Hating Olive Garden

 

I'm not exactly when I began loathing the chain Italian restaurant, Olive Garden, but it's probably been about two decades since I've set foot in one.  While we don't eat out very often, I love a good restaurant, mainly so I don't have to cook. However, it seems I am pretty unique and particular about my feelings about Olive Garden as many people enjoy its food.  I prefer eating at places that have menu items with hard-to-find ingredients and things I couldn't easily make at home (usually seafood and ethnic food).

Pasta does not land on that list.  People (i.e. Kelvin) rave about the breadsticks and salads at Olive Garden. I recall some pretty mediocre salads made of iceberg lettuce the last time I went to an "OG." And I don't generally fill up on pre-meal carbs when I go out to eat. Kelvin jokes sometimes that as a "worst nightmare," he'll take me on a date to Olive Garden (which we don't have locally anyway, and to which I counter that I'll take him to The Melting Pot for big vats of cheese, which he can't stand). 

In any case, Redding has an Olive Garden which we have always skipped on our trips there (on Friday, we had lunch at Red Robin, across the parking lot, as the green Olive branch glared in our faces). After the Garden of Lights event, we decided to go to dinner with Kellie and Mark's family. Since I wasn't very hungry (full of ice cream!) and didn't have a strong meal preference (and therefor not a strong vote), the group chose... The Olive Garden.

I begrudgingly sat down and scoured the menu for something worth eating, and (not surprisingly to me) found very little (even if I were hungry!). I was reminded why I hate Olive Garden and settled on a calamari appetizer. 

Kelvin gleefully ate his salad and warm breadsticks.

We also returned home from Redding with Iver feeling nauseated (we weren't sure if it was the winding Hwy 299), and then proceeded to witness 12 hours of violent vomiting, surely food poisoning. I think the culprit was likely a boba drink he had prior to getting in the car (no one else was ill); however, maybe (Kellie and Mark pointed out!) I can blame Olive Garden! 

In any case, I hope I can count this as my one Olive Garden trip for the next two decades! 

(Shasta) Lake & Lights

 

The kids had the whole week of Thanksgiving (plus upcoming Monday!) off school and, us having the holiday plus Friday off, we decided to take a 24h roadtrip to Redding to see some highly rated holiday lights (the kids were in a skate/local camp the first half of the week). I am not one of those people who complain about Christmas creeping into November (or even earlier)-- I love almost everything about Christmas, especially holiday lights (and music)! 

We had wonderful clear weather on the coast as well as inland, and stopped for some nice views over Whiskeytown Lake on the way into Redding (we definitely listened to some Christmas tunes along the way!). 

After lunch, we took a hike by Shasta Dam, with great views of snow-capped Mt. Shasta (Kelvin and Iver are looking forward to going back to ski/snowboard with their season passes!). 

Dry Creek (or Dry Fork? I saw it both ways) Trail along one of the "fingers" of Shasta lake was a lovely stroll, albeit a bit cold and windy. 

Iver, as always, did great hiking, although he did complain a bit at the start about sore (race) legs. 

Niall also held his own (I think we only did about two miles total)...

... until the end, when brother agreed to carry him.

The kids wanted to scramble down to the lakeshore and "fish." 

We had to scurry away as were out of service and we were planning to meet up with Kellie, Mark and their kids before seeing the holiday lights together.

Despite it being cold, we went for ice cream at "32 below" near our hotels. 

Play-doh flavor created quite a blue tongue for N!

The Redding Garden of Lights was a path full of lights in the garden near Turtle Bay Exploration Center and Sundial Bridge. We got the 5 p.m. opening time to beat the crowds (we heard that this sold out last year!)

The decked out trees were beautiful! 

Tall evergreens!

Cool lit igloo

The Orb Swings were really neat!

Kid panorama

The tunnel of lights was lovely!

Frameable shot (hardly ever do we have 4/4 genuinely smiling and looking at the camera!)

We had some dinner at Olive Garden (stay tuned for my rant on this later) and, the morning after, visited with some friends from Humboldt who moved to Redding in the spring.  It was a nice day+ trip to Redding, and I highly recommend a visit to the Garden of Lights if you can swing it! 

A celebratory week

I passed another middle-aged birthday on Tuesday without too much cause for celebration. I received many well wishes via messages and texts, talked to my parents, and received some small gifts from family including Kelvin and kids, which was perfect. 

Niall had me "help" making this birthday pop-up card the week before (and said, "Now, forget about it for a week, mama!").

My sister-in-law, Katherine, is so thoughtful and sent me a new book!

Kelvin gifted me some Niners gear (we're celebrating my bday with a SF trip early next month).

I didn't have to work this Thanksgiving holiday, and we had a great Thursday!

It started with friends with the 5K "Turkey Trot" in Eureka, a race new to us. The weather could not have been more perfect for a 9 a.m. run!

Iver thought that, of our group, I'd finish towards the back... however, I was not about to get trash-talked by an eight-year-old. Here's us nearing the finish line...

Check out who's leading whom and official race results (no mercy for cocky kids). 

    162 Tara V                               F42   25:35   

165 "Tyler" typo Iver V                  M08   25:41  

 

We volunteered for our second consecutive year serving a Thanksgiving noon meal at St. Vincent de Paul in Eureka. 

In the afternoon, we gathered for some fun outside fall football and food.

Halls vs Vus

It was a close match-up. Each of us argued that we won, due to some questionable out-of-bounds/line calls.

 I had contributed a cornbread casserole side and Iver and I had baked a couple of pumpkin pies, but I was thankful not to host (/be responsible for the main!). Shannon had quite the impressive spread, including turkey, ham, roasted veggies, squash, stuffing, bread, green beans, and baked mac and cheese, which I should have photographed! All was delicious.  

Gobble, Gobble!