Meanwhile, her spurned companion stalked the coastline, tracking their hoove prints by moonlight.  His thighs ached from miles of walking.  The bottoms of his feet were caked with sand.  Nevertheless, he pressed on.

Agonizing thoughts raced through his mind.  The scenarios grew increasingly painful.

Where had he taken her?  Had she gone willingly?  No, that was not possible.  She must be terrified.  Oh God, I hope she is still alive.

At last he spotted the torch light, and the horse.  She could not be far!  Wind filled his lungs as he sprinted up the staircase, desperate to deliver her from danger.

Eatin’ California Style

My brief hiatus has ended.  For anyone who has been starving for an update, I’ve come prepared to satisfy your hunger.  But please, try not to drool on your keyboard. 

I recently visited two California-based restaurants here in Dallas, Freebirds and In N Out.  Although I am perfectly content to eat Tex-Mex for the rest of my life, my curiosity got the best of me.

Little did I know, I had a Freebirds closer to me than a Chili’s.  That just goes to show that the Californians have begun over Texas cuisine.  Freebirds has several locations in Dallas.  They blend into the scenery, careful not to attract too much attention.

Once inside, however, the brainwashing begins.  The lime green chairs and artsy decorations disorient the unwary Texas patrons.  Having been disoriented, their minds become numb and defenseless.  The patrons quickly fall prey to the indecipherable Californian slogans on the walls, subliminal messages which plant the seeds of political subterfuge.  If they do not leave before their food settles, they will vote Democratic in the next election.

I ventured into this place with others, aware of the danger, but not knowing what would befall us.  Kind of like a Scooby-Doo episode.  The end result was a California chicken burrito, one of my own making.  It was delicious.  The next thing I knew, I was watching re-runs of The Hills and pondering why Nancy Pelosi did not run for president.

My next stop was a Cali restaurant that just moved into town, and has been causing a lot of buzz.  In N Out opened in Frisco about a week ago.  Each night it has roughly as many customers as Six Flags, as you can see in the picture above.  (World fairs have attracted less attention.)

After seeing the throngs of people leading out of the restaurant, my gut instinct was to use the drive-thru.  Umm, no.  After being led in a big circle around the parking lot by about five employees and two police officers, I was told that I would need to park behind about five other rows of cars.  Each row would then get its turn to use the drive-thru, one at a time.  Seriously?  I just want a burger.

In the end, I decided I might as well just get out and wait in line.  It was a long line, but I had to see what all the fuss was about.  I could only hope they did not run out of burgers before I got to the counter.

Finally, I got close enough to take a picture of the logo.  I smelt the aroma of beef patties cooking on a hot stove.  My mouth began watering.

Forty-five minutes later . . .  yum.  Now that is a California meal that belongs in Texas. 

 

P.S. – For those of you who are curious, those are “animal fries.”  They are not listed on the menu.  Well, at least not the public menu.  Apparently, In N Out has a “secret menu” that only Californians know about.  I must give credit to @sunflowersforlove for sharing this information.  My animal fries would not have been possible otherwise.

Pop Quiz

Alright class.  Everyone get your pencils out.  It’s time for a multiple choice question.

Today is . . .

a.  Cinco de Mayo

b.  My Birthday

c.  Thursday

d.  All of the above.

 

No cheating!

He led her to a spacious room filled with clothing and jewelry.  There they were greeted by a female attendant.  “Welcome to the costume room,” she said cheerfully.  “Please try on whatever you like.”

She had never seen such a rich variety of apparel.  Clothes of every color, style, and material lined the aisles.  Then there was the jewelry section, with the finest Tiffany’s creations displayed on velvet mats beneath glass casing.  A dizzying selection of shoes adorned the wall.  And beside them, a rack of vintage masks.

The stranger took a seat and watched in amusement as she tried on outfit after outfit, asking his opinion on each.  Before long, the dressing room looked like it had been hit by a tornado.  At last, her eyes fell upon the perfect dress.  It was blush pink, made of the softest silk her hands had ever felt.  A Tiffany’s pearl necklace made for an eye-catching melange.

The dressing room door swung open.  Out stepped an angelic figure; a slice of Heaven in high heels.

She floated on air towards him.  After making a full turn, her hands fell to her hips.

“So, what do you think?” she inquired.

He leaned forward to get a better look.  “I think it looks great on you,” he said.

“Really?” she purred, biting her lip just a little.  “Now it’s your turn.”

He quickly picked out a black tuxedo with a white tie and a pink corsage.  It matched her outfit. 

Finally, they each chose a mask.  He chose a wolf; hers was a fox.  Their costumes were now complete.

“Shall we proceed to the foyer?” he asked, extending his hand.  She slid her fingers across his palm.  They waved goodbye to the attendant, and off they went.