Rodizio

We have been planning for a while to take Melodie out to eat at a Brazilian Rodizio before she leaves on her mission. Well, it's down to crunch time now, cause she just has two weekends left! Corey was a little worried that if we waited until next week, then some emergency would probably pop up and the opportunity would slip out of our reach. So, to prevent any last minute tragedies, we took Mel out tonight! We let her join us on date night. We usually don't let them join us for date night, cause we decided we don't like it. We need time without them. But we made an exception tonight for Mel. We had the kids come with us on date night for their birthdays one year, which I believe was 2017 from these two posts for Abi's and Sophi's birthdays, and that was when we realized we didn't like it, but we had to finish all the kids birthdays. Ethan received a food payout. It was a long process, finished up Wesley's birthday date night a month late in July 2018. So that tradition got nixed one go around. But we do make exceptions from time to time, like the "soon to be graduating" meal at the Roof with our 18 year olds. (Joseph, Mel, and Ethan got his early when he "felt" like he was an adult, haha) 

So, back to tonight. We went to Braza Grill on State Street. It was a "30" minute wait (really ended up being 50, blah) but we thought that's ok, cause that will give us time to work up our appetite. So we walked over to a Halloween store that was close by, cause Corey promised Sophi he'd get her some vampire teeth. I don't love the scary parts of Halloween, or the candy part. I do like kids dressing up, but that happens every day around here. Mel was tempted to purchase the horse head. She settled for a photo.

Then we realized there were lots of ugly masks in the background. Oh, and some signs that say "Pleas Do Not Try On Masks"... Sorry, we honestly didn't notice them! I did think after she put it on that she probably shouldn't in this corona world. But she says she doesn't have covid! Still, sorry to whoever buys that mask if she does! So, we bought a few things for kids costumes, and then went back to wait at the restaurant. We were finally seated, and went to the food bar, and Mel was having flashbacks to when we ate out in Brazil - like here when we let Mel and Hyrum join us for a meal out. 

Mel took a photo of her plate. Mmmm - rice and black beans, Molho a Campanha (Brazilian salsa), polenta, farofa, fried bananas, yummy. I really like farofa. 

But the main reason and purpose for this dining out experience was to prep Melodie for her mission by making her eat something she doesn't want to eat. Cause every missionary has an experience where they are eating with the locals and are presented with a somewhat repulsive food item. Mine happened with menudo. Corey had chicken feet and other things on his mission. If Mel makes it to Brazil, there is a good chance she will be presented with the opportunity to eat chicken hearts. So time to practice and learn how to eat something gross with a smile, so that you don't offend your host. They had to be special ordered at the restaurant. They brought us over a little bowl with probably 15 chicken hearts in it. Corey showed Mel how it was done and munched them down like popcorn. Two of them got wasted on her plate cause she couldn't do it and had the plate taken away. Corey saved a few in the bowl for her. Finally there were just two little ones left. The owner of the restaurant came over and asked how our meal was, Corey and him talked a bit in Portuguese, and he was from Sao Paulo but he actually served a mission in Joao Pessoa where Mel's been assigned! So that was cool. He said he doesn't care for chicken hearts himself. They taste, like... chicken hearts. But he told Mel he'd get her a free dessert if she ate the two last chicken hearts. The kids have all tried them before, except Melodie admitted that she never did eat one in Brazil, despite being presented with numerous opportunities. Mel, it's time. Dad wants you to do this... 

And you'll get a free dessert! Having a personal invitation extended to her by a stranger was the motivation she needed. and she hurried and chewed them up... She wanted to just swallow them asap, but her body was like "no" and wouldn't let them go down, so she kept chewing even though she wanted to get them out of her mouth, funny. Finally down they went - 

She did it! How was it Mel? 

I actually had a little bit of chicken and red meat too tonight, the first in a long time. It was good, but I'm ok with out it and won't be having any again. Corey gets meat now and then for the kids - pork sandwiches, he made sure to have steak when Ethan was doing MTC and joined us for Sunday dinners. I'm glad that I'm ok without it. Sorry cows. (That's the real way to fight global warming, by the way. ...if you think it is a real thing, (I could be persuaded) then you better be vegan or atleast start cutting back, we eat way too much meat in our western society) Ok, that's a topic for another day though, or probably not on the day that I went out to eat at a Brazilian BBQ. 

Corey was making us laugh on the way home. He skipped lunch and was hungry, and he overate. I didn't, even eating a few bites of meat and starting our meal after 8:30 pm (way later than I like to have dinner), I felt satisfied and fine. But when we were getting into the car, Corey started to groan... "Ugh..." followed by a deep breath and sigh. "I don't feel like I treated my body like a temple." Some of the meat he ate was very undercooked, I said he treated his body like a slaughter house. Then after another few deep breaths. "I feel like lying on the couch and drinking beer. ...Not that I've ever tried beer, but that's the character that fits me right now." We were laughing pretty hard at him, so he kept exploring his feelings, the last one I remember was "I feel like wearing a gold chain necklace and letting it dangle in my chest hair" Funny. It's always enjoyable to go out with Corey, and it was fun to be with Mel too, she's almost outta here. She's going to do great on her mission, Indianapolis, here she comes soon!