I'll second that!

It was fun! And now instead of just reading our cyper-conversations I can put a face and a voice to them, somehow it makes it that much more real.

Thanks ZC for hosting it and making the evening so memorable.

WOW! Zinnia, Jeanner, AND Sleepless together? Soooooo..... how does it feel to rub elbows with celebrity: The three stooges?! :-)))

(Running for cover back into the foxhole)

One of these years I would like to treat those beloved Ohionese to a Browns/Steelers game so they can see a REAL team play.

I barely noticed how famous they were. I was too busy eating these chocolate communion wafers from California that were as big as my head. The instructions were challenging:

1) Pour a glass of red wine
2) Take bite of chocolate communion wafer the size of your head
3) Take a tiny sip of wine...pause....slam the rest of the wine

...sound vaguely familiar? ;D Though not there in body, you were there in spirit, Fi-guy (no communion pun intended).

OH GEEEEZ! As Curly would best put it: I'm a victim of soycoomstance! I've been SET UP, I tell you...

If the wafers don't fit, you must acquit.

And from the perpetually late Sleepless, after getting started 2 hours later than expected, I was no more than 50 feet from the proper exit dictated by Mapquest when 3 police cars zipped past me and CLOSED OFF THE EXIT. Duh!! They even waited dinner for me. Now that is class. Great house. (Cocktails on the veranda at 7, thank you.)I wanna go Junking with ZC. She knows all the good spots. Sandy

Ok, that's messed up. I didn't know CA had huge-osaurus chocolate communion anything. How could I be in the dark for so long?

It sounds like you all had a GREAT time, though! Drunken, but great. I don't feel left out one bit. *sniff* :D

Brenda

Oh me neither, Brenda, I only live a few hours away from most places in Ohio. *snuffle, wipe, snort*. I don't care. I had fun lying by the pool by myself all weekend. *choke*... sigh...it's O.K. I think I'll go stock someone now. ; (

Oh, and not a word about the zinnias? Sheesh. :)

I am so flattered you all made the trip. It was a blast, and thanks for coming. Sockmonkey, sounds like we might have an annual pondering dinner party in the works... next year in PA? :) Or maybe the Atlanta area, since Semper already has the wafer connection.

We all solemnly went through the motions of the ceremonial Marine sword routine and said "body of Semper" while we tasted the wafers. Also, Semper, your computer's on the blink again. That link didn't show the Browns, but it's sweet that you tried.

And Andrea, I see that the GPS video implant I installed while you slept is working fine. I can't believe you're wearing THAT today. :)

Zinnias. Beyoootful Zinnias! Especially lovely in a low centerpiece with 3 candles. Pretty, pretty pinks. Next year I'm gonna have a section in my cutting garden for pink Zinnias. And yellow zinnias. And orange zinnias. And purple zinnias. And...well I think you get the idea. LOL!
Now I have to upgrade my reading habits. No more mysteries or SciFi. (Well, maybe some classic SciFi.) The collected Calvin and Hobbs is good bedtime reading. And gotta find some good Bluegrass for the sound system. All Smiles, Sandy

"Or maybe the Atlanta area, since Semper already has the wafer connection. "

Shhhhh.... I don't think my associates would appreciate you telling the whole world that I'm a crummy cracker dealer!

BTW, you kids are welcome here anytime.

I have no doubt this is an XX-chromosomer conspiracy. Now if you excuse me, I've gotta go give my better half a GIANT noogie for framing me.

sigh....though i had a great evening last night myself. and, i'll be back to respond to the rest of this conversation!

"1) Pour a glass of red wine

2. Take bite of chocolate communion wafer the size of your head
3. Take a tiny sip of wine...pause....slam the rest of the wine"

You guys? No way! And chocolate too? Got pix as evidence?
Sheesh...and I thought I was the only wino around here :)

You can't believe I'm wearing that??? Hey, you know where I got these shoes, Missy! :)

It was really great and the zinnias are EVERYWHERE and lovely! We definitely should have a big pond gathering every year w/ folks who are close enough to come. It would be a blast! Yes Brenda, we'll take up a collection to bring you along too! :)

As for the alcohol....let's get this picture straight. We weren't nearly as think as you drunk we were! lol The wine was great but it was nothing compared to the cooking. You give me a choice between food like that and wine and I'll eat myself into oblivion anyday!

As a disclaimer, this was a small dinner party that started so that Sandy could meet my friend Anita, whom she helped get through a serious spinal surgery. There was no scar comparison, by the way, so you all didn't miss that. Then we figured since Sandy was coming from Indiana, I bet Andrea could come from Indiana too, and then of course Jean lives right down the road. I only have eight plates, so it were a natural cut-off. :)

Since we all escaped with our lives, I think this meeting-people-from-the-forum thing is all right. And here's a photo for Sheepco.

Here is a link that might be useful: life of the party

As I was canning tomatoes all day yesterday, I was thinking pasta sauce for you all if the dinner happens in PA next year. Some of them wine wafers too of course! LOL Got lots o wine glasses here too. Of course we do since we live next to the family's tavern! Now I gotta go can more body parts...er I mean TOMATOES...yeah, tomatoes is what I mean...tomatoes. Have to stalk...I mean stock up you know...Debbie

Mmmmm, those wafers look deee-licious. I bet they'd go just fine with a triple gin and tonic. I'll let you know.

Seriously, it sounds like you ladies had a GREAT time! Would love to see pics, too, if only of the ZINNIAS!!!!

Brenda

With all the teasing going on we must not forget Zinnia's DH who was a gracious and generous host. He is obviously besotted with Zinnia and she is besotted with him (I'm a little bit envious). How else could he keep smiling through the chatter and still have the energy to dig up ligularias for Andrea. And he cooks! What a guy! He has raccoon stories too. Sandy

Ah ha...lucious wine wafers fit for nobility...I love those vineyards in California, and I found some awsumb ones in Ohio. I actually have 2 within 50 miles of me here in western MN...oh, what were we talking about?

I bet it was a wonderful evening! Glad you all got to meet!
And ZC's DH sounds like a keeper! (I'm more than a little envious :)

i think it is wonderful that you "guys" got together...and sandy met anita...btw, your trip sounds alot like how mine go. but you got there! sandy, you sound much more relaxed and i wholeheartedly support calvin and hobbes!

"1) Pour a glass of red wine
2) Take bite of chocolate communion wafer the size of your head
3) Take a tiny sip of wine...pause....slam the rest of the wine "

---can i use white wine sangria??? mmmmmmmmmm

lol, debbie!

Oooh, sniff, sniff...almost missed that. Debbie's pasta? I bet it's fabulous! And how convient...next door to the family tavern! Teehee :)

PS: I can sympathize with the canning of the tomatoes...tomatoes...tomatoes!

OK, I realize this is a day+ too early but in a few short hours I'm leaving on an 8 day 10-state h/b/iking adventure and won't be nowhere near a 'puter on Saturday.... so on that note...

Happy birthday Ademink!!!

Have a good one.

Awww, thanks Semper and have a BLAST!!!! Sounds like so much fun!

I'm leaving, too, but on a less strenuous weekend to my folks'. :D Thanks so much for reminding us, H/B/ike guy! I know you'll have a GREAT time! Sounds fabulous!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, Miss Andrea! I hope you have the best day ever! You certainly deserve it! :)))))))

Brenda

Happy Birthday!

Hope it is ~~at least~~ half as wonderful as you! :-) ! ! !

C with 3Ds

Happy birthday Andrea! Here's to you!

-- Z

am i too late? happy happy joy joy birthday to you!

No Dawn, you were just perfectly on time, it's me that's late, but! never! TOO late!

Andrea, I hope you had a WONDERFUL bday! With lots of hugs and kisses and pwesents and chocwate and and other good stuff!

Our dd#2 had her bday this weekend too and it involved almost every food known to man, from lobster to brownies. Yum. I hope your birthday tasted great too!

:) Mary

uh-oh! the word is out...red alert :)

mmmmmm, sounds like my idea of heaven. i do love what food does to my taste buds.

Well... hope you had a great one Ademink!

I reckon it's my turn to rub it in as we had the best road trip EVER! In 8 short days we...

...traveled a great section of {{gwi:171974}}... visited {{gwi:172025}}... saw a few landmarks in/around DC like the Arlington National Cemetery, the Washington Monument, and {{gwi:172033}}... went to a FUN Oktoberfest festival with some friends in MD... took a ghost tour of Frederick, MD... hiked a good leg of Catoctin State Park which is part of Camp David and was actually forced to take a detour by Secret Service because apparently the Prez. was taking the weekend off there... got to see Robert Cray absolutely rock the house with some GREAT blues... saw {{gwi:172035}}... visited a lighthouse outside of Erie, PA... saw {{gwi:172080}} in Columbus Ohio to get inspiration to finally start my own setup around the pond... hiked {{gwi:172081}}... visited the historic {{gwi:172083}} in Louisville, KY with some cool monuments as old as the turn of the century (18th century that is!).... saw {{gwi:172084}}... went through a small section of the 365 miles of {{gwi:172087}}... toured the General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green, KY (no pictures because cameras were not allowed. DANG!)... saw the largest selection of antiquities ever loaned by Egypt for exhibition in North America... and went to the most elaborate and hilarious Haunted Cavern tour.

The best part of the whole trip for me was avoiding the interestates for the roads less traveled to see {{gwi:172090}}, {{gwi:172092}} and some {{gwi:172094}}. Of course, no road trip is complete without searching for some {{gwi:172097}}.

With all this, one of the highlights of the trip was being able to meet a notable VIP. No, not G.W. @ Camp David (although it would have been interesting to run into the prez. since he is suppose to be an avid mountain biker)!!! I'm talking about our very own fave Zinniachick. As was mentioned earlier in this thread, it's great to put a face behind the funny posts on a 'puter screen. :-)

Wow!! That's an awesome travelogue, Fi guy! What a fun trip!

I'd like you guys to be our next travel agent. :D

Brenda

How can you remember anything when you cover that much in such a short time? Except Zinniachick of course, she and her DH are totally memorable, but I could spend days on any one leg of that journey with no problem. I sometimes think it is a genetic thing with men when they go on trips to cover as many miles as humanly possible in as short a time as possible. I remember trips when I was a child when Daddy had a new car and Mom had a new Triptick. We would pass one interesting location after another but even if we had all the time in the world it was impossible to convince Daddy we didn't really need to cover 600 miles a day. Only carefully timed bouts of carsickness or threats of divorce from Mom could slow down the Jaugernaut which is how we saw Mammoth Caves, Silver Springs, the Painted Desert and California's new Seaworld (where a baby seal tried to adopt me and actually made it out to our car). By the time I was 13 I had been in 47 of the the 48 states (we missed North Dakota) but in several my feet had never touched the ground. Sandy

I have now met five people from this forum, and not a one of them stuffed me in the trunk of my car! Gee, maybe this internet thing is OK after all.

ZC, if I ever meet you I promise not to stuff you in the trunk of your car. And though it's not likely, I really would like to meet you some day. (I don't get out much ya know!)

Andrea, so sorry! Belated Birthday Greetings!

Semper - Sounds like a great trip, I have to get to work and get off this slow dail-up to enjoy any pix. But I can see Sandy's point. I travelled with my mom and dad to Alaska a few years ago, and it took us 14 days to get from MN to Tok, Alaska (it's a LONG way!). It was wonderful! We stopped, wandered and explored whenever we wanted, and then we spent 5 days in Homer. I flew back to MN from Anchorage (could only take 3 weeks off from work). Last year when they took their RV it took them 9 weeks to do Alaska and back. They certainly do stop and smell the roses.

...I can only hope that one day I can be like them, for SO many reasons :) ...

I can see where my post could be considered critical of Semper. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I was just trying to say that we sometimes need a vacation from our vacation because we stuff so much into such a little time. It would take me a month to do what Semper did in a week and then I would be annoyed if I hadn't been able to locate some local expert to discuss details. My kids called our visit to Williamsburg the trip to H*** because first,Mom tracked down the farmhand who took care of the livestock, then the man who was burning in the design on the leather wall paper at the Governor's home, then the farrier and blacksmith, then the potter who showed us the original clay deposit and the glass blowers who showed us the sand that was used and some other guy who told us about the settlers traveling two days to find the right kind of salt deposits so they could preserve their food. They were grateful I missed the sheriff so they didn't get chained up in the jail and I couldn't find an archeologist so we couldn't get down in the hole they were excavating where the original church was built. I turned what was a three hour tour into what threatened to become a way of life and none of that stuff was in the brochures anyway.
Not everyone takes tours the way I do but I come by it honestly. My Mom talked her way past the Swiss guards in the Vatican to get into the Pope's changing room so she could sit and rest for a while. Sandy

sandy, that is so cool :)

Oh, man, the quick trips bring back memories from childhood for me, too, when it was wise to time potty breaks to coincide with Dad's "we're-not-stopping-until-we-get-there" attitude. :D

Brenda

Hey Sheepco, I'd love to meet you too! We have friends in Northfield and in Red Wing, and we considered a tour of Minnesota after one of them sent us a calendar of gorgeous photos from your state. Maybe next summer. When is black fly season?

Sandy, you have such a wonderfully inquisitive mind. I don't think you can insult Semper, unless you mess with his 'do. He is very particular about his coiffure. Like those big-hair bands of the late 70s, remember them?

"I have now met five people from this forum, and not a one of them stuffed me in the trunk of my car!"

Well, if you survived your bout with the "stalker" as was previously established here by some who know EVERYTHINgGg, then I think it is safe to say that you're gonna be otay from here on out. Of course, you were also in luck because... (A) I had stalk-piled on my medication and (B) my Pathfinder doesn't have a trunk. D'OH!

Sandy, don't listen to the crazy gal from Ohio. I *LOVE* it when people mess with my doo.

I don't know where I get this A.D.D. style of travel. Maybe it's because we get to take road trips like these only once in many, many year and then I feel compelled to make up for lost time??? I do know that I probably didn't inherit this gift/curse from my dad. When we got back, he was asking me how the trip went. "Great", I told him.

"So, how many days did you guys stay in Niagara?", he asks

"Three......................HOURS!"

He about had a cow! LOL! I figure, you see it, enjoy it, capture it, and then move on to another point of interest elsewhere. This suits us perfectly. And frankly, I can't imagine ever wanting to spend any longer than that there. You know you are in a tourist trap hell when a Chinese family just stops their vehicle right in the middle of the main drag to Niagara State Park to pose for pictures! LOL!

"He is very particular about his coiffure"

from now on i shall refer to semper as "ulysses everett mcgill" (if i don't forget)

I'll keep my polishing cloths handy. Since my dad was hair challenged I investigated that condition a bit and was pleased to tell him that it was related to high levels of testosterone so it just meant he was sexy. Sandy

Ulysses??? NO WAY!!! Didn't he fight against the guys in gray?

THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN!

Yeah, that's the ticket.

well, i don't think this one did semper. you can relax :)

Here is a link that might be useful: MY HAIR!