $100,000.00 to 1 million dollar plus custom RVs. Such a variance in price range but still fun to look at on each walk I took. Made my mind wander on who affords these gems. Who lives there full time. Who works out of their RV.

While on this trip, I was focusing on clean eating. Not too hard to do since you have pretty much a condensed home kitchen in an RV. A little planning and preparation and clean eating is doable. Below is a screenshot of one day’s healthy eats. It was fun to plan and prepare and document this trip and clean eating. A new road challenge to conquer. I’ll put this challenge to these again when im staying in a hotel vs RV.

10 minutes to the many beaches and shops, but most of my time I spent relaxing, walking and just exploring the off beaten tracks. No must dos on this trip. Rather it was just do what feels good in the moment. There might have even been a few naps taken with the fresh air flowing through the RV. Lots of reading. Some writing. Plenty of dog time.

I did visit a local park to take a walk through a nature area. I saw the sign don’t feed the alligators but I had no idea how many I would actually see in the water. How many were sunbathing next to the walking trails and then the guy fishing in his kayak not at all bothered. I mean I’m sure I would have fallen in just thinking about who was gonna eat me.

Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee are the next states on the RV destination list. Two new destinations and one repeat. More exploration entries will come in the months ahead as the journeys continue. Off to live my best off-the-grid life, one state at a time. See you later alligators.

adventure, celebrations

2-23-23

2chicksandapen

Earlier I wrote about 2-2-23. A sequence of twos. Today I see a 2 and the set of 23s. Another oddity of numbers but significant numbers to me. So yet again I will write a numbers post or maybe it’s a date post or maybe it’s just a post about me in some way.

51 years ago I was born. Thus I will celebrate me today. All day. As if I hadn’t already celebrated myself all month. Nonetheless today is about me. I guess I’ll take you old school and write about just me.

Favorite food: pizza, most days

Favorite tv show: 1923 at the moment

Bucket list trip: Montana

Favorite season: spring 

Best adventure: Sand Dunes Oregon coast 

Best trip as a kid; Europe 

Current book: Spare 

Last movie at theatre: Avatar

Fun fact: I am fanatical about shoes

I already had my cake this week before my actual big day. A few nibbles each day. Carvel ice cream cake was the annual cake of choice. Nice steak dinner out for two. A fam bam dinner with the kiddos at a local hibachi place. A cool pen gift set complete with a journal to write all my secrets in. Some flashy workout tanks. A sweatshirt made by a friend. Some scents from the youngest. All around lots of cool treats and maybe a little neon signage too. Who doesn’t like a little neon in their life. 

I share my special day with three of my neighbors from a few years back which is odd but a cool footnote. I share the date with a friend’s son and this this I found out I share it with a distant acquaintance. Pisces girls and boys united by the special date. Different years. Different cities. Different stories. Still a common denominator.

And of course there was a birthday bash. A girls day at the spa. I was all in for that. Then a swanky pizza joint. Added a few more pals to mix and hit the graffiti paint place for a little art session. And if that wasn’t enough we were going to get a flight of tasty slushy drinks. The over 21 kind, but we were a little tired and called for a rain check on the last part. Don’t worry we will get to it soon.

I ate good.

I got spoiled.

I got my free Starbucks.

I had lobsta for lunch.

I read many amazing texts.

I enjoyed my all the Insta birthday stories.

I read a few cards.

I appreciated the phone calls.

I may or may not be a little wiser.

I had fun with many special people.

I even volunteered on my birthday. 

All the communication makes my cup overflow with positivity. I proudly sported my aging slogan on my chest this year. See photo proof below. That may or may not have let strangers know I was celebrating me today.

The month is not all over yet but I am now 51. In my old age I must move on to conquer other things and say goodbye to the year of 50. It’s been fun. It’s been challenging. It’s been memorable. My 2nd half of life has officially begun.

Where will I go?

What will I do?

Who will be along for the ride?

Stay tuned….

adventure

Damn Dallas

2chicksandapen

This post is in reverse, meaning it will begin with the end. My return flight. Shake. Bump. Skip. Double skip. Hop. Ricochet. Shaken profusely sided to side. Slight pause. Forward shake. Ouch just banged my knee. Could we all have just had a concussion from all of the jarring movements in the last few minutes? My bumpiest flight in a long time.

An announcement. Stay in your seats. Turbulence ahead. No shit! Recheck your seat belt. Wow, that’s reassuring: shake. Shake. Bounce. Bump. Hiccups in a plane or that’s how I would describe the air. Shake profusely side to side. Again and again. The old woman next to me braces as if she is ready for impact. The next neighbor clearly states she needs a shot. I’m in the back of the plane. Is the turbulence worse I wonder?

Let me drift back to the happier moments of Dallas. The food. The company. The atmosphere. When I’m in Texas, meat is on my menu. Steak it was. Chef’s special at The Ranch. Filet mignon covered with a house sauce, garlic infused and topped with grilled shrimp. $$$-$$$$ was the listing online but with 4900 reviews I was good to try. The presentation was as amazing as it tasted. Charbroiled to perfection. Complemented by flavorful broccoli. A plateful. Completely finished, of course. The dining was right by the fire pit adding to the ambiance of the evening.

What do you say again? Steak of course. Steak prepared a little differently. No garlic, just nice steak seasoning. A premium cut. Complimented by green chile white cheddar cheese grits. I do believe this was my first time eating grits with steak, but I wasn’t sad about it. For this meal my dinner date and I opted to share a dessert. Our waiter added to the dining experience this round. Our cowboy said to go for the Homestead Cake. He clearly said you could get chocolate cake anywhere. A giant (over 6 foot and full of muscle) cowboy adorned with the hat, big belt buckle and overall manly cowboy-like appeal waited on us with some Texas charm. For the record we didn’t finish the dessert but it was extra sweet and delicious.

In between trips to and from our daily happenings we hit up our favorite coffee shop of the west: Dutch Bros! This place never disappoints. From the great customer service to the flavorful drinks and the cool vibe it highlights on each visit at each location. It was holiday season thus the menu was extra special. My favorite on a cold day was the hot cocoa with whipped cream. Perfection in a cup on a cold day. 

In case you didn’t know, everything is bigger in Texas. The hats. The trucks. The boots. The flags for the state of Texas. The state flag and the United States flag almost always hung in unison. Directly off the highway you would see the flag flapping in the wind. Such a pretty sight to see when the size is so bold and big. Texas is definitely a prideful state as I don’t ever recall seeing so many state flags when out and about in other states.

I couldn’t wrap up this post without noting the chaos on my flight to Dallas. The flashing lights in the airport with the announcement of a building emergency. Coupled with the scene outside my window….

The bookends of this trip were nothing less than eventful. Two different extremes yet I felt the urge to write about both. As a filler I gave you some samplings of my foodie adventures as well. Hope you enjoyed the highs and lows of my damn Dallas trip.