Smug Marrieds: I Want My Tiara!

/

Blair got a package in the mail yesterday, a big brown box from Amazon. I love receiving packages in the mail, even if they're not for me. Who knows what could be in there? It's like Christmas.

Since we don't open each other's mail--ever--I had to wait until Blair got home to find out what he'd ordered. It was almost 9 p.m. before he got around to going through that day's mail. 

"What's in the box?" I asked, dancing around him as he cut it open. "Oooh--did you finally get me the tiara I've always wanted? You know, if you really loved me, you'd want to get me a tiara to prove it. So is it a tiara?"

"Next best thing, baby," said Blair. "Check it out." 

He then pulled out a boxed online gaming set and read the words aloud every woman longs to hear: "Look! It's Sting of Lolth. And it has an umber hulk on the cover!"

Sting of Lolth? Umber hulk? That is NOT a tiara! 

However, the non-tiara...whatever it is game-thing...seemed to please Blair, so it's got that going for it. Meanwhile, I'll plan to keep an eye out for new packages arriving. The odds are with me that, sooner or later, one of them will contain a tiara for princess. 

Cheers,

Dena

p.s. One of my all time favorite scenes below from Big Bang Theory, when Amy accepts her tiara. Little tip for all you men out there: No matter what the intelligence level of your woman, she's lying if she tells you she doesn't want a tiara. ;)

Fun Friday: Ziplining!

/

Blair and I took our nephew Logan and my mom ziplining yesterday at Carolina Ziplines. Our guides Ryan and Whitney took us on a canopy tour through the trees of Stokes county. Below is a video that captures some of the highlights. A few notes: 

  • You'll see one section where I'm doing a "whirlybird." This is where they twist the ropes so you spin around in circles as you come down the line. I was the only one in our group to attempt it. Until... Mom and I were the last ones to make this run and after I left the platform, Mom decided I wasn't going to be the only one to do the whirlybird. Take a look at the results!
  • Don't know if you can tell, but the last 2 runs you'll see on the video, it's pouring rain. Actually made ziplining more fun. 

 I would do this again in a heartbeat! They have nighttime tours which I'm going to convince Blair to take me back for. Our guides were stellar, beautiful scenery, felt totally safe. If you're in the area, you should definitely try this!

Smug Marrieds: Silence of the Lambs

/

We were flipping through channels the other night and came across this scene from Family Guy. What's wrong with us that we both almost rolled off the couch, laughing? The setup is simply that a little girl has fallen down a well and no one can reach her. Brian and Stewie happen by and peer into the well. LOVE Stewie!

Fun Friday: Cooking A Whole Fish

/

This week's Fun Friday involved checking an item off my bucket list. I grilled a whole fish. Why grilling a whole fish was even on my bucket list, I can't say, but it's something I felt compelled to do. 

Our niece was in town for her annual visit and tradition dictates that we assemble and cook a full meal for Blair. The first item on our grocery list: track down a whole fish. 

Easier said then done. We visited Earth Fare and Fresh Market, but everything there was already filleted. Do we look like sissies? No! A whole fish it must be. 

Our search led us to Dong Huong Fresh Fish Market on Spring Garden Street. If you're local and any sort of a foodie, you MUST visit this store. So many unique ingredients and the owners are a delight. We walked in and the man said, "You looking for da fish?" and whipped back a thick blanket covering a long freezer full of fresh fish. We decided on the red snapper and--because okay, we are sissies-asked the owner to scale and gut the fish for us. 

Katlin shows off her knife workOnce home, the fun began. We made deep cuts in the fish ("we" meaning I handed the knife to my niece and said, "Have at it,") and stuffed it with lime and cumin. Then we oiled the grill and the fish, turned up the heat, and got busy. 

Side note: No matter how well you oil the grill and fish, fish skin sticks. Just sayin...

We added some coconut-soaked grilled kale as a side dish and served it up. DELICIOUS. The fish was tender and flaky and everything I hoped it would be. However, there were a lot of bones to deal with, which was a deal breaker for Blair. His vote for my next fish dish: No bones.

No problem. Now that I've gotten the whole fish thing out of my system, I'm fine ordering up some boneless fillets. 

And the fun Friday's continue on...

Cheers,

Dena