Best and Worst from Trip

So, we made it home Saturday night. Traffic in Austin was so bad that I detoured around the freeway to do some food shopping. Still thinking about Gwen's great Greek dinner so I ended up stopping at the Phoenicia Bakery for some cucumber salad, peta bread and other great Greek sauces. Then stopped at my favorite Austin grocery - Sun Harvest and got the veggies I needed - then went home to call friends to come over for a copy-cat Greek dinner. I think I was a little delirious and exhausted but the dinner and conversation was fun. Sunday I was exhausted all day. But blah, blah, blah, on to my best and worst list from the trip:

Best dinner - Gwen's Greek dinner
Best potato salad - Pam's Mom's secret recipe
Worst traffic - Memphis!!
Worst problem with police stopping cars - Tennessee
Worst State for no tolerance for speeding - Arkansas
Best scenery - Kentucky and Mingo park
Worst pet-friendly State - Kentucky - especially the "Welcome to Kentucky" center
Most pet friendly State (*by a sliver) Pennsylvania
Most expensive gas - Pennsylvania (next most expensive gas - Texas)
Best gas prices - Arkansas (I saw $2.47 on the freeway)
Best tourist attraction - tied between Kentucky Knob and Lincoln's birthplace
Best idea on what to take with me on the trip - my pillow!! All beds are OK as long as you have your own pillow.
Best travel companion (once he found the back seat) - Little Seymour

I'm already thinking of my next adventure. Stay tuned!

One More Day

This was a long day - traffic in Memphis was horrible, as usual. I think the worst drivers in the USA live there. I know it was probably worse because of the Elvis followers but it can't be all due to that. The drive through Tenn. felt like it lasted 2 days. That might have been because there is a no tolerance for speeding on the highways there so I drove no more than 1 mile above the limit - so rare for me!

But the cool things we saw were rivers - the Tennessee River - we drove through it right in the middle of a nature of a nature preserve. But then I went across the Mississippi River and was in awe of it. I would definitely go back to see either or both of those places.

We tried to go into a Gift shop and restaurant but were told we had to leave - no pets. Oh well, at least we tried. That was the first place we couldn't get in - I'm sure they will now put "no pets" signs on all of their doors.

I wanted to go to the Central Tenn Art Center - but never did find it. I had been there before and loved the arts and crafts. Maybe next time -

We passed St Jude Children's Hosp - it is enormous - very impressive!

It was amazing how many roads are now named after people - I'm wondering if we are overdoing it. I mean - Scott Hamilton Blvd?? Albert Gore Sr Highway - LOTS of Dr Martin Luther King highways. They even say DR MLK - I don't think DR is used in Austin but I could be wrong.

So, now we are in our hotel in Mt Pleasant, TX - near Paris, TX and Pittsburg (no "h") Tx. For the first time, the cable has HGTV so I'm overdosing on it tonight.

We should be home tomorrow.

PS - I attached pics of the parents house and their family room where we spent most of our time. I also sent a pic of my "non-smoking" hotel room - the black object beside the sign is - yes - an ashtray!

Musings from the Last Few Days -

Today was pretty uneventful. My parents left at 7 am to drive into Pittsburgh to get my mother's hair done. Seymour and I took our time packing and left at about 9 am. We are now in the same hotel we were in when we heading to Pittsburgh - somewhere outside of Nashville (I'm too tired to look up the city) Additional comments about the last few days:

1. My parents LOVED Seymour - he was an angel while he was there. I think they would have kept him if they didn't have to walk him. In fact, I talked with my mother tonight and she asked when I was coming back - so she can get to know Seymour better!!

2. If I never hear the ding of an unfastened seat belt, it will be too soon.

3. We ate dinner at a cafe called Y2. When we went in, there was a wall of cooler for selling beer and about 8 tables. The first table had a woman smoking. I was surprised that they allowed smoking in the small cafe - and then found out it was the cook smoking!

4. When we were driving to the Casino my Dad kept saying he was worried about the dog - that he would get out when my Mother went to the Lunch Bunch - cute. But Seymour was fine.

5. Seymour did his howling routine a couple times when he was with my Mother yesterday - he looks like a little coyote.

6. My headache is almost gone.

7. I did buy a fan for the guest room - it saved me from sweating to death. I also bought and put up a shower curtain liner - oh and bought some shampoo.



A couple more days and we will be back home.

The Day the Humor Died. . .

Today we split up - Mum went to the Lunch Bunch and Dad came with me to the new Casino in Pittsburgh. We had about an hour to drive and it went pretty well, considering. When we got to the Casino, he did not like any of the 10,000 (or so) slot machines. He wanted one with the arm that you use to play and the basic 1 line bar game. We walked all around but my Dad's eyes aren't as good as they used to be - so I had to make sure he didn't walk into a slot machine (like he did when I "pushed' him into the pool a couple years ago). By the way, I didn't "push" him but I've given up defending myself.

We did find a few slot machines where I sat him down and helped him feed them money - then I sat at a machine nearby. This went on for about 2 1/2 hours and luckily we were both ready to go home.

When we got home - no Mum. We waited until an hour passed when she usually gets home and finally Dad was itching to go look for her. We went to McD's and there they were, the lunch bunch was turning into the dinner bunch - 4 1/2 hours at the same table!
Tonight we went to dinner and had another Pittsburgh specialty - french fries and gravy. I'm now groaning (inside - remember I like quiet) and finishing tonight's blog.

Humor? I'm not sure where it went? I think it is hiding out with my relaxed muscles , conditioned hair and calm demeanor. This is one of the only times I would beg for a massage!

We will be packing up for the trip home tomorrow morning.

Day 2 with the Parents

The day started with a trip to meet the Lunch Bunch - overall nice folks. The 75 year old thought he was too old for me - realllyyyy??? Then Seymour and I went to the mountains to visit Ohiopyle - a beautiful State park on the river. While following my GPS directions in a way I've never driven, I happened to pass Kentucky Knob, a Frank Lloyd Wright home that I had never seen or heard of before. Seymour and I decided to stop and went into the gift shop to talk to the staff about the home. It required reservations and I doubt if Seymour would have been allowed so we just walked through the woods. There seemed to be an air of creativity there - hard to explain. I didn't see the house but I did see pictures of it. Good enough for this trip.

Then we all drove- actually I drove after a bit of persuasion - to my brother's house to have Beto's pizza and see the remodeling he did. He actually took down a wall to open the living and dining room and found and refinished hardwood under the carpet, just like they do on HGTV.
Tonight I'm recuperating - I'm very used to quiet and driving in peace - and neither are words to describe our drive. In addition, Seymour had gas most of the drive and my mother had burps and loud, extended yawns. Seymour's gas alone was giving me a headache but the combination was causing near blindness.

We got home to the CO meter going off and blinking "Evacuate". I think it was from the chemicals of the carpet that had been cleaned today - at least I hope so. On second thought, maybe we should have evacuated instead of going to bed. I hope we don't grown another knuckle because of the fumes.

PS - Monday night

OK, so everyone is in bed here and I can see that the guest room hasn't been used since around Christmas - because the gift Shan and Chris gave them is on my bed - racing grannies in wheelchairs. Also, no one seems to have realized that the only AC vent in the room is on the floor - under the heavy dresser. So, I'm sweating like crazy. I decided to take a shower to cool off. I don't think the shower has been used either - no shower curtain liner. I hated to do it but I pulled the shower curtain inside the tub and turned on the water. Then I started looking for soap, shampoo, etc. The only thing I found was foaming hand cleaner -which I used on my body and as shampoo. I'm not sure it rinsed out of my hair or ever will for that matter!

I'm seriously thinking about driving to the all night Walmart -at least I think it's an all night one - and buying a fan. Poor Seymour is in his crate by my bed and I'm sure he's thinking that his owner is losing her mind. It going to be a long night - and I'm still thinking about the egg cooker . . .

I'm going to need an intervention!

More on the title of this later. Seymour and I stayed and talked with Gail this morning and I found a person for the duplicate Crocs I had to buy last week (long story). See above -he actually had a pair of sandals on inside of the Crocs!

After hugs and goodbyes, Seymour wanted to see some of the old haunting grounds. Unfortunately, things aren't as good as they used to be. Mingo park is now a bit unsafe and Gail said it would be best if I drove through with my windows locked and didn't get out of the car. So, I drove through with my windows locked, took a picture of the covered bridge and checked that place off my list.

Driving through construction - as usual - I tool a picture of a guy really following that adage "work smarter not harder" Seriously, couldn't they just use some kind of battery powered remote to flip the sign? He's not even holding it - he's using it to rest his tired body on.

Anyway, we walked through South Park - I love that park - then got Big Boy Hamburgers (now called Superburgers due to some law problem) and headed to my old high school friend - Mary Lou and her husband's house. It was another one of those times when conversation was comfortable and close, even though we haven't talked in years. It sure brought back some good and slightly emotional, old memories. But after a few hours, Seymour and I slowly headed to the parent's house. That's where the intervention comes in.

They seem to have changed from Home Shopping to QVC and they purchased an item I want!! Help me - I am NOT a home shopping network person but I think I would use this product. It's an electric egg cooker - no water - and cooks eggs from soft boiled to hard boiled and any boil in between. I always forget that I am boiling eggs and invariably they explode so this is a good product for me!!

I am afraid I may have inherited the latent "home shopping" gene and I'm trying to fight it.

Other than that, we settled in here for a few days. I had my "chipped ham" sandwich fix and hopefully tomorrow I'll have my Beto's Pizza fix. Where did I put those stretch waisted pants??

Tomorrow I get to meet the Lunch Bunch my parents hang out with every day - Monday through Friday - for about 3 hours at McDonalds! My mother buys a salad and brings her own hard boiled eggs (from the new egg maker) to put in it! I'm sure McDonalds loves that!

The group used to hang out at K-Mart until K-Mart took their tables away. I wonder if McD's is starting to consider that also? I'm only meeting everyone and then planning to do more sight seeing with Seymour, although there is a 75 year old man my mother wants me to meet there :(