Southern BBQ

This morning we hopped in the car and started our pilgrimage to the beach!!! Hilton Head or bust! Anyway, so along the way we stopped at Popeye's for chicken. Damn that was good. Once we arrived in Greenwood, SC tonight we met some of my husbandd's friends from when we lived down here and went to some AWESOME southern BBQ!! I tried briqsuit & hushpuppies. The kicker was the home made banana pudding with nilla wafers on the bottom and sides and home made whip cream on top. To die for!!

Akron

For the past two days I have been in a training room in Akron...sigh. Akron itself is depressing and the picture shows it all. Maybe I only think it's depressing because I sat in the same room for six weeks with this view studying for my 6.

Homecoming

Well, I definitely know that I am in a small town now. This is a picture of the parade that went by our house tonight. Notice all the tractors!! Homecoming is when everyone is supposed to "come home" for the weekend in the summer. Sort of like an all school class reunion. They have this betting game that I will get a picture of tomorrow. You put your bet on the counter of the number you think that the mouse will run down in to. It's sort of like a roulette wheel but instead of a ball they use a mouse. Last year at the end of the festival, the let the mouse go. So where did they get the one for this year?

Midwest summer traditions

Well, summer is officially here. Hot, muggy, and strawberry picking! Many people, myself not being one of them, go out to such establishments such as the one below to pick strawberries and/or raspberries. Most of it is used to make the best jam that is loaded with about 50% sugar. I just get it from my mother in law, who makes some FINE jam!!!

PBF Farms in West Lafayette

Should you be in need of fresh, I mean fresh, ground beef you would take yourself to the Village Market. For $2.39/lb you can get beef with no filler, freshly ground!! It truly is the best hamburger that you will ever have. They also have great cheese from Amish country, as well as all the things that you run out of during the week like bread, milk, pop, and eggs. The only bad part is that you can not get beer in our township. You have to go to Coshocton or Newcomerstown town to get groceries/beer...bummer

Skipperrrrrrrrrrrr

Grocery Store & Drive-thru

Well, the finest/only grocery store in town. It is the size of a Walgreen's. There are very few things that are low fat, fat free, or reduced fat. But you have the convenience of getting what you need close by. The other thing is drive-thru. I never knew what it was until I moved to Ohio. You drive through this "garage" which is actually a convenience store. Just drive in, order your large can of beer for the road, and they actually put it in a paper bag!!! Ha ha ha!! I do need to say that I am always the driver for the person w/the beer in the bag!!

The town I work in...

Fabulous downtown Newcomerstown...need I say more?

I also took a few pics of houses that people actually live in. For real.

This guy has amazing flowers in his yard!! Sorry about the glare

Triplex

Where is the front??

The Chilly Willy Dairy Bar

The "Video" Store

NYC Part 2

On the way to NYC...
Well, after the drama of getting on the subway, my friends and I get off at Canal St (Chinatown). There is a little Chinese woman (not pictured above) there w/a piece of paper w/pictures of purses on it and she is saying, Prada, Gucci, etc. We nod our head and off she goes. That little woman can walk faster than I can. Down the street, around the corner, to some locked warehouse door. She opens the door, and says, you go w/my husband. We walked up 4 flights of stairs and through another locked door into what looked like a Chinese sewing sweat shop, in to a closet in the back. My friends are a little freaked but what the hell, fake purses!! We leave there and walk back through Chinatown and my friends can not get out of there fast enough. I am not sure what they were expecting but, that's what it is.

So we hurry out of there and head to the Grayline bus stop. A double-decker bus that tours around the city. A GREAT deal and you see a lot. They would not get off the bus again until we were back in Times Square...sigh.The Empire State Building

We missed all the culture. But who could not appreciate the Naked Cowboy??

Saturday in the park, I think it was just after 4th of July



Central Park

Amish traffic

First of all, my father took this picture. You are not supposed to take pictures of the Amish because they believe it "steals their soul." When you head north of here about 10 minutes you start running in to buggies. I was intrigued with it for the first year I lived here but now I am used to it.

The other wonderful thing about living near Amish country is that there is GREAT meat, cheese, and bakeries so close. It truly is the best cheese I have had.

NYC

Ahhh, the big city. Gotta love it! How could you not? Access to a variety of stores, restaurants, theaters, bars, etc. Need I say more?