Out of the mouths of my babes

Recently, I've had conversations regarding characters from television or history that younger adults don't know. This Sunday, watching the Fox NFL Pregame Show the same thing happened with Terry Bradshaw who admitted he didn't know who the younger hosts were referring to, and I laughed and shook my head. Youth vs. Age.

Later in the day, Darcy set off to get some new glasses with her new prescription. After narrowing down four frames, she Facetimed me to get my opinion. (The new college boy toy was with her, but she still needed her mom's opinion. My heart grew!) She kept trying on different glasses, one of them a red pair.

Me: "You look like Sally Jessie Raphael"

Her: "Yeah, I don't know who that is,"

Me: "Oh, my, and I suppose you don't know who Fred Flintstone is either, right?"

Darcy: "Don't be ridiculous, Mom. I grew up eating Fruity Pebbles."

Monday morning NFL recap - week #8

Steelers:

• I can't figure it out. We have the gun power in our quarterback. We have the ability with our wide receivers. We have a hell of a running back, and our defense, which people thought wouldn't be much this year has shown heart. Yet, yet we aren't playing to all of that potential. No one understands it, least of all me, but I've felt that we've been that way for the last six or so years...as I've written.
• Offense once again couldn't get it going. There were moments, yes, but when we needed it we couldn't get it. Still can't....oops, and there goes JuJu Smith-Schuster, our twenty-year rookie for a 97 yard TD! I'll gladly eat my words there. 
• Speaking of Smith-Schuster. He doesn't have a driver's license and rides his bike all around Pittsburgh, tweeting some of his rides. This week someone stole his bike and he tweeted it out. Antonio Brown then tweeted the hashtag #teamfindjujusbike and offered two tickets to the game if found. It blew up on Twitter and was hilarious. I'm impressed with the way this kid handles himself on social media. The city got involved, the bike was found, and the fun took away from the whole Martavis Bryant situation. If only that team work could carry over on the field.
• Also wish that we would do as well in the red zone as we do with our touchdown celebrations. 
• The defense gets the job done and the offense can't score after the defense's recovery of a fumble. It's frustrating, and I'm not sure if it's the play calling or the execution. 
• This week Bell had someone call him out on Twitter with a he isn't as good as he thinks he is tweet and Smith-Schuster's own teammate called him out on Twitter. Difference? JuJu proved that tweet wrong tonight. Youth, strength, or a little bit of both? 
• This game did nothing for my recently racing heart issues that I've had for a couple of weeks now. Good thing my doctor is a Steelers fan when I have to discuss my last heart palpitations tomorrow during my physical. 

Other:

• So, someone leaked the Houston Texan owner Bob McNair's comment made during the owners' meeting October 17th where he said, "We can't have the inmates running the prison" and understandably his team is pissed at him. I'm not sure why all of the teams aren't angry, frankly, since this was directed at all of them and since this meeting was supposed to be about how the owners could connect to their employees regarding the anthem situation. Sounds to me like the owners, or at least Bob McNair, has zero respect for the guys who make him the big money. Yowzer!
• I gotta say, I'm impressed with the Jets. Their defense is strong. Their offense is lit. Who thought they were going to suck this year?
• How cool is Philadelphia's Carson Wentz in the pocket? I mean, this guy doesn't panic or even move at times. He just stands there and puts all of his faith on his offensive line and then throws the bomb. Wentzelphia!
• The Raiders fumbled four balls. What? Oil on the ball? At least the Falcons had the rain as an excuse for their four fumbled snaps. I'm not betting against the Bills anymore.
• The Bears Zach Miller injury was tough to watch, I mean, his knee did the Linda Blair spin, but how again was that not a touchdown? He didn't remain in control of the ball? Seriously? Disagree.
• We are done in England for the year. They will return to their football and we will return to ours.
• I was thinking as I watched Russell Wilson put his mouth guard on his helmet after each down and then returned it to his mouth that....well, yuck. So many football players do this very thing and when you think about where that helmet is during a game....well, yuck.
• How exciting were the last two games; Dallas/Washington, Seattle/Houston? The Seattle/Houston game was back and forth, and just when I thought it was over with Wilson's interception, Seattle came back with a score and sealed it with their own interception. Stellar ball.
• Props to the Texans for taking the high road. I called it the other way, but they acted like responsible adults and played like good employees doing their job. Kudos.

NFL picks week #8

Last Week - 10-4

Overall - 65-43

Baltimore over Miami - I didn't expect that blowout or the dirty kind of play people talked about around the water cooler, but the Ravens by golly took care of business.

Minnesota over Cleveland - I'm a firm believer that at some point undefeated teams lose and vice versa, but I'm not sure when the Browns will pull that off.

Oakland over Buffalo - I'm putting all my chips on my fantasy quarterback Carr because by golly, darn it, I didn't play him last week.

Cincinnati over Indianapolis - This is my switcher-roo pick where I think it might now go the other way, but I'm locked in. 

New England over Chargers - The media is trying to talk up this game, but I'm not sure who is buying it.

New Orleans over Chicago - The Saints are on a roll and the Bears are...well, not.

Atlanta over Jets - I wanted to think the Jets could pull this off, and of course they could, but I wasn't confident enough to pick them. I think the Falcons pull it together this week.

Philadelphia over San Francisco - Carson Wentz is  the golden boy of the month, and I expect him to relinquish that title any time soon.

Tampa Bay over Carolina - The Bucs are at home and this week I'm hoping they kick it in gear earlier in the half instead of waiting to catch up.

Seattle over Houston - The Texans have more than locker room and injury issues what with their owner calling them names so I'm not so sure team loyalty is high on their list at this point.

Washington over Dallas - My wild pick.

Pittsburgh over Detroit - Trouble in the locker room and social media this week led to the benching, and most likely the trading of Martavis Bryant, so let's see how that plays out on the field. I'm behind my boys, but not as confident in their hold on the theatrics.

Kansas City over Denver - What happened to the Broncos?

Crockpots and newfangled technology

My friend Jim has had a rough year dealing with a hit upside the head that came, for him, out of left field, followed by his daughter heading off to college. He is suddenly alone in his house contemplating a very different retirement future than the one he envisioned. Our family has walked beside him through his journey, offering hugs through sad emotions, lending him an ear to get out frustrations , and giving him a swift kick when needed to propel him forward.

Earlier in the year when he was moaning about missing home cooked meals, I told him I would teach him how to use a crockpot. He is from the generation that gripes about "newfangled technology" and he refuses to learn new things, but then he surprised me by purchasing a crockpot from a garage sale for $5.

Jim: "I'll probably never use it."

Saturday I taught him how to use it.

We shopped and purchased the ingredients for my Mock Steak Recipe. We threw in the cart two potatoes and a bag of fresh green beans, and pudding for dessert. The crockpot was still in the original box so we washed the pot, plugged it in and started cooking.

We doctored the steaks with seasoning, braised them on both sides, and stuck them into the pot with broth, some Lipton onion mix, and Worcester sauce. I put Jim to work peeling potatoes. We couldn't find a peeler so he used a knife and grumbled through the process while I snapped the green beans.

We threw everything into the pot and turned it on high. I made him repeat the process aloud to make sure he remembered it and then I left for four hours. When I returned, his house smelled delicious and the meal was done. The meat broke apart when touched with a fork and the potatoes mingled with the sauce enough to thicken it nicely into a gravy. Tom joined us and we devoured the entire crockpot meal.

I made him repeat aloud the process again while we ate. He did well, but he swears he won't remember or be able to duplicate it again when his daughter is home for the holidays. I told him we would do a new recipe once a week so he gets his $5 worth, and then Tom and I tried to talk him into an Iphone. It put him over the edge.

Baby steps....

POP

Sometimes things pop up in life, and long afterwards when I have time to sit and contemplate, I discover that it was just needed. No rhyme or reason to it, but POP, it happens and I'm better for it. For a long time, I've talked about traveling back "home" to Indiana. I often feel the tug that calls me back, and not having been in over three years, weighed on me heavily. I don't think I knew how much until I got there.

I had expectations before arriving, so many wants that I thought I needed, and while some came to fruition, others did not, yet I was okay with that. There would have been a time in my life where I wouldn't have been so carefree with that, but this trip I was just that. It worried me at times, that attitude, and with my history of doomed emotions it made me even more concerned. I had to work to push it aside, and when the time came for me to head home I gave myself a big pep talk. One where I embraced change, looked forward to the future, and held tight to acceptance.

Returning home, I had several days of searching for colors. It wasn't an easy transition from relaxation to the "real world" of responsibilities and same old, same old. In my absence, life went on with changes and tension, and it was like opening a door and having a huge gust of cold wind in my face or jumping into a cold pool without testing the temperature with my toe. I gasped for air for a few days before I got myself acclimated.

Some days were better than the others, and finding a balance was challenging, but the thing about dark days is that there are always brighter days. I spent time exploring my Indiana experiences and categorizing them into helpful transitions to being home. So much can't be controlled, and while the past is exactly what it states, it also helps to define and pave the future as do all experiences.

I needed the visits I made. I needed the re-connections. I needed the time spent with family. I needed the awakening of decisions made. I needed the hugs, the laughter, and the beauty of the countryside. I needed the link with my past so that I could continuing moving forward through now and the future. POP.

Monday morning NFL recap week #7

Steelers: Watched from home on the TV. Big rivalry with just a tad of nasty thrown in.

• Okay, I'm thrilled the NFL took away the penalty for celebrations (although it seems somewhat subjective), but I really am not a fan of them. I guess because less is more in my book. Also, this isn't the pee wee league.
• Yay for the rookies stepping up and playing big. JuJu Smith-Schuster, the youngest football player in the NFL at twenty years old and James Connor are definitely showing they are worth their contracts.
• The Bengals Vontaze Burfict, he of the dirty, dirty hits that have gotten him suspended for many games, came on to Heinz Field reported mouthing off about how the fans and Steelers weren't going "to like" him today. First, he refused to shake hands with the Steelers captains at the coin toss, and then on the second play of the game he kicked Steelers Roosevelt Nix in the head as Nix rose from the ground after a tackle. The referee immediately came over, but a flag wasn't thrown. Let's hope the NFL takes a look at that, and a look at how he smacked Nix in the head later in the game as Nix walked past him. Come on, NFL this guy shouldn't be playing in this league. What's it going to take?
• I'm not a fan of Jim Nantz' calling the games. For this one, he was paired with former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo who seemed to be the butt of jokes from the studio yahoos anytime a Dallas update hit the screen. Ugh, men acting like boys. I thought Romo had some useful insights, but Nantz just makes me nuts. Especially when he "gave props" to that stupid "hide n' seek" celebration the Steelers did early on.
• Only one penalty this game from our side. Now that's what I'm talking about!
• The defense started out slow, but they pulled it back together again and suddenly caught on fire, sacking Andy Dalton and intercepting twice. If only the offense could have turned those into 7 points.
• On 4th down, as the Steelers went to punt, they instead did a trick play with Robert Golden taking the snap and throwing down field for a great completion to Darrius Heyward-Bey for a first down that sealed the game and got the Heinz Field crowd roaring. It was the perfect time to play Renegade and close it all down.

Other:

• Fun, close games in the first half of football yesterday. This is where the NFL Network's Redzone wins out in television of the NFL. I could see all four tied football games at once.
• Another quarterback bites the dust with the Arizona Cardinals Carson Palmer going down with a broken arm late in the second quarter. Unfortunately, this game was in London. It's bad enough to fly that far to play football, but to fly back with a broken arm? Ugh.
• Cleveland Browns' offensive tackle Joe Thomas made his 10,363 consecutive play on Sunday, having never missed a snap in eleven years, and then he got hurt and the streak came to an end. Bummer.
• Tampa Bay, just like last week, started out incredibly sloppy and slow, but pulled it together and staged a comeback, but again like last week they fell short, fumbling the ball in the last few seconds to allow the Bills to win it with a field goal.
• Enjoy when our local kids get a nod on the TV. Kudos to Tampa's Miles Teller for his intro into Fox NFL Sunday.

NFL picks week #7

Last Week - 7 - 7

Overall - 54 - 38

Kansas City over Oakland - Apparently I missed a good game.

Buffalo over Tampa Bay - Not sure if Bucs quarterback will play with his aching shoulder or not, but despite their attempt at a comeback last week I'm not sold on the home team just yet.

Carolina over Chicago - These two teams are about even, so I went with the better quarterback.

Tennessee over Cleveland - I keep thinking the Browns will win one, but who am I kidding?

New Orleans over Green Bay - No Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are at home, but win against the slinger, Drew Brees?

Indianapolis over Jacksonville - I don't think Andrew Luck will be back yet, and knowing Irsay's history, his replacement is playing his heart out so I went with the Colts at home.

Rams over Arizona - In England so no home field advantage here, but I like how the Rams are playing right now and the Cardinals are in trouble.

Miami over Jets - Equal teams here? I think the Dolphins have the edge with their running backs.

Baltimore over Minnesota - The Ravens defense is better than its offense, and I can't keep the Vikings quarterback situation straight in my head so I went with the Ravens.

Dallas over San Francisco - Yeah, I don't think anyone picked the 49ers, did they?

Seattle over the Giants - Toss up on this one. Both have star quarterbacks. Both have O-line issues. Both are fighting for their lives in the win department, but I think the Seahawks have an edge despite playing on the road.

Pittsburgh over Cincinnati - Here we are against a yucky team. Can we break the stigma? I'm hoping playing at home and making up for the last home game to the fans is a high priority today for the Steelers.

Denver over Chargers - Maybe might have missed this one, but the Chargers are just so spotty.

New England over Atlanta - A repeat of the Super Bowl. Don't think the outcome changes, no matter how much the Falcons want redemption because Brady is just smokin'.

Philadelphia over Washington - Gotta go with the Eagles who seem to have everything in sync right now and they will want to continue that on the Monday night stage.

Back home

Returning home from single traveling, for me, is always a huge jolt like wrapping your hand around a live wire. It's always awkward as we've gotten into a routine, him without me and me without him, and there is that readjust period as we work to get back into sync. It takes awhile for him to catch me up on the happenings at home and even longer for me to get into the swing of normalcy.

I always have to return my home to my home, and because that is better done alone, and because I came home in the evening, I had to wait until the next morning to right things. Being on a different schedule, I was out of sorts and didn't sleep well after getting back. Business travelers often talk about how great it is to get back to their beds, and while I was thrilled to have my own pillow under my head, my body was twitchy and hot and sleep eluded me. I missed my SIL and our late evening talks. Everything just felt off.

I told myself I would give myself the next day to restore order. While the house looked the same, despite the new roof, it was dirty and things were out of place, and I eagerly jumped in with both feet unpacking and cleaning; closets, rooms, sheets, and even the dog. By the time evening rolled around, I was feeling relaxed and back. The dog had easily slipped back into our routine, thrilled that he wasn't going to spend the day alone, happy that he could once again chase the vacuum cleaner which hadn't made an appearance while I was gone. Daughter #2 had called to welcome me home and discuss her upcoming trip home, putting in her meal order and whining about how long I was gone.

When we returned from our walk at the same time as the husband pulling into the driveway, he too was relaxed, happy to be coming home to someone in the house. Discovering a clean, not so needy dog, a clean bedroom, and an uncluttered kitchen with a homemade dinner waiting, he felt the shift too.

Mama was home and all was finally right with the world. 

At least, that's how I view it.

Monday Morning NFL recap - week #6

When people ask me why I'm a Steelers fan, I tell them the short version which is that I wanted to back a team I could watch play each week. The Colts were still in Baltimore back then and the Steelers were on my television each week. Welcome back to Indiana and Steelers football because, not including my first Sunday here with the illegal television set up, each Sunday after had my Steelers on TV.

Steelers:

• I don't know if it is the death of the Steelers leader, Dan Rooney Jr., or just too much estrogen and egos in the locker room, but the issues on this team go way beyond football. From Le'Veon Bell's wanting more money and refusing the Steelers major money offer to the kneeling on the field debacle to Antonio Brown's tantrum to Big Ben's whining and now to Martavis Bryant's wanting to be traded rumor, the Steelers are in trouble. No wonder football is second to all of this drama. My question is why aren't the powers that be stepping in to put an end to all of this nonsense? Someone has got to step up and knock some sense back into these children players.
• Addressing Martavis Bryant, let's take a look. Drafted by the Steelers in 2014, he spent the first six weeks inactive due to an injury. In 2015 he was suspended the first four weeks for substance abuse. In 2016 he was suspended the entire year for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. In 2017 he wants to be traded because he feels he isn't getting to be involved as much as he should. Are you freakin' kidding me? This kid, at 25 he is beyond that, but his actions are obviously childish, has got to man up and perhaps former Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes could help with this, and thank his lucky stars that he is where he is at this moment. 
• As usual we started off hot, and I thought we were finally putting everything behind us and breaking out like I've felt we would do, but it was just a fluke. The defense played great, keeping the Chiefs to just 16 yards in the first half, but the offense still couldn't break out with big scores despite their 459 yard totals.
• Le'Veon Bell had his big break out, but credit to the rest of the team for opening up the big holes that let him barrel through to his 32 carries for 179 yards. 
• In the second half, while watching Ben Roethlisberger, who had TONS of time thanks to his Oline, I saw that moment when he just decided to throw it far and long to Antonio Brown, putting his trust into his receiver. Brown caught the ball after it bounced off the defender, avoided a tackle, and scored the lone touchdown for the day. 
• The defense held the Chiefs key players, Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, to less than 40 yards a piece. That's the key difference right there. Stop the key play makers.
• The win over the Chiefs knocked out the last undefeated team in the NFL this year.Monda

Other:

• Yikes. Green Bay Packer's quarterback Aaron Rodgers is out with a broken collarbone after a hit by Vikings Anthony Barr. Rodgers had released the ball and Barr kept coming. Rodgers put out his arm to break his fall as all humans instinctively do and OUCH you knew it was all over. Add Rodgers to the long list of injured reserve players thus far.
• Kudos to Adrian Peterson, now with the Arizona Cardinals, for his 134 yards and two touchdown day against Tampa Bay. In fact, the three aging Cardinals, Peterson, Carson Palmer, and Larry Fitzgerald, all had 100 plus yards totals and kicked ass on the field.
• Uh, the Jets didn't score on that pylon hit? Ruled that Austin Seferian-Jenkins fumbled the ball (WHAT??) before being pushed out of bounds, what should have been a touchdown suddenly wasn't. I'm sorry, but if that wasn't a touchdown then all those other pylon hits shouldn't be touchdowns either. Fumble? I can't even... Bad call and you can't convince me otherwise.
• How crazy was that New Orleans and Detroit game? That is one I would have liked to have seen along with the Bucs working hard to comeback against the Cardinals.
• Unfortunately, the Bucs also losed their quarterback in the first half, but early tests show that Jameis Winston's body might just be A-ok.

NFL picks week #6

 Last Week - 7 - 7

Overall - 48 - 30

Philadelphia over Carolina - The Eagles just keep winning.

Atlanta over Miami - My travels has thrown me off schedule so I still have yet to watch the Dolphins (my brother doesn't have the NFL Network...WHAT?) but I still don't think they can beat the Falcons at home.

Green Bay over Minnesota - The Vikings are still without their main quarterback(s) so I don't think the Packers will have trouble here even on the road.

Detroit over New Orleans - My boy, Matt Stafford, has been on the ground more than he has been standing up throwing passes, but I still believe in him. Maybe I need to rethink that since the Saints are suddenly playing like they remember this is football season.

New England over Jets - If anyone believes this will be the other way, good for them.

Washington over San Francisco - Kirk Cousins shouldn't have to exert himself too much this week since the 49ers don't seem to remember that football season has started. Oh, wait, this is how they played last year, so....

Baltimore over Chicago - The rookie for Da Bears is looking for a win, but I doubt that will come today against the Ravens at home. The Ravens, who had a couple of bad days, smell the Steelers locker room situation and will play well.

Houston over Cleveland - I thought maybe the Browns might pull this one off, but changed my mind when it came time to lock in my picks. Even with the loss of Watt, I don't think the Texans can lose this week, right?

Arizona over Tampa Bay - Toss up game. The Bucs play well on the road usually after a loss, but the Cardinals lost too and I think they are the better team.

Jacksonville over Rams - I'm a Jaguar believer now.

Pittsburgh over Kansas City - I keep waiting for us to burst open and if it doesn't happen this week, I'd say we have bigger problems in the locker room and coaching then we suspected. Yet, I'm a fan and I believe in my boys through thick and thin...or am I naive? Hopeful? A sucker?

Chargers over Oakland - If no Carr, I see Rivers taking this one.

Denver over Giants - Same here with the above. No Beckham Jr. for the Giants after his surgery this week lets the Broncos pick up a win after a loss.

Indianapolis over Tennessee - Another boring Monday night game. Who makes these decisions? I think I figured since I'm still in Indiana, why not?

Traveling through Indiana

The weather turned a few days ago. Jeans weather. Unfortunately, with that weather came rain. Not the kind of rain I'm used to in Florida that comes intermittently and lasts in a blink of an eye, but a torrential rain that flooded the yard and lingered for days, sometimes spitting and other times pouring. The sun that had been awaking me as it rose above my bedroom window was missing and Susan and I quickly got into a pattern of staying up late and sleeping later.

Wednesday we hit the road to visit my niece in college. I got to see her dorm, but wandering the campus had to be done by car since the rain followed us. We took her out for dinner and then shopping for college essentials, food, toilet paper, etc. I got to meet her roommate and one of her suite mates, but we got a late start back home because her mother did not approve of the conditions of the bathroom the suite mates share.

A couple of days later, on a day where the sun actually peeked out for longer than an hour, we traveled again for a cook out with family. My sister invited us to her house where we ate TONS of homemade dishes with our other sister, husbands, nieces and nephews, and in-laws. My brother took time off of work to drive us the two hours to her house where he actually got to meet some of the younger nieces and nephews for the first time.

We attempted to take family photos at the end of the evening, and I truly wish we had video of that because hilarity ensued, and I laughed so hard I cried. Apparently, and we all noticed this when looking through the photos on the way home, so did my sister.

We did, however, get a decent enough photo that we can display in our house, but the memories of the evening are priceless. Thanks Sue for hosting all of us before your vacation! 

The fall weather on both road trips was beautiful. I took a few pictures out the window, but doing so while my brother drove was a tad difficult as he swerved a lot to knock me off balance. He also turned on my seat warmer at one point before we arrived at our destination and it took me too long to figure out why I was on fire on my backside. I arrived with my shirt and jeans soaked with sweat. The family thought that hilarious.

We also popped in on my soon to be niece (when she ties the knot with my brother's son) who lived just down the road from my sister before heading home in the dark to listen to the rain all through the night. Traveling is over now until I head home on the plane, but I truly enjoy traveling the state especially in the fall.

Apple picking

When planning this trip, my SIL talked up the places known for fall locations like apple picking and pumpkin patches. Unfortunately, when on my brother's day off he announced we were going apple picking in Michigan, the temperature was in the 80's. Apparently, those temperatures cause the apples to fall off of the trees. There were more apples rotting on the ground then there were on the trees, but we still enjoyed our walk through the orchard.

We collected our bag and made our way down the gravel path to the orchard. Susan had been here before and so she led us. There were honey crisps, red delicious, golden delicious, mutsu, gala, and other types that I'd never heard of before. Apparently, this orchard is known for the honey crisps, but we never saw one on any of the trees. Probably because in the grocery those suckers go for like $8 in Florida.

We picked a variety of apples. Rusty remarked that we should bake an apple pie, and when I tried to explain that baking apples were different than the apples we were putting in our bag he told me I didn't know anything. Ah, glad to see things don't change in the sibling department. Keeping along those lines, I shall post this picture that I didn't notice looked suspicious until I got home:

He isn't really peeing in the corn field, but tee hee. This farm had corn, apples, cherries, grapes, pears, peaches, and pumpkins, and that was just what we could see. We were allowed to wander freely and we did. We didn't pick too many apples since we were really there for the experience, but the ones we did bring home were delicious and very sweet.

We made some purchases in the barn, homemade jellies and salsas, and drank fresh hot cider drawn from a large barrel in the middle of the barn. It was too hot for that, but we were determined to pretend it was fall. This was where we learned that the hot weather was knocking the apples to the ground, and I made the mistake of mentioning I was from Florida and so I got blamed for bringing the high temperatures.

From the orchard, we headed to the lake. We walked along the beach, took pictures, attempted to find rocks to skip, and had a nice early dinner at a pizza place where we discussed our empty nests.

Later that night I made apple crisp with our collected, hand picked apples. It was very sweet, but we had no trouble gobbling it down. A nice end to a lovely day.

Indiana Trip - leg 3

Going back home isn't the same as it used to be in the town that I grew up in. First of all, the town is the third largest city in Indiana and isn't really a town and now it has twice or more the growth than when I lived there. I don't know my way around unless I stay on the roads I know, and because I wasn't driving it felt more like a visit than coming home. Secondly, the restaurants that I insisted I needed to visit weren't as succulent and delicious as I remembered, although it didn't stop me from eating. Lastly, seeing my house didn't cause me to choke up or get that hurt feeling I use to get in my chest. Maybe I've really moved on.

Fall Festival - I picked this week to visit because I thought it would be fall like and because the annual festival, where they close the entire west side of town, was held. The festival was and still is a big deal. Put on by the Westside Nut Club there are vendors selling everything from pronto pups, a hot dog wrapped in a pancake dough and fried, to international foods of all sorts, to fried desserts of any kind like fried oreos, fried twinkies, and monster elephant ears. There are carnival rides and games and music and the crowning of various beauty queens. I can remember going as a youngster and as an adult during lunch hour from work. I hadn't been there in about 25 years so I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane.

I went twice to the festival, meeting up with friends each time to walk around and eat. I had my first pronto pup and a lemon squeeze that was so sugary my teeth instantly craved a toothbrush. I had a Thai coffee, and by my second go round at the festival I was done.

Friend Karen: "It's sort of lost its luster, hasn't it?"

Yep. I think the pull of the festival is gone for me. It was 80+ degrees and all I had in the suitcase was black short sleeve shirts and the fried food made my stomach ache. Walking around and meeting up with old friends was great, but I would have rather done that sitting down in a restaurant so we could have caught up in a quiet and cooler environment. 

Susan's Family - My SIL's family lives in the city. Her middle sister and her husband housed us for four nights and let us come and go as we pleased. They were very accommodating and great hosts, and we didn't want for a thing. Susan's parents are two of the kindest people, and while they tended to make her roll her eyes and sigh a lot, they had me in stitches. Her mother was turning 80 the following week and so we had a dinner party for her at her favorite restaurant. I got to enjoy chatting with Susan's siblings, her nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews. There was cake and plenty of laughter.

Because Susan doesn't get home often due to her living in the frozen tundra and refusing to drive on snow and ice, she has to cram in helping her parents when she is in town. We did all sorts of errands, and cleaning, and electronic teaching, and offering up medical advice. Her father was on vacation for the festival as he owns a business on the west side and so we took them out to eat and got to spend plenty of time entertaining them. Her mother taught us a new card game, and we saw a side of her mother that I had never experienced prior; she's a card shark.

Her mother couldn't grasp our relationship and called me her niece while everyone corrected her. She then tried to refer to me as an in-law, but that just confused her and everyone else and so she took to calling me her "special friend" which raised a lot of eyebrows wherever we went (especially in Indiana).

Me: "Geneva, people are thinking you're my sugar mama and that we're a couple."
Geneva: "Oh, hon, I don't have any money so you'll have to be my sugar mama."

We picked up Susan's grand niece and nephew from their schools two of the days. I know these two only from social media, but we are great buddies now since we shared the backseat of the car on our journeys. I probably haven't seen their mother since she was their age so it was fun getting to know her as an adult and as a mother, but her kids were even more spectacular. The oldest caught on to my humor right off and had no fear giving it right back to me. Her little brother was just as fun as his sister. We picked him up last and always had to wait in a long line of cars. The first time we realized all the cars had signs hanging in their windows with the children's names and so I used some of his sister's paper and colored pencils and drew a beautiful sign with his name on it. The second time we forgot that sign so we did it electronically, drawing his name on an Iphone. That was also the day I yelled out the window to all of the kids waiting in a cluster for their pick-ups.

Me: "Hey everyone, do you know K? We're his family!"

He will be the talk of his class for quite some time after our visit.

Friends - I usually stay with my childhood friend Robin when in town, but as fate had it she was going to Florida for an annual trip with her friend. We had one day to see one another and she met us at the Fall Festival. We walked and talked and spent approximately twenty minutes with each other before Susan announced she was too hot to continue and that her time at the festival was over. We hoped Robin would join us later that evening for the  birthday celebration, but she had other plans and was leaving bright and early the next morning. She made it to Florida, spent one day relaxing on the beach, and then had to turn right around and come home due to Hurricane Nate. That will show her that when I'm in town she needs to drop all plans and stay there with me.

A month or so before my trip a friend I worked with reached out to me on Facebook to say hello. We chatted and then three days later she had a stroke. I took that as another sign that I needed to travel to Indiana and she was the first person I contacted after I bought my ticket. We met at the festival as well (she looked great and is doing well) and it was like the fifteen years we had been a part hadn't even happened. We talked and laughed and caught up as best as we could walking around a crowded and loud festival. We ended up having pie in a nearby restaurant and then we drove around the city just talking. It wasn't long enough so I hope we don't end up going another fifteen years without touching base.

My last meet up was with my neighbor and second mother who lived across the street from me growing up. She still lives in the same house and visiting her there brought back tons of memories. I suppose if I can't go back to 8200 I can always go back to 8201. She has remodeled it, but many things were still the same and it was a nostalgic trip. She looks the same and is full of energy and exuberance. She took me out to the country club where I spent many summers playing and eventually working. Many changes there. It isn't the same place, like so much of the city and haunts, but I think I realize that its the people in the city that really makes it home and not the other stuff.

Eating - I had all of my food. I ate donuts daily. I insisted on my pizza. I ate at G.D. Ritzy's which out of all of the places still tasted the same and was the best. We ended the last night by going to a local ice cream place where I got to eat some choco-creams, little ice cream balls covered in chocolate. I skipped the raspberry sorbet shake, but did entertain everyone with stories of how we would order those in the drive-thru and liven it up with rum we had hidden in the back seat. It was the perfect ending to a nice trip down memory lane and a nice visit back to the place I'll always call home.

Thank you everyone for the hospitality, the visits, the food, the entertainment, and the love. Thank you for taking time to visit, to catch up, and to make my return home a special one. I consider all of you family and love you to the moon and back! Until next time....