Sorry I didn't get to post again yesterday. We had a short day at the park because most of the coasters were closed. (Boooooo...) We did have a very nice dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant on The Hill in St. Louis. The Hill is a place where many Italian immigrants settled and it has turned into a place where several great Italian restaurants and delis can be found. We are leaving St. Louis today but before we go, here are three other local food place we ate at:
1. Imo's Pizza - This is a local pizza place that uses a special kind of cheese called Provel. It was different but good.
2. Ted Drewes - This is a frozen custard place that makes a wide variety of concretes and sundaes.
3. Lion's Choice - This is a sandwich place that makes Roast Beef sandwiches. It's like a local version of Arby's but the roast beef has some special seasonings and they have their own sauce bar.
Sunday, June 30, 2019
Friday, June 28, 2019
Daily 3 - Three More States
Today was another long travel day through three more states on our midwest road trip.
1. Ohio - While most people know that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland, you may not know that the term "rock and roll" was actually coined by a DJ named Alan Freed in Cleveland.
2. Indiana - The movie A Christmas Story is set in Hammond, IN (which is also where my parents grew up). Much of it was filmed in Cleveland, OH, but the stories are based on events in Hammond (including Warren G Harding Elementary which we passed by on a short jaunt through town).
3. Illinois - Chicago has more lines of railroad track radiating out from it than any other city. My parents told stories about how they were always dealing with delays from trains running through Hammond (IN).
1. Ohio - While most people know that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland, you may not know that the term "rock and roll" was actually coined by a DJ named Alan Freed in Cleveland.
2. Indiana - The movie A Christmas Story is set in Hammond, IN (which is also where my parents grew up). Much of it was filmed in Cleveland, OH, but the stories are based on events in Hammond (including Warren G Harding Elementary which we passed by on a short jaunt through town).
3. Illinois - Chicago has more lines of railroad track radiating out from it than any other city. My parents told stories about how they were always dealing with delays from trains running through Hammond (IN).
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Daily 3 - Making the most of your theme park visit
I've been to a few theme parks since I started actively riding about 19 years ago. Since then, I've learned a few things to make the visits more enjoyable.
1. Comfortable shoes - this is non-negotiable. Even the most comfortable shoes are uncomfortable by the end of the day after walking multiple miles and excessive standing in lines. Shoes should NOT be flip flops.
2. Take very little with you. No purses, cameras, backpacks, etc. Only take what you can carry in your pockets so you don't have to worry about it when riding rides. You might have to wear cargo shorts with more pockets, but make it so that you can hop on rides without much effort.
3. For plus size ladies or those that have chafing issues - the right underwear and deodorant goes a long way. I found special underwear that wicks away moisture and some deodorant on your thighs helps with the chafing.
Bonus tip: Visit when temperatures are moderate - 76-80 degrees is just about perfect. Still hot in the heat of the afternoon, but manageable.
1. Comfortable shoes - this is non-negotiable. Even the most comfortable shoes are uncomfortable by the end of the day after walking multiple miles and excessive standing in lines. Shoes should NOT be flip flops.
2. Take very little with you. No purses, cameras, backpacks, etc. Only take what you can carry in your pockets so you don't have to worry about it when riding rides. You might have to wear cargo shorts with more pockets, but make it so that you can hop on rides without much effort.
3. For plus size ladies or those that have chafing issues - the right underwear and deodorant goes a long way. I found special underwear that wicks away moisture and some deodorant on your thighs helps with the chafing.
Bonus tip: Visit when temperatures are moderate - 76-80 degrees is just about perfect. Still hot in the heat of the afternoon, but manageable.
Wednesday, June 26, 2019
Daily 3 - Midwest Eats
Today's daily 3 will be three places I've eaten in the Midwest that I've never eaten at before and we don't have in Texas:
1. Maid-Rite - This is a burger place that would probably be the equivalent of Whataburger in Texas. Their specialty is a Maid Rite burger that is just crumbled ground beef with ketchup, mustard, pickles, and onions. It was ok but it doesn't compare to Whataburger.
2. Cousins Sub Sandwiches - We ate here after touring Marquette. It's your basic sandwich shop similar to Subway or Pot Belly.
3. Whitey's - This is an ice cream place in Moline. It was good but nothing to write home about. Serving was pretty large even for a small. I couldn't finish mine. They have a wide variety of flavors.
1. Maid-Rite - This is a burger place that would probably be the equivalent of Whataburger in Texas. Their specialty is a Maid Rite burger that is just crumbled ground beef with ketchup, mustard, pickles, and onions. It was ok but it doesn't compare to Whataburger.
2. Cousins Sub Sandwiches - We ate here after touring Marquette. It's your basic sandwich shop similar to Subway or Pot Belly.
3. Whitey's - This is an ice cream place in Moline. It was good but nothing to write home about. Serving was pretty large even for a small. I couldn't finish mine. They have a wide variety of flavors.
Daily 3 - Coasters
Sorry I didn’t get to post yesterday. After spending all day at the park, I pretty much got to the hotel and passed out. I’ll make up for it by posting twice today.
Today’s Daily 3 will be the three best coasters I rode at Six Flags Great America yesterday.
1. Raging Bull - This one I got to ride the last time I came here in 2004. It is still a great ride with lots of airtime.
2. Goliath - this is a fairly new one that is a hybrid coaster that has a wood frame and a steel track. It is similar to Iron Rattler at Firsts Texas. It was a nice smooth ride with a lot of inversions and steep drops.
3. X-Flight - We were in line for this with just two groups ahead of us when it was shut down due to weather. A hefty storm passed through a few minutes later but we waited it out and got to ride it after it reopened. It was a fun ride - first time I’d ridden that type of coaster.
Today’s Daily 3 will be the three best coasters I rode at Six Flags Great America yesterday.
1. Raging Bull - This one I got to ride the last time I came here in 2004. It is still a great ride with lots of airtime.
2. Goliath - this is a fairly new one that is a hybrid coaster that has a wood frame and a steel track. It is similar to Iron Rattler at Firsts Texas. It was a nice smooth ride with a lot of inversions and steep drops.
3. X-Flight - We were in line for this with just two groups ahead of us when it was shut down due to weather. A hefty storm passed through a few minutes later but we waited it out and got to ride it after it reopened. It was a fun ride - first time I’d ridden that type of coaster.
Monday, June 24, 2019
Daily 3 - Breakfast
I'm not much of a breakfast person in general. I'm usually just not hungry in the mornings so I usually don't each anything at home most normal work days. When I have company I might cook something or sometimes Matt will pick up breakfast burritos (brisket, no egg) on weekends. Since we're traveling and Matt is more of a breakfast person, we have been eating at restaurants. Today's daily three are the things I usually order:
1. Bacon - My favorite breakfast meat, followed closely by good (not spicy) sausage. Not over cooked, but some crispiness.
2. Hashbrowns - With ketchup and pepper. I don't like them too greasy, but they should have some flavor to them.
3. Toast with Butter and Jelly - Preferably strawberry or mixed fruit jelly. Grape is not my favorite.
Bonus: Sometimes if I'm really hungry I'll have french toast, but usually the order is so huge I can't finish it so I usually don't order it. I only like waffles if they are somewhat crispy. I do not like pancakes at all.
Sunday, June 23, 2019
Daily 3 - Three Words
Today's daily three are three words that I should have played, challenged, and not challenged.
1. Solated - I talked myself out of playing this word because I misremembered it as a phony. If I had played it, I probably would have won that game. I played off the L and O and ended up with a Bingo that I couldn't find (and couldn't have played anyway)
2. Erratas - I challenged this word and shouldn't have. I was thinking it was already plural and didn't take an "S". Technically, I'm right, but officially there is a little-used form in which it does take an S. I still won that game but lost some extra points I would have gotten from my lost turn.
3. Dataries - I challenged this and lost a turn and although I was probably going to lose anyway at this point, it might have changed the game a bit and not be as big of a loss. I might have been able to draw better after being able to make a play.
Bonus:
Cooth - I should have challenged this as it was a 54 point non-bingo play. I was pretty sure it should have been couth, but I had previously lost a challenge (erratas) and had bingo counter play and didn't want to risk losing it.
1. Solated - I talked myself out of playing this word because I misremembered it as a phony. If I had played it, I probably would have won that game. I played off the L and O and ended up with a Bingo that I couldn't find (and couldn't have played anyway)
2. Erratas - I challenged this word and shouldn't have. I was thinking it was already plural and didn't take an "S". Technically, I'm right, but officially there is a little-used form in which it does take an S. I still won that game but lost some extra points I would have gotten from my lost turn.
3. Dataries - I challenged this and lost a turn and although I was probably going to lose anyway at this point, it might have changed the game a bit and not be as big of a loss. I might have been able to draw better after being able to make a play.
Bonus:
Cooth - I should have challenged this as it was a 54 point non-bingo play. I was pretty sure it should have been couth, but I had previously lost a challenge (erratas) and had bingo counter play and didn't want to risk losing it.
Saturday, June 22, 2019
Daily 3 - Three Restaurants
Today was the first day of the Scrabble tournament here in Ankeny, Iowa. I thought about doing a Scrabble post of unusual words I played today, but most words were fairly ordinary. I ended up splitting my day going 4-4. Now for today's post - three restaurants we ate at today (that I've never been to before).
1. Perkins Restaurant - For breakfast. I had hash browns, bacon, toast, and coffee. Matt wanted a Blueberry Muffin but they were out.
2. Wig and Pen Pizza Pub - For lunch. I had a salad and cup of French Onion soup. Matt had the Union Jack pizza. Salad was ok, but the soup was delicious.
3. Zombie Burgers and Shakes - I had the Planet Terror burger and a Rootbeer Float. Matt had the Flamethrower and we shared some fries. It was fine though the BBQ sauce was a little spicy for me.
1. Perkins Restaurant - For breakfast. I had hash browns, bacon, toast, and coffee. Matt wanted a Blueberry Muffin but they were out.
2. Wig and Pen Pizza Pub - For lunch. I had a salad and cup of French Onion soup. Matt had the Union Jack pizza. Salad was ok, but the soup was delicious.
3. Zombie Burgers and Shakes - I had the Planet Terror burger and a Rootbeer Float. Matt had the Flamethrower and we shared some fries. It was fine though the BBQ sauce was a little spicy for me.
Friday, June 21, 2019
Daily 3 - Three States
For today's daily 3, I'll list three states we drove through (besides Texas) and an interesting fact about each state.
1. Oklahoma - Because of the frequent sightings, there is an annual Big Foot Festival in eastern Oklahoma.
Source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/59115/15-things-you-might-not-know-about-oklahoma
2. Kansas - Since 1950 until 2012 Kansas has averaged 61 tornados a year. Between 2003 and 2012, that average was actually 112 a year.
Source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/71618/25-homespun-facts-about-kansas
3. Missouri - It is called the cave state because it has more than 6300 known caves.
Source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/72079/25-facts-about-missouri-show-me
1. Oklahoma - Because of the frequent sightings, there is an annual Big Foot Festival in eastern Oklahoma.
Source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/59115/15-things-you-might-not-know-about-oklahoma
2. Kansas - Since 1950 until 2012 Kansas has averaged 61 tornados a year. Between 2003 and 2012, that average was actually 112 a year.
Source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/71618/25-homespun-facts-about-kansas
3. Missouri - It is called the cave state because it has more than 6300 known caves.
Source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/72079/25-facts-about-missouri-show-me
Thursday, June 20, 2019
Daily 3 - Vacation highlights
Well it’s 22 minutes before midnight here in Texas so I guess I’ll make today’s post deadline. We started the first leg of our trip this evening leaving San Antonio around 6 pm. We are staying overnight in Ft. Worth and will head to Iowa tomorrow. Here’s 3 things I’m looking forward to on our trip.
1. Playing Scrabble (probably) - it’s always hit or miss it seems. Hopefully the tiles will be in my favor this weekend. We are playing new people that we have probably never played so it’s a bit of a guessing game. I’ve gotten to know some of the Texas players I play regularly and kind of know who is more prone to play phonies. I’m currently ranked 8th out of 12 in my division.
2. Riding roller coasters - duh. I’ve been to all the parks we are going to before but there will be several new coasters to ride and a lot of old favorites.
3. Meeting some of Matt’s family. I’ve met his uncle who we are staying with in Moline and he is one of the nicest men I’ve ever met. I’ll get to meet a few more of his cousins as well. I was hoping I’d finally get to meet his mom since we are stopping in St. Louis, but that’s not going to happen it seems. Long story - will have to wait for another post.
1. Playing Scrabble (probably) - it’s always hit or miss it seems. Hopefully the tiles will be in my favor this weekend. We are playing new people that we have probably never played so it’s a bit of a guessing game. I’ve gotten to know some of the Texas players I play regularly and kind of know who is more prone to play phonies. I’m currently ranked 8th out of 12 in my division.
2. Riding roller coasters - duh. I’ve been to all the parks we are going to before but there will be several new coasters to ride and a lot of old favorites.
3. Meeting some of Matt’s family. I’ve met his uncle who we are staying with in Moline and he is one of the nicest men I’ve ever met. I’ll get to meet a few more of his cousins as well. I was hoping I’d finally get to meet his mom since we are stopping in St. Louis, but that’s not going to happen it seems. Long story - will have to wait for another post.
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Daily 3 - Three Things I'm Going to Miss
Matt and I leave for our first extended vacation tomorrow. We'll be traveling the midwest for 10 days. We are heading up to Iowa first for a Scrabble tournament this weekend. After that we'll visit some family and then ride coasters in Chicago, Cedar Point, and St. Louis.
Although I'm looking forward to the trip, I will miss some things while gone:
1. My Pets. My cat, Lucy, is now 20 years and seems to be doing pretty well for her age. She still has a good appetite but she likes to nibble throughout the day so I will be worried about her when I'm gone. Fatniss Everdeen is my other cat and if you can't tell by her name, she could stand to lose some weight. I'm not as worried about her. Our dog Angie will be fine, but I will miss her. We lost our dog, Mollie, back in December shortly before Christmas. Part of our fence fell down and she got out and we never found her in spite of trips to the pound, signs, and online postings.
2. My own bed. It's not anything fancy, but it does have a nice memory foam topper that I love and I never quite sleep as well in hotels and other strange beds.
3. My money. Although we saved our tax refund and some extra money I got from being an assistant Academic Decathlon coach, we'll have to spend a bit of money for meals and especially gas! It's going to be about 3500+ miles round trip. Luckily we're taking my Rav 4 Hybrid but that's a lot of miles.
Thankfully my cousin who has been staying with us for the past few months is going to take care of the animals. We're only taking the trip since he is here at home taking care of them, otherwise, we probably wouldn't be gone so long. He's going through a divorce and had been living in his car for about a month when he called to tell me what was going on and asked if he could stay with us. It has been great because he is much handier than Matt and I. He has fixed several things for us at the house so he's earned his keep. I couldn't afford the cost of hiring a pet sitter for 10 days so it has worked out well.
Although I'm looking forward to the trip, I will miss some things while gone:
1. My Pets. My cat, Lucy, is now 20 years and seems to be doing pretty well for her age. She still has a good appetite but she likes to nibble throughout the day so I will be worried about her when I'm gone. Fatniss Everdeen is my other cat and if you can't tell by her name, she could stand to lose some weight. I'm not as worried about her. Our dog Angie will be fine, but I will miss her. We lost our dog, Mollie, back in December shortly before Christmas. Part of our fence fell down and she got out and we never found her in spite of trips to the pound, signs, and online postings.
2. My own bed. It's not anything fancy, but it does have a nice memory foam topper that I love and I never quite sleep as well in hotels and other strange beds.
3. My money. Although we saved our tax refund and some extra money I got from being an assistant Academic Decathlon coach, we'll have to spend a bit of money for meals and especially gas! It's going to be about 3500+ miles round trip. Luckily we're taking my Rav 4 Hybrid but that's a lot of miles.
Thankfully my cousin who has been staying with us for the past few months is going to take care of the animals. We're only taking the trip since he is here at home taking care of them, otherwise, we probably wouldn't be gone so long. He's going through a divorce and had been living in his car for about a month when he called to tell me what was going on and asked if he could stay with us. It has been great because he is much handier than Matt and I. He has fixed several things for us at the house so he's earned his keep. I couldn't afford the cost of hiring a pet sitter for 10 days so it has worked out well.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Daily 3 - Observations about 4th, 5th & 6th graders
So I've been teaching a class to 4th, 5th and 6th graders this week. They are learning to create their own comic books. After being at a high school for the last three years, I did make a few observations today:
1. They have not yet started cussing like sailors. It seems every other word that comes out of a HS student's mouth is the F-word or something similar. The kids I have this week have been pretty tame in that regard.
2. They enjoy telling your stories. Whether it's their character's background story or that their birthday is in 8 days, they like to talk to adults.
3. They are more easily entertained. They don't groan at brain break games and enjoy playing the board games I brought from my school.
1. They have not yet started cussing like sailors. It seems every other word that comes out of a HS student's mouth is the F-word or something similar. The kids I have this week have been pretty tame in that regard.
2. They enjoy telling your stories. Whether it's their character's background story or that their birthday is in 8 days, they like to talk to adults.
3. They are more easily entertained. They don't groan at brain break games and enjoy playing the board games I brought from my school.
Monday, June 17, 2019
Daily Three - Things I Could Not Find at Target
Matt and I are heading on a road trip this weekend so I was needing to get a few things. I went to Target because I needed makeup and unlike Walmart, you can find what you need without someone having to unlock a sliding door. While I was there, however, I couldn't find 3 things that I was shopping for:
1. Underwear - I was looking for a specific brand and style and they didn't have it in stock.
2. Sports Bra that fits - I found one that I kind of liked but the only one in my size had stains on it. I didn't think the rest would provide the support needed. I did, however, find two other regular bras that seem to fit ok. Since we are going to be going to some theme parks and walking out in the sun for hours, I wanted something that would help with sweating.
3. Stationery - I know that letter writing is a lost art these days but I was needing to actually write a letter (by hand) and the stationery I've had since the mid-80's was a bit faded and dusty. The only thing Target had was some blank cardstock cards but no actual stationery sets.
1. Underwear - I was looking for a specific brand and style and they didn't have it in stock.
2. Sports Bra that fits - I found one that I kind of liked but the only one in my size had stains on it. I didn't think the rest would provide the support needed. I did, however, find two other regular bras that seem to fit ok. Since we are going to be going to some theme parks and walking out in the sun for hours, I wanted something that would help with sweating.
3. Stationery - I know that letter writing is a lost art these days but I was needing to actually write a letter (by hand) and the stationery I've had since the mid-80's was a bit faded and dusty. The only thing Target had was some blank cardstock cards but no actual stationery sets.
Sunday, June 16, 2019
Daily 3 - Things I Loved About Andrew
Today's Daily Three will be three things I loved and miss about Andrew:
1. How good he was at fixing, building, and maintaining computers. I wish I had him around when I needed help with my systems.
2. Posting his Helen Friday meals. Being a picky eater, I probably wouldn't always eat everything but her cooking always looked so good!
3. How much he loved Maggie. I love how he doted on her constantly and she was always by his side. I'm so glad he found her and I hope she goes to a good home.
1. How good he was at fixing, building, and maintaining computers. I wish I had him around when I needed help with my systems.
2. Posting his Helen Friday meals. Being a picky eater, I probably wouldn't always eat everything but her cooking always looked so good!
3. How much he loved Maggie. I love how he doted on her constantly and she was always by his side. I'm so glad he found her and I hope she goes to a good home.
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Gone too Soon
I heard about Andrew's passing on Wednesday. I've needed a few days to process it. I am truly heartbroken and devastated. He has been my good online blog friend since I first started blogging in 2004. Of course, I haven't really blogged in a while. I do feel guilty about that because Andrew always told me that my blog was his favorite. He enjoyed reading about my mundane life. I think that when I started blogging, it was my form of therapy that I needed post-divorce. When I moved to San Antonio, life took a different turn and my blogging became much more infrequent. I didn't even read other blogs as much but I would always catch up with Andrew every few weeks. There was just something about his writing that drew me in. I loved how he was not shy about sharing. He would write about his embarrassing moments so nonchalantly. I was always afraid to be as completely forthcoming. I loved the many characters he encountered and wrote about. Rosa, George, Charlie, Horsefly, his mom and dad... the list can go on. I am so sad that I will no longer be able to read his writings.
It started with Prison Pete's blog. (I just now tried going back to it and it sends you to a spam site.) I stumbled on it in my early blogging days, recommended it to blogger as a "Blog of Note", it got noted and then tons of people who started reading it also found my blog. Andrew was one of those but he didn't post a comment for several months afterward. I also found several other blog friends like Summer, Cheryl, Leann, and Janet who I'm also friends with on Facebook. Most of us have stopped blogging and mostly post on Facebook these days (if that), but Andrew was able to keep up with blogging for some reason. I wonder if it was a step out of loneliness for him. Whatever it was, I appreciated him, his life, and his many stories. He will be greatly missed by me and his many readers.
Though it's too late for me to do this for Andrew, I'm going to give blogging another try. A Scrabble acquaintance of mine on Facebook has been posting a "Daily Three". Though I can't always take the time to post a lengthy blog, I figure I might be able to at least do a Daily Three. We'll see how it goes. Maybe blogging is old school these days, but it was a big part of my life for many years and it helped me get through some tough times. I may be writing for an empty audience, but at least I'll be writing again.
It started with Prison Pete's blog. (I just now tried going back to it and it sends you to a spam site.) I stumbled on it in my early blogging days, recommended it to blogger as a "Blog of Note", it got noted and then tons of people who started reading it also found my blog. Andrew was one of those but he didn't post a comment for several months afterward. I also found several other blog friends like Summer, Cheryl, Leann, and Janet who I'm also friends with on Facebook. Most of us have stopped blogging and mostly post on Facebook these days (if that), but Andrew was able to keep up with blogging for some reason. I wonder if it was a step out of loneliness for him. Whatever it was, I appreciated him, his life, and his many stories. He will be greatly missed by me and his many readers.
Though it's too late for me to do this for Andrew, I'm going to give blogging another try. A Scrabble acquaintance of mine on Facebook has been posting a "Daily Three". Though I can't always take the time to post a lengthy blog, I figure I might be able to at least do a Daily Three. We'll see how it goes. Maybe blogging is old school these days, but it was a big part of my life for many years and it helped me get through some tough times. I may be writing for an empty audience, but at least I'll be writing again.
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