Welcome back to #DoubleFML FatDarrellPalooza! And welcome to 2018! Yes, Happy New Year everyone! This post was scheduled to appear at least a day sooner but unfortunately, I brought in 2018 violently ill and hovered over a toilet. #Turnup eh?

Oh, and that wasn’t alcohol induced so no, it wasn’t fun by any means. Actually, it was a case of food poisoning brought on by a bad batch of fajitas that I ate at a pretty popular national restaurant chain. I was initially surprised this location near downtown Atlanta was so empty but in hindsight I suppose it all makes sense now!

This is the first time that fajitas have ever betrayed me though (even some dodgy ones I had in Cancun) so I’ll refrain from mentioning this restaurant by name since I still plan to go back…but perhaps I’ll go to a different location next time. I’ll also ask for my fajitas to be served without the side of e.coli or whatever bad juju was in that meal.

So yeah, my New Year was rung in with hourly bathroom visits and cold sweats so hopefully yours went much better!

My cousin also ended up in the hospital, my friend Vanesa caught a cold and my friend Kim tripped over her dog though, so it sounds like I may not have been the only one who started 2018 on a bad note. Don’t worry though my friends, there are still 364 days to make things better (depending on when you read this…), so it can only go up from here eh?

At least I’m back to eating solid foods again. Yesterday the only thing that I had was electrolyte water and apple sauce but today, I’ve even had a few crackers so yeah, moving on up, right? #Turnup Indeed.

Needless to say, I wasn’t able to try eggnog yet for the follow-up edition to the 10 foods that I banned as a kid but planned to try as an adult to see if my palette changed. I’ll have to see if I can still find some before it leaves stores for good. Even when I’m not sick, memories of that stuff makes my stomach queasy just thinking about it, so there’s no way I could have held that down on New Year’s Eve!

I also couldn’t have black eyed peas or collard greens so according to my grandmother, I might be broke all year now!

I’m not sure if your household does this too, but our family tradition has always been to eat black eyed peas (to represent pennies) and collard greens (to represent dollars) on New Years Day. Supposedly that helps to bring cash in the New Year.

Last year I cheated and had a green smoothie with those items blended in. However, this year my face was about the color of that shake all day, so I couldn’t even think about attempting that again. So, let’s all hope that superstition is wrong, shall we?

They also say that whatever you’re doing at midnight is what will happen all year so hopefully that one is wrong too since I was violently ill at the time. With that said, in slightly related topics, here are a few ways to unclog a sink if you don’t have any Drano.

I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say these tips came in handy the other night.

Oh yeah, and shoutout to my New Year’s Eve date who had the pleasure of hearing me purge my soul into her sink and toilet all night and for nursing me back to health. Needless to say, she only got a kiss on the cheek at midnight. The way my breath probably smelled at the time though, trust me, she wouldn’t have wanted more than that anyway!

Speaking of the New Year’s Eve kiss, this radio DJ suggested that single guys should wear tuxedos to increase their chances of being kissed at midnight. It seems like a sound theory, so I thought I’d pass that along. Just don’t order fajitas from eerily empty restaurants before you go out that evening and you should be fine. You’re welcome!

If any of you had any awkward kisses at midnight though, please do share in the comments section!

Anyway, the night before New Year’s Eve (New Year’s Eve Eve) I got to check out the amazing holiday lights show at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. If you read the “To Helen and Back” post, you’ll know that visiting the Gardens was on my Georgia Bucket list, so it was an added bonus to get there during this amazing holiday spectacle!

I can’t even begin to imagine how much work went into putting this all together! There were so many amazing displays, exhibits and even dancing lights synchronized to classical music.

They also had a special Christmas tree constructed entirely from poinsettia plants, model trains and oh yeah, I even got to make s’mores!  Here are a few pics… 

And of course, my inner 4-year-old wouldn’t allow me to leave without taking this photo inside of the Ginger Bread Man display so all-in-all, it was a fun evening (sorry these are a little blurry – the photographer apparently started his NYE drinking a day early…)!

The Holiday Lights Show is set to end on January 7th so if you’re in the area, you still have a few days to check it out. Otherwise, I highly recommend going next year!

It was a lot of fun but man was it freezing outside! I can’t even imagine what it must have been like in Times Square on New Year’s Eve! I think the weather report said that it was 17 degrees outside? Wow! I remember walking through NYC for work during the winter and it was absolutely brutal, so standing outside for so many hours sounds torturous!

I’ve always wanted to go to Times Square for New Years but I’ll either need to get famous enough to be invited onto a tv set where I can go indoors for long stretches of time to warm up or rich enough to book a bougie hotel overlooking the ball drop. That would avoid having to stand outside, although I’m sure those rooms are booked for next year already…and probably cost a fortune!

A few restaurants in Times Square also started offering vip seating to view the ball drop as well. That’s another smart idea to stay warm…even if you’ll end up paying over $400 at Olive Garden. Hey #yolo right? Plus free breadsticks! Well, not free….$400 but whatever, heat! Warmth! Worth it.

Doing it the normal way sounds like a nightmare because you’d need to arrive nearly 24 hours in advance to secure a good spot to stand and wait for the ball to drop. Otherwise you’ll end up blocks away from the action which essentially defeats the purpose!

Once you’ve found your spot, you also won’t be able to leave to go to the bathroom since security won’t let you back in so I can imagine how many plastic bags and depends were used that day. Ugh…

College Darrell might have been up for that, but this version thinks that sounds like a lot of hassle for a minimal payoff. I guess I’m getting old huh? So, bah humbug and get off my lawn…

Going to Times Square for New Year’s Eve sounds cool as an idea but seems like something you’d quickly regret about 6 hours into standing there waiting in the freezing cold. It’s kind of like the cool idea my brother and sister-in-law had to get my super-energetic 6-year-old nephew Domonick a drum set for Christmas! Good luck with that in a few weeks (although he’s actually pretty good already)!

Anyway, whatever you did, I hope that it was amazing. Definitely tell us about it in the comments below – especially if you were in Times Square! Share your life hacks and maybe I’ll go next year….maybe.

I know that I’ve said this several weeks in a row now but man it’s cold outside! Even my friends in Florida are complaining! And here in “Hotlanta” it’s currently 32 degrees which makes this sighting even more bizarre:

Yes my friends, that is an ice cream truck and yes that is from today! It’s not the first time that he’s been here though since this daily occurrence started 2 weeks ago.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love ice cream but what psychopath is running outside in 32-degree weather to buy rocket pops? Is he selling hot chocolate or something too? Why is he driving a creeper van instead of a box truck? Is he actually making any sales? So many questions. I may have to finally go ask him next time he drives through my neighborhood.

I’ve never seen an ice cream truck in the middle of the winter before. I always thought those guys hibernated like bears during the winter or you know, got another job but this is baffling. I’ll see if I can get some answers for you next time…if I can avoid being abducted. That van looks like something Pennywise might drive…

Anyway, speaking of delicious treats, look what I got!

Yes kids, dreams really do come true! The Oreo Candy Canes are finally mine!

As for the taste? Wow, they really do taste like Oreos! They’re obviously not as fulfilling as the actual cookie, but they really did nail this flavor!

I’m not sure I’d be able to go through an entire candy cane in one sitting since I’m one of the rare people who prefers the cookie more than the filling (which is the driving force behind the flavor of the candy with a little chocolate mixed in) but these are still pretty impressive.

Of course, with a sticker price of nearly $24 before Christmas (these were a gift from someone as sweet as a bag of Oreos), they’d better be impressive! I’m not sure what the normal cost is or whether you’ll be able to find them much longer, but I have seen them on Amazon (warning: affiliate plug ahead…).

Speaking of Amazon, did you know that you can help support this blog by clicking our Amazon affiliates link here before you shop each time? You’ll still get the same great low prices and deals but we’ll get a small commission for referring you. Thanks in advance for your support!

And yes, I am still recovering from food poisoning but if you think I was going to wait a full week or so to test these out you must be insane and definitely not a regular reader!

Oh yeah, and before we move on from foodie gifts, check out one of the items my brother and his family gave me!

Yes, I’m a die-hard 49ers fan and despite a rough start to their season, look out for them and their new quarterback, Jimmy GQ, next year!

Whoever your team is though, you have to admit, these are pretty cool! As my friend Marilyn always says, F Yo’ Team but with that said, I’m sure these still come in other team options. Hey, maybe you should check Amazon for these too! Did I mention that we have an affiliates link?

Do you have another food item, restaurant or recipe we should all try? Tell us about it in the comments below! Also make sure to join our foodie group Phenomnomnomenal on Facebook by clicking here!

Oh yeah, and let’s take a closer look at that shirt from the Oreos Candy Cane pics, shall we?

Yes, here’s hoping to go from being this guy…

…to being this guy in 2018! (…even if I didn’t eat my black eyed peas and collard greens this year. Sorry Gram!)

Speaking of crazy shirts, it was January 2, 2017 that I donned that crazy Donut Shirt for the very first post here at #DoubleFML FatDarrellPalooza! Since then, we’ve been through numerous states, holidays and events together and we’re still just getting started!

I personally want to thank each of you for making 2017 a great year and here’s to making 2018 even better!

Oh yeah, and my advice from that very first post still applies (click here to check it out). There will always be bullies and haters, so you have to focus on making yourself happy and not caring so much about what the world thinks. Selling your soul for a few “likes” and the validation of strangers is a dangerous game that never ends well.

Sure, we obviously want our loved ones and significant others to be proud of us so they’ll always be a factor but ultimately you need to find your happiness from within and focus on making yourself proud too.

A major part of making yourself proud is being comfortable in your own skin and not being afraid to be authentic and unapologetically you. Let you freak flag fly, if people can’t accept the real you, they don’t deserve to.

That’s just 2 cents from the grown man wearing the goofy tees and posing with childish candy after taking a public photo as a gingerbread man. So yeah, clearly I donut give a sheet…but neither should you.

Oh yeah, and if you did read that first post, seriously, where are my kangaroo and giraffe emojis???

It’s a New Year and many of you may have made resolutions to get fit. Just saying that you want to get fit isn’t enough though so seriously flesh out a detailed game plan and commit to it in writing. That will help you stay focused better than simply throwing that statement out there as a general concept as you tear through a bag of Doritos. Just wanting it isn’t enough, you’ll also have to work for it.

My other fitness tip goes out to those who are actually in shape already. My friend and fitness competitor, Alex Yeremenko posted this the other day and it’s the absolute truth:

Many of my fellow gym-rats complain about the influx of people who enter the gym each January, but I personally love seeing people reach for their dreams. Instead of turning up your nose at “the newbies taking up all of the equipment” cheer them on. We were all newbies at one point, right?

I know that I really appreciated the help when I first started working out and much of that knowledge that I learned as a newbie, I’ve been able to pass along during my career as a fitness trainer. You never know the impact that you could have on someone’s entire life so pay it forward, it might be more rewarding than you expect.

If you do have a fitness goal for this year, please tell us in the comments below and share updates so we can cheer you on. Also feel free to post questions below and stay tuned for the upcoming My Fitness Muse blog that will only focus on health and fitness!

Today’s Soundtrack

Flashing Lights – Kanye West

Today – Smashing Pumpkins (if you’ve seen the music video, you’ll get the ice cream truck reference)

Let’s get it Started – Black Eyed Peas (Sorry Gram!)

Mo Money Mo Problems – The Notorious B.I.G. (Hey, if you’re going to have problems anyway, this one sound like a decent one to have!)

Do you have another song that fits today’s themes or that’s just so good we should check it out anyway? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Before we go, I once again want to sincerely thank everyone who has supported this blog through it’s amazing first year! Thank you for the likes, comments, shares and feedback – I genuinely appreciate all of you!

I look forward to providing you with even more great content in 2018 and in the immediate future, I look forward to holding down more solid foods tomorrow!

That is a great reminder though, no matter how bad your 2018 started, tomorrow is another opportunity to turn things around! That’s what it’s all about… (yes, I did just quote The Hokey Pokey Song…)

Okay, that’s about it for today. I’m apparently getting loopy again…but not loopy enough that I won’t remind you to click the side panel to follow me on social media and remind you to drop a comment below before you leave!

Thanks again for dropping by and once again Happy New Year everyone! Until next time my friends, May the Fork be With You…

-Darrell

“Life is not a Fairy Tale. If you Lose Your Shoe at Midnight, You’re Drunk.”