GEMINIDS

 

 

12-12-12

Just before I left from work today, Needles text me and told me I had a package to pick up from the post office. I wasn't expecting a package but when she stated it was from the bank I got a little concerned. I stopped by the post office on the way through town. A young lady and her children that my brothers family is friend with was in the post office shipping packages to China when her little girl spied me and ran over to me with her arms out stretched wanting me to pick her up. I gladly hoisted her up to my hip and watched her smile in between licks of the candy cane she was well into finishing. The mother, lets call her "J" spun around to see what strangers arms her child was running into. We both smiled as we both came to the realization that her child thought I was my twin brother Rudy. Before long it was time for them to go and I smiled and waved them goodbye. I thought what an awesome thing to come home to from work. I stepped up to the counter and told the post office worker what I was there for and proceeded through the formalities of signing and presenting I.D. I then was presented the large yellow envelope with my name and address on the label. I drove home with curiosity welling up inside. Upon opening the envelope I discovered that the mortgage on my house was paid in full and also a $8.84 refund. I was ecstatic and called the bank just to be sure as I had couple more payments in my book and wanted confirmation. The gentleman on the phone asked me for my mortgage number. After a little clicking noises in the background he came back to say Merry Christmas it is paid in full. Yahoo! It has been 15 years and I thought this day would never come. 12-12-12 you have been a good day for me indeed.

Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving is one of adjustment. We have been going down to the farm the evening before Thanksgiving for some 15 years but this year required a bit of a change due to recent events. We are all picking up with our new rolls and making the best of it. We arrived at the farm around 6:30am Thanksgiving morning and got the turkey ready to go into the oven just after 7:00am. While the turkey was percolating, I attacked cleaning the refrigerator and Needles waged war on the kitchen floor. After the cleaning session we settled in until the Uncles rolled in with their contributions to the upcoming feast. Right at noon we pulled the turkey from the oven and the smell exploded like a bomb into the kitchen air. It was hard to finished the sides while we awaited the bird to rest before diving into it. We all made our rounds and filled our plates. The turkey was accompanied by dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, homemade rolls and cranberry salad. Dessert was home made squash pie with cool whip and vanilla ice cream. We all ate our fill and then found something to do to keep the sleepiness at bay. After the clean up and packing up some food to bring home we headed home arriving just after 5pm. It was along day but it was nice to get together with the family for the holiday. Hope you also had a Happy Thanksgiving.

Weekend Guests

This weekend Cynical and Ragged came to visit. After they arrive Friday night Needles made homemade tomato soup with dill bread and for dessert blueberry crisp ala mode. It was all very good and we settled in to the living room and got to catch up on current events. Saturday morning we had a trip to Vincennes scheduled so after breakfast and getting ready we were on the road. We made it over to the yarn shop as requested by the ladies. After the ladies got to peruse the yarn we headed down the road to Windy Knolls Winery. I picked up a raspberry wine along with a peach and pomegranate. Ragged also picked the peach, pomegranate and also a blueberry. After our purchases we made our way into town for some lunch. We decided on Quickies and then a stop off at the coffee shop for some salted caramel mochas. Following lunch and  coffee we made a stop at Pop Around the Clock. On our way home we dropped in on Rudy and Brandos for a visit. We headed home about Supper time where Needles had chili in the crock pot. With our bellies full of chili we retired to the living room for a movie and conversation. Cynical fell out early and before long it was midnight and time for bed. This morning we had breakfast and enjoyed the warm yet windy morning. All too quickly our guests decide it was time to head home. We enjoyed our time together and hope to visit with them again soon.

It's Over...

 

Last night the American people spoke with their votes and made sure that this country with all of it's diversity and opportunity will continue to move forward and not look back.

The Theatre...

 

Tonight Needles and I went to the big city and watched a play. We intended on going last weekend but Needles coming down with a bit of a bug, we decided to postpone. After supper at the Chinese Buffet we made a run by Impressed where we both enjoyed a salted caramel mocha before the play. I think when we got done with our warm beverage, we both could have flown there. The entertainment for the night was the play Dracula put on by a local group called the Old Town Players. The performance was very good with periods of just good. It seemed that the players talent was wide ranging. Some of the actors lines and emotions were somewhat easy to loose yourself in the story with the occasional slap back into reality by a deadpan delivery. Overall the play was very entertaining and I think Needles and I are going to try to make this a Halloween tradition. The past few years the Halloween plays have been The House on Haunted Hill and Frankenstein. Just the thing to finish off the season of ghosts and goblins. Happy belated Halloween.

Fall Vacation

 

Needles and I just got back from our Fall vacation. Click on the link on the right to go to my Travel Blog for details.

Weekend In Review

 

This weekend was kind of an active one. Needles made an appointment for the car to get a new set of shoes so Saturday morning  I followed her and we dropped the car off at the Dodge dealer. While they were working on the car, we did a little shopping. I wanted to stop in at Lowe's and pick up a new sink for the bathroom as the old one was in very bad shape. Of course putting in the new sink was not without it challenges. The opening cut for the old sink was almost too large for the new sink so I had to cut some cleats to set the lip of the new sink on and seal the gap with caulk. After fighting the old sink out and getting the new one back in, a job that should have taken maybe an hour took almost a couple. On our way back home we stopped in at the park and took a few pictures of the changing trees. While in the big city we picked up a few bunches of mumms and got those planted in the front of the house. I will say since we took out the old bushes and planted the mumms, the front of the house looks more cheery. Today I changed the oil in the Jeep but other than that we just stayed inside, watched T.V. and sipped coffee most of the day. Hope you had a nice weekend also.

Just a few pics.

 

 

Projects

I have been working on a few projects since the weather has cooled off. I worked on painting and resealing the widows for a couple days and then moved on the the eaves. The paint on the eaves of the house has been pretty rough for several years and every year I have been putting it off. This year I finally got to it. I worked on them off and on for about 2 weeks. I finally finished them up and then moved on to do some work on the front porch. The ceiling on the porch needed scraped and painted. I finished it up last Thursday and today I painted the floor of the front porch and removed the bushes that has gotten way too big and looking sparse in foliage. The front porch is going to need another coat and then I will be moving on to the back patio. I hope to keep this going until the weather keeps me from doing things outside. I might have to start a few projects inside.

East Bridge Arts and Music Festival

Here is a few pictures from the East Bridge Art and Music Festival in Owensboro, Ky.

Art Booths

 Big Blue

 Chalk Art

 

The new river front.

 

This weekend Needles and I were hosted by Cynical and Ragged. We arrived in Owenboro on Friday around 5:30pm. When we arrived we visited with each other for a bit before it was time for Cynical and I to go pick up some local take out pizza. The pizza was very good and we sat in the livingroom and discussed  and caught up on what was going on in our lives. Before long it was time for bed. The next morning we had a very noce breakfast and then we were off to the festival. We arrived a little early which was nice to be able to wander through the art booths without bumping elbows with other patrons. There were some very talented people with booths and unfortunatley the storm the night before made the setup disasterous for some. Ragged did a little shopping and Needles found herself a hand dyed goody bag. After that we were able walk the Blue Bridge. They had shut down traffic across the bridge from 10am to 3pm. When we made it back we walked up the new riverfront and got to see all the improvements to the area. After the festival we went over to visit with some family and see a new member of the family. After that we returned home for a lunch of grilled burgers with sides. It was all very good and we filled our bellies. We returned to the riverfront area to pick up some coffee at a local coffee bar and walk the riverfront at sunset. It was a nice way to end the day. Sunday morning we had breakfast and settled in on the screen porch and enjoyed the cooler temps. We spent the last few hours together talking, eatting and then having to say goodbye. We always enjoy visiting with Cynical and Ragged and can't wait for the time that they will make the trek to our neck of the woods.  

Perseid Meteor Shower

Getting Life Back Together.

Life goes on and day by day the healing continues. We  go through the motions with an empty spot in our hearts hoping that one day it will scare over and not hurt so much. Last weekend we had our first family get together since our loss and I think it went pretty well. I smoked a couple of racks of pork ribs and made some baked beans. We had corn on the cobb and green beans. For dessert we had chocolate chip ice cream. All the Uncles showed up and it was nice to get back to life as we knew it...sort of. I think we are all in agreement to try to get together at least once a month and have a family meal and visit.  This weekend we have been taking it easy since we have been on the go so much. Today I grilled steaks and Needles made up some potato and herb packets so we put them on the grill. It all turned out pretty tasty. Since the temps have dropped a little we opened up the windows and let fresh air blow through the house. Since Needles finished up her Masters degree I purchased a Bouy Bell wind chime for her. With the windows open you can hear them chiming into the house occasionally.  I am glad to be able to give the air conditioner a bit of a break. I am sure the electric bill will reflect the break in the hot weather. For now I guess we are content in setting around  and soaking in the Olympics on TV.

Difficult Days

The last few weeks have been very stressful. Needles and I have just been trying to get through them taking them a day at a time. We are healing but the wound left in our hearts is still raw. We appreciate all of our friends and family members that have helped us in getting through this difficult time. We love all of you.

Ramblin (Brian)

Old & New

Out with the old.

I

In with the new.

Tonight I just ordered a new laptop. This will be my 3rd laptop in about 8 years. The first one Needles and I shared it so when I got my second laptop, Needles took over the first one. The second laptop lasted me a good 6 years which is like 35 in dog years, not sure what that has to do with it but none the less, it has been a good machine. Lately my little laptop has been giving me problems and with the photo and video editing I have been doing, it just doesn't operate very quickly in it's tasks. I held off on ordering one because I knew when the new one comes, this old one will be set aside and never used effectively making it a door stop. I will miss my little laptop with the missing cushion on the left mouse button and the paint that is wore through to the plastic on the mouse pad and just above the right speaker where I rest my hand. Maybe in the future I will repurpose it for something else I am getting interested in but I have to decide which I needed worse. A laptop or a telescope. Maybe someday. 

Rain and Hail

We finally got rain....along with a little hail. Needles and I went out and played in the rain like idiots. I just hope this is the end of the heat and the start for some wet weather. 

Here is a few of our tomatoes still on the vine.

Cherry tomatoes. 

Happy Birthday To Me.

Thirty nine years ago today, I was born. Not just me but my twin brother also. This morning Needles and I slept in a little but was up and at em just after 9am. We fixed breakfast and shortly after that was a call from my parents wishing me a happy birthday. In the middle of the mid day heat we decided to do some grocery shopping. Nothing like a good frustrating visit to Wally World on your birthday and it's 105 outside to get you good and pissy. Between the people having a family reunion blocking the aisles, the couple chatting up the cashier while we stand there waiting to get checked out and finally the people I got behind on the road home. Let me just say that turn signals are totally optional around here. When we got home we unloaded our groceries and I finally got to cool down. My SIL called earlier and invited Needles and I out to supper at The Trace Inn. They picked us up around 5pm and of to the park we went. It was almost grilled chicken salads all around. Afterwards a quick trip to the Dairy Dee scored Needles some Choco Dees. This evening has been dedicated to staying cool and a little black berry picking. Tomorrow we are going to L's to have lunch. Hope you have a good weekend.

PS. A neat fact that I discovered today. On June 30th 1973 there was a total solar eclipse. Interesting.

ISS & Moon

ISS

Crab Leg Sunday

Sunday and the crab legs went into the pot. After a quick boil they were on my plate with a side of the Spanish rice I prepared the other day. It was very good and now I am officially out of seafood. That's OK I got a T bone marinating in the fridge for tonight.

Last night I got bored so I decide to make a peach cobbler. My Mom's recipe. It's already a third got and it goes excellent with ice cream.  

Saturday Shrimp

The seafood extravaganza continues while Needles is away on her adventure. I decided on grilled shrimp marinated in olive oil, a bit of brown sugar, soy sauce and lime juice. They turned out awesome. For sides I had Spanish rice and baked beans with a few slightly grilled sweet peppers. I think this was my favorite meals so far. Tomorrow crab legs.

Bachelor Weekend.

Needles is off to a knitting/ girls weekend in Asheville, N.C. so for the last couple of days I have been having to fend for myself. Since Needles doesn't like seafood very much, I thought it would be a prefect time to do a couple of things that I have been wanting to do for awhile. Number one, cook seafood and number two, eat seafood. It's kind of a nice and works out well that number one leads right into number two as it would be hard to do them in reverse. Thursday was my first night and on the menu was crab cakes. A quick fry in a skillet. I had buttered garlic toast, sweet peppers as sides with a cold glass of tea and home made cocktail sauce.

For Friday night I had something special. Lobster tails! I have never cooked lobster so for a first time I think they turned out pretty good. I just wish we had fresh lobster and not the frozen stuff. For sides I had asparagus, golden hominy and lemon butter.

I still have some shrimp and some crab legs in the on deck circle so we will see over the next couple of days which is next. 

Good Mail

Today in the mail I received the two orders I have been waiting for. The first was a couple of pounds of coffee I ordered from Mud House Coffee. I ordered the Gaileys Breakfast Blend and Kenya AA one of their best sellers. Also I ordered a pair of head phones from Skull Candy. They were having all their 2011 and 2012 stock half price so I grabbed a pair of Uprock. So far it has been a nice weekend. Let's hope it keeps it up.

Venus Transit

Venus Transit Across The Sun.

Memorial Day.

There is no words that can convey the profound pride, honor and sadness for the men and women, soldiers, Americans that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Perhaps the only words that fits the occasion in a simplistic, feeble attempt is thank you.

Weekend Visit

This Memorial Day weekend, Needles and I invited my Mom and Dad up for a visit. They haven't been up here since last December just before Xmas. They arrived around noon on Saturday and just after they got here I started the cookout. We had hamburgers, pork burgers, pork chops, macaroni salad, cole slaw, egg plant casserole, baked beans with smoked pork. After everyone got their bellies full, we all settled in the living room and got to visit with each other. On Sunday after breakfast we all went out to my brothers home and again got to visit some more. Just before my parents left to return home we all made a run up to the Dairy Dee. It was fun  to have them visit even though their visit was short. Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

Weekend Alone

Needles has been gone since Thursday to New Harmony, Indiana to a knitting and spinning retreat, so this weekend I had to entertain myself. There were three things I wanted to get accomplished while she was gone. Thursday I mowed the lawn and trimmed so there was one thing marked off the list. The next was to shampoo the carpets in the living room and the middle room. And last but not least, change the oil in the pickup. I finally got all three things done and not to mention make a peach cobbler like my Mom used to make. I got the recipe from her and it turned out perfect. Just like I remembered. Mmmmm. Needles will be home tomorrow and I will be happy to see her after a few days apart. Laundry will be on the agenda for tomorrow. Hope you had a good weekend.

Weekend Post

This weekend was a some what relaxing one even though I found out that our neighbors of 15 years are no longer our neighbors. Due to health and financial issues the house will be going into foreclosure and both of them into a nursing home. I am saddened by this news as they were good neighbors and I hate to see what might move in next. Friday after work we met up with Rudy, Brando, Yin and several of their friends at Huddle House in Vincennes for a round of waffles. The waffles were good and filling but Needles and I will have to keep our visits there spars to maintain our diets. After that we headed home and relaxed with our fully bellies the rest of the evening. Saturday morning we slept in and after breakfast, Needles started in on homemade vegetable soup while I mowed the lawn. The temps were supposed to be a little cooler but by the time I finished mowing it was in the low 80's. When I came inside I was about to melt down but mmmmm the soup was still very good. Later that day after looking at next weeks forecast we decided to go to Wally world and pick up a window A/C unit for our bedroom. Since the temps are still swinging wildly we didn't want to turn on our central air yet and usually try to hold off until June 1st. We can tolerate being warm during the day but don't seem to sleep well at night, so we decided to make the purchase as it will probably pay for itself in the long run.Later that night we had a round of Summer pop up storms. Today I haven't done too much. I did breakout the smoker and try to do some cleaning. I steamed the grates and got some of the old grease build up out of it. Will probably knock out another load of laundry this evening before we call it a night. Hope you had a nice weekend.

Easter

This weekend was somewhat uneventful, which is how we like it. We went out to eat and grocery shopping on Saturday and to our surprise it was not very busy at the Chinese place we usually eat at. We finished up there and of course had to do a Wally World run. After that we decided to stop by the IGA as Wally World was lacking in some items. I edited a couple more vacation videos, so if you are interested jump over to the travel blog, and on Sunday we went South to L's house for Easter. We had the usual fixings of ham and dumplings, potatoes and cabbage slaw. For dessert Needles made raspberry pretzel salad. It was all very good and when we got home we relaxed in the living room and watched the new Fright Nite. It was campy but entertaining. Hope you had a good holiday weekend.

Vacation Update.

I finally got a summary of the vacation into words and pictures so if you are interested, head on over to my travel blog. The link is in the gutter to the right. If you just want to look at the a slideshow of the pictures just click on the Ramblin's Picasa Photo Albums in the gutter. Select the Album you want to see and when the pictures load up. Select the slideshow feature in the upper left of the screen. We had a wonderful time but we are glad to be home.

We are back!

Will post detailed account later....Too tired.

Vacation 2012

We will be gone for a few days. A hui hou kakou. (Until we meet again.)

Palaina and Kiliki

Almost here.

In just a few days we will be on vacation. To say I am ready is a understatement. The months of waiting is almost over and I hope that I can at some point dig my toes in the sand and let the stress just wash away in the surf. See ya in a few days.

Snowy Weekend.

This weekend was a good weekend. Needles and I had company Friday night with my Brother, Sis in Law, my Nephew and a friend. We were delivered a anniversary gift from my family. The gift was a very nice magnetic map of the United States with several of the states that Needles and I had visited. I have already found a place for it to be displayed. Our guests stayed long enough to watch Adjustment Bureau again. Needles and I both enjoyed the movie a lot. As my Brother described it, it is The Matrix and Inception blended together. Saturday morning we went grocery shopping and picked up some fruit and other goodies. While at our local IGA we also picked up a couple of 10lb pork butts. Needles and I prepped them with our usual rub blend and I put them on to smoke at 8:30am this morning. Mopping every hour and turning every 2 hours we finally got about 8 hours into the smoke when we wrapped them in foil. I did something a little different with my mop sauce. With our upcoming vacation, I decided to use pineapple juice instead of apple juice. A minor change but I hope it turns out well. We pulled the pork butts off the smoker a couple of hours ago and finished them up in the stove. We let them get to 200 degrees and then let them rest in the hot stove for another half hour. We just pulled the shoulders and the blade bone just slide right out of the meat. Later we will pull the pork for storage. Tonight we got about an inch of snow. We have had an unseasonably warm winter and this year we have only had maybe 3 to 4 inches of snow total. This is a far cry from the 20 or so inches we got last winter. Tomorrow it is back to the grind and just taking it a day at a time until vacation. Hope you had a good weekend.

Snow falling

Snow against the night sky

Snow flake

Two weeks...

Just two more weeks until Needles and I are off on our next adventure. The next couple of weeks are gonna drag.

The Cow Has Landed.

Today Needles and I headed South to Haubstadt, IN. and to Dewig's Meats to pick up a half of cow she ordered. A friend of Needles was having some cows processed so she wanted to know if we were interested. We decided on a half and called to tell them on how we wanted the meat cut and we awaited the phone call when it would be done. Wednesday we got the call so today we made the trip to pick up our order. The Dewig's building is a very nice and clean. Just about anything and everything that pertains to meat is available. The smells inside the building is amazing. I think it has the hint of smoked bacon and spices. We loaded up our haul and made it home to pondered if we would have enough room in our freezer. We hand plenty of room and probably enough room for 2 to 3 good pork butts. We now have a full freezer and plenty of beef to last us at least a year or so. After we get back from our trip I will have to get busy smoking and enjoying some of our beef.

Anniversary Day Out.

Needles and I enjoyed a day out and about to celebrate our anniversary since it fell in the middle of the week. We slept late and got ready to leave the house just before noon. We drove down to Princeton to the recently opened Bay Harbor Seafood Restaurant. The interior is sparsity decorated but nice and clean. We were seated and quickly asked what we wanted to drink and if we wanted appetizers. I decided on the crab cakes and we both ordered ice tea. Shortly after the tea arrived we were enjoying the crab cakes with a side of tartar sauce. The cakes were pretty good but not as good as what I had on our trip to the North East. Needles ordered the Bourbon Glazed Salmon and I had the Stuffed Lobster. After a short wait they brought out or meals. The lobster was good and sweet with a little of the salty brininess of the ocean. Needles said her Salmon was good and after we were done walked over to the Showplace for a mid day movie. We decided on Underworld Awakening in 3D. The movie was good but not as good as some of its predecessors. After the show we did a quick run to Walmart for some needed grocery items and then on our way out of town stopped in to Sonic for Cherry Limeade for the road. We arrived home at sundown and now are relaxing a bit before Big Bang Theory comes on and we sip some evening coffee. It's been a good day. Sweetheart, let's do it again in another 15 years.

15 years

Fifteen years ago today Needles and I went on our first date. It seems like only yesterday and yet it seems like I have known her my whole life. We have been through so much. The good times and the not so good times but I wouldn't change a thing. I feel like the best is yet to come. Happy Anniversary Sweetheart.

Do Nothing.

This weekend is the first weekend that we haven't either had company or been company for several weeks. This morning I got to sleep late and when I got up I went straight to the couch. Needles made a nice breakfast and for supper I grilled New York strip steaks with sides of grilled asparagus and potato blend. Saturday is almost in the books and in a few more hours I will be back in bed. This is has been a great, do nothing, day. I have enjoyed it.

Happy New Years.

As you can see it is a new year and with a new year comes a new look to the blog. I finally dumped the old hard HTML code and slipped into the easy template type blog which is a lot easier to edit but less customization. OH Well to cap off 2011, I would have to describe it as an exciting adventure with highs and lows and I am glad it is behind me. Probably the high for the year would be our Alaskan vacation and the low would be the ongoing family drama with sprinklings of mediocrity in between. I am hoping that 2012 will be better. I hope that everyone had a happy and safe ringing in of the new year. 2012 I have faith in you, don't let me down.

PS. I have never been much on new years resolutions but I think I am going to try one this year. I won't make it public so in a way it's kind of an experiment. Maybe a year from now I will look back on this post and think Wow!...and hopefully not thinking "What a waste of time."

Christmas Part 2

Saturday we went down to the farm. We had sandwiches for supper in preparation for the feast the next day. Christmas morning came at 7:00am and was time the get the turkey in the oven. After the bird was in the hot box it was time for coffee and pecan pie squares. Around noon the uncles showed up and exchanged gifts. I ended up winning 7 bucks on scratch off lotto tickets and got some candy and few bucks to put in my wallet. We had our meal and to say I over ate is an understatement. Now I need to get back on my diet. Also I think Needles and I are going to get back on our regular exercise program. Our trip in March is getting closer day by day and I am glad to state the the Kilauea Volcano is spilling lava in the ocean again after a several month hiatus. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas.

Christmas Part 1

Friday night my parents made the trip North from Kentucky. They arrived before I got home from work but Needles had everything in control and she even made an amazing tomato bisque soup with dill bread. I got home a close to 3:30pm and settled in.The plans were to go out for supper and the Trace Inn was the decided destination. When we arrived around 5:15pm there was a line at the door and the wait was over 30 minutes before we were seated. The food was very good and we all had a good time. After our supper we went to Rudy's house and visited until time to go home. The next morning we had breakfast and after all the preparations were ready for us to head out for Christmas Part 1. We all ate our fill of ham, green beans, broccoli cheese casserole and turtle and pecan pie. After the meal it was time to open the gifts. After the gifts were all opened and the malaise of over eating was pulled over us like a warm blanket. I had trouble staying awake for the movies we watched. When the movies were over, one of the local churches was putting on a live nativity scene. The road from town was lined with lights all the way out to the scene. We got back and watched Christmas with the Kranks and then Needles and I returned home. We had a great time and flet like everyone had time to visit with each other. I think the kids wanted a little alone time with the grandparents. Maybe next time. Hope everyone had a great Christmas part 1. Next weekend will be part 2.

You'll shoot your eye out!

Friday after work Needles and I made the trip South to visit with family. We made good time arriving in Owensboro just after dark. We were greeted warmly and invited in to sip coffee, catch up with each other and enjoy the Christmas cheer. For supper we had Cynical goulash with corn muffins. Mmmmm, tasty. A quick Starbucks run and we stayed up way too late. The next day we had breakfast and then headed out the door to Target. Needles wanted to lay hands on a Kindle Touch and I scored some Wasabi covered peas. We stopped by Great Harvest Bread Company were we got some great sandwiches and soup. I picked up a couple of brownies that were very rich. We made our way back home where Cynical and Ragged prepared a pre Christmas Christmas meal. We had ham, mashed potatoes, green bean almondine and rolls. It was all very good and fortifying for us to brave the cold temperatures and venture out to the local theater for a play. The play was A Christmas Story. It was done very well and it included all of the memorable moments from Flick getting his tongue stuck to the flag pole to Ralphie's infamous saying of the word FUDGE! We returned home by way of seeing a few Christmas lights and then off to bed. Sunday morning we had breakfast and the adjourned to the living room to get in a few more conversations before it was time to return North. We had a wonderful weekend with great food, great conversation and great friends. We will have to do it again very soon.