This and That

Honestly!  I lived through my dental appointment!  I have a much lighter bank account but I lived through it.  Unfortunately, it was a week from hell.

I had the tooth pulled, a bad reaction to the Vicodin and then a nasty sinus infection.  I didn't know if I was coming or going for a few days, but that finally passed.  Now I have a bunch of blogging to catch up on and I don't know where to start.

I think this blog will just be a little fluff piece with a lot of little recent stories.  I promise more are coming soon!

Let's start with dinner on Saturday.  Ron and I tried a new place, Jin House, on Kresge Drive up in Amherst by Giant Eagle.  We received a flyer in the mail, otherwise we never would have tried this place!

The Jin House is Japanese and Chinese cuisine.  I don't know much about Japanese cuisine but that didn't stop us from trying it.  I even ventured out a little bit and ordered something I never had.  But first, let's start with Ron's meal.  He ordered the Sushi Sashimi Dinner.  While this wasn't something I would order, it looked FABULOUS!  What a work of art his plate was when it came out!  You know me and taking pictures!  Here is Ron's dinner!

I would have taken an "after" picture to go with this "before" picture but all you would have seen was a white plate with a little mound of wasabe on it!  It was truly a gorgeous (and delicious according to Ron!) dish.

I went a little safer but still went out of my box and ordered off of the Japanese side of the menu.  I went with the Hibachi mixed vegetable plate.  Another gorgeous and VERY delicious dinner!

The picture doesn't do it justice.  It was extremely tasty and I woofed it down in no time flat.  Not bad manners, just good food.

The staff was very friendly and competent.  It was an enjoyable dinner and I would highly recommend making the trip to Amherst to try this restaurant out.  We will definitely be back!

The only thing I want to comment on is the side dishes that came with my dinner.  A bowl of Miso soup and some Edamame.  Ok, I know how to eat soup and this was a mighty tasty soup!  That was a lot of flavor in that little bowl for sure!  The Edamame however was another story.

I've had Edamame before but it's always been cooked and cleaned out of the pod they come in, sort of like a pea.  Well, as an appetizer with the Miso soup, you got a little bowl of Edamame but still in the pods.  I tried to bite one thinking the whole thing was edible, but I couldn't chew it!  It was tasty and salty but I couldn't chew it.  That's when I noticed that there was a second bowl under the bowl with the Edamame.  I assumed that this bowl was for the pods.  So, I broke open the pods, ate the beans inside and threw the pods in the second bowl.  If I ate it the wrong way, someone please tell me!  I hate not knowing what I'm doing!  Aside from the Edamame problem, we had a wonderful evening.

I had done most of my work on Saturday leaving only cutting the grass to be done today.  Ron helped me but I took over the riding lawn mower duties when I was done with the hand mower.

My phone vibrates as well as rings so even if I don't hear my phone, I usually feel it ringing.  I was going through the yard, jamming to my tunes on the Nano, air drumming and all that, when I felt my phone ring.  I know I'd never hear who was on the phone, but I took it out of my pocket to see who was calling.  It wasn't a number from my contact list so I put the phone back in my pocket.

I must not have put it in there very good because it came out of my pocket while I was driving the mower.  It was probably an hour later when I realized I didn't have my phone when Ron and I were in the car and I wanted to text my sister!  NO PHONE!  I know I didn't take it out of my pocket and I just KNEW it was in the damn yard.  I assumed it was in the yard over by where I took my phone out of my pocket to look at it.

Ron turned the car around and we came right home to search for my phone.  I ran into the yard, assuming I'd go right to it.  Ron is calling my phone and it is nowhere to be found or heard.  All sorts of bad things are running through my head like I wish I had every one's phone number written down just in case I lose my phone and I wonder how hard it will be to get my phone shut off right away and blah blah blah.  Ugh, I hate when things upset my feng shui.  Luckily, Ron kept calling my phone until we finally heard the damn thing ringing!  It was in the neighbor's yard!  It was in my pocket for a LONG time after I took it out before it fell out of my pocket!  The phone was hot to the touch from sitting out in the sun, but other than that, no worse for the wear.  Thank heavens the crisis of losing or running over my phone was averted!  (Sorry, Jim!)

Phone in hand, Ron and I got back in the car and headed out to the boat for a ride.  It was a calm day so I thought I could handle a little Lake ride.  Here is Captain Ron, cute as ever!

It was a beautiful day for a ride, for sure.  I'm still terrified in the boat so I hang on for dear life which makes it hard to take pictures that way.  I didn't get many, but I got this one as we were going nice and slow up the Black River.  It really was a beautiful day!

After our boating trip, Ron and I were going to chill at home and watch a movie.  But, when I was cutting the grass, I saw that it's starting to get brown already from lack of rain, so I wanted to put the sprinkler out for awhile.  Besides, my neighbors needed someone to laugh at.  I've been behaving for awhile!  Me moving the sprinkler while trying not to take a shower is definitely a funny sight.

I put the sprinkler out, moved it a couple of times in the yard, and didn't take too much of a shower in the process.  Go me!  As it was time to shut it all off and roll the hose back up, Ron went out with me to help.  I walked out the driveway side door and there is a young Dad with a little tyke, under two years old and a true cutie patootie!  I waved at the little boy, he waved back and that was it.  We were now best of friends!  He brought Dad right down the driveway to visit!

Dad had taken this little guy on a LONG walk that had to be at least two miles long!  He was trying to tucker the little one out so he's sleep but I have a feeling Dad was out tonight before the little one was!  Anyway, we looked at Hemingway on the railing of the porch, he saw the garage door opener on my shirt so I gave it to him to play with (hey, he's not my kid!  I can spoil him!) and we watched the garage door go up and down!  Then, Dad said it was time to go and this little angel ran to me and hugged me TWICE!  You can't buy that kind of love, I'm telling you.  Whatever else happened this weekend, that little boy made my week!

So there you go.  A quick update on what's happening over here.  Stayed tuned though, there is more to come.  Like what happens when you leave your camera unattended on a table at your great-nephew's First Communion party, Phil's birthday party, and a crazy story about a wackadoodle.  Yep, stay tuned.  You don't want to miss this!