Slept late, until 8 a.m. After breakfast, I did stair stepping, resistance bands, and weights exercises. Got ready for the day, and then spent the morning doing chores.
Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning. Before lunch, we watched a movie we'd borrowed from the library..."The 39 Steps," a 1935 Alfred Hitchcock classic. This is a British spy thriller in which a man unwittingly stumbles into a conspiracy that has him being chased all over Scotland, as he tries to deliver a message to a place with 39 steps. The goal is to protect information related to military secrets from falling into the wrong hands.
We followed this with another movie from the library..."The Apartment," a black and white film from 1960. It stars Jack Lemmon and Shirley McLaine. Lemmon's character works for a large insurance agency, and in an attempt to climb the corporate ladder, he agrees to lend his apartment to various higher-ups, for illicit trysts. The boss is one of the higher-ups, who is having an affair with an elevator operator, played by McLaine. Of course, Lemmon's character eventually falls in love with the elevator operator, and things get sticky.
Mother kept nodding off during this movie, and finally agreed to go to the couch for a nap.
When the movie ended, we watched our favorite college football team in a game I'd recorded on DVR. Unfortunately, this one ended as all the others have...in a wide-margin loss. We despair of the team ever climbing out of this awful slump.
Mother finished her nap around 5 p.m., in time for a supper of leftover lasagna, which I'd heated in the oven. Served this with fresh tomatoes topped with cottage cheese, coleslaw, and slices of homemade bread that Sis brought this week.
Accompanied Mother home afterward, and waited for her to shower before I returned to our house. Hubbie and I spent the evening watching TV, including the last of the four DVD's borrowed from the library. This one is called, "Talent for the Game." In this 1991 film, a baseball scout comes across a phenom coungtry-boy youngster, who can pitch faster than anyone he's ever known. They rush him into the major league, though, and naturally problems arise on the road to success. Stars Edward James Olmos, Lorraine Bracco, and John E. Coleman. Good family movie.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friday, Sept. 28
Up at 7 a.m. to get ready to head home. While Hubbie prepared the camper to hook up to the truck, a crop duster flew low over the adjacent field and sprayed the soybeans. several campers, including me, gathered at the edge of the field to enjoy the event and snap pictures. I've seen crop dusters before, but not close enough to shoot snapshots.
We were on the road by about 9 a.m. It was cloudy and cooler this morning, and it rained a little while. We traveled past delta fields of cotton, soybeans, and rice for about an hour, before the terrain suddenly changed to tree covered hills, fields dotted with round hay bales, and pastures of cattle and horses.
Purple vetch bloomd along the roadsides, and in one place a large patch of it grew profusely and prettily on undulating mounds between kudzu-covered trees.
There were an awful lot of raccoons smashed on the road. It's not mating season, so these may have been young ones, inexperienced at crossing busy highways.
We arrived home around noon, and joined Mother and Sis for lunch. Afterward, Mother and Sis watched Monday night's episode of "Dancing With the Stars," while Hubbie and I unloaded the camper, and put stuff away. Then I joined them in watching the elimination episode.
After that, we continued watching TV until suppertime. For supper, Mother chose to have a chicken salad sandwich, and Sis, Hubbie, and I opted for chili. Sis was ready to head home after that.
I accompanied Mother to her house, and then Hubbie and I relaxed in front of TV. It wasn't long before we were ready for bed. We'd had such an active few days that we were ready to konk out.
Note: we learned that while we were gone, Sis had washed a load of laundry at Mother's house, which caused the water to back up in the bathroom toilet and bathtub. Guess we'll have to call a plumber Monday. It hasn't been that long since a plumber reamed the pipes, so I don't know what's wrong this time.
***********************************************************************************
Trip Notes:
A week or so ago, I read online that Memphis is one of the ten dirtiest cities in America, and I can believe it. While the tourist attractions are well-maintained, much of the rest of the city has delapidated buildings, and ill-kept residential areas.
The roads and highways are rough, too, which is why, I suppose, that road work is constantly ongoing, which makes it difficult to travel in the area.
Saw a lot of fashion statements, worn by lots of folks with highway orange hair. No wonder I couldn't find anything appealing to wear at the mall. I don't want to make a fashion statement. I just want ordinary clothes.
At the mall: we entered at the Macy's store, at the makeup/perfume department. I thought I would gag before we got beyond the area, and for a while afterward, my nose was stopped up as if I had a cold. I don't see how the clerks stand to work there.
At the other end of the scent spectrum, we were assailed by smoke at the casino. There's a filtering system there, but it doesn't completely eliminate the odor, which clung to our hair and clothes. On our last night there, a man smoking a cigar sat down beside Hubbie. That was really stinky.
Funny: at the casino, in order to receive our $20 free play cards, we needed to devise a four-digit pin number. I used the month and day of my birth, so I'd remember it when I needed to enter it on a slot machine. Later, Hubbie said he did the same, except he was six months off on his birth month. I know he frequently forgets the names and birthdates of his family members, but his own birthdate? We laughed about this.
Interesting: all around Memphis are tiger statues, painted in various designs. In researching these online, I learned the University of Memphis alumni association has sponsored 100 of the tigers, which are placed at various points around town, in honor of the football team.
At camp: it was pretty noisy, since trains, blaring horns at crossings, rolled through day and night. Same for the constant stream of 18-wheeler trucks on the nearby highway. Added to that, we were camped directly beneath a big security light. Still, we were tired enough at night to go to sleep pretty quickly.
At the botanical garden farmer's market: boxes of fruits and veggies were priced at $4, no matter what vendor sold them. I commented on this at a vendor stand operated by a couple of oriental folks, which prompted the wife to offer me a box of tomatoes for $3. They certainly weren't worth more, since a couple of them are already going south.
In the botanical garden: at one point, a warining siren blared. We wondered why, since the sky was only partly cloudy. Soon we were startled by what sounded like sonic booms. We decided that blasting was going on somewhare, and the siren was to warn folks living nearby the site.
These days, we are never very far from family, thanks to modern technology. because of cell phones, Sis was able to call when she had trouble with her truck after she visited a beauty shop where she got a haircut. Her truck wouldn't start, and she needed to know the name of our auto shop. The guys at the shop don't know Sis, but once she told them who we are, they didn't hesitate to rescue her, bring her to our house, go back and get the truck, put a new battery in it at the shop, and deliver it to our house. When Sis left for her appointment, Mother was napping on the couch. She was still asleep when Sis returned, and was unaware of what had transpired.
Hubbie also received phones calls from his family...one in which his son reported that a family friend had experienced a horrible accident, when a large tire he was working on blew up in his face. He had to be transported by helicopter to a capital city trauma hospital. He also got a call from his sister, who underwent a nuclear stress test to determine if there is blockage in her legs.
On my cell phone, I was able to access a capital city TV station weather report about the thunderstorm at home yesterday. The storm dropped two inches of rain, and blew a few limbs out of a dead tree at the other end of the yard, but Mother and Sis were okay.
Because the campground had WiFi services, I was able to access my clinic records and get the results of my tests from a week or so ago. Everything is normal, thank goodness.
Before we left on the trip, I downloaded a library book to my e-reader. The library has recently acquired e-book capability, and I registered for the privilege a couple of weeks ago. There is a limited selection to choose from, and the more popular ones are out, but I found an available easy-read mystery, which was just right for the trip. Even though patrons check books out at the library site, they are actually downloaded to the e-reader from a popular online book/music store. I have two weeks to read the book, and then it will be automatically removed from my reader.
We were on the road by about 9 a.m. It was cloudy and cooler this morning, and it rained a little while. We traveled past delta fields of cotton, soybeans, and rice for about an hour, before the terrain suddenly changed to tree covered hills, fields dotted with round hay bales, and pastures of cattle and horses.
Purple vetch bloomd along the roadsides, and in one place a large patch of it grew profusely and prettily on undulating mounds between kudzu-covered trees.
There were an awful lot of raccoons smashed on the road. It's not mating season, so these may have been young ones, inexperienced at crossing busy highways.
We arrived home around noon, and joined Mother and Sis for lunch. Afterward, Mother and Sis watched Monday night's episode of "Dancing With the Stars," while Hubbie and I unloaded the camper, and put stuff away. Then I joined them in watching the elimination episode.
After that, we continued watching TV until suppertime. For supper, Mother chose to have a chicken salad sandwich, and Sis, Hubbie, and I opted for chili. Sis was ready to head home after that.
I accompanied Mother to her house, and then Hubbie and I relaxed in front of TV. It wasn't long before we were ready for bed. We'd had such an active few days that we were ready to konk out.
Note: we learned that while we were gone, Sis had washed a load of laundry at Mother's house, which caused the water to back up in the bathroom toilet and bathtub. Guess we'll have to call a plumber Monday. It hasn't been that long since a plumber reamed the pipes, so I don't know what's wrong this time.
***********************************************************************************
Trip Notes:
A week or so ago, I read online that Memphis is one of the ten dirtiest cities in America, and I can believe it. While the tourist attractions are well-maintained, much of the rest of the city has delapidated buildings, and ill-kept residential areas.
The roads and highways are rough, too, which is why, I suppose, that road work is constantly ongoing, which makes it difficult to travel in the area.
Saw a lot of fashion statements, worn by lots of folks with highway orange hair. No wonder I couldn't find anything appealing to wear at the mall. I don't want to make a fashion statement. I just want ordinary clothes.
At the mall: we entered at the Macy's store, at the makeup/perfume department. I thought I would gag before we got beyond the area, and for a while afterward, my nose was stopped up as if I had a cold. I don't see how the clerks stand to work there.
At the other end of the scent spectrum, we were assailed by smoke at the casino. There's a filtering system there, but it doesn't completely eliminate the odor, which clung to our hair and clothes. On our last night there, a man smoking a cigar sat down beside Hubbie. That was really stinky.
Funny: at the casino, in order to receive our $20 free play cards, we needed to devise a four-digit pin number. I used the month and day of my birth, so I'd remember it when I needed to enter it on a slot machine. Later, Hubbie said he did the same, except he was six months off on his birth month. I know he frequently forgets the names and birthdates of his family members, but his own birthdate? We laughed about this.
Interesting: all around Memphis are tiger statues, painted in various designs. In researching these online, I learned the University of Memphis alumni association has sponsored 100 of the tigers, which are placed at various points around town, in honor of the football team.
At camp: it was pretty noisy, since trains, blaring horns at crossings, rolled through day and night. Same for the constant stream of 18-wheeler trucks on the nearby highway. Added to that, we were camped directly beneath a big security light. Still, we were tired enough at night to go to sleep pretty quickly.
At the botanical garden farmer's market: boxes of fruits and veggies were priced at $4, no matter what vendor sold them. I commented on this at a vendor stand operated by a couple of oriental folks, which prompted the wife to offer me a box of tomatoes for $3. They certainly weren't worth more, since a couple of them are already going south.
In the botanical garden: at one point, a warining siren blared. We wondered why, since the sky was only partly cloudy. Soon we were startled by what sounded like sonic booms. We decided that blasting was going on somewhare, and the siren was to warn folks living nearby the site.
These days, we are never very far from family, thanks to modern technology. because of cell phones, Sis was able to call when she had trouble with her truck after she visited a beauty shop where she got a haircut. Her truck wouldn't start, and she needed to know the name of our auto shop. The guys at the shop don't know Sis, but once she told them who we are, they didn't hesitate to rescue her, bring her to our house, go back and get the truck, put a new battery in it at the shop, and deliver it to our house. When Sis left for her appointment, Mother was napping on the couch. She was still asleep when Sis returned, and was unaware of what had transpired.
Hubbie also received phones calls from his family...one in which his son reported that a family friend had experienced a horrible accident, when a large tire he was working on blew up in his face. He had to be transported by helicopter to a capital city trauma hospital. He also got a call from his sister, who underwent a nuclear stress test to determine if there is blockage in her legs.
On my cell phone, I was able to access a capital city TV station weather report about the thunderstorm at home yesterday. The storm dropped two inches of rain, and blew a few limbs out of a dead tree at the other end of the yard, but Mother and Sis were okay.
Because the campground had WiFi services, I was able to access my clinic records and get the results of my tests from a week or so ago. Everything is normal, thank goodness.
Before we left on the trip, I downloaded a library book to my e-reader. The library has recently acquired e-book capability, and I registered for the privilege a couple of weeks ago. There is a limited selection to choose from, and the more popular ones are out, but I found an available easy-read mystery, which was just right for the trip. Even though patrons check books out at the library site, they are actually downloaded to the e-reader from a popular online book/music store. I have two weeks to read the book, and then it will be automatically removed from my reader.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Thursday, Sept. 27
We slept like logs last night, and didn't wake up until around 8 a.m. After a breakfast of the honey/pecan bread with cream cheese, and fresh fruit, we got ready to go on our final tour of the Memphis area for this trip.
While we enjoyed breakfast, we watched a crop duster spray a field just beyond the soybean field adjacent to the campground. Down he came, to what looked to be within inches of the ground, where he released the chemical, and then flew up to loop around again and head for the ground. This is a dangerous job, and one I wouldn't want.
Before we went to Memphis, we stopped by a cotton field down the road, so I could snap a few pictures. Although we country mice are quite familiar with cotton fields, I think maybe our city mice relatives might not be, and will be interested in seeing snapshots on my social network page.
The field is the worse for wear, having been defoliated and picked by large cotton picking machines, but there are still bolls of cotton there. Hubbie thinks all the cotton left in the field is a waste, but the machines can't pick it as clean as human labor can. But no one wants to go back to days of picking cotton by hand. It's horribly hot, labor-instensive work. My parents tried it a couple of times after we moved south from the north, and found out quickly it wasn't for them. They just couldn't pick enough to make much money.
On our tour today, we wanted to visit Mud Island, but before that, we were interested in a winery listed on the attractions map. As with yesterday, finding it was anything but a cinch. The area map we had showed Madison Ave., the street on which the winery was supposed to be, as feeding off Riverfront Road. But we traveled the length of the road and never found it.
So we decided to go one street over and try again. Still no luck. We passed several president-named streets...Jefferson (shouldn't Madison follow Jefferson?), Monroe, Adams. No Madison. Where was Madison? Hubbie stopped at a gas station to find out. Yes, Madison was three blocks back, supposedly between Jefferson and Monroe, and there was a sign indicating it, he was told.
Okay, back we went, but still no luck in finding it. Hubbie stopped at another gas station. Yes, Madison was a couple blocks back the other way. This time, Hubbie traveled at a snail's pace, and we finally found a sign...about the size of a postage stamp...directing us onto a ramp that looped around to the street.
Of course, since there are rarely numbers on any buildings, we had to travel way up Madison, and then turn around and come back, before we spotted the building...which is now a beauty salon. Phooey.
So we proceeded to Mud Island, where we spent most of the day. It was warm today, but not excessively, so being outdoors all day was pretty comfortable. Our tour began with a monorail trip from the parking deck, across the river, to the river walk and museum on the other side.
The monorail runs approximately every fifteen minutes, so we had to wait a while. In the meantime, a staff member sprayed all the seats with a sanitizer, which was comforting.
On the other side, we strolled through the two levels of observation decks, then went to the lower level, where the museum is located. This is an interesting museum that traces the history of the area, and its people.
It also displays history of river transport, and how Memphis sprang up as a music capital. A film shows how dangerous the river has been over the years, as riverboats and other boats sank in storms, and how the river flooded much of the area in earlier days.
The museum is comprised of 18 galleries showing 10,000 years of history. Here, there is a full-size replica of a riverboat, and a replica of "Old Ironsides," which includes cannons that loudly "fire" upon the enemy.
The museum also includes five galleries that trace the area's musical history, from Jazz to Ragtime, to Blues, to Rock 'n Roll.
From the museum, we strolled the unique river walk that includes an exact scale model of the lower Mississippi River from its confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, Ill., 954 miles south to the Gulf of Mexico. Twenty cities are mapped along the river walk. The model empties into an acre size Gulf of Mexico. All of the model flows with water, through concrete sections designed to allow the water to flow from north to south. The entire model is five blocks long. So we got our exercise today walking its length and back.
By 1 p.m., our tummies were rumbling. There was a sandwich shop near the museum and gift shop, but we wanted something more substantial. In asking, we were told that another restaurant was at the other end of the walk. No one seemed to know about the restaurant we could clearly see in what looked like a glassed walkway above, and which was clearly identified on the side of the building as a restuarant, so no one could tell us how to get to it. So we traiped down to the other end of the walk, where we found a hamburger joint, and paid dearly for two hamburgers, a bag of potato chips, and two bottles of water.
By 2 p.m., we were ready to head back to camp. Relaxed for a while, and then prepared a supper of leftover lasagna, served with coleslaw, and sliced tomatoes.
Afterward, we went to the casino, where we played for a couple of hours. Mother had sent $20 to play for her, and we won that back, plus $2. I personally blew $18 of my own money. But we still came away with the $26 from the $40 free passes given to us by the casino. Hubbie broke even.
The thing we don't like about this casino is that you can't play the penny slots one dollar at a time. You have to put a minimum of five dollars in. Tuesday and last night, I found one penny slot machine that took singles, but tonight it would only accept $5. Staff at the casino managed to get wise about the machine and fixed it, I guess.
Spent the rest of the evening in our own activities...Hubbie reading his John Grisham novel, and I playing on my laptop.
While we enjoyed breakfast, we watched a crop duster spray a field just beyond the soybean field adjacent to the campground. Down he came, to what looked to be within inches of the ground, where he released the chemical, and then flew up to loop around again and head for the ground. This is a dangerous job, and one I wouldn't want.
Before we went to Memphis, we stopped by a cotton field down the road, so I could snap a few pictures. Although we country mice are quite familiar with cotton fields, I think maybe our city mice relatives might not be, and will be interested in seeing snapshots on my social network page.
The field is the worse for wear, having been defoliated and picked by large cotton picking machines, but there are still bolls of cotton there. Hubbie thinks all the cotton left in the field is a waste, but the machines can't pick it as clean as human labor can. But no one wants to go back to days of picking cotton by hand. It's horribly hot, labor-instensive work. My parents tried it a couple of times after we moved south from the north, and found out quickly it wasn't for them. They just couldn't pick enough to make much money.
On our tour today, we wanted to visit Mud Island, but before that, we were interested in a winery listed on the attractions map. As with yesterday, finding it was anything but a cinch. The area map we had showed Madison Ave., the street on which the winery was supposed to be, as feeding off Riverfront Road. But we traveled the length of the road and never found it.
So we decided to go one street over and try again. Still no luck. We passed several president-named streets...Jefferson (shouldn't Madison follow Jefferson?), Monroe, Adams. No Madison. Where was Madison? Hubbie stopped at a gas station to find out. Yes, Madison was three blocks back, supposedly between Jefferson and Monroe, and there was a sign indicating it, he was told.
Okay, back we went, but still no luck in finding it. Hubbie stopped at another gas station. Yes, Madison was a couple blocks back the other way. This time, Hubbie traveled at a snail's pace, and we finally found a sign...about the size of a postage stamp...directing us onto a ramp that looped around to the street.
Of course, since there are rarely numbers on any buildings, we had to travel way up Madison, and then turn around and come back, before we spotted the building...which is now a beauty salon. Phooey.
So we proceeded to Mud Island, where we spent most of the day. It was warm today, but not excessively, so being outdoors all day was pretty comfortable. Our tour began with a monorail trip from the parking deck, across the river, to the river walk and museum on the other side.
The monorail runs approximately every fifteen minutes, so we had to wait a while. In the meantime, a staff member sprayed all the seats with a sanitizer, which was comforting.
On the other side, we strolled through the two levels of observation decks, then went to the lower level, where the museum is located. This is an interesting museum that traces the history of the area, and its people.
It also displays history of river transport, and how Memphis sprang up as a music capital. A film shows how dangerous the river has been over the years, as riverboats and other boats sank in storms, and how the river flooded much of the area in earlier days.
The museum is comprised of 18 galleries showing 10,000 years of history. Here, there is a full-size replica of a riverboat, and a replica of "Old Ironsides," which includes cannons that loudly "fire" upon the enemy.
The museum also includes five galleries that trace the area's musical history, from Jazz to Ragtime, to Blues, to Rock 'n Roll.
From the museum, we strolled the unique river walk that includes an exact scale model of the lower Mississippi River from its confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, Ill., 954 miles south to the Gulf of Mexico. Twenty cities are mapped along the river walk. The model empties into an acre size Gulf of Mexico. All of the model flows with water, through concrete sections designed to allow the water to flow from north to south. The entire model is five blocks long. So we got our exercise today walking its length and back.
By 1 p.m., our tummies were rumbling. There was a sandwich shop near the museum and gift shop, but we wanted something more substantial. In asking, we were told that another restaurant was at the other end of the walk. No one seemed to know about the restaurant we could clearly see in what looked like a glassed walkway above, and which was clearly identified on the side of the building as a restuarant, so no one could tell us how to get to it. So we traiped down to the other end of the walk, where we found a hamburger joint, and paid dearly for two hamburgers, a bag of potato chips, and two bottles of water.
By 2 p.m., we were ready to head back to camp. Relaxed for a while, and then prepared a supper of leftover lasagna, served with coleslaw, and sliced tomatoes.
Afterward, we went to the casino, where we played for a couple of hours. Mother had sent $20 to play for her, and we won that back, plus $2. I personally blew $18 of my own money. But we still came away with the $26 from the $40 free passes given to us by the casino. Hubbie broke even.
The thing we don't like about this casino is that you can't play the penny slots one dollar at a time. You have to put a minimum of five dollars in. Tuesday and last night, I found one penny slot machine that took singles, but tonight it would only accept $5. Staff at the casino managed to get wise about the machine and fixed it, I guess.
Spent the rest of the evening in our own activities...Hubbie reading his John Grisham novel, and I playing on my laptop.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Wednesday, Sept. 26
Slept late this morning, until nearly 8 a.m. After a breakfast of blueberry muffins and fresh fruit, we got ready to tour a couple of places in the Memphis area.
Good thing we had all day to goof off, because it took too forevers to find the Wolfchase Galleria at Germantown. We knew what road we needed to take, but there were no signs to indicate the intersections. Finally had to stop at a gas station to get directions. An insurance agent getting gas there, pointed us in the right direction. We weren't far off the mark, but did have to backtrack a little way.
We found the correct road, but then couldn't see any numbers on buildings to tell us how close we were. Again, we stopped at a gas station. Here, another man was very helpful. He commented that he'd once been a UPS driver, and when he first began his job, he thought he'd never learn the territory, because of the lack of signs and numbers. Altogethr, it was a long drive, and took over an hour to get there.
The mall is huge, anchored by Macy's at one end, and Dillard's at the other end. We got our exercise walking the length of it. Stopped in lots of stores, but I found nothing I wanted. The one interesing thing I noticed, was a stroller with two curly-headed twins. The dark-haired girls were asleep, each with her head turned in the same direction.
We opted for lunch at the food court, where we shared a Philly cheese wrap. I'd never eaten one, and while Hubbie seemed to like it, I don't think I'll need another one.
One thing I noticed about the mall is how active and noisy it is. In the food court alone, there were no fewer than six large screen TVs surrounding the court, on which various musical artists were featured. Those along with the neon signs advertising the five fast-food vendors along one side, was information overload. Not a relaxing atmosphere for enjoying a meal.
An interesting feature of the mall is a full-size carousel housed in an atrium area. We opted out of riding it, however.
From the mall, we attempted to travel the same way we'd come, but encountered a traffic jam on the highway. Don't know what had traffic stalled, but Hubbie decided to take an off-ramp to get out of it. We meandered all over Memphis before we came upon a street he recognized that took us to the botanical garden.
Spent the rest of the afternoon strolling the paved paths through the gardens. There's not a lot in bloom this time of year, but the rose garden is still beautiful, and the herb garden is lush. A Japanese serenity garden is featured, that includes a bright red bridge that crosses a lake of koi fish.
There's also a children's garden of whimsy in which full-size furniture is filled with plants...bedsteads, bathtubs, sinks, etc. It's set up to look like rooms of furniture. A full-size "tree house" is featured, too...a house on stilts built around a large tree trunk.
The weather was very pleasant for touring the gardens. We spent a couple of hours there, because the area is so large.
A farmer's market was set up on a parking lot of the garden visitor's center today. Here, we bought tomatoes, peaches, and a small loaf of honey pecan bread, before heading back to the camper.
It was nearly 5 p.m. by the time we got back. For supper, I fixed microwave baked potatoes, which I overbaked a little. We topped them with chili and cheese. The sour cream I'd brought along was ruined, thanks to having frozen yesterday and thawed today.
After supper, we went to the casino. This time, I remembered to take along my license, so I got a free $20 card to use in the slot machines. We spent about an hour playing on the casino's dime, and came away with $31 of $40 we'd been given. So we've got enough to make another night of it tomorrow.
Back at camp, we were pooped after our very active day, and it wasn't long before we welcomed our bed.
Good thing we had all day to goof off, because it took too forevers to find the Wolfchase Galleria at Germantown. We knew what road we needed to take, but there were no signs to indicate the intersections. Finally had to stop at a gas station to get directions. An insurance agent getting gas there, pointed us in the right direction. We weren't far off the mark, but did have to backtrack a little way.
We found the correct road, but then couldn't see any numbers on buildings to tell us how close we were. Again, we stopped at a gas station. Here, another man was very helpful. He commented that he'd once been a UPS driver, and when he first began his job, he thought he'd never learn the territory, because of the lack of signs and numbers. Altogethr, it was a long drive, and took over an hour to get there.
The mall is huge, anchored by Macy's at one end, and Dillard's at the other end. We got our exercise walking the length of it. Stopped in lots of stores, but I found nothing I wanted. The one interesing thing I noticed, was a stroller with two curly-headed twins. The dark-haired girls were asleep, each with her head turned in the same direction.
We opted for lunch at the food court, where we shared a Philly cheese wrap. I'd never eaten one, and while Hubbie seemed to like it, I don't think I'll need another one.
One thing I noticed about the mall is how active and noisy it is. In the food court alone, there were no fewer than six large screen TVs surrounding the court, on which various musical artists were featured. Those along with the neon signs advertising the five fast-food vendors along one side, was information overload. Not a relaxing atmosphere for enjoying a meal.
An interesting feature of the mall is a full-size carousel housed in an atrium area. We opted out of riding it, however.
From the mall, we attempted to travel the same way we'd come, but encountered a traffic jam on the highway. Don't know what had traffic stalled, but Hubbie decided to take an off-ramp to get out of it. We meandered all over Memphis before we came upon a street he recognized that took us to the botanical garden.
Spent the rest of the afternoon strolling the paved paths through the gardens. There's not a lot in bloom this time of year, but the rose garden is still beautiful, and the herb garden is lush. A Japanese serenity garden is featured, that includes a bright red bridge that crosses a lake of koi fish.
There's also a children's garden of whimsy in which full-size furniture is filled with plants...bedsteads, bathtubs, sinks, etc. It's set up to look like rooms of furniture. A full-size "tree house" is featured, too...a house on stilts built around a large tree trunk.
The weather was very pleasant for touring the gardens. We spent a couple of hours there, because the area is so large.
A farmer's market was set up on a parking lot of the garden visitor's center today. Here, we bought tomatoes, peaches, and a small loaf of honey pecan bread, before heading back to the camper.
It was nearly 5 p.m. by the time we got back. For supper, I fixed microwave baked potatoes, which I overbaked a little. We topped them with chili and cheese. The sour cream I'd brought along was ruined, thanks to having frozen yesterday and thawed today.
After supper, we went to the casino. This time, I remembered to take along my license, so I got a free $20 card to use in the slot machines. We spent about an hour playing on the casino's dime, and came away with $31 of $40 we'd been given. So we've got enough to make another night of it tomorrow.
Back at camp, we were pooped after our very active day, and it wasn't long before we welcomed our bed.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Tuesday, Sept. 25
Camping trip, day one:
Tuesday, Sept. 25: no hurry to get up this morning, since we didn’t expect Sis to arrive until later in the morning, and we had almost everything packed and ready in the camper. We continued with last-minute preparations before noon, and after Sis arrived, we joined her and Mother for lunch.
Left home around noon. Trip uneventful, and we arrived at the KOA campground around 3 p.m. Finding the entrance was a trick. We took the exit ramp advised by the KOA guidebook, and went over the overpass and down the road to the campground. Ended up on the back side of the facility, though, where a large sign advised that this was for permanent campers only. A chain across the entrance prevented us from entering.
Hubbie walked into the campground and talked with a resident, who said we should go to the next road, turn right, then turn right again to get to the campground entrance. Success this time. Hubbie got us registered, and then some guy named “Sparky” led us by golf cart to our graveled drive-through space. In fact, there is no pavement in the entire park…all the roads are gravel, though there are patches of “lawn” near each campsite. The space is adequate, under some shade trees, with a view overlooking a lovely soybean field. And it’s full service, which we like.
But, wow, was it windy today, which is pretty typical of the delta area of our state. As a veterinary friend once said of flatlands like this, “there’s nothing between you and the wind but a barbed wire fence.”
The campground has WiFi access, though after I accessed it, it threw a window up saying the service wasn’t available, even though it said I was connected and the signal was strong. But it finally came on. Guess the computer had to think about it for a while.
Despite Hubbie’s declaration to the contrary, the campground does have cable service, though we were told it has only been available this past year. Hubbie was misinformed by the 2011-2012 KOA guidebook, so he decided to leave the TV at home.
Once we had set up the camper, we explored the gift shop, where Hubbie commented about our experience finding the entrance. The lady there said there was a large sign directing campers. I saw the sign, but it seemed to point to a highway ramp. I guess, though, that it swung folks around to the access road leading to the entrance. It’s pretty confusing, and according to the lady Hubbie talked to at the permanent camper area, lots of folks make the same mistake that we did.
We also explored the recreation/pancake breakfast room, which is equipped with a pool table, a TV, and books and puzzles, as well as a kitchen. In the past KOA campgrounds served free pancake breakfasts. Not anymore. Prices range anywhere from $1.10 for a pastry, all the way up to $6 for all-you-can-eat pancakes, with two sausages or three slices of bacon. We’ll pass, thank you.
At the registration office, we were given a park information page that includes campground guidelines, including: all leashes must be accompanied by a dog; your neighbors should be quiet between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. so that you can get a good night’s sleep; all kids under 18 should take an adult to the pool…parents like to feel needed; and, no clotheslines…this isn’t the place to air your clean or dirty laundry.
Later, for supper, we had bowls of chili, with slices of cheese, dollops of sour cream, and oyster crackers. This is when we discovered that the refrigerator is freezing the food. The container of chili, and the container of sour cream, were both frozen solid. Items we put in there today were still okay. But Hubbie decided to shut the fridge off in hopes it would re-set itself.
After supper, we went to a casino, where we knew we could get $20 free-play cards as first-time players. The only thing was, we had to have our driver’s licenses, and I didn’t bring mine. So Hubbie got his card, and I’ll get mine tomorrow.
I’m not fond of this casino, because all but one of the penny slot machines we checked out required a minimum of five dollars. Also, we had trouble figuring out how to get Hubbie’s $20 card to work. A staff member finally had to help him. It required a pin number, and some other information, to get it started. He played five dollars of it, and I spent $3 at the penny machine. No winnings, of course, but we were entertained for a couple of hours.
Decided to leave around 7:30. If it was difficult maneuvering into a parking space with our long truck when we arrived, it was darn near impossible by the time we left the packed parking lot. Hubbie ended up backing into the vehicle in the row behind us. He got out to check it, but found no damage, since he had hit a truck with a large front bumper. Glad it wasn’t a car, which these days seem to be made of tin-foil, or we’d have been paying for damages!
Back at camp, we each engaged in our own activities…Hubbie reading a John Grisham novel, and I playing on my laptop, until bedtime.
Tuesday, Sept. 25: no hurry to get up this morning, since we didn’t expect Sis to arrive until later in the morning, and we had almost everything packed and ready in the camper. We continued with last-minute preparations before noon, and after Sis arrived, we joined her and Mother for lunch.
Left home around noon. Trip uneventful, and we arrived at the KOA campground around 3 p.m. Finding the entrance was a trick. We took the exit ramp advised by the KOA guidebook, and went over the overpass and down the road to the campground. Ended up on the back side of the facility, though, where a large sign advised that this was for permanent campers only. A chain across the entrance prevented us from entering.
Hubbie walked into the campground and talked with a resident, who said we should go to the next road, turn right, then turn right again to get to the campground entrance. Success this time. Hubbie got us registered, and then some guy named “Sparky” led us by golf cart to our graveled drive-through space. In fact, there is no pavement in the entire park…all the roads are gravel, though there are patches of “lawn” near each campsite. The space is adequate, under some shade trees, with a view overlooking a lovely soybean field. And it’s full service, which we like.
But, wow, was it windy today, which is pretty typical of the delta area of our state. As a veterinary friend once said of flatlands like this, “there’s nothing between you and the wind but a barbed wire fence.”
The campground has WiFi access, though after I accessed it, it threw a window up saying the service wasn’t available, even though it said I was connected and the signal was strong. But it finally came on. Guess the computer had to think about it for a while.
Despite Hubbie’s declaration to the contrary, the campground does have cable service, though we were told it has only been available this past year. Hubbie was misinformed by the 2011-2012 KOA guidebook, so he decided to leave the TV at home.
Once we had set up the camper, we explored the gift shop, where Hubbie commented about our experience finding the entrance. The lady there said there was a large sign directing campers. I saw the sign, but it seemed to point to a highway ramp. I guess, though, that it swung folks around to the access road leading to the entrance. It’s pretty confusing, and according to the lady Hubbie talked to at the permanent camper area, lots of folks make the same mistake that we did.
We also explored the recreation/pancake breakfast room, which is equipped with a pool table, a TV, and books and puzzles, as well as a kitchen. In the past KOA campgrounds served free pancake breakfasts. Not anymore. Prices range anywhere from $1.10 for a pastry, all the way up to $6 for all-you-can-eat pancakes, with two sausages or three slices of bacon. We’ll pass, thank you.
At the registration office, we were given a park information page that includes campground guidelines, including: all leashes must be accompanied by a dog; your neighbors should be quiet between the hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. so that you can get a good night’s sleep; all kids under 18 should take an adult to the pool…parents like to feel needed; and, no clotheslines…this isn’t the place to air your clean or dirty laundry.
Later, for supper, we had bowls of chili, with slices of cheese, dollops of sour cream, and oyster crackers. This is when we discovered that the refrigerator is freezing the food. The container of chili, and the container of sour cream, were both frozen solid. Items we put in there today were still okay. But Hubbie decided to shut the fridge off in hopes it would re-set itself.
After supper, we went to a casino, where we knew we could get $20 free-play cards as first-time players. The only thing was, we had to have our driver’s licenses, and I didn’t bring mine. So Hubbie got his card, and I’ll get mine tomorrow.
I’m not fond of this casino, because all but one of the penny slot machines we checked out required a minimum of five dollars. Also, we had trouble figuring out how to get Hubbie’s $20 card to work. A staff member finally had to help him. It required a pin number, and some other information, to get it started. He played five dollars of it, and I spent $3 at the penny machine. No winnings, of course, but we were entertained for a couple of hours.
Decided to leave around 7:30. If it was difficult maneuvering into a parking space with our long truck when we arrived, it was darn near impossible by the time we left the packed parking lot. Hubbie ended up backing into the vehicle in the row behind us. He got out to check it, but found no damage, since he had hit a truck with a large front bumper. Glad it wasn’t a car, which these days seem to be made of tin-foil, or we’d have been paying for damages!
Back at camp, we each engaged in our own activities…Hubbie reading a John Grisham novel, and I playing on my laptop, until bedtime.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Monday, Sept. 24
Up at 6:30 to get ready to go to water aerobics. The morning began a bit stormy, so I wondered if I'd have to opt out of swimming, like I did last Friday. But by the time I was ready to go, it was only drizzling a little. There was a nip in the air, though, so my fleece outfit and hoodie felt good.
At the dressing room, some ladies arrived who said eleven members showed up Friday, but were asked to vacate the pool shortly after they got in, due to lightning. One of the ladies commented that a few of the others took showers despite the thunderstorm. We agreed that during lightning storms, showers are no safer than swimming pools.
During swim time, before water aerobics started, one of the ladies talked about how destructive the army worms are, which prompted one of the other ladies to relate a story about her son, who works for the highway department.
Seems he and his crew were working on a highway about a mile south of us, and during their work, they needed to stop traffic while they completed a task. It happened that at the same time, a mass of army worms were marching across the road, just beyond the work site. Folks who were being stopped asked if the reason they were being held up was to allow the worms to cross the road safely, as if army worms are a protected species.
We all laughed, and then the first lady commented that if we see a mass of worms crossing a road, we should treat them like black ice and not slow down, since squishing a large mass of worms can cause a car to slide just as ice can.
The water in the pool this morning was heavenly warm. Twenty-one of us enjoyed the session.
As soon as I returned home, Hubbie hopped in the van to run errands, including picking up last-minute groceries for the trip. As soon as I had a couple of cups of coffee to warm up, and got ready for the day, I accompanied Mother to our house.
By now, it was 11:30, and time for Mother's lunch, so I made a batch of Ramen Noodle soup for her. She was very ready to eat, since she'd had breakfast around 6 a.m.
Hubbie and I ate as soon as he returned with a container of chicken salad, which we sampled in sandwiches.
Following lunch, I reviewed the lesson plan for today's tutoring session. Met my student at 2:30, as usual.
During the past week, the student had worked on organizing the clothing she bought to send to Venezuela to sell in her shop. One thing she did was compare her purchases with her sales receipts. In doing so, she discovered that several items were not listed on the receipts.
She feels strongly about paying the correct amount at stores, so she took all the items she bought back to the store, and asked a clerk to check the total again. It turned out that she owed for some of the items, just as she thought, and she was relieved to pay for them. Her conscious wouldn't have allowed her to do anything else, and I know how she feels, because I feel the same way. I don't want to be overcharged or undercharged. I just want to pay what I owe.
She commented that when she lived in Costa Rica, the clerk had failed to charge her for fourteen items she bought. When she took the massive number of items she'd purchased back to the store, it took four clerks to add them all up again. They told her that it was the first time anyone had ever returned items in order to pay the store more!
Today's lesson involved action verbs: loads/lifts/drops/pushes/pulls, as well as questions with "which." Which dress did you buy? The blue one. Which road are you going to take? The shore road.
She then had to convert statements to questions, using which. She did fine with sentences like: Ann is reading the English book. Which book is Ann reading? or, Sam is wearing his black coat. Which coat is Sam wearing?
But she stumbled on sentences like: They went to Green Lake State Park...which required her to change "went" to "go:" Which park did they go to? And, "I bought the blue dress," which changed to, "Which coat did you buy?"
Using a "would you mind" phrase with an "ing" verb was easier for her: "would you mind closing the door?" "would you mind opening the window?" She also had no problem with answers to "would you mind" questions: "Would you mind closing the window?" "Not at all." "Would you mind helping me?" "I'd be glad to."
She also had no problem with structure focus on "spend plus time expressions plus verb-ing: "Joan and her mother spent the day fishing." "I spent two hours studying."
We ended the session with listening comprehension, and a lesson in her workbook.
Back home, Hubbie had heated leftover lasagna, along with a dish of whole kernel corn, in the oven. Served that with cottage cheese, and slices of buttered bread.
Accompanied Mother home afterward, and then Hubbie and I spent the evening watching TV, including an episode of the British detective show, "Wallander," and the season premiere of "Dancing With the Stars."
At the dressing room, some ladies arrived who said eleven members showed up Friday, but were asked to vacate the pool shortly after they got in, due to lightning. One of the ladies commented that a few of the others took showers despite the thunderstorm. We agreed that during lightning storms, showers are no safer than swimming pools.
During swim time, before water aerobics started, one of the ladies talked about how destructive the army worms are, which prompted one of the other ladies to relate a story about her son, who works for the highway department.
Seems he and his crew were working on a highway about a mile south of us, and during their work, they needed to stop traffic while they completed a task. It happened that at the same time, a mass of army worms were marching across the road, just beyond the work site. Folks who were being stopped asked if the reason they were being held up was to allow the worms to cross the road safely, as if army worms are a protected species.
We all laughed, and then the first lady commented that if we see a mass of worms crossing a road, we should treat them like black ice and not slow down, since squishing a large mass of worms can cause a car to slide just as ice can.
The water in the pool this morning was heavenly warm. Twenty-one of us enjoyed the session.
As soon as I returned home, Hubbie hopped in the van to run errands, including picking up last-minute groceries for the trip. As soon as I had a couple of cups of coffee to warm up, and got ready for the day, I accompanied Mother to our house.
By now, it was 11:30, and time for Mother's lunch, so I made a batch of Ramen Noodle soup for her. She was very ready to eat, since she'd had breakfast around 6 a.m.
Hubbie and I ate as soon as he returned with a container of chicken salad, which we sampled in sandwiches.
Following lunch, I reviewed the lesson plan for today's tutoring session. Met my student at 2:30, as usual.
During the past week, the student had worked on organizing the clothing she bought to send to Venezuela to sell in her shop. One thing she did was compare her purchases with her sales receipts. In doing so, she discovered that several items were not listed on the receipts.
She feels strongly about paying the correct amount at stores, so she took all the items she bought back to the store, and asked a clerk to check the total again. It turned out that she owed for some of the items, just as she thought, and she was relieved to pay for them. Her conscious wouldn't have allowed her to do anything else, and I know how she feels, because I feel the same way. I don't want to be overcharged or undercharged. I just want to pay what I owe.
She commented that when she lived in Costa Rica, the clerk had failed to charge her for fourteen items she bought. When she took the massive number of items she'd purchased back to the store, it took four clerks to add them all up again. They told her that it was the first time anyone had ever returned items in order to pay the store more!
Today's lesson involved action verbs: loads/lifts/drops/pushes/pulls, as well as questions with "which." Which dress did you buy? The blue one. Which road are you going to take? The shore road.
She then had to convert statements to questions, using which. She did fine with sentences like: Ann is reading the English book. Which book is Ann reading? or, Sam is wearing his black coat. Which coat is Sam wearing?
But she stumbled on sentences like: They went to Green Lake State Park...which required her to change "went" to "go:" Which park did they go to? And, "I bought the blue dress," which changed to, "Which coat did you buy?"
Using a "would you mind" phrase with an "ing" verb was easier for her: "would you mind closing the door?" "would you mind opening the window?" She also had no problem with answers to "would you mind" questions: "Would you mind closing the window?" "Not at all." "Would you mind helping me?" "I'd be glad to."
She also had no problem with structure focus on "spend plus time expressions plus verb-ing: "Joan and her mother spent the day fishing." "I spent two hours studying."
We ended the session with listening comprehension, and a lesson in her workbook.
Back home, Hubbie had heated leftover lasagna, along with a dish of whole kernel corn, in the oven. Served that with cottage cheese, and slices of buttered bread.
Accompanied Mother home afterward, and then Hubbie and I spent the evening watching TV, including an episode of the British detective show, "Wallander," and the season premiere of "Dancing With the Stars."
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Sunday, 23 Sept.
Today is the anniversary of my eldest brother's birthday. It is also my nephew's birthday. Happy Birthday, Nephew.
Up around 8 a.m., after a restless night. Both Hubbie and I seemed to sleep fitfully...at one point, I had fallen sound asleep, but was awakened when Hubbie emitted a high-pitched squeal. I shook him awake to make sure he was okay. He was. Just a dream, I guess. I think our restlessness was the result of overeating at the restaurant.
Skipped my exercises again, since it's Sunday, and I needed to get busy with several tasks, including doing laundry and pressing clothes. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, and she prepared a dish of lasagna, while I made a pot of chili, and boiled chicken for noodle soup. The lasagna, chili, and soup, will serve both Hubbie and me on our trip, and Mother and Sis here at home. Those things, along with baking potatoes, coleslaw, salad makings, chicken salad, and pimento cheese, should suffice for meals this week.
During a lasagna lunch, we watched a DVD movie from the library..."Winter's End," the third and last installment of the "Sarah, Plain and Tall" series, from the Hallmark Movie Channel. Mother really enjoyed this series, and is disappointed there aren't others.
Afterward, she retired to the couch for a nap, while Hubbie and I did things related to the trip.
When she finished her nap, I accompanied her home, and waited until she took a shower. At home, Hubbie and I spent the evening watching TV, including an old two-part "Matlock" movie.
For supper, we settled for raisin bran cereal, and toast with homemade muscadine jelly. Hubbie did the honors of serving the meal in the den. As he was rounding up the food, I smelled something amiss.
"Are you burning the toast?" I called to him.
He stepped into the den. "Not any more," he grinned.
We both broke out laughing.
Up around 8 a.m., after a restless night. Both Hubbie and I seemed to sleep fitfully...at one point, I had fallen sound asleep, but was awakened when Hubbie emitted a high-pitched squeal. I shook him awake to make sure he was okay. He was. Just a dream, I guess. I think our restlessness was the result of overeating at the restaurant.
Skipped my exercises again, since it's Sunday, and I needed to get busy with several tasks, including doing laundry and pressing clothes. Hubbie accompanied Mother to our house mid-morning, and she prepared a dish of lasagna, while I made a pot of chili, and boiled chicken for noodle soup. The lasagna, chili, and soup, will serve both Hubbie and me on our trip, and Mother and Sis here at home. Those things, along with baking potatoes, coleslaw, salad makings, chicken salad, and pimento cheese, should suffice for meals this week.
During a lasagna lunch, we watched a DVD movie from the library..."Winter's End," the third and last installment of the "Sarah, Plain and Tall" series, from the Hallmark Movie Channel. Mother really enjoyed this series, and is disappointed there aren't others.
Afterward, she retired to the couch for a nap, while Hubbie and I did things related to the trip.
When she finished her nap, I accompanied her home, and waited until she took a shower. At home, Hubbie and I spent the evening watching TV, including an old two-part "Matlock" movie.
For supper, we settled for raisin bran cereal, and toast with homemade muscadine jelly. Hubbie did the honors of serving the meal in the den. As he was rounding up the food, I smelled something amiss.
"Are you burning the toast?" I called to him.
He stepped into the den. "Not any more," he grinned.
We both broke out laughing.
Saturday, Sept. 22
Today is the first day of autumn. Cool weather is on its way.
Up around 7 a.m. Skipped my exercises, so we could gat ready for the day, and gather whatever was necessary for traveling south to attend a birthday party for a one-year-old great-granddaughter, and to meet for the first time a new great-granddaughter.
We were on the road by about 11 a.m., and at noon, we ate the pimento cheese sandwiches, chips, cookies, and coffee, I packed this morning. This saved us from having to stop on the way for a fast-food lunch.
We arrived at the campground around 1 p.m. Son and Daughter-in-Law were camped there, and had engaged a picnic pavilion for the event. Around sixteen children, and lots of adults were in attendance.
Hot dogs, baked beans, deviled eggs, and an assortment of chips were served, but we passed on those, and instead enjoyed cupcakes when they were served. Great-Granddaughter received lots of cute gifts. Of course, I took lots of snapshots of her.
This one-year-old is walking now, but has no teeth yet, and very little hair. The new baby, a few weeks old, on the other hand, has a crop of black hair. As with every new baby, we all enjoyed passing her around, so we could hug and kiss her, and welcome her to the family. Took lots of snapshots of her, too, naturally.
It was a sunny, warm day, in the mid-80s, but pleasant. We visited until around 4 p.m., before deciding we needed to hit the road.
Around 5:30, we stopped in a town about an hour from home to have supper at a favorite restaurant. We were surprised that there weren't more people at the restaurant. Maybe that's because it doesn't seem to be up to its previous standards.
Tonight, there was no sour ceam for the baked potatoes, which was just as well, I guess, since the potatoes weren't hot. I pushed mine aside and opted for mashed potatoes and white gravy, instead, which were hot and good. The glazed carrots weren't up to par, although the blackeye peas were good. But both the vanilla and vanilla-chocolate swirl soft-serve ice cream machines were empty, which was a disappointment to Hubbie, who can eat his weight in vanilla ice cream.
Mother was satisfied with her meal of batter fried fish and macaroni and cheese. She ate two helpings, along with helpings of both chocolate pudding and banana pudding, which is unusual for her.
We arrived home around 7:30. I accompanied Mother to her house, and then Hubbie and I unloaded the van before settling in to watch our favorite college football team, as they played to another disappointing loss. While we watched the game, I uploaded snapshots from today to my social network page.
By the end of the game, we were ready for bed. It had been a long, but fun day.
Up around 7 a.m. Skipped my exercises, so we could gat ready for the day, and gather whatever was necessary for traveling south to attend a birthday party for a one-year-old great-granddaughter, and to meet for the first time a new great-granddaughter.
We were on the road by about 11 a.m., and at noon, we ate the pimento cheese sandwiches, chips, cookies, and coffee, I packed this morning. This saved us from having to stop on the way for a fast-food lunch.
We arrived at the campground around 1 p.m. Son and Daughter-in-Law were camped there, and had engaged a picnic pavilion for the event. Around sixteen children, and lots of adults were in attendance.
Hot dogs, baked beans, deviled eggs, and an assortment of chips were served, but we passed on those, and instead enjoyed cupcakes when they were served. Great-Granddaughter received lots of cute gifts. Of course, I took lots of snapshots of her.
This one-year-old is walking now, but has no teeth yet, and very little hair. The new baby, a few weeks old, on the other hand, has a crop of black hair. As with every new baby, we all enjoyed passing her around, so we could hug and kiss her, and welcome her to the family. Took lots of snapshots of her, too, naturally.
It was a sunny, warm day, in the mid-80s, but pleasant. We visited until around 4 p.m., before deciding we needed to hit the road.
Around 5:30, we stopped in a town about an hour from home to have supper at a favorite restaurant. We were surprised that there weren't more people at the restaurant. Maybe that's because it doesn't seem to be up to its previous standards.
Tonight, there was no sour ceam for the baked potatoes, which was just as well, I guess, since the potatoes weren't hot. I pushed mine aside and opted for mashed potatoes and white gravy, instead, which were hot and good. The glazed carrots weren't up to par, although the blackeye peas were good. But both the vanilla and vanilla-chocolate swirl soft-serve ice cream machines were empty, which was a disappointment to Hubbie, who can eat his weight in vanilla ice cream.
Mother was satisfied with her meal of batter fried fish and macaroni and cheese. She ate two helpings, along with helpings of both chocolate pudding and banana pudding, which is unusual for her.
We arrived home around 7:30. I accompanied Mother to her house, and then Hubbie and I unloaded the van before settling in to watch our favorite college football team, as they played to another disappointing loss. While we watched the game, I uploaded snapshots from today to my social network page.
By the end of the game, we were ready for bed. It had been a long, but fun day.
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