Mother's Day Brunches

Good Thursday morning!

THIS JUST IN! My friend, Jennifer, just left a comment recommending a weekend activity for the family. The Outdoor Alabama Expo is this Saturday at Oak Mountain from 9:00 to 5:00. They have free admission and a lot of different activities for the entire family. You can go to www.outdooralabama.com for more details. I just went to the website, and it looks like a lot of fun. Thanks, Jennifer. (I'll put it in Friday's information, too.)

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT... ONE DAY AFTER I BLOG I HATE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESSES ON WEDNESDAY NIGHTS BECAUSE IT INTERFERES WITH LOST, PRESIDENT OBAMA SCHEDULES A PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT?!? Unbelievable! I think someone from the White House is reading my blog. (I don't like it when the government reads my blog! Hidden Pet Peeve #5,004.) Okay. I'm taking into account the speech was over before LOST came on, but it's still a little freaky, don't you think?

Well, Day 3 and the deck is ALMOST done. Yesterday was a good day as far as progress goes. We'll see if today is the day they finish their project!

Mikie's been out of town a couple of days this week. He's in Chicago, and he'll be returning tomorrow afternoon. I wish I could have gone with him since Chicago is on my 100 Things To Do Before I'm 90 list, but we can't do the three-day trip thing yet. (I hate when someone gets to do things on MY list before me... especially when they don't even have a list! Hidden Pet Peeve #5,005.) Plus, there are so many things going on every single day. Graduation deadlines, doctor's appointments, volleyball tryouts, guitar lessons, etc., etc., etc. He had yesterday to himself and got to explore a little bit, and he enjoyed it, but he said it would have been more fun if I had been able to tag along. (I agree!)

Austin and Josh brought their Year Books home yesterday. We have a section for the Seniors with a baby picture alongside a current picture. As if that wasn't cute enough, underneath the pictures are Senior quotes. I've listed a few I thought were funny, wise or both:

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, 'I used every thing you gave me.'" (Erma Bombeck) Gotta love Erma.

"Do not criticize someone without walking a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes." Mike said this was old, but I had never heard it before and laughed my head off. I'm easily amused.

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened." (Dr. Seuss) I need to remember this one!

"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow." (Mark Twain)

"I could have played in the pros. I just wasn't good enough."

"If it weren't for physics and law enforcement, I'd be unstoppable." I'm a little worried about this kid. It's funny though.

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." (Eleanor Roosevelt) I love this one because it was in The Princess Diaries... plus, it's true!

Weekend Family Fun

We're a little weak in the Weekend Family Fun department this week. All I've heard about are movies, movies, movies. That will not always be the case though. Here is what I have for you:

Argo Drive-In - Unfortunately, I have nothing new to report regarding the Drive-In. Same old double feature Friday and Saturday night (Fast and Furious - PG-13; Mall Cop - PG.) On Sunday night, they are only showing Fast and Furious. Don't worry. Summer's around the corner and the Drive-In will be having a much bigger selection in just a few short weeks.

Dollar Movies - Sorry, folks. Nothing new here either. (Confessions of a Shopaholic - PG; Hotel for Dogs - PG; and Mall Cop - PG). Maybe next week!

New Movies - As per Josh and some friends, Earth (G) is a very, very good movie. (There wasn't anything else they wanted or could see, so they went with the whales, polar bears and elephants.) They said it was definitely worth seeing at the theater on the big screen.

Pet Peeves #8, #9 and #10

Pet Peeve #8 - I hate when kids stop asking "Why?" (as in "Why is the sky blue?" and "Why is the grass green?"), and start asking "Why not?" (as in "Because I said so!")

Pet Peeve #9 - I cannot stand when the person in front of me in the fast food line is ugly or unkind or impatient with the teenager getting his/her order together. His/her order is going to be perfect. My order... not so much. (Very nervous teenagers -- and adults -- are famous for not getting orders correct.)

Pet Peeve #10 - It sends me over the edge when my magazine is supposed to come between the 1st and the 5th of every month... and I don't receive it until the 26th. ("Where is my magazine? Did a neighbor get it by mistake and throw it away? Did my subscription run out? Did the place where my magazine is published collapse or burn to the ground? Should I buy it in the grocery store... because it's staring me in the face every time I buy bananas and milk? WHERE IS MY MAGAZINE AND WHY IS IT SOOOO LATE?") My magazine was late this month. Can you tell?

Mother's Day Brunches

Nothing says Mother's Day better than a Mother/Daughter Brunch/Lunch at a girly-girly place. I'm naming three which have been tried and smiled upon by ME!

Miss Rosemarie's Tea Room - I've had tea there, as well as a romantic dinner with Mikie, so I'm going out on a limb and saying, "I bet their Mother's Day Brunch is spectacular!" You can go to their website for the menu and prices. I've also added their phone number so you can make reservations if this sounds like something special you would like to do with your Mom. (The best part of Miss Rosemarie's... they take reservations for the number they can handle. You don't sit around waiting 90 minutes for a table.) Great atmosphere. Great service. It's a lovely place. Their website is www.rosemarie@mrsteas.com and their phone number is 980-8335. They were taking reservations for Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10.

The Chocolate Biscuit - Of course, having family in Trussville means you have eaten at The Chocolate Biscuit. Again, they have delicious food, lovely music, great service and yummy desserts. (Did I say delicious food?) Their website is www.thechocolatebiscuit.com, and their phone number is 655-0119. They also take reservations, so you avoid the waiting-for-the-table headache. They have room for small parties as of this Wednesday afternoon. They cannot accommodate a large party the Saturday before Mother's Day. (Also, they are not going to be open ON Mother's Day.)

The Birmingham Marriott on 280 - The Marriott has a Mother's Day Brunch on Sunday from 11:00 until 2:00. It is set in the atrium of the hotel lobby. I have not eaten there for brunch, but I have had breakfast there several times. Excellent food. It's a very pretty setting, and they DO take reservations for the Mother's Day Brunch. Their phone number is 968-3775.

You're probably asking, "Why is she giving us this information THIS week?" These places fill up, folks. If you think this is a date your Mom would enjoy, make those reservations TODAY! Also, if you want to make it really special, there is shopping fairly close to all of these locations. (Miss Rosemarie's Tea Room - The Summit; The Chocolate Biscuit - The Pinnacle and other small specialty shops in Trussville; The Birmingham Marriott on 280 - The Summit, Brookwood and The Galleria.) You could make a day of it, and spend a lot of time with your Mom on Saturday OR Sunday of Mother's Day Weekend.

Another plus to the places mentioned above is the ability to make reservations. Waiting too long for a table can kill any celebratory mood... really, really fast. I know... I've been there.

Have a delightful Thursday. Tomorrow we'll be finishing up the week with Weekend Happenings, the TV Review, three more Pet Peeves and a good book to read.

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.