Bizarre Foods Survival Special

No, he is not going to be doing a guest appearance on Survivor. But instead, taking a one-hour boat ride from Puerto Vallarta, to a remote island where he fends for himself. Basically Man vs. Wild minus that British nut job. A sample of the survival menu includes coconuts (nothing scary there), grasshoppers (okay...maybe a little scary), wild lime (hmmm), pig weed (not a clue), and opihi (YES)! Okay, I lived off opihi back in Hawai'i and I gotta say, one of the best creatures the ocean has to offer. If you love sea snails, this is a must. The best part is prying those little suckers (literally) off the salty rocks while clinging onto the rocky edge and being pounded by waves. Man, I miss Hawai'i! Okay, I'm going off track here. Here's a 2 minute sneak-peek of Andrew with a survival guide (an actual guide as in human, not a book) before he's left into the depths of the jungle to do who knows what.

Now, if you actually watched the clip, did he seriously just eat that LIVE baby lizard??? Now, here's the man that is freaked out by SPAM, but will eat a baboons butt. Okay, I don't know if he actually has eaten that but you never know with this guy! And that's why we love him.
So tune in folks, Tuesday night at 10 E/P, to see what craziness he gets into. Maybe when the boat goes back to pick him up, he'd have gone all Lord of the Flies with the camera crew. FUN!!!

june heat

This heat is getting to me. And it's not a gradual transition from spring to summer. It goes...Monday: 75 degrees. Lovely. Tuesday: 95 degrees. Humid and sweating in places I really wish it wouldn't. That's Tennessee for ya. But all hail to the creator of air conditioning! Without it, I'd probably just wander around my apartment in my underwear. But I would trade A/C any day for some cool tradewinds like back home in Kaua'i. Picture it. A cool breeze blended with the subtle fragrance of plumeria, salty ocean, and a hint of rain that makes its way across the sandy beach, swaying you ever so gently on a hammock mounted under two banyan trees. Ahhhhhhhhhh....the island life is calling to me around this time of year. Let's see. The closest beach to me is the Gulf Coast in Alabama. A 9 hour drive you say? No problem. Oh wait, a cranky 3 year old and J who needs to stop every hour for a smoke break? Scratch that. Or we just leave in the middle of the night while the little guy sleeps and I covertly slap on a nicotine patch for J. "Oh...a mosquito. Yeah, a mosquito was on your arm. Yeah that's right!"
This polar bear was so happy at the Memphis Zoo. Oh how I wish that was me! Minus the fur and extra 300 lbs. of fat anyway. I guess for now, I'll just wade around in the pool, make use of my A/C, and find other ways to cool down in this June heat.

Bizarre Foods- Singapore

You don't hear much about Singapore. Except for the strict cleanliness laws that they're famous for. But really, how many Singaporean restaurants do you know of? Me? Nada. That's why I'm pretty excited about watching tonight's episode where Andrew will enlighten us on the food of Singapore. So tune in tonight, Tuesday 10 E/P! Here's a clip with Andrew with some mutton that looks absolutely de-lish!

Alabama skies

What's the best part of living on the mainland? Being able to get into your car and drive to another state for the heck of it. I took these pictures on the drive back from Huntsville, Alabama. Absolutely stunning sky.

graffiti

Graffiti can be beautiful art. This is a building at a stop light in downtown Nashville. It's a store but unfortunately we were in the car and I couldn't get the whole picture without getting J's arm.

Nashville. Life.

Before I moved to Tennessee, almost three years ago, I had this stereotypical image in my mind of rednecks playing banjos on their front porch, and the "old money" families in their white plantation homes, sipping tall, ice-cold lemonade on the veranda. I had briefly visited twice before but never really explored the area. Now that I've had the pleasure of living here, I see that it's definitely a melting pot of cultures, predominately in the Nashville area. Sure there are the stereotypes you'll come across here and there just like with any other place. I know Hawai'i has a lot of stereotypes, like, "do you live in huts and dance the hula everyday with your grass skirts?" My response: "Would you like me to slap you now, or later?" No, I haven't actually said that but doesn't mean I haven't thought it! But I digress... Driving through the narrow back streets of downtown Nashville suddenly gave me the idea to create a series of pictures that really shows what makes Nashville, Nashville. And possibly other vicinities just outside. I won't try to find the words to define what I'm talking about, but instead, let the images of the people and the world around them, speak for themselves. And so I call my new project, Nashville. Life.

happy 28

I turned 28 years old yesterday. A nice and quiet birthday without all the hoopla that some expect to have to celebrate the occasion. Nowadays, a nice dinner with the family and maybe a present or card is a nice touch. But I expect a big shindig every year by the time I hit 70! By then, just to be alive and kickin' is reason enough to throw a big par-tay! I envision myself being a Sophia Petrillo from "The Golden Girls". Spunky, wise, sharing stories of my colorful past, and always with a raffia handbag in tow full of butterscotch and other mystery items. Yes, that sounds about right.
J surprised me with a colorful bouquet of flowers! FINALLY! I say that only because I always tell him, I just want flowers. But the way his mind works is always a mystery to me. People say women are complicated, but I say men are just as complicated. They just hide their emotions better. We ladies let it all out! He thinks, "Okay, she says she wants flowers for Valentine's Day. But really she wants this mug decorated with red hearts and filled with hershey kisses." I guess it's the thought that counts. But when I say flowers, I really mean it! No hidden message there! But God love him he tries. And he did good yesterday.

And the dinner was delicious. Well of course, because I cooked it. haha! No no no, I kid! I was thinking of going out for dinner, but I was feeling a bit under the weather. So I decided to just cook up a prime rib. Horseradish and garlic crusted prime rib to be exact. And a corona with lime to top it off. Not much of a drinker, but it was nice to just loosen up a bit. Followed by three hilarious episodes of "The Golden Girls" before I hit the hay. That is one of my ultimate favorite shows! Three menopausal women and one old wise-crackin grandma is my idea of a good time! Man, I am getting old. Shut up Iris, you're only 28.

So I reflect on my 28 years of life so far, and it's been a roller coaster ride of ups, down, turns, screaming, and laughs. I wish for more laughs ahead and good times to come! Happy birthday to me.