Thanksgiving dinner

Debbie cooked up a great feast.  Big ole 20 pound turkey.  Green bean casserole, brocolli and rice casserole, sweet potatoes with apples, dressing, scalloped potatoes, cranberry and marshmallow something-or-other, big butt rolls (not sure what they are really called, but they are big), apple pie, pumpkin pie, cheesecake, trifle dessert.  If you were hungry after all that, it is your own daggone fault.  I wanted to take a photo of everything before we ate, but this famished crowd got there before I did. 

It was a fine looking bird before it was cannibalized.  An Amazon River full of pirahnas got nothing on the Dean bunch when it comes to pickin' a carcass.

Yummy.

 

Evie, Maggie, Oliver and I had to take a walk before dinner.  Went across the street to the park and the school playground.  Kids had a good time.

We heard something in there, Opie.

Kids saw the airplane flying overhead.  They said it was making clouds.

Climbing the wall.

Oliver had to hustle to keep up with his sisters.

We live in TEXAS!

  

Evie and Maggie couldn't figure out why there was a hole in the bottom of that thing.

Evie somehow fell off of this a few minutes earlier. She was ok until she noticed her finger was scratched a few minutes after I took this photo.  We had to go back to the house after that.

Pretty fun day.  Great dinner.  Played some Wii later.  Family Feud and Trivial Pursuit.  Good family times.

Happy Birthday, Debbie!

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Debbie.  Happy birthday to you.

Hope you have a wonderful day.

Love you.

Mind Meld

You hear about people who have been together for so long that they start thinking alike, finishing each other's sentences, or whatever.  While Debbie and I were going to Midland to bring Megan back to Stillwater, we were talking about what to do for our annual family photo.  The last three years, we have taken a photo with everyone wearing OSU stuff.  This year, we were talking about doing something different.  I was thinking, to myself without saying anything aloud, about going to the school next to the house and taking a photo at the huge playground.  We could each pick a spot on the playground equipment and take the photo.  Just as I'm thinking of it, Debbie said the exact same thing out loud.  whoa. 

After we left Abilene yesterday morning and was traveling north toward Oklahoma, we started passing several cotton fields.  Different ones than we passed the day before.  On Tuesday, we talked about stopping and picking up a piece of the cotton that we saw along the highway.  I was thinking about it again yesterday morning.  I was driving the U-Haul truck and Debbie was in her car behind me.  I thought, in the truck all by myself, that Debbie could stop quickly, grab a piece of cotton and catch up with me.  My cell phone rang.  Debbie called me to ask if I wanted her to stop, grab a piece of cotton and catch up with me.  That is too stinkin' wierd, huh?  She didn't stop by the way.

I think Debbie and I have some sort of mind meld.  Sorry, honey.

Stillwater to Midland to Stillwater

Debbie and I went to Midland, TX on Tuesday morning to move Megan back to Stillwater.  We left about 7 a.m. and arrived in Midland about 3.  We had Megan's stuff loaded into the U-Haul and the Neon onto the car-hauler by 4 p.m. We ate dinner and was on the road back to Stillwater by about 6.  Stopped for the nite in Abilene.  Back on the road to Stillwater this morning.  Back in Stillwater by 1 p.m on Wednesday.  Megan is back home in time for turkey day.

On the way to Midland, we saw several cotton fields.  Some of the cotton had been harvested and some was being harvested.  First time we ever saw huge cotton bales.  It is amazing how much cotton is not harvested and ends up either on the side of the highway or left in the fields. 

Huge field of unharvested cotton.  We saw dunno how many acres of fields like this.  Some stretched over the horizon.

Field of harvested cotton.  You can see some of the cotton still on the plants and on the ground.

That ain't snow. That is cotton from the field beyond the green stuff.  I think the green is winter wheat.

We saw dozens of these huge cotton bales.  These must be about 25 feet long, 10 feet tall and 8 feet wide.  We saw round bales, also.  Lots of them.

Not a very good photo, but this is part of a huge lot filled with the giant bales of cotton just outside of Roby, Texas.

We stopped in Stamford, Texas for a restroom break.  This lone cotton plant was growing next to the driveway into the convenience store.

This is one of the trucks that hauls those huge bales of cotton down the highway.  The little flecks of white stuff in the photo are pieces of cotton flying out of the truck as it went down the road.

There are hundreds of giant windmills near Sweetwater, Texas.  Miles of them.  Debbie was fascinated.  They are pretty cool.

Windmills.  As far as you can see.  Next to the highway.  Way, way over there.

Charlestons and Walmartians

Had a great dinner with Debbie last nite at Charlestons.  Debbie had the prime rib.  I had the short smoked salmon and the Moss Point gumbo.  Very good food with an even better dinner date. 

We went to the Stillwater Wal Mart.  The new one west of town.  I now know where to go to take photos of Walmartians.  You know, the oddly and sometimes inappropriately dressed people at Wal Mart.  First Walmartian was a young woman dressed in knee-high Ug boots, tights, jacket and one of those hunting hats with the fur flaps.  Sorta Elmer Fudd-ish, "shhhh, I hunting wabbits", if you know what I mean.  The boots did not fit well and she was so flat footed that she was walking on the sides of the boots as much as the soles.  The second was another young woman pushing a cart around while talking loudly on the phone about drug money.  She was wearing a short coat that allowed her bare midsection to show.  The first time we saw her she was walking toward us.  The second time we saw her, we were walking along one of the end aisles and the woman walked out of an aisle in front of us.  She was going away from us and was showing alot of butt cleavage.  Debbie said something about the woman having some sort of mushroom thing going.  Apparently that is a new term (for me anyway) about chubby women wearing pants too tight that their love handles, or butt, spill out over the waist band of their pants.  Not an attractive look at all.  The third Walmartian was a young man wearing a long sleeved t-shirt and day-glo green pajama bottoms with slippers.  Gonna have to take the camera into Wal Mart now. 

A nice high after the great dinner and a steep dive back-to-earth at Wal Mart.  What a country, eh?

Home again.

Another fun day although there was some driving involved getting back home to Stillwater.  Debbie and I got up this morning and had breakfast at IHOP.  We planned to eat breakfast at the motel, but we were a few minutes late for the freebie.  Debbie picked up some brochures about an antique store in a small town, Grain Valley, a few minutes east of the motel, so we went over there after eating.  Neat place with some good stuff.  Debbie has wanted one of those kitchen tables with the chrome legs and trim.  They had a really nice set of table and chairs.  Yellow.  Just what she wanted.  What we didn't have was a way to haul it home.  Bummer.  After milling around there for about an hour, we decided to head to Wichita and visit a couple of antique shops there.  Three hours later, we were in the Flying Moose antique store.  Debbie found a neat quilt to use for bear material.  Found another metal Coca Cola sign for $45.  I should have bought the one I saw in KC.  We didn't take the camera inside or would have taken a photo of a giant moose head wearing goggles, flying cap and a scarf.  Cracked me up.  After that, we went to the Paramount Antique Mall.  Huge place.  We got there at 4:30 and they closed at 6.  Did not make it through the entire place.  Debbie found an oval shaped picture frame.  We saw two very cool Coca Cola coolers, the kind they used to have at gas stations with the lift up lids.  One appeared to be either fairly new or refurbished.  The other was obviously older, but the tag said it still worked.  About $300 for the refurbished one and about $450 for the other.  Huge neon Coca Cola sign for about $950 that was lit up pretty nicely. 

Here are the two necklaces that Debbie bought yesterday.

This is not a Whiting Davis necklace, but is similar.

Not sure why this posted sideways.  Anyway, this is a Whiting Davis necklace. 

A few blogs ago, I posted that a trucking company was sending a free hat.  The company is Opies Trucking.  When we got home today, there was a box from Opies on the recliner.  Opened up the box to find THREE hats.  Awesome!!

We had a great weekend.  Good to be home, too.  Hope everyone else had a great weekend.

Fun Saturday.

Started Saturday morning having breakfast at the motel. 

View out of the motel window.  Where is that sunshine the weather guys promised?  That's Rib Crib in the background where we ate last nite.

We went to River Market Antique Mall in downtown KC.  Four story building, plus a basement, full of just about everything and anything you can imagine.  Well, the fourth floor was closed, so only three floors and a basement.  But it took us three hours to mill through it all.  Lots of cool stuff. 

$40 metal Coca Cola sign.  Whattaya think, John?

Strange cabinet.  The doors were carved in China about 200 years ago.  A Frenchman shipped the doors from China to France and had them put on the cabinet.  Somehow, the cabinet ended up in Arkansas and is now in KC.  Except for the doors, the cabinet was plain Jane. They wanted about $2500 for the cabinet.  No takers, here.

Debbie found some Maxine glasses.  Um, mebbe not yer style, dear.

Wooden walking horse.  A kid sits on it and rocks it back and forth so it walks.  Kinda cool.

A bouncy horse.  The huge spring has nothing to do with the bouncy part.  The spring is attached to a rubber band.  Cracked me up.

Megan, here is an ugly chair for ya.  LOL.  They wanted about $150 for this.  wow.

After a three hour tour of this great antique store, we had lunch at Jack Stack BBQ near the old Union Station.  Mushrooms for appetizer.  Debbie had ham and chicken with green beans and iced tea.  I had the burnt ends with fries and a Boulevard Bulldog Porter.  Tasty and filling.  Refueled for more antique stores!

We found another store where Debbie bought a necklace and a picture frame.  She picked up a brochure about antique stores in the KC metro area.  A place called the Brass Armadillo sounded interesting.  Over 500 vendors.  Short drive and we found a huge building full of stuff.  Good thing we went because Debbie found a very nice Whiting Davis necklace for $8.  She searched online after we ate dinner and found it on a website on sale for about $50.  Daggone good deal!!

$300.  Whattaya think, John?  Look good in the kitchen with the Coke sign, don't ya think?  hee hee.

Great dinner at Hereford House steakhouse.  They had a four course dinner for two, so we tried that.  Stuffed mushrooms for appetizer.  Steak soup, which was really tasty.  Tender Kansas City strip for each of us.  Deb ordered seasonal veggies but got a baked potato instead.  I got the seasonal veggies. Finished off the meal with an awesome carrot cake for two.  Went back to the motel and watched part of the OSU-Texas game before ABC switched coverage to the USC-Arizona game.  Glad the Pokes won in Austin.  Great day all around!

Reluctant to head back to Stillwater tomorrow.  Don't want the fun to end. 



Kansas City, MO

Actually, we are in Independence, Missouri.  Debbie and I came up here several years ago for our anniversary and spent a couple of days milling around.  During that trip, we visited a four story antique store.  Debbie has wanted to return for another visit, so here we are.  Staying in the same motel.  Planning to eat at a great steakhouse tomorrow nite, the Hereford House, which is a few blocks from the motel. 

We finally got out of Stillwater around 10:30 or so.  Debbie renewed her drivers license before we left town.  It rained the entire trip. 

We stopped for lunch in Wichita at a place called Fat Ernie's Family Dining.  Next door to the Fat Ernie's Bar and Grill.  Take the wife and kids.  Or not.  Discovered this place through the hi-tech world of our Garmin GPS.  Pretty good food.  Crowded place which means the food must be good every day.  Debbie saw a fat guy in the kitchen and wondered if we could get our photo with him if he was Fat Ernie.  Never got past the wondering.

We stopped in Ottawa, Kansas and visited a few antique stores.  Didn't really find anything worthwhile, but it is fun to mill around and say, "Hey, Granny used to have that!"  We saw some sort of strange contraption near the entrance to one store.  The owner had no idea what it was.  He said, "If you know what it is, I'll sell it to you for $45."  LOL.  We didn't know what it was and he still owns it.  hee hee.  One place that we stopped was the old Coca Cola bottling plant.  Should have taken a photo of it.  Sorry, John.

We traveled all the way to KC, the world center for BBQ.  And we ate dinner at Rib Crib cuz it is next door to the motel.  Boy, are we lazy.  Hoping to find time to eat at Jack Stack BBQ near downtown KC.  We ate there a few years ago and it was really good.

Guess it's time for bed.  Debbie is already in her jammies and snuggling under the covers.  hee hee.  Not even ten o'clock. 

Hope everyone has a good weekend.  Ours is going pretty well so far!