Wrap-up of Indiana 2013 vacation

• The Indiana country side was beautiful this summer.  No drought and plenty of rain left everything green and sparkling.  The weather was cooler then ever before in the summer with highs only in the 80's in the southern part of Indiana and in the 60's and 70's in the northern part.  It rained quite a bit in the north and got colder in the evenings (50's) which wasn't great.  I got some wonderful photos.

 

• Driving wasn't as bad as I remembered.  I haven't done a long road trip like that in years.  I love road trips.  I just don't like driving them.  My husband drove the entire way to Indiana.    We took three days, spending some time in Nashville, TN.   I would have liked to have done more touring of country music places, but the other three weren't exactly behind me on that.

• In South Bend, where we eat out quite a lot, we tried to eat at restaurants we had never been to before.  That proved to be too difficult for Gabby and Susan so we decided to eat at restaurants that they had never taken us to before.  At each restaurant we graded it on a scale from 1-5 with 5 being perfect.  Looking at these numbers, I just think we like eating food that someone else cooks! -  

1. Scotty's Brew House - Tom was with us on this visit, but didn't participate in the ratings since we thought of that after he left, but he did order the specialty, a hamburger with peanut butter and bacon.  I only had potato soup and it was cold.  11 points out of 25 possible.
2. Noodles & Company - I was hesitant about this place at first, but have to admit it was a nice little surprise.  The portions are small or large and salads are an option which I like along with my pasta so I don't feel so full of carbs.  21.5 points out of 25 possible.
3. Alladin's - This was one of those places that Susan had never tried before, but wanted to do so.  It was a Mediterranean restaurant, and since I had just eaten in one in New York City I felt I was an expert.  The restaurant was pricey, but the food delicious.  We had hummus and falafel  for appetizers and everyone tried it.  Austin loved the falafel so much he ordered a side of it with his main meal.  We all agreed this place was a keeper.  I rated it a perfect 5.  25 points out of 30 possible.
4. Villa Macri - This was an Italian/Greek place and we ate there kind of early for dinner.  We were one of only two tables.  I had a spinach salad that consisted of lettuce, egg, bacon, and onion.  It cost almost $10 and was certainly not worth it.  I was disappointed in the service, the decor (which was full of odd greek statues), and my salad.  Susan, on the other hand, ordered a lasagna that I tasted and then tasted again because it was quite good.  18.5 points out of 25 possible.

Tom's burger with fully involved hash browns

•  Before the trip began I learned about ImPRESS nails via the Wendy Williams Show.  Having issues with chewing growing my nails, I decided to research the product and purchase a set for vacation.  They come in short and medium lengths and a variety of color and design.  I found and purchased them at various times at Walgreens, Target, and Walmart.  I see that Amazon also sells them and at a good price too.  They are anywhere from $6.00 - $9.00 depending on where you purchase them.  They are suppose to last "up to a week".  On the Wendy William Show, the celebrity touting them said they lasted ten days. 

 

The first set I put on before vacation.  I put them on upside down and had to reapply them.  They didn't last but a day before nails started dropping. The second set (above) I put on in the car as we traveled.  This time I was patient and put them on correctly measuring sizes and laying them out before applying.  I loved the look when I got them on and everywhere I went I got compliments on my nails.  I did have a nail fall off and I replaced it, but the same nail kept coming off.  The set lasted me four days before a few more fell off and I pulled the rest off.  My nails underneath were not damaged and had actually grown.  I immediately chewed them off.

The next set I put on a week later while in South Bend.  They were a funky design and very colorful.  I felt more exposed with them on, but received the same compliments from various people who were always surprised to find out the nails were press-ons.  The same thing happened with these nails as well, with one always falling off and having to be replaced.  These nails lasted about the same time before I got frustrated and yanked them off.

Susan, on the other hand, bought a french set in medium length and those babies stayed on through everything, even deep cleaning of her house.  They stayed on over a week until she had to remove them because her nails underneath had grown out so much.  Her nails looked great and very real on her hand.

My last set stayed on the longest.  I loved this design and color.  I had one nail fall off, but not until around the third day and when I replaced it it stayed on.  This set lasted almost six days and my nails underneath had grown quite a bit and so far I have kept the length.  I'm trying to grow them a bit more to see if the press on nails will stay on longer, as Susan's real nails were definitely longer then mine.  Darcy also had the fingernails and she also put on a set of toe nails, which lasted a week.  My friend's daughter, Kristen, bought a set and the last I heard they were still attached and going on a week despite her working every day.  I guess it depends on your body's chemistry?  Who knows.  But I would recommend them for a special occasion or when you just want to have some fun.  I spent the same amount on four sets of nails that I would have spent on a professional set of acrylic nails, but the professional set would have lasted me longer.  Either way I have another set that I bought on clearance, plain colored, that I still have to try.

• The last part of my trip was a full day of driving from South Bend back to Evansville where we hung out at my friend Robin's house for another four days before driving back to Florida.  We attended a graduation party and two 50th birthday parties and ate so much cake that I actually thought I would never eat it again and I LOVE cake.  

Robin came back with us to help keep me awake while I drove.  She offered to help in the driving, but I was too anal about the rental car to turn over the wheel because all the rental paperwork said in big letters how I was the only one allowed to operate the vehicle.  The drive back was brutal weather-wise for several hours the first day, and we had to pull over at an exit that only had a gas station.  Since all the truckers and other cars had pulled off as well we all partied in the station.  All in all, except for a sinus infection, the rest of the drive was uneventful and not bad.  Another great vacation in IN.