All You Can Eat Crab Legs for Pi Day
Posted on March 17, 2025 by Ching under Food and Drink.
Celebrated Pi Day this year by eating “all you can eat” crab legs at Rock & Brews in Braman, OK. From left: Hai Nguyen, Chris Reyes, Aelisa Carter, Susie Ternes, and Grant Ternes. Chris, Hai, and I carpooled with Susie and Grant; while Hai and Chris’ friend Aelisa met us at the casino.
The $65 “all you can eat” price includes a small salad to start, corn on the cob, potatoes, unlimited crab legs, and ice cream for dessert. I think Hai normally skips the salad (to save more room for crab legs) but he got peer-pressured into getting it on this trip.
The drinks are extra so I limited myself to only one margarita.
All of us started off with plates like these — corn, potato, two clusters of crab legs, and a tub of butter.
The server regularly comes around to get additional drink orders and empty the shell/discard bucket. Then there’s another guy who comes around and brings you more crab legs as you finish your clusters. I thought I could eat crab legs but I didn’t realize I was going with a bunch of pros. They made me feel like a 2.5 — for real. Aelisa busted out her gloves and Chris and Hai were ready for more crab legs before I could even finish my first cluster.
Susie, Grant, and I were no match for these three.
We all got ice cream at the end and then walked off our dinner by exploring the casino area (and donating some cash to the gambling gods).
I think they are normally not this slow on a Friday night but that was the night of the big wind storm. I suspect a lot of people opted to stay home. It worked out in our favor because I was told they sometimes will run out of crab legs when they are super busy. There was plenty to go around that night.
Anyway, Aelisa had the right idea with the gloves. I ended up cutting my thumb and didn’t find it until the next morning. I knew I had cut myself because, when I was wiping my hand with a wet nap, I kept getting bloody spots all over it but, every time I would stop, I couldn’t find where the cut was. I would look at my hands and nothing was bleeding but as soon as I wiped my hands with a wet nap, the towelette would get bloody again. I knew I had cut myself. I just didn’t know where. So, when Hai washed his hands with lemon juice at the end, I opted not to use lemon juice because I was afraid it would hurt like hell. So I just went to the restroom and washed my hands with soap and water after. I still could not find the cut and I didn’t see it until the next morning.
The unlimited crab legs was so good. I don’t even mind getting injured. At least I know for next time to bring a pair of gloves. LOL. Let me know if anyone wants to go and we can all carpool. I would totally do this again!
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KC Food From Last Weekend
Posted on March 14, 2025 by Ching under Food and Drink.
We got to enjoy a delicious dinner at Red Door Woodfired Grill (Liberty) last weekend. I think Susie picked the spot and it was a home run. We knew it was going to be good when we could hardly find a parking spot. At first, when we couldn’t find parking, the girls were thinking we might have to go elsewhere. I’m glad we persisted because it was totally worth it.
Monica and I both ordered the surf and turf tacos, except she ordered a side of Brussels sprouts to go with hers.
Susie had a margarita.
And I had this delicious “sweater weather” drink.
The next day, we hit a church parking lot to try Taqueria Ibarra food truck on our way back to Wichita after the pickleball tournament.
I just had a basic rice bowl but I thought it was really good. I chose pork al pastor for my meat and it had excellent flavor.
Susie had a combo platter that came with a quesabirria that she could not stop raving about. She said she would totally drive back up for it. Her quesabirria reminded me of lunch at Itzcali Tapas & Tequila a few weeks ago with my friend Chris. We had birria two different ways. He has his on a flatbread pizza, while I had mine as a soup.
Here are pics from that lunch.
I think I might have to take Susie there because I know she will really like it. Tonight we are going for some all-you-can-eat crab legs at the Rock & Brews Casino in Braman, OK. Stay tuned for a post about that. Until next time!
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The End of My Tournament Sabbatical
Posted on March 11, 2025 by Ching under Pickleball.
My tournament sabbatical officially ended this past weekend when I participated in InPickle Nation‘s Under Armour Championship Series 4v4 Team Tournament at Genesis Health Clubs Clayview in Kansas City. I did play in a 3v3 team tournament at the Goddard Sandbox last month but I’m not counting that one because I didn’t actually sign up for it. I just got a text from Kimberly and PK the night before the tournament saying they needed one more team and I just happened to be available that day because the IPN mini tournament was canceled. I wasn’t planning on playing but since they needed one more team, PK put Kimberly, Danae, and I together to make the 4th team for the event.
We called our team “Last Minute” because we literally were last minute additions to the event and weren’t even supposed to play. Actually, Danae and Kimberly hadn’t even met until that day. Despite this, the three of us have an absolute blast.
Fast forward to this past weekend to a tournament that I did actually sign up for with Susie, Monica, and Alice. Susie came up with our team name — Putting the SMAC Down. SMAC for Susie, Monica, Alice and Ching. Clever, right?
Check out our fun uniforms. The design was made by Copilot so, yes, it was AI-generated and it needed some help. Apparently AI can’t figure out what a pickleball looks like so that ball in the center was weird. Thankfully, the talented Julie (Egy) was able to clean it up for us before Drew pressed the design on our tanks.
Our adventure started on Friday night at Jason Walker’s private court at Wee Tri Farm. However, we were late leaving Wichita so by the time we got there it was late in the evening and it was freezing in the pickle barn. We only lasted 3 games. LOL.
The next day, we competed in the team event and finished 4th. Not the results we hoped for but also not bad for a first time team. I honestly hadn’t played in a tournament with Monica — ever — and it had been over two years since I had played in anything with Alice and well over a year since I played in a tourney with Susie, or just a tourney period due to my self-imposed tournament sabbatical.
I had more losses that day than I care to admit but I still had a great time playing the gals. What made the weekend even more fun is the all women tournament fell on International Women’s Day. How fitting, right?
Anyway, the seal has officially been broken. I might play in a few more events this year. Not going crazy like in years past but maybe one tournament a month would be just the right frequency. What do you recommend I play in next?
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We Found the One
Posted on March 3, 2025 by Ching under Life.
Thank you to everyone who recommended looking at La-Z-Boy for recliners. We went there after breakfast this weekend at HomeGrown and actually found one that we both liked. I never really thought Brian and I would be purchasing a recliner at this stage in life. I have always associated recliners with grandparents and old people general. I have never thought of myself as “old” (except when I wake up in the morning and can barely move) but I guess we kind of fit that demographic now.
We had a recliner back in the day, when we lived at our old house. I think it might have come from either Brian’s parents or grandparents. I didn’t think people actually bought recliners. I always just assumed it was something that you got handed down to you from older relatives. I supposed when you are old and, there’s no one to hand one down to you, then you would theoretically buy one but I honestly didn’t think we were there at that stage of life yet.
The cats (we used to have three cats 20 years ago) and I spent quite a lot of time in that chair and I found it very comfortable but I never thought we would actually buy one. At least until much later in life and I didn’t think we were “that” old yet. Well, maybe Brian is. He is over 50 now after all. Although, I think the real catalyst was all the time he spent sitting (and napping) in a recliner during his cancer treatment. The comfy recliners at the cancer center have ruined him from sitting in a normal chair for good.
We looked online some and went to the Ashley showroom that is by our house one weekend. We didn’t really see anything we absolutely loved. Fast forward to this past Saturday. We found a loveseat recliner that checks all the boxes (and then some) and it didn’t cost $5,000 so, after some deliberation, we decided to go ahead and pull the trigger. Tell you what. Brian is sooo excited!
I am excited because it’s a loveseat without cup holders in the middle to keep us apart, so we can recline and snuggle up together. Stay tuned for pics for when it’s finally delivered!
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Winter 2025
Posted on February 19, 2025 by Ching under Life.
I’ve never been a huge fan of winter and that’s even more true this year. This is probably one of the more eventful winters we’ve had. Eventful in all ways — good and bad. Brian was diagnosed with cancer in fall and so he was in cancer treatment most of the winter. It’s not fun any other time and when the roads aren’t great, that makes it worse.
Christmas was pretty subdued this year. I didn’t even bother decorating. Brian was very weak and bringing the Christmas tree up from the basement (and decorating it) is a two-person job. I didn’t want to ask Brian to help me because of his physical condition, and I had no desire to do everything by myself, so we just went without our tree and Christmas decorations. It’s not the first time we’ve have not put up a Christmas tree (because it’s so much work) but it is the first time that we’ve gone completely without Christmas decorations. In other years, we will usually put all of wreaths and Christmas lights up and display all of our Christmas knickknacks even though we’re not putting up a Christmas tree.
Not having any decorations at all made for a less festive holiday but it was fine. Brian’s parents came up from Oklahoma and we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together. It was fine. All you really need is family. And, for me, as long as Brian and I are together, all is right in the world.
Brian and I were pretty much cooped up at home for most of the winter season. I went to work like normal but I also went with Brian to as many of his appointments as I could. I had cut back on a lot of extracurricular activities so I was home with him every night except on Wednesdays when I teach my Zumba class. Brian really likes it when we sit in front of the fire and I rub his feet and legs.
Anyway, my friend Cindy Egan invited me to play pickleball one night after work. After being cooped up at home for many weeks, Brian encouraged me to go. Honestly, it was a nice break from what had become our normal evening routine. We were only forecasted to get 1-3 inches of snow that night but it was actually much worse than expected. I ended up driving my car into a ditch on K96 on my way home. I had promised Brian I would only be gone for about two hours and I ended up being gone for much longer because I had to wait for a tow truck. You can watch the video I made of that little adventure here.
The 20-minute drive home turned out to be three hours that night but I was grateful that (a) I was able to get a tow truck to come, and (b) I eventually made it home safely. On the bright side, I took home food from Cindy that night and her mashed potatoes and meatballs were amazing. Brian couldn’t eat so I pretty much ate all of it. Our friends have been so wonderful throughout this journey. I had to ask them to stop giving us food because Brian couldn’t eat anyway and there was always way more food than I could eat by myself. But I am ever so grateful — for the food, the donations, the hugs, the thoughts, the prayers, everything.
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