David's 9/11 Happy Birthday Sushi Feast With Raw Scorpions

Last night nephew David called to thank me for that which the postal service had successfully delivered from Texas to Washington for his 9/11 celebration of turning nine years old.

Today some photo documentation of David's Happy Birthday arrived, with the only text explanation for the photos being "David's birthday choices" and "But he still hasn't eaten the scorpion he got at the fair".

The second photo is the one with David holding his un-eaten scorpion.

I did not know David's taste for seafood had expanded to include desert based seafood type creatures.

The fair referred to as the source of David's scorpion would be the Washington State Fair, also known as The Puyallup. (pew-el-up for those who don't know how to pronounce PNW tribal names).

The Puyallup takes place a short distance from David's home zone of Tacoma. In fact I think the city borders of Tacoma and Puyallup likely meet at a point or two. I think it is the Puyallup who operate the big casino which is in Tacoma.

David's Scorpion

Yesterday I mentioned the possibility the next time I'm in Tacoma, of David taking me to the Muckleshoot Casino Resort so as to experience that casino's Friday night seafood buffet, forgetting at that point in time, about the Emerald Queen Casino right in Tacoma.  I am fairly certain the Emerald Queen is a Puyallup operation. I know for certain I have had myself a mighty fine feeding at the Emerald Queen's seafood buffet.

I may remember a mighty fine Emerald Queen seafood  feeding at their buffet, but I recollect liking the Muckleshoot Casino's seafood buffet better, and have indulged in the Muckleshoot buffet version more frequently, likely maybe because its Auburn location is close by during times I stayed in Kent.

Now the absolute best, in my experience, seafood buffet-wise, in a Washington Casino, would be the one to be had far to the north of David's Tacoma location, up in my old home zone of the Skagit Valley, where there are two large casino resorts, one operated by the Skagit tribe, that being the Skagit Casino Resort with its The Market Buffet, the other by the Swinomish.

Both have excellent buffets, with the Skagit one on Bow Hill being the one I have likely partaken of more than any other anywhere. But, the seafood buffet at the Swinomish Casino and Lodge is the absolute best, seafood buffet-wise. The Swinomish do oysters the way my mom did oysters, back when mom did such things as fry oysters.

Speaking of seafood, back to David's Happy Birthday yesterday, let's take a look at the third photo delivered to Texas documenting David's 9 /11.

Sushi. How many nine year olds ask for sushi on their birthday? The above photo was the one with the text telling me these were "David's birthday choices". I can make out the Super Marina Plate of sushi, but I can not identify the pie type on the right, or the liquid product on the left.

Knowing David I doubt the pie type is something as mundane as pumpkin pie. Maybe it is something like sweet potato buttermilk pie. As for the liquid product, I have no guess.

Cinco De Mayo Hiking A Wind Chilled Tandy Hills With Wildflowers & Sushi

We have now gone over 90, mid-afternoon, at my location.

The air was heated to the low 80s when I did my Tandy Hill hiking in the noon time frame.

80s with a strong wind blowing, blowing with it that refreshing Wind Chill Effect, so today I did not turn into as HOT a sweaty mess as I did yesterday.

I had myself a fine time anyway, even though the sauna/steam bath was not at full steaminess.

I think someone, maybe the same guerrilla artist who installed the Tandy Bamboo Teepee, has sprinkled Miracle Gro on some locations on the Tandy Hills prairie.

Fertilizer would help explain why there are some spots on the Tandy Hills, like the spot in the above picture, where the wildflowers seem to have grown way more massive than the norm.

I rather like the out of control massive wildflowers.

After I finished my hill hiking, since it is Saturday, I did my usual Saturday thing and went to Town Talk.

I was very pleased upon arrival at Town Talk to read on the reader board, "HUGE SUSHI SALE".

Other signs throughout Town Talk reinforced the HUGE SUSHI SALE message, letting us Town Talkers know that a huge supply of fresh sushi had been acquired, to be sold at extremely discounted prices.

I walked in to the Town Talk cooler to see a HUGE amount of sushi, big platters, small platters, combo platters, platters with California rolls only. More sushi than I've ever laid my eyes on.

I would not think sushi was something most Town Talkers have much affinity for, but many were snapping up the platters.

So, I bet you can guess what I had for lunch.

Yes, you guessed correctly. Sushi.

I think I may go to River Legacy Park later to get in some Cinco de Mayo celebrating along with some bike riding.

Sushi & Squirrels At Village Creek Natural Historic Area

No, that is not my bike sitting out on my patio. It is my bike sitting on the patio overlook on the Village Creek Pond.

The Village Creek Pond rose above the railing in the recent flood, leaving behind a lot of grassy debris stuck in the railings, some of which is of the vine sort that has now sprouted pink flowers.

Yes, I know, I went on a sunset bike ride last night at River Legacy Park. Why would I be back on my bike again today?

Well, the past three days I have spent a lot of time in Austin. Every once in awhile I need a break. So, today, at noon, the break was biking at Village Creek Natural Historic Area and the Pioneer Trail of the Bob Findlay Linear Park.

There was a surprising number of bikers biking today.

The only animals I saw, besides humans, were one turtle in the Village Creek Pond and one very squirrely squirrel that waited til the last second to make a dart for my bike's front wheel. I've decided to stop trying to avoid hitting the little monsters, because that is going to cause me a bike wreck. So far I have not ridden over one, but today was close.

Currently I am in I am stuffed with sushi mode. The sushi I got at Town Talk yesterday turned out to be about the tastiest sushi I remember tasting. But. There was way too much of it.

I may have to go on a sunset hike on the Tandy Hills tonight to work off this load of sushi. In the meantime I think I am going to San Antonio.

Yet One More Trek Down The Tandy Highway With Sushi & Survivor

In the picture we are looking north on the Tandy Highway, deep in the Tandy Hills Natural Area.

Yes, I know I was on the Tandy Hills last night. Being back again at noon the next day does seem a bit excessive. But, I had need for some peaceful solitude and aerobic stimulation. And nothing provides both quite as well as the Tandy Hills, that is within a short distance from my abode.

Last night the temperature was much more pleasant than I'd experienced on the Tandy Hills for quite some time. It had me thinking I might need to re-think when I schedule my hiking.

Today, at noon, it was 85, with direct sun overhead, making it feel warmer than last night's 92. The 85 may have felt hotter than last night's 92, but there was a good breeze today and sort of the sensation of a chill in the air. Very nice.

After I was done with the hills I headed to Town Talk.

Saturday is my favorite Town Talk day. It's busy and there seems to be a good chance that something randomly good will show up. That was the case today. Something was in the Town Talk cooler that I never would have thought I would see at Town Talk.

Sushi.

And people were grabbing up the sushi, many expressing surprise at finding sushi while doing their Town Talk treasure hunting.

That's my Town Talk Sushi Delights in the picture. 40 pieces of assorted California Rolls, Shrimp Rolls, Tempura Rolls and Shrimp Nigiri, with Wasabi, Pickled Ginger, Soy Sauce and something called Sweet Sauce.

I used to get a big platter of sushi like this in Washington Costcos. I've not seen sushi in a Texas Costco.

I would have had the sushi for lunch, but I'd already baked Cornish Game Hens and made mashed spuds. Sushi tomorrow.

While eating lunch today I turned on the TV and learned something new that I did not know my TV did. I had not realized the new Survivor started up this week. I knew it had moved to Wednesday night, but my DVR somehow did not get the memo and did not record it.

No big loss. If I really wanted to watch it I could watch it online, I thought.

When I turned on the TV and clicked the DVR to switch to my "Favorites" list I saw "Video on Demand." I'd looked at that before, but not too much. This time I saw something that made me click it. Next thing I knew I was in the Network shows on demand part. I got to CBS and there it was.

Survivor.

And so I watched Survivor during lunch. How does this type thing work? I don't get it. AT & T's U-Verse DVR thing somehow can send a TV show to one random TV set? I also don't get how this works on the computer. It seems as if it'd be such a bandwidth hog.

I try not to ponder too long on things I know I'll never understand. This is why I don't get headaches.

That and excessive exercise. As in, I think I'm going to go on a sunset bike ride at River Legacy Park tonight. Saturday night is the funnest night at that park. Lots of people. And if I am lucky a wedding will be taking place in the pavilion. Ask yourself what type of person would have a wedding at a place where the restroom facilities are a pair of outhouses and you'll get why River Legacy weddings can have an amusement factor.