#3 on the "Soon-to-be-40 To Do List"

Several months ago it kinda hit me that, yes, I'll be 4o at the end of the Summer. So, what a better time than to think of those things that I'd like to try for the first time (or haven't done in a long time!)? With that in mind, I came up with the "39 Things to Do Before I'm 40" list.

#3 on the list was "Try Indian Food," because I really try to be adventurous and I am quite a "foodie" so I like to experiment with foods I've never tried before.

(And, by the way, two other things on my list I've accomplished in the last week...

Star gazed. Yep! (with McKenna and Sydney in the backyard)

Surprised Gary with a little something, just because. Yep! (Yesterday, came home with him some books and his favorite candy. Just because.)

But, boy, do I have A LOT left to do! In the next week or so, I want to go blueberry picking, get a manicure, and paint something! We'll see how that goes!)

So, back to the regularly-scheduled Number 3...

Yesterday, Delaney and Sydney and I (McKenna works during the day, so she missed our culinary adventure!) met my oldest-and-dearest friend Angela (and I mean "oldest"in the most sincere way...we have been friends for 25 years, meeting when we were both 15!!!!!) at an Indian restaurant called Silver Coin Indian Grille in Birmingham.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the food. It had a lot of flavor and was quite spicy, but I love spicy (the Texan in me, you know).

Angela ordered from the menu (she had a pepper chicken that was really good...I sampled hers, of course!) and I decided to sample from the buffet.

Some of the items on my plate here are:

Chicken vindaloo (chicken and potatoes in a spicy gravy),
Chicken tikka (chicken cooked in a clay oven),
A zucchini, vegetable blend that was very yummy,
Mirchi pakoras (fried vegetable fritters),
Saffron rice with a lentil sauce

For dessert, we tried Gulab Jamun (a cheese dumpling with rose-flavored syrup) and Pista Kulfi (a pistachio flavored "ice cream," which was really much harder and icier, but which Delaney--who is a big fan of ice cream--loved!!)

It was all really delicious and I was very impressed with it all! I was also so impressed with the sweet server who patiently told us what everything was and recommended certain items. She also patiently listened to Delaney, who is my very picky eater!! And she finally convinced her of a few things to try.

Although Delaney doesn't look real certain here in this picture (look at her face; lol)...

But she loved the kulfi (ice cream)...

Trying new food is something I highly recommend. It expands your horizons, letting you appreciate what other people around the world enjoy to eat (and, in turn, gives you a peek into their culture). Some of it you end up loving, some you don't care for too much, but if you never try it....you never know, right?

After lunch we had to, of course, pose for a few pictures. With Angela outside the restaurant...

And at Barnes & Noble (we ALWAYS end up at the bookstore together!)...

It was a great day with food and my favorite friend in the world (the kind of friend that you have college apartment, crazy party, "laugh until you spit" memories with! the kind of friend who's been with you through everything, and that makes her even more amazing!)

Now...I was kinda hesitant about sharing this next item...but Gary uploaded it for me and went ahead and posted it here for me, so I guess it's going up!

Gary went and bought the cutest little digital camera (to take to the World Series in a few weeks, but also because we felt kinda bad because we have nothing of Sydney recorded for posterity!) and he experimented some with it. And then Delaney took it yesterday with us to the restaurant. So, Gary blended all of these little video clips together. The thing that made me hesitant to post it is that...I didn't even realize I was being recorded most of the time and I really look like the mother-who-never-brushes-her-hair! So, please forgive my appearance...LOL...but please enjoy our Southern accents and especially enjoy Delaney's interview with Sydney. It's very cute!

Love you all!!! See ya soon!!