Happy Birthday, Babies!
Big Happy Birthday wishes to Auntie Kate and Jessie!
Storm Chasers
All we wanted was to go to Chilli's. It's an American chain Tex-Mex restaurant and since Heather and Kristen are with us at the same time, we decided it would be fun to do a little night of Americana with Jorge and Ray. Poor Ray. Outnumbered by four Americans, he didn't really have a chance.
There are three Chilli's that we know of. One in Wentworthville, one in Campbelltown, and one in Wollongong. We were going to Wentworthville because it was closest. Heather, Kristen, and I had never been to Chilli's in Oz.
It seemed like a simple plan.
We left at 6pm so we could be stuffing our faces by 7.30pm. We weren't trying to do anything fancy. We just wanted a bit of Tex-Mex with free refills, waitresses/waiters we would remember, and a bit of corny Yank nostalgia.
So, we're going along, the boys up front, and the three gals wedged in the backseat. As we're driving, the heavens open up and treat us to a thunderstorm full of heavy rain and hail and all that fun stuff. It's really hard to see, but Ray keeps driving bravely. Finally we spot the Chilli's sign. It calls to us, like a beacon in the night. But it's on the "wrong" side of the road, so Ray take a right to try to come around from the other side. Okay, so we get a teensy weensy bit lost. Just momentarily. HUGE apologies to the poor woman walking on the sidewalk of that little side street we went down. This one street was totally flooded and the car in front of us went by and sprayed a tsunami over this poor lady. We yell, "Oh no!" at the poor dear getting soaked while realising we are about to do the same thing. Ooops!
So, an hour or so after leaving Newtown, we pull up to the infamous Chilli's. We cheer! We made it. Then we say, "Huh. Doesn't it look awfully dark in there?" And we notice all these people coming out. Huh. Ray immediately starts freaking out saying, "Don't tell me they're closed!" So Jorge and I walk in the restaurant, leaving Ray, Kristen and Heather in the car, to go check out the situation. Women coming out tell me, "You won't get any food in there!" I grab a Chilli's employee and ask, "Are you closed?" And he says yup. The electrical storm knocked out the electricity. So Chilli's is closed. What are the chances? We're all infamous for our bad luck, particularly the chaos attractors Lori and Kristen.
Plan B
We could just go back to Sydney, but we're starving. So we're going to drive another half hour to the Chilli's in Campbelltown. We call ahead to make sure they're open. They are. They seem surprised that we ask if they're open. We also want to ask, "Right, so you're really open? How's the weather looking outside?" So we trek along to Chilli's number two and we get stuck in major traffic. Why is there major traffic? Because the road is totally flooded. At this point Ray says, "Okay, I have to ask a question. Is it just me or is this a sign that we're not meant to go to Chilli's? Is God telling us to turn back?" We try to be encouraging and say, "Ah Ray, you can make it, the flooding's not that bad!" Meanwhile, there are two rrushing rivers forming on either side of us and I mistake a tree floating by for a crocodile swimming on through. Policemen are directing cars and their scared drivers through the raging waters in the street. We make it through the first lake, but it's pretty rough going. We wait and wait and see cars up ahead making illegal U-Turns because the roads are too flooded. Ray begs us to give in. We agree. So Ray follows suit and makes a U-turn as well.
It was such a simple plan.
Go to Chilli's. Eat Tex Mex. Come home.
That's all.
Plan C
So we start heading back to Sydney, wondering why we ever bothered to leave Newtown. I mean really, with the 5 of us together, we were just asking for trouble. About 2 minutes into the drive back, Ray spots a "Lonestar" restaurant and says, "How about here?" And we all say, "Hell yeah!" So we go in and there's a 30 minute wait so we head for the bar. I grab a Heineken in the spirit of Yankeeism and we wait for our magic table buzzer to blink and buzz. Every half hour the Lonestar waitresses are subjected to supreme humiliation by having to form a cirle around the tables and perform the "Lonestar" dance, which is like a half-assed choreographed cross between country line-dancing and the Macarena. We felt so bad for these girls. They looked like they wanted to die. The poor things!
So I was totally in the mood for a big juicy steak for a good 40 minutes, yet what do I end up ordering? The fish & chips. Leave it to me to order the fish & chips at a steakhouse!
So, it was a simple plan. We left at 6pm. We ate around 10pm. The food was yummy though. I was so full. I'd ordered cheese fries with melted monterrey jack and swiss chese and ranch dressing as an appetiser. I thought I'd have to be rolled out of the restaurant.
We never got our Chilli fix. Lord knows when we'll try again. But one thing's for sure. We're going to check the weather channel first ;)
Big Happy Birthday wishes to Auntie Kate and Jessie!
Storm Chasers
All we wanted was to go to Chilli's. It's an American chain Tex-Mex restaurant and since Heather and Kristen are with us at the same time, we decided it would be fun to do a little night of Americana with Jorge and Ray. Poor Ray. Outnumbered by four Americans, he didn't really have a chance.
There are three Chilli's that we know of. One in Wentworthville, one in Campbelltown, and one in Wollongong. We were going to Wentworthville because it was closest. Heather, Kristen, and I had never been to Chilli's in Oz.
It seemed like a simple plan.
We left at 6pm so we could be stuffing our faces by 7.30pm. We weren't trying to do anything fancy. We just wanted a bit of Tex-Mex with free refills, waitresses/waiters we would remember, and a bit of corny Yank nostalgia.
So, we're going along, the boys up front, and the three gals wedged in the backseat. As we're driving, the heavens open up and treat us to a thunderstorm full of heavy rain and hail and all that fun stuff. It's really hard to see, but Ray keeps driving bravely. Finally we spot the Chilli's sign. It calls to us, like a beacon in the night. But it's on the "wrong" side of the road, so Ray take a right to try to come around from the other side. Okay, so we get a teensy weensy bit lost. Just momentarily. HUGE apologies to the poor woman walking on the sidewalk of that little side street we went down. This one street was totally flooded and the car in front of us went by and sprayed a tsunami over this poor lady. We yell, "Oh no!" at the poor dear getting soaked while realising we are about to do the same thing. Ooops!
So, an hour or so after leaving Newtown, we pull up to the infamous Chilli's. We cheer! We made it. Then we say, "Huh. Doesn't it look awfully dark in there?" And we notice all these people coming out. Huh. Ray immediately starts freaking out saying, "Don't tell me they're closed!" So Jorge and I walk in the restaurant, leaving Ray, Kristen and Heather in the car, to go check out the situation. Women coming out tell me, "You won't get any food in there!" I grab a Chilli's employee and ask, "Are you closed?" And he says yup. The electrical storm knocked out the electricity. So Chilli's is closed. What are the chances? We're all infamous for our bad luck, particularly the chaos attractors Lori and Kristen.
Plan B
We could just go back to Sydney, but we're starving. So we're going to drive another half hour to the Chilli's in Campbelltown. We call ahead to make sure they're open. They are. They seem surprised that we ask if they're open. We also want to ask, "Right, so you're really open? How's the weather looking outside?" So we trek along to Chilli's number two and we get stuck in major traffic. Why is there major traffic? Because the road is totally flooded. At this point Ray says, "Okay, I have to ask a question. Is it just me or is this a sign that we're not meant to go to Chilli's? Is God telling us to turn back?" We try to be encouraging and say, "Ah Ray, you can make it, the flooding's not that bad!" Meanwhile, there are two rrushing rivers forming on either side of us and I mistake a tree floating by for a crocodile swimming on through. Policemen are directing cars and their scared drivers through the raging waters in the street. We make it through the first lake, but it's pretty rough going. We wait and wait and see cars up ahead making illegal U-Turns because the roads are too flooded. Ray begs us to give in. We agree. So Ray follows suit and makes a U-turn as well.
It was such a simple plan.
Go to Chilli's. Eat Tex Mex. Come home.
That's all.
Plan C
So we start heading back to Sydney, wondering why we ever bothered to leave Newtown. I mean really, with the 5 of us together, we were just asking for trouble. About 2 minutes into the drive back, Ray spots a "Lonestar" restaurant and says, "How about here?" And we all say, "Hell yeah!" So we go in and there's a 30 minute wait so we head for the bar. I grab a Heineken in the spirit of Yankeeism and we wait for our magic table buzzer to blink and buzz. Every half hour the Lonestar waitresses are subjected to supreme humiliation by having to form a cirle around the tables and perform the "Lonestar" dance, which is like a half-assed choreographed cross between country line-dancing and the Macarena. We felt so bad for these girls. They looked like they wanted to die. The poor things!
So I was totally in the mood for a big juicy steak for a good 40 minutes, yet what do I end up ordering? The fish & chips. Leave it to me to order the fish & chips at a steakhouse!
So, it was a simple plan. We left at 6pm. We ate around 10pm. The food was yummy though. I was so full. I'd ordered cheese fries with melted monterrey jack and swiss chese and ranch dressing as an appetiser. I thought I'd have to be rolled out of the restaurant.
We never got our Chilli fix. Lord knows when we'll try again. But one thing's for sure. We're going to check the weather channel first ;)
posted by Lori @ Verbalicious at
11:00 PM
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