Brief moment of insanity!

This blog is too apologize to all my readers about my past entry "I'm Really Going for the food". Apparently I had a moment of insanity. I don't really go for the food. I mean the foods nice and all, but there is ONE and only ONE reason I really go to the hottest state in the U.S..

My Daddy!

Why else would I go down there to sweat! If my DADDY weren't there I would have absolutely no reason to endure the blistering heat.

Plus, who would my girls go fishing with or on long walks with. They would be lost without their PAPAW.

So...I apologize for the confusion. I don't know what came over me. Why would I want those nasty dirty crawfish over the world's greatest DAD!

P.S. Dad, if you're reading this. How was that? Was this a good enough entry to change your mind about paying for all the good food that I will be eating when I come?

I'm really going for the food

Most of you know that I'm making a trip home to Louisiana in May, and I'm very excited! I'm going to see my little sis graduate from high school as the valedictorian of her class. I'm looking forward to seeing my family and friends. But most of all, I'm Going for the FOOD!

I know I've been making Colorado seem like the perfect place to live, and I'm still convinced it is just that. But....it does have one major flaw. It lacks all of my favorite food!
Everybody knows that "Southern" cooking is the best! It doesn't get much better! So, I just thought I would share with y'all what I'll be dreaming about until that wonderful day when my plane touches down in my own personal "food heaven"!

First and foremost on the long list of yummies, is CRAWFISH! I can't wait to get my hands on 10-12 lbs of the spicy little critters. I've been deprived for way too long. For any of you that have dined with me over a steaming hot pile of crawdads you know all too well the seriousness of the event. There is a fine art in partaking of these things. And don't let the price per pound fool you. You would think that with the money you have to spend to get enough of these things to fill your belly that it must be like fine dining. You couldn't be more wrong. There is nothing fancy about peeling off a crawfish's tail (crawfish guts and yellow fatty substances flying) and plopping them in your mouth. A serious crawfish fan would order 5 lbs., a large coke (with straw), extra potatoes and corn, and only one napkin. Why only 5 lbs, a coke with a straw and one napkin? You people disappoint me! First, like I said I can put away a good 10 lbs of crawfish, but it takes a few minutes to get through them all. The last thing you want to do is order 1o or more pounds and then let them sit there and get cold while trying to eat them. Thus, the "5, 5, 5" plan. Always order 5 pounds at a time! The coke with a straw thing should be self-explanatory. This is to prevent you from having to stop peeling when thirsty. Just lean and sip. Finally, the one napkin is for clean up naturally. Put you just need one. Crawfish eatin' isn't for sissy people. You don't have time to worry about the fact that you have crawfish juice running down your hands and passed your elbows. Or that some of the yellowy fat stuff has been ejected onto your shirt and upper eyelid. It will all still be there when your done. Don't risk the crawfish getting cold and rubbery to take care of these minor details. Just eat them and enjoy!

Ahh, now we come to my next favorite yummy! Southern Maid donuts! Again, a true staple in any southern home. I grew up enjoying this deep fried delicacy. What a treat it was to see my mom or dad walk through the door holding a couple boxes of these "rings of joy". I was so hooked on these things that I could smell them when I walked into a room. I remember coming home from ball practices or late nights out and one of my parents would have purchased the donuts a little earlier and hid them some where in the house. It never failed. I could smell them every time. To this day if there is Southern Maid within 100 yards of my nose I'll find them, or die trying! I'm comin' Southern Maid!

Every once in a while God smiles on me and says "Here Melissa. Why don't you enjoy another one of life's finer things." And I say, "Ok, I think I will God. Thank You! One of these times was when I was anxiously awaiting the delivery of my Southern Maid donuts in the drive-thru window at the local S.M. on Mansfield Rd. when I noticed the wonderful red, white and blue ICEE sign in the window. "You've got to be kidding me! They sell ICEE's here too!" I couldn't believe my eyes. Not one, but two of my favorites in one fell swoop! Those Southern Maid people have my number.....and lots of my money!

It wouldn't be a trip to good ole' Shreveport without a few lunches or dinners at Nicky's Mexican Restaurant. The best mexican food ever! And I should know because I've probably eaten there a few 100 times. This is a Templin family tradition. You want Mexican. You go to Nicky's. There is no other! We ate there so frequently that by the time we were seated we each had our drinks, the basket of chips, bowl of queso and chile con queso were already there waiting for us. And our dinner orders were already hanging over the cook's grill in the back. Nicky's Rocks!!!!

It's just not fair, why do the southerners have all the good food. Maybe the fact that all the good food is down there is why Colorado is the "second skinniest state" in America. These mountain people don't know what they're missing! I can't wait to come down there and each a peanut butter sandwich on a Mrs. Baird's piece of bread. It's really just the simple things in life that I love!

Last, but certainly not least! BLUE BELL ice cream! Oh, the joy! Another Templin family tradtion. After a long day of stuffing your face on the aforementioned items above, we all snuggle up in our recliners with a good movie and a MASSIVE bowl of Blue Bell ice cream. My favorites: Chocolate Sundae and Milk Chocolate. It just doesn't get much better than that!

Man, am I gonna have some "sweet" dreams tonight!!! It's all about the food!!!

Smarty pants!

Well, folks here she is. My sister Megan, aka Miss Smarty Pants! You wouldn't know it by looking at this picture, but we just found out yesterday that she is Calvary Christian Academy's "Class of 2006" Valedictorian! Congrats! I'm so proud of her. I'm really not all that surprised, seeing as she has always blown me away with her intelligence. She excels at everything she does! I'm so excited about flying down there in May to see her graduate. Now I guess I'll get to hear a cool speech too! This may be the first speech at a graduation that I'll actually be interested in hearing. Maybe she'll even mention her AWESOME sister in it! (hint,hint)
Anyway "Mego", I'm so proud of you and all you have managed to accomplish in the past 18 years. You are amazing! I'll be there soon to put away 10-20lbs of crawfish with ya! Tell Shane to get ready! I'm bringing our crawfish hats with me. Love ya!

Happy Birthday Jeff!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, you look like a monkey and you smell like one too!

NO really, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUD! I love you! Just wanted you to know that I was thinking about you. Maybe one day we'll all be so lucky to read another blog entry from you. I will wait with baited breath? (is that how you spell "baited"?) Oh, well you know what I mean! Have a great birthday!

The Devil made me do it!

As hard as this is for me to admit, I bit the "mean" comment bait that was left for me on my "Laundry Smaundry" entry. What makes it even harder to swallow was that it was posted by my own mother. That's right folks, my mother, the woman who gave birth to me. I have to say when I first read the comment, I was totally surprised and offended that this random "non-blogger" would have the nerve to say this to me. I immediately started on my next entry, "I've hit a nerve!", which might I add was probably just what my mother, aka "evil mother of three cosby kids" wanted me to do. Like my title says, "The Devil made me do it!".
Most of you know my mother or have met my mother at least once; but not all of you really know the true "Melony" the "sick and twisted" Melony. I could fill a book on the many ways she has emotionally scarred her family and friends, most of all her own children. We should really all be in therapy. I guess that is why we all have taken up blogging for our own personal outlet. We thought it would be a safe place to express our feelings. But no, there is no hiding from the treachery of our mother. She is everywhere; just waiting to pounce on us in our most weakest of moments.
Like I said, after reading the comment for the first time I was appalled. But then, more and more as I thought about the actual words written it became clearly apparent as to who the culprit was! I thought about it all night, and even during church this morning. I had analyzed the heck out of these cruel words and was ready to confront my "devil" mother.
So...I waited until I knew she was out of church (where I can only hope she was so strongly convicted) this morning to call her and ask her if she was in fact the "evil mother of 3 cosby kids". At first she played dumb (like always). Then, all I could hear was the sound of that oh so evil laugh of satisfaction! A laugh that I am way too familiar with. Somehow she "feeds" off malicious deception. I don't know why it took me so long to piece it all together. Once again my mother has successfully managed to push all the right buttons. Kudos Mom!