Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Can't Talk "Family" without saying "and Food"


Dad's ham
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic
Family, Food, Fun. That's basically what trips back here entail. I'm certain it's that way for everyone.

Here's my dad, pronouncing his ham a success. I'm sure I've mentioned before that my boys call bone-in picnic hams "Farmington ham." Taylor and my nephew Jake requested Farmington ham as a counterweight to my moussaka Sunday night. Fortunately for me, moussaka is only popular with 50% of the family. This leaves more for me!

We had corn on the cob and yellow tomatoes with the moussaka, which made our meal rather...yellow on the plate. (Fortunately I had not drawn the yellow fiesta plate, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to see what I was eating!)
A Yellow Meal

Mom made this fantastic salad with baby beets, onions, and cherry tomatoes. Balsamic vinegar was the dressing. Excellent!
Beet Tomato Salad



Monday we found Old Dutch potato chips. Easy to do here. Not easy in South Carolina. Here is Nate modeling a box.
The Land of Old Dutch
They aren't necessarily better than some of the ones we get at home, but it's a nostalgia thing.

And here is brother-in-law Bill making burgers for the grill Saturday night. He has a technique. Pretty much meatloaf, shaped into giant balls. Portioned out fairly, then smashed into patties. Delicious!
Bill the Hamburger King
We also had a nice bottle of Riesling...a Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling I picked up. Can't remember the winery.




Today hopefully it's Jazzercise. Then lunch with The Cleveland Company, and tonight we go out for dinner with my siblings and their spouses. Kids? Tombstone Pizza.

Monday, August 06, 2007

Still Fits!


Still Fits!
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic
Huh. Isn't that something?

Running out to have breakfast with Lis. I'll write more later. Great dinner and conversation with the family last night. I have photos of my food and some of the family.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Prison? Theatre? Antique Mall?


Shelbyville
Originally uploaded by Food Fanatic
I saw this in Shelbville, Indiana yesterday. I couldn't resist shooting it. Obviously you can see from the sign that it's an antique mall. But before I saw the sign I saw the top and thought, "Looks like that used to be a prison."

I can just imagine prison guards in uniform with guns patroling inmates behind. But of course there is no courtyard behind. It's just a big brick building.

As I was standing on the street shooting, I asked an older gentleman about the building. He said it used to be a theatre. For decades it was a theatre.

Shelbyville is kind of a picturesque little town. It's right outside Indianapolis to the east. They have a central town square that is a parking lot and a traffic circle goes around it. The circle is lined with pretty buildings. Old ones.

I spent most of the day yesterday (when I wasn't taking my turn driving) listening to podcasts from a website I found, Nikonians. Wonderful conversation about photography and equipment. Digital and film. It's a great resource that I'm glad I found. I also started working through a Nikon D40 manual that was written by a guy named Ken Rockwell. So I played with my camera and remote a bit.

I also watched the movie "Big Chill." I'd forgotten what a good movie that was. I really like the scene where they show everyone unpacking their stuff. The different items they all had with them.

That's it for the day. Hitting the road here soon. Moussaka tonight at Mom's house! Hoo HOO!

Playing with my remoteNate's Car Ride

Saturday, August 04, 2007

In the Driver's Seat

I can't believe it's been so many days since my last posting. It's been pretty hectic here, although you'd think it would be a little calmer since NATE GOT HIS DRIVER'S LICENSE!

Yup. Wednesday morning. I took him to Lancaster and he passed the test! After some errands, we arrived home and I announced to him that I planned to stay home the rest of the day to work and he could very well take his own self to his dentist appointment.

Now, that might not seem like much, but really...our dentist is on the other side of Ballantyne. It takes a certain amount of intestinal fortitude to shoot the gauntlet that is 521 at Ballantyne. But he made it, had a reasonably good appointment (already in wisdom teeth discussion), and got back home just fine.

Nate's driving is very good, if not a little cautious. Like nervous. But I suspect he'll calm a bit. Although his buddy Ryan didn't really settle down for several months.

He wore Mensa Boy's car Wednesday and Thursday and then we traded back so we'd have Big Green for another doctor's appointment. Another $189 on that car. But if you count that and the starter motor from last month, you still are looking at fewer repairs than a car payment, so I guess that's not all bad. This time it was a window motor. Driver's side. I debated not even fixing it, but somehow it felt like a safety hazard.

You don't realize how much you use that driver's window until it doesn't go down. Here are the encounters I had in the last two weeks:

1. Paying for parking at Discovery Place
2. Drive-Up ATM
3. Sweet Tea at Bojangles--a necessity for any self-respecting southerner
4. Security gate at Sun City

These were all just annoyances, and easy to work around, but there was just a nagging thought that I might NEED that window to go down.

So. It's fixed. And now we are ready to hit the road for Minnesota this morning. I'm the only one up so far, but I'll soon remedy that.

It's two long days driving to get back. We'll stop in Indy tonight. Since Nate can help with driving now, I've brought a particularly comprehensive batch of stuff to do in the car. 3 DVDs from Blockbuster online: "Big Chill," "Gray Matters," and "Rumor Has It." I also have several hours of podcasts from a website I found the other day, Nikonians, as well as a few archived episodes of NPR's "Splendid Table." I never get to hear that in real time.

And I have a user manual for my camera with me. I plan to go through it page by page. I've been experiencing a crisis of confidence with my photography, so I plan to spend a LOT of time on it this week (WATCH OUT FAMILY!).

I also have a new music and an ebook on my mp3 player. Can't remember which book. And the first three Harry Potter books. I stopped reading them around book 4, so now that the series is complete, I plan to work my way through them all from beginning to end.

That's it! It'll be a good trip!

Oh...Mensa Boy sent Nate a Driver's license Haiku when he heard about the test results. So I sent around an email soliciting more. Here they are:

The best advice is
Keep it between the ditches
So Mom will stay sane
-Jenny Hartley


Remember coffee
As you drive to Winthrop U.
Mom must ride with you.

You must understand that I am a Math/Science person. As I write this poem, I remember why I am math/science.

-Kathy Richardson

But does Nate know that
He should wear the car rather
Than just to drive it?

(Can it be all one sentence??)

-Sarah Heins


Hey! Beware! Take care!
Nate's in the driver's seat now
Hey! Beware! Take care!

Jane Alford


Bob: Don't be scared stiff.
Our Devon is driving too.
He is scarier!


Godspeed to Nate (and you all)!

Mary McClane


The last haiku I remembering writing was in the 7th grade but here goes:

Nate and the blue Echo
Poor Bob without his wheels
Lucky Karen home alone

I think my last sentence has too many syllables.
-Cassie

Yellow stripes and white

Flashing by on roads of gray
Mark a bigger world

-Lis Trouten

Gas is on the right side
Brake pedal is on the left
Don't get them confused

Jenny Overman


A boy and a car
Drivers on the road beware!
What were you thinking?

-Julia

Extraordinary
Nate has found his new freedom
Good Luck on the Road!

-Rena Livengood

Yay, for Nate Paulson!

He is now a driving man.
Mom can stay at home.
(Can haikus have punctuation? It seemed the first line really needed it. =-)Congrats, Nate!----Amanda Knoke

Drivers: Stay Alert

Your car may be in danger
Nate is on the road
(hmm...alert is one syllable or two?)
-Jenny Overman

That is so funny

I wish I could write like this
I would be so smart

-MOM

Authorization

DMV to NEP:
You have passed the test

-DAD