Just cuz it has been a while....

Here ya go! Enjoy!

Read more...

I love you Duluth......

Hey, does this moose make me look fat?

Ah, flowers for me! Thank you Duluth!!!! (Click on Duluth to check her out!!!)

So, Lil Deb came to town, and the town came to Lil Deb! Seriously! Look! Word got out, and this is what happened!

Just kidding! Got ya!

After unpacking, Lil Deb made one phone call.

We went to supper at the Green Mill.

T and B showed up, and Lil Deb was alive!! T is this giant of a man that could simply squash my head with his finger and thumb. This big bear of a man came over, and sat down with the shiniest heart of gold I have ever seen. He has those eyes that just make you feel safe and trusting. B, is a tiny little mouse compared to T, but she is a spitfire! Now B is one of the Ladies that is so smart, even her hair has brains. She could have easily crossed her eyes and telepathically fried my brains, but she too has those eyes. Trust and comfort were felt instantly when they sat down. Within seconds, we had multiple conversations raging on, one over top of the other and wound into the same. It was like verbal twister, and it was fun. Oh, and yes Mrs, I will have another Gin and Tonic!!!

So, while at the table, Hubbies phone was sitting there so I texted Lil Debs son (we will call him "D" for posterity). So, a few moments later, a text returns saying that it is Lil Deb's Grandsons graduation night. (So, as is my practice, Grandson becomes "P"). So follow this.

Predo, Hubby and Lil Deb roll into to town. We got to supper. T and B show up. After graduation D, J, and P show up with even more people. So, since we were constipating every possible fire exit, we chose to have them push every table in Duluth together so we could all eat. For hours, this rag tag group of alphabet soup names rambled on and on. These are the people I want to be surrounded with! These are fun, smart and easy going people. These are Lil Debs family members!!!

B told me about a million things, and kept me spell bound the whole time. For example, here are some of the topics......

The old days, when over a hundred people would eat at one really long table. Norwegian food, servants (in that time and era) and dressing to the nine's! She had my brain going a thousand miles an hour!!

The night was getting very late, so we decided to head back to the hotel. Lil Deb of course was kidnapped by T and B, but she did not appear to put up any kind of a fight!!!

The next morning, we got up, went to breakfast with the crew! We went shopping, had lunch and went to B's house to post on the blog. Shortly there after, we left for new adventures....

Again, not a lot of detail here, but it is not my place to roll Lil Debs part of the vacation out for all to read.....That being said, Lil Deb is loved a great deal. She is honored, and protected and obviously VERY POPULAR! The respect, the love and the kindness that her friends and family handed to us on a silver platter was all due to the fact that we know her. It was quite something to have shared that adventure with her. Hubby and I are very lucky!

Oh yeah.....Congrats "P"....Happy Graduation!!!!

Read more...

So, in earlier episodes....

Our time with Grandpa and Julius (That's Mr. Kessler to those of you not formally introduced...) came to an end. We headed out to Gotham, then to the house on the rock, then to Lacrosse WI for supper and sleep. The next morning, we got up, walked around, had breakfast with the greatest waitress ever and packed up the car. We drove a lot, but did not get far, and yes Lil Deb, it was all my fault! LOLOLOLOL...at least I did not fart!

We pissed off the British guy inside the GPS box, changed his voice and language several times, and finally turned him off. This was one of the most wonderful parts of the trip. No destination, no plan, and no pressure. We simply drove and enjoyed the conversation and the special bond we three share. It was perfect!

We stopped at Skyline on Pepin in Lake City MN for lunch. We ordered the following:

Glass of Chardonnay, Gin and tonic double tall, Bloody Mary, deep fried cheese curds, french fries, shrimp cock-tail (wink-wink) and some other trinkets. That Bar tender and one other customer were quite fun! We found out about Nessie, the Lake Pepin Monster! We also found out about other sea creatures and that this was pretty much the off-season. After drinks and snacks we were off again, although we did promise to write!!!!!

After that, we jumped on the "Lets Get to Duluth" bandwagon! Thanks to Hubbies great driving and Lil Debs "senile" directions, we turned the British guy back on. It turned into a battle similar to the WWF Smack-down! Lil Deb had British Guy by the throat, then British Guy bit her ear and took over the power position. She gave a stark upper cut and threw him off the windshield, but he bounced back and gave her a stern kick in the shin! The spit, the blood, the sweat, oh the torment! It was just outside of Minneapolis that Lil Deb said "oh, wait, this is the right way. I just had the road number wrong." Lil Deb and British guy in the GPS called it even and went back to their corners, for a little rest......

Eventually, we did in fact make it to the "Giant Buffalo".......

This is where Lil Deb's son works. We went in, but he wasn't working, so we got back in the car and headed the last couple miles into Duluth. This City is quite narrow, but it goes on for like 20 miles!!! It is very nice! We drove around a bit checking things out. When we got to a Hotel, we unpacked and made a phone call.

I won't go to in depth here, as this is Lil Deb's family and deserves not to be plastered all over the internet without permission, but let me just say........When Lil Deb comes to town, people come out of the wood-work!!!!! WOW! I secretly began acting like she was Cher and I was her body guard. My goodness, the entourage this lady keeps.....

Read more...

Wednesday is for sleep......

Midterm 95%.

Bath time for reflection.

Wednesday for sleep.

ps - Lil Deb has very high temps coming her way!!!! Let us all pray!

Read more...

And a quickie for you......

I am sorry for disappearing on you, but my plans to take over the world are a little more then I thought they would be..........tonight I have to study for my exam tomorrow, so I only have a quick moment!

The next installment of the trip shall begin......

"Lake City - Lake Pepin discovers their own Nessie - also, forgot to order CRAWDADS appetiser - also, Wade detoxing, failed to recognize farm implement!!!!!!!!-also, group decided Mosquitos SUCK!!-also, traveled 22 miles in 4 hours - new land speed record -

ps - This was all WADE'S FAULT!!!"

This note passed to me by Lil Deb from the back seat....

Read more...

My award....

I created this award, because I thought there was a need. There are certain blogs out there, that once read, just stick with you all day, kind of like a dingle-berry! Try as you may to shake it, that blog pops back up in the back of your mind all over again. Like one of the songs from Air Supply, that you just can't seem to get out of your mind and you keep singing it inside your head!

This award is a tad silly, but it is respectfully meant for those blogs that make you say "Hmmmmm" and then keep you thinking about it throughout the day!!

Please feel free to pass this award on to one of those Blogs that you read!

I, personally, would like to honor the great "HalfAsstic" for her dedication to the world of Blogging (as well as her expertise with the world of Pooooooo!). Every time I read her blog, I smile, I laugh, and I even sometimes snort! Later in the same day, the image of her tales walk right back through my brain, leaving me to laugh (snort) in a public place for no apparent reason!!!!

So in closing, Congratulations HalfAsstic, you have earned your very own Dingle-Berry!!!!! I hope it makes your day as much as you make mine!!!!!

Read more...

Free for all driving, take one!

Monday night, after leaving Grandpa, hitting Gotham, then "The House on the Rock" (big let down, no more to that story....), the roadkill galore passenger count and driving Mrs. Debbie, we decided to head to a stopping point.

Lacrosse WI was were we landed. We had a nice evening, ate at Piggies, had a nice meal, and went back to the Hotel to crash. And crash we did. Lil Deb went on a little reading journey about a teenage vampire in a four book series...........Well done!

Tuesday morning and we were back to full charge! Life was grand, we had no plans, no appointment's, and no hassles. First, we took a walk down the waterfront. Lil Deb made friends with a cat whisperer. We saw some ground squirrels that a bit too fat to be wild, and bird galore. We walked for a while, and then decided to head to the Hotel for a little breakfast.

We arrived as usual. All three bombarding this poor waitress with "Good Morning" "How are you?", "Here let me help you with that", "Oh, do you mind if I vacuum?"....all that sort of thing. So, it took only a second for the waitress to realize that we were complete smart asses that knew how hard she worked and how much we respected her efforts. She gave us the grand tour.

We were introduced to the "Old Time" Waffle maker, the roller hash brown holder, the bagel cutter, full assortment of side dishes and so on and so on. This woman had her hand full with cleaning alone, let alone watching tables. We made our breakfast through the buffet line, and each of us helped a little by cleaning our respective areas to help out. It was funny! All three of us know the service industry and how hard of a job it is. This waitress just laughed right along with us, and smiled. She kept making little comments, and would stop and talk to us in brief visits, but all in all, we made each others day. Hell, we even stacked the dishes up on the table, ready for the bus tray! I don't remember her name, but if she is reading this, I tell you she was a WhoooooooooT!

So, with no clue, we loaded the car. We started the engine and decided to drive"That Way" and see where it took us, and it took us just that way.

We ignored the british guy on the GPS, and in fact changed his voice several times, and too several different languages. It was quite fun. Inevitably, he became irritated with us and gave us the wrong directions. Seriously, the three of us could have found our way anywhere, but British Dude screwed it all up for us.

At one point, we had driven for four hours. We had crisscrossed across the river from MN to WI and back again many times. We stopped for potty breaks, smoke breaks and just plain breaks. In that time, we traveled 28 miles north of our starting point. That is a vacation!

Tomorrow, we begin with a note that Lil Deb wrote about me. Just so you know, she was obviously not of sound mind at the time, and probably now riddled with guilt. (Yes dear, I shall never forget!)

See you tomorrow!

Read more...

A side bar moment......

Today I sent info to Lil Deb about an email address for Pastor Dave. You know I just had to check out the church website. I found this little tidbit that caught my eye and made me cry. Everything you see below was copied right from the post.

The Rainbow Bridge

There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth. It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of its many colors. Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge there is a land of meadows, hills, and valleys with lush green grass.

When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. The old and frail animals are young again. Those who are maimed are made whole again. They play all day with each other.

There is only one thing missing. There are not with their special person who loved them on Earth. So each day they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up! The eyes are staring! And this one suddenly runs from the group!

You have been seen, and when and your special friend meet, you take him or her in your arms and embrace. Your face is kissed again and again and you look once more into the eyes of your trusting pet.

Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together, never again to be separated.

This is my addition.

Among the pets playing with each other are those that never knew a loving human friend on Earth. The abandoned and abused. They look with envy at those that run to greet their loving human friend. But, the Lord in his wisdom have seen them and cares for them.

Among the humans coming to cross the Rainbow Bridge are children who died young and never knew the love of a trusting pet and who are lonely and afraid. As each of them approach the Rainbow Bridge, one of the abandoned or abused pets sees them and comes up to them. Hestiantly, they sniff the child who reaches out their hand in friendship and love. Then, they kiss the child and the child takes them into their arms, returning their love and trust. Together, the child and their new best friend cross the Rainbow Bridge never to be separated.

Read more...

Our Last Day with Grandpa!!!!!

And again, congrats to us all for skipping that yucky hangover thing! We all woke up fine and filled with laughter.......(Sorry Lil Deb, I know you will curse me for this photo, but it reflects the fun morning in just one shot!)......Hmmmmm, trying to drink coffee when a room is filled with giddy jokers!!!! (Luv ya Deb!!!)

Anywho! We were slow leaving the room this morning. We laughed till we almost cried. We showered quickly and ran back to the living room to stand in front of the air conditioner, and we laughed some more. We were reliving the moments from the past couple of days, when we were all together and when we were separate! We caught up on all the activities each had individually with my family. (Yes, I did actually snort a time or two! At least I did not fart!)

So with the room all empty, cleaned spic and span, and the car loaded, off we went to attack yet another giant breakfast! Than again, not. It seems that in Potosi, Monday's are some sort of dining void. We attempted at least four places, and nothing. In fact, the last place, which was actually the gas station, had tables and menu's and everything, but no service! We walked in, sat down, and waited. Waited, and waited, and waited. The other table of people in the room finished up and left, but we waited. Hubby had his crossword going, and Lil Deb and I eyed the people leaving and wondered "What the F%^&K"? We looked right back at each other, cracked up laughing (a little too loud probably) and decided to leave as well. Hubby of course was knee deep in his crossword, but got up anyway! We decided to skip breakfast, as it was almost noon anyway, and headed to Grandpa's.

It was such a nice day, I drove slow through town, and pointed out places that were of interest (well at least to me)! All of the sudden, from the back seat, Lil Deb blurts out "OH MY GAD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD" and proceed to fill the car with hysterical laughter! "Turn around, turn around, you have to get a picture of this for the blog! Turn around! Oh, my, it is a good thing we did laundry at Grandpa's yesterday! I may need another pair of panties!"

So, of course, for no other reason then to join her, Hubby and I were cracking up as well. We turned around and got these two photos! If you don't see it, open the picture and enlarge to check out the back yard there.

Up there on that rock protruding out, is a toilet. Now, through the fits of laughter that chortled throughout the vehicle, we belted out line after line of colorful (and not quite so tactful) tales of how, why, and for what that toilet was placed there. I will not relive those items for you, but my guess is you have a few of your own! Of course we did have to discus the implications of strapping it to the back bumper of the car, for travel purposes! Great for saving water! Very Green thinking.......(oh no, here I go again....)......

So, tword the end of town, we thought we would stop at the Brewery for lunch (since we had just decided against breakfast not 6 minutes earlier!) Of course the place was closed as well. Hmmmmm, a sign from above?

So below is a picture of the "Bottling" building next to the brewery. Still has the old window glass!!!

And finally, back at Grandpa's. My eyes were still watery at the continued onslaught of toilet and deck for sale jokes that spewed forth from us. I think there may have been something in the water back there!

So, we got out of the car, and I walked over to my Uncle M who was helping fix a big sprayer that was there for the fields. He called Uncle R, and we set up the plans for our final day there. Hubby, Lil Deb and I turned to head inside and noticed a dead Raccoon, laying just beside the driveway. I turned to look at Uncle M, and He said "Number 5"! I explained to Hubby and Lil Deb, that once a Raccoon gets food or breaks into a building, they never go back to wild. They even bring their friends in! The coyotes eventually start venturing in to get the raccoons, and then two species are screwed up! So, with the chickens, cats and other livestock to watch, the Farmers tend to break a cycle before it begins.

So, sadness for Mr. Raccoon number 5. May you rest in piece, and I hope that marsh-mellow you had in the trap was very tasty!

Into the house we went, and there was Grandpa with Pastor Dave. Grandpa can't make it up the stairs to church, so Pastor Dave comes out to see Gramps on Mondays for a private prayer. Paster Dave is a heck of a guy. In fact, he and Lil Deb went toe to toe for the titles of smartest and most interesting! They talked about religion and political moves from churches, future planning and expectations. It was amazing! Not an hour before we were laughing so hard about a stray toilet that we almost squirted, and here in my Grandpa's house was Lil Deb bantering line for line with an actual man of the cloth! She simply threw topics out on the table without a second thought. Pastor Dave, picked them up and off he ran with them. They were like two peas in a pod. People, places, church doctrine, and even daily practice. It was amazing! They were on the same wavelength completely, and I would venture to guess they learned a bit from each other as well. As the conversation grew more intense, Grandpa and I looked back and forth at the Pastor and Lil Deb. Grandpa then winked at me and started laughing. Our Lil Deb went all genius on us. I think at that very moment, Grandpa took a true look at Lil Deb and the Hubby and realized that I was in fact very blessed. I looked at Lil Deb and realized how happy she was to speak to someone at her level, intellectually speaking I mean. It was really a wonderful moment. Then Grandpa told a joke about a Priest and an alter boy, kind of brought the moment right back around to something more my level!!!!!

Speak of the Devil! Here is Grandpa!!!! (That is Old Joe all curled up there on the table beside him. Old Joe really liked Lil Debs legs to weave in and out of.....)

And here is a shot of my Man doing his impression of a Wooden Cigar Store Indian. HOW!

Anyway, I finished planting Grandpas seeds in the garden. My Uncle R made it over and we started doing the slow good-by thing without talking about it. We were all relaxed and the whole "Gay" thing just did not seem to even be a thought at all. It felt, well, normal. Well, until we started taking pictures!!! Then there is nothing normal. Grandpa likes to mess with photo ops!

Grandpa, Lil Deb, The Hubby and me! (Please note the burley, butchness that I have with that mustache! Yep, I should have been a 70's porn star!!!)

Uncle R, Grandpa, and Uncle M with me on the right there. I love this photo. It is the only one I have with the three of them. They got me through life until I was old enough to go out on my own. I owe them big time......

Okay, I lied. So I have two picture with us all together. I just thought that I should edit out this one as Grandpa is being crude. Then I thought, he is always crude, so I put it back in. At least he didn't have a cucumber out of his fly!!!!

So, Good-by all around. Thank you, and Thank you, and Oh and Thank you! We had a great time, but have to get to the next adventure!!!!

In the car, down the driveway, and off to the house of Batman!!!!

We had to do it! We went miles and miles out of our way, but we got it! We have a photo of the Gotham sign! (okay, you could at least act like our efforts were not completely wasted. You could pretend. No really, go ahead, pretend!)

So, after high adventure in Gotham, off we headed to the House on the Rock! More on that tomorrow.......

This last picture is in the woods. I took it because it hit me in one moment. In my youth I spent days, even weeks, in the woods. Just being alone, finding myself, thinking. This photo reminded me of those days, but opened up a path to share it with Lil Deb and the Hubby. Like Grandpa always said....."A path into the woods, also leads out of the woods. It is not yours alone to use. So don't shit on the path, I may have to walk there!"

So, we had completed one of our four visits, still had a week ahead of us, and no one shit on our path! These were good days! Oh, we also had lots of clean underwear thanks to Lil Deb and Hubby doing laundry!!!! Three cheers for clean underwear!!!!

Read more...

Arrrgh......

School = Hard!

Work = Stupid!

Home = Sleep!

I am cutting you loose tonight, not doing any home work and sitting with My Man to enjoy supper and Planet Earth. I will try to stay awake!

Sleep well dear friends, and may happy dreams come your way! Love ya!!!!

And for your viewing pleasure.....

Read more...