We Are Home Safe And Sound

Wheeeee, we pulled in to Blissfield at about 5:30pm.  Boy is it good to be home! 
We got up this morning about 22 miles below Covenington, KY and left the motel at 11:00am....actually 10:59am.  The roads weren't so crowded as yesterday and not near as many trucks.  But there still was lots and lots of construction.  Next thing I knew we were 45 miles from Toledo, OH.  I might have dozed off a little.  While we were driving we were talking about my sewing machine...just before we left my Viking Sewing Machine quit working.  I was googleing Viking Dealers in Toledo and found one in Holland, OH which is very close to Toledo.  They also sell Baby Locks Machine which is the new embroidery machine my sister got.  Mike said, "Do you want to stop and look at them?"  Of course I did so we put the address on the GPS and headed to the Sew A Stitch Shop. We got lots of information and of course now I really want a new machine...A Baby Locks Embroidery one.  They said I could come and try them out one morning...just bring material and make an appointment.  I am going to talk to my sister again and check the brand out on line. 
We were in Toledo so late that the Oriental Place we like was open, I think it is called Jasmine Japanese Steak House.....so we decided to go there for dinner.  Hibachi Steak and Chicken and Shrimp.  Yum...it was ....very good. 

This is Chef Steve...he cooked our meal.

We brought half home so we can have that for lunch tomorrow.
When we got to Blissfield guess what?  There is construction there on the main street of town...it looks like it could be quite a mess and it will last until October....you just can't get away from it.
We called Tiffany to come help us unload the car and Kelly and Ben were at the house, so they helped us too.  We all visited for a while and Kelly talked me into going to Lansing tomorrow to protest against all the new laws they are trying to pass that are not fair to teachers.  Then Mike and I went to Jewel's house so Tiffany could show us the puppies.  They are so sweet....4 boys and 1 girl.  I'll add pictures later.
We got an ice cream at MacDonald's and went back to the house.  Bethany didn't get home until about 10:30pm...we hugs and talked a very little.  We were all tired and went to bed.  Home Sweet Home.

We are on our way home to Michigan. Boy was traveling was hard on this trip.....lots of construction,

 more trucks traveling than cars,


and the most unusual thing was all the tire rubber on the roads....guess from all the retreads...I have never seen so much tire debris on the roads. 



We got on the road this morning at about 12:45pm and drove until almost 3:00pm in the afternoon. I wanted to stop sooner but couldn't talk Mike into it. He wanted to be less than 5 hours home before we stopped and got a motel.

It was a Comfort Inn Motel and we usually stay in Comfort Inns when we travel. This one is an older one but it was really clean. It did spook us out that no one else was staying here. Mike said it sounds like the Bate's Motel...and we are in room 113.

 The desk girl says people usually don't check in until 6:00pm or later. It doesn't have a pool or hot tub, but she gave us a Hot Tub room for the same price as the regular room with a King size bed. ($79.00...senior rate) It has a fridge, a microwave, and a brand new giant TV.
It is now 7:30pm and we heard someone go into the room next door...sooooo we aren't the only ones here now.

Last Day At The Beach And In Pensacola

Our first stop was the Boardwalk.....we made it quick.

Then on to Pensacola Beach.

Today was our last day at the Beach.  It was a perfect day....green flag....smooth water...not too hot...just perfect. 

We stayed for two and one half hours.  I waded and looked for shells and sun tanned. I was looking for teeny tiny shells today...I am going to start a collection of them.
We went to Joe Paddy's for lunch

and then to Walmart to get gas and goodies for the trip home.
JM came over and visited for a while and then we went to the bedroom.....Mike wanted to sleep and I wanted to work on my computer, read my e-mail and Face book.  I'm still trying to find and replace all the information I had in my lost blog in the Forgotten Coast Line.
We plan to leave for Michigan sometime between 11:00 pm and 1:00 pm tonight.  We will spend the night one time on the road and get home sometime in the late afternoon or evening.

How Did We Do At The Casino?

We went to Wind Creek Casino in Atmore, Alabama....me, Mike, Paul, Jackie, and Carolyn.  JM decided not to go.

Some information about Wind Creek

Opened in December 2009 with 1,600 slot machines in a 57,000 square foot oval shaped, casino floor wrapped around a central bar and entertainment stage. The high ceilings and spacious aisles ensure maximum comfort. The 236 room hotel and spa are first class and the four restaurants offer a dining experience for every taste. Join the players club and receive 1 point for every $5 gambled. You must be 21 to gamble or watch.

Some famous residents of Atmore, Alabama
Evander Holyfield, four-time World Heavyweight boxing champion, was born in Atmore.
Paul Birch, American actor and the original "Marlboro Man"[1], was born in Atmore.
Don McNeal, star defensive back for Alabama and the Miami Dolphins, was born and raised in Atmore.
William C. Maxwell, namesake of Maxwell Air Force Base.

None of us were big winners...Carolyn (Paul's neighbor)  did more than pay for her meal, and still have winnings left over...so I guess she was the big winner.  We drove so she didn't have to pay gas either.  I didn't like the buffet as well this time...maybe I wasn't hungry enough.


Before we left for the Casino, I used the free coupon from Dillards for a shampoo and style.  I can't decided if it looks good or not.  Mike sort of said he thinks it makes me look older.  Just what I want to hear.  He said he likes my short style better.  But I am going to keep on growing it out until it gets to the length I have been wanting and see if I like it then....chin length on the sides and short and layered in the back.  It is not near there yet.  Here is a picture of it with my new outfit.

What do you think?

Sunday Lunch At The Bowens...Jack's Birthday

Sunday, May 15,2011
We went to Sunday Lunch at the Bowens and they were celebrating Jackie's 55th Birthday.  It is actually Tuesday but we were celebrating with the family today.

Debby made pot roast with carrots, potatoes and hot rolls.  She also had veggies, dip, and the sweetest cantaloupe.  I brought a coconut cream pie and Debby made a coconut cake.  I didn't even know that Jackie loves coconut.  So it was a very good choice.  Everything was very good.  Kathy, Cortney, and the neighbor Carolyn were there too.  Al and Judy couldn't make it.  JM was there but we didn't see very much of him.
Afterwards we stopped at Dillard's and Mike picked up another Polo plaid shirt.  He says they are more comfortable than the cotton tee shirts.
When we got to RB's house we had to take another nap...these naps are getting pretty regular for us down here.
For dinner we went to the Village Inn....no one really loved their meal but they were OK.  I think Mike and I are just getting sick of buying meals out...we are missing home cooked meals.
Bethany texted me and told me that it was 41* and rainy in Blissfield....yuk!  Boy we haven't watched TV down here much...RB has a rotten little old TV hardly worth watching.

When we were here last summer his big TV picture made every show look pink and he waited until it died and complained to one of his friends at the Waffle House.  They said they had an 18" portable that they would give him.  And instead of buying a new one that is what he uses in his living room...can you believe it.  His main entertainment is everyday is his computer, that is not even on line, and this old tiny TV.

We went to the beach today...it is getting close to the day we are going to leave for home so I have to get all the beach time I can.  It was a little cloudy but still a great day.  JM went with us.  We laid in the sun and waded in the water looking for shells.

 I found a few....the surf was kind of rough...it was a yellow flag.  This is all of the shells I have found at Penesacola Beach this summer.  The dark thing at the bottom is two barnacles. 

When we got back to Pensacola we went to a Mexican Restaurant called Catus Flower. 

It was very good and just what we needed after a day at the beach.  JM and I had the Tostada meal and Mike had the Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas...and they were both very good.  We will probably go back there again.  Sandy, a blogger friend of mine who lives in the area, gave me a list of good restaurants and this was one of them.  She also suggested...Aegean Breeze in Gulf Breeze for lunch or dinner,  The Fish House in downtown Pensacola,  and Global Grill in downtown Pensacola.  Out at the beach is SideLines, Peg Leg Pete's and the new fancy restaurant called Grand Mariner.  We might not get to try them all this time but we can when  we come down in the Winter.
For some reason we were all full and tired when we got back to the house....good food and a day at the beach will do that to you, I guess.  So we took naps, read, and played on the computer.  Oh, I had to do the bills too...I hate paying the bills but I have to admit it is much easier online than the old way of writing them out.

Fun Day For Me and Lambert's Cafe

We were getting ready to go to the beach and it kind of looked cloudy and like it was going to rain or maybe we would have a thunder storm..  We decided to wait until tomorrow and hope it would be a better day.
I have been needing some special attention, so I decided to go to get my nails painted and face spiffed up.  Then I needed a hair cut.  I have worn the same haircut for over thirty years!  I am now trying to let it grow out a little.  I am going to try to have it long on the sides and short and stacked in the back.  It is not long enough to really have any style yet, but it really needed a trim.  It is all I can do to not get it short again and just forget about it like I usually do.  I got it cut at Dillard's and I really liked the stylist.  Her name was Jeriaca and I think she was a fairly new graduate of beauty school.  She was very careful to do just what I wanted.  She used a hit wet towel to give me a neck and head massage to relieve stress...it felt great.  She explained each product she used on me and really took her time.  She even gave me a coupon for a free shampoo and styling to use before I go back home.  I was so happy with the way my hair turned out I almost forgot to tip her.
On the way out of Dillard's I stopped to look in jewelry to see if they had the purse hooks and they did....a really cute turtle one with rhinestones.

Afterwards we called Bowens and asked for JM.  We thought he might like to go to the Lambert Cafe in Alabama with us.

But he was at Johnny's land and we couldn't get in touch with him...so we will have to get together tomorrow.  RB wanted to go with us and we jumped in the car and went to Walmart first to buy a lamp shade for one of RB's living room lamps.  It has been gone since we were here in February.   I tried to get him to get two..one to go on the matching lamp, but he would have nothing to do with that..."the other shade wasn't broken." By the time we got going to Alabama it was very windy and pouring the rain.  Before too long it started clearing up.  RB couldn't believe how prosperous it looked in Foley.  I think he loved Lambert's Cafe.  It is a fun place.  They throw giant rolls at you and you have to catch it if you want a roll.  The food servings are very large....even giant drinks.  They bring around free food they call pass-a-rounds...fried okra, fried potatoes and onions, black eyed peas, boiled cabbage, macaroni & tomatoes, apple butter and sorghum.  We always order something and take that plate of food home for later and eat only the free pass-a-rounds while we are there.  That way we have a meal for the next day...actually I usually have two meals for the next day or two.  Mike and RB sat in the front seats of the van and I got to lay down in the back on our drive back to Pensacola.....yeah...I was very full and miserable....lying down was good.  RB seemed very interested in the GPS and coming back to Lambert's Cafe.  When we got home, I got on the computer to catch up on my blog.  Yesterday blogger was down and I couldn't post.  Almost immediately I got a skype notice that my friend Monica in Costa Rica was on line so I video called her.  Larry and Monica could see us but we couldn't see them. Mike and I were unsure about how to use skype...this was the first time we had tried to use it and Pensacola was having bad thunderstorms at the time.  Maybe that was the problem.  Or they said they had just had an earthquake (5.8)  about an hour ago.  Larry said a friend of his was in San Jose and was trying to get to Larry and Monica's house in Jaco and didn't think they could make it tonight with the earthquake destructions.   We could still talk though.  Larry did something to the computer and we saw his head for just a second.  Monica said she is going to have the baby next Tuesday at 8:00am.  Hope I can get this skype thing to work so I can see the baby after it is born.

JM Came Over And We Went To The Genealogy Library

We were a little bit sunburn so we stayed home from the beach today.  JM came over and Mike, RB and JM went to a shooting range to shoot JM's 22 and RB's 357.  They had fun and said they were all good shots.  (I didn't see any targets!, so I guess I will just have to believe them.)  I guess RB's 357 was really hard to cock, but easy to shoot.
JM cleaned RB's gun after they returned from the range.

 John Michael Kight...our nephew.....parents Maria and Johnny Kight.

In the afternoon we went to West Florida' Genealogy Library.

I just happened to see it a few days ago and we thought we would check it out.  It was just great...they have computers with special programs on them that you can use for free.  They have lots of reference books and even experts that can help you if you need help.  We stayed there a couple of hours.  We plan to come back to this library when we spend the winter down in Alabama next year...2012.
We ate at Arby's for dinner.  I had a chicken salad with fruit and pecans sandwich and Mike had a couple of grilled buffalo chicken sandwiches.  He said they were not good at all. I liked my sandwich.
JM stayed over at the house and talked with us for a long time...Guess we had some catching up to do.

Still At Pensacola And Going To The Beach

Today was our day to go to the Beach again.  We like to go at least every other day.
On the way there we stopped at Sonics...I love their Cherry Lemonade..it is so delicious.  We also drove down a favorite road of ours in Pensacola.  It is 12th Avenue.  The whole street is covered with tree branches.  It looks like you are driving through a tree tunnel. 

We also stopped at J's Bakery....can't pass that place up...have to get some much needed cookies. 

JM got back from Jacksonville yesterday...went home for Mother's Day.  We asked him to go to the Beach with us but he said he didn't want to go to the beach.  He said he would come over in the afternoon.  The beach was wonderful again...sunning, shelling, and floating...what a great day!  We stopped at What A Burger and got Juniors and shared a coke.  Mike can't drive past those What A Burgers!  JM came over and the guys talked while I worked on my blog.  They decided to go out for the nearby Oriental Buffet and I stayed home and kept working.  I nibbled on old popcorn from yesterday and cookies we got from J's Bakery.  I could eat the whole box of them.
Mike called and told me they were going to stop at the book store.  He wanted to see if my phone was working.  Every time Jewel calls me she says it rings once and goes right to voice mail.  It worked fine when Mike called me.  I can't figure out why it does not work for her.
When the guys got home I told them to help themselves to the cookies. 

I really didn't mean it, 'cause now they are almost gone.

I wanted to eat them all!

Two Scares Today (Monday) and Quiet Day (Tuesday)

The morning started off wonderful.  Slept in when we had declared we were going to get up early....read and played with our computer for a while.  Then we got dressed for the beach and merrily went on our way to Pensacola Beach for some fun in the sun and floating in thar beautiful water.  This is the Pensacola Beach sign comming from Navarre

 and below is the sign coming from Pensacola...I like the Pensacola sign the best.

When this area

had the hurricane a few years back, this sign was destroyed.  It was so loved by the residents of the city that it was rebuilt almost exactly the same.  The only thing is that I don't think they put the lights back on it so that it still lights up at night.

 On the way we stopped at What A Burger for brunch.

While we are the beach and just getting comfortable soaking up the wonderful warm sun...people started yelling and shouting " Shark, sharks, sharks. everyone out of the water!"  People were moving very quickly out of the water and on the beach sand. It turns out it was dolphins swimming very close to the shore line...not sharks. But the dolphins weren't swimming up and down in the water like they usually do. They were gliding along like sharks swim...so no wonder people thought they were sharks.

"Ha Ha, scared you!" said the Dolphins.

 In the afternoon we went over to Paul and Jack Bowen's house.  Eric was going to help Mike fix something on his computer and put Scype on both of our laptops.  After he got the computers fixed we decided to go to Smoky's and eat dinner.  Paul went with us.  After that we went to Barns and Noble to check out the books and magazines.
Then we got the second scare...we were just going home from the bookstore when we saw a fire truck go down the street near RB's house.I said "I hope that's not going to Keating Rd.  Then it turned on Keating Rd and stopped in front of RB's house...the rescue truck was coming the other way down the street towards the house too.

Lots of red lights flashing. It was for the house next door! Sorry for them, but good for us!  I don't need scares like these any more.


Quiet Day
Tuesday May 10, 2011
We didn't do much today...went out for breakfast with RB and stopped at some motorcycle stores looking for a new helmet for Mike. We came back to the house and Mike worked on cutting the yard and I cleaned in the house a little and did laundry. RB has three Holly Trees in his front yard. They are just loaded with red Holly berries. I wish I had some home in Michigan. I have a Holly bush, but there are never any berries on it.

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