PF Changs

Within the past couple of years we've had a PF Changs come to town. I'd heard about this restaurant but had never eaten there. My friends rave about it describing it as a Chinese Bistro. I wasn't sure what to expect from it.
My mom and I were out shopping in Little Rock. When asked where I wanted to eat, I suggested PF Changs. I was a bit worried she would decline as she's not a huge fan of Chinese. We've had our share of the buffets and other Chinese restaurants yet they seem to be going down in the quality of the food. To my surprise she agreed. Upon being seated our waiter (who was of Asian decent) took our drink order. He said "Might I offer you some hot tea to drink on this cold day?" Well, of course you can...We both love our hot tea. He went over the varieties describing the flavors. Mom decided on the citrus and spice. The tea arrived and I immediately began looking for the sugar. "There's no sugar!" I said in a panicked voice to my mom. "Well, you'll just have to drink it plane. You can do this." she replied. Cold tea I can drink without sugar but hot tea I like sweet. I sucked it up and took a sip of sugarless hot tea. I hate to admit this but she was right. It wasn't that bad.
Our waiter returned to take our order. Mom ordered the sweet and sour chicken with brown rice. I ordered the same. This prompted our waiter to say "Would you like to order something different as she has already ordered that dish?" I was confused. He went on to say "Maybe since she has ordered a poultry / protein you would like some beef or shrimp and you can share?" I enthusiastically said "Okay I'll take the crispy honey shrimp". Our food arrived on two platters. We chose the brown rice and it was brown not fried. I must say it was different but we both enjoyed it. The texture was unlike the normal brown rice. We devoured our meals and left no room for dessert. Although the displays at the entryway did look appealing, we just didn't have room for it. PF Changs was a bit pricey but I'd rather pay more for the service, presentation, and quality of food than pay less and not enjoy it. I've found my new favorite Chinese place.

Reebok Easytone

The next fitness craze that takes little effort has arrived and sucked me in. Reeboks Easytone shoes claim that just wearing them while you go about your life can help tone your legs and but. Well you can imagine I wanted a piece of that. Anything to get me in shape and replace my old sneakers. I searched and searched in TN and in AR but couldn't find any at local stores. If they were listed on the store website it stated that it was online only and only available in limited sizes. I went to the Reebok site and found a wider range of styles and sizes. Not to mention they had wide shoes! YAY! They're pricey but cheaper than New Balance. I must admit these are more stylish than sketchers or dr. scholls. Theirs have a definite curve shape to them as these look like ordinary sneakers. Although they do come out a bit on the sides. Looking down at them they reminded me of the Sienfeld episode where Kramer where's the special shoes to help him jump. I am amazed at how quickly they arrived and I didn't pay extra for priority shipping.
Word is that you feel like you're walking in sand. I wasn't sure what to expect. I thought I'd have a bit of trouble finding my balance but in reality they were like any other shoe. No problem with balance. They are a snug fit but comfortable. When I walk I can feel a little bit of pressure on the ball of my foot. Walking on carpet I couldn't really tell anything. When I went to the tiled floor I could feel the shoes working. At that point it did seem to be similar to walking on sand. We'll see how these turn out to be. Say goodbye to cellulite and a firmer butt....I think my diet and exercise routine will have to change to get the results I want.

Where's the camera?

I've been teaching a kindergarten class on Wednesday nights. Some nights it's a challenge as I have some hyper kids and others who haven't started school yet. Still I love them all. This month we're studying how people celebrate Christmas. Last Wed. night we talked about the American tradition. I bought a small tabletop tree to decorate. We sang Christmas carols as we decorated the tree. It's amazing how you sing songs all your life and suddenly the lyrics become distant memories to you. What we forgot we made up with humming or drawn out slurred words to get us through. One little boy sang his lyrics to frosty the snowman when another one let him know "hey those aren't the words to that song".
I had told the children if they were really good we'd have a surprise for them. At the end of the night I asked "What's one thing you wish for on Christmas besides presents?" They yelled "TOYS"! I laughed and said "no" something outside. They weren't catching on so I sang "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas" and asked if they new what that meant...and no they still didnt' get it. I finally said "SNOW! We're going to have a snow fight!" They errupted with yells of joy! They were so excited and coudn't wait to get their hands inside the bag.
It was magical as we threw snow on each other. Their faces lit up and the air was filled with laughter. They slid on the floor and some even tried to make snow angels. Glitter and snow were everywhere but it was well worth it. After the snow I twirlled the children in the air. They can't get enough of that. I wished I had my camera to capture the moment, but I'll always have the memories in my heart and replay the "video" in my mind. I love my class and can't wait for this Wednesday as we're studying christmas in Mexico. This time I wont forget the camera.