Thanksgiving 2010 (part 2)

After our 5K, Mot and I went back to the hotel, and Kent, Linda and Amanda went back to their place. We were all in need of a shower. :-)

After we were all squeaky clean, Mot and I went back to their house to enjoy the rest of our day inside. Where it was warm and dry.

You see, Mot and I had arrived in Chesterfield (just outside St Louis proper) on Wednesday. Over the course of the day it rained and rained and rained. And then that night, there were tornado warnings.

On the day before Thanksgiving.

Anyway.....on Thanksgiving it rained (lightly)...then sleeted....then snowed.

When we left that night to go to the hotel, we couldn't get the car doors open. They were frozen shut. :-)

Anyway.....after our showers, it was only sleeting....but getting inside the warm house was comforting.

Not long after, my sister and her family arrived on the scene, and the cooking began.

(Well, what was left that is. Quite allot of the cooking had been done by Amanda the night before!!!!)


Brandon and Amanda discussing gravy and sweet potatoes.


Linda checking a recipe online.


Lauren and Amanda getting the fresh green beans ready for cooking.


Brandon taking a second look at the recipe.....


...before adding EXACTLY enough vanilla.


The meal getting laid out and ready for eating!!


Dishing up the chow. :-)


Sitting at the table.


Mot checking out the dessert table.


Mot trying out some of the mulled wine on the end of the dessert table.
(nice photo bomb Inny!!!)

Once dinner was over, and the kitchen was clean...we all hung out in the living room for a while.




Checking holiday ads online.


Snuggling up to watch TV.


Shooing away the paparazzi.






Checking the sale ads.

This was going to be the first year in quite some time that Inny and I didn't participate in Black Friday.

Or so we thought. :-)


You know when you go to a person's house, there is always something strange sitting around.

Linda cut her finger while cooking the day before.....and she just happened to have these in her medicine cabinet.

Talk about healing powers!! :-)

The kids also took some time to get out the train set.





While the adults played Rummy-O at the dining room table.




What to play, what to play....


Mot, posing for the camera. As usual.


Deep in thought.

So......as I mentioned earlier.....we THOUGHT this was going to be a non Black Friday year. But Kent and Linda found a washer and dryer in one of the ads with a price they couldn't ignore.

So, the four gals got up horribly early the next morning to stand in line. :-)


Inny, Amanda, and Linda in line.


The Red Bull car arrived on the scene...handing out Red Bull shots to those waiting in line. Sweet!!!!

Now, in our past Black Friday shopping excursions we've come across pushing, shoving, fighting, yelling, cussing......the works.

In Chesterfield, it was quite the opposite. Everyone stood in line, and when the doors opened, everyone single filed into the building. At snail speed.

Inny and I thought a little "Omaha" needed brought to the mix....so we went cutting through the store....at a mild run.....while others just watched.

Hello folks...it's Black Friday...let's get into the spirit of things!!!!


Larry, the sales guy (wasn't that his name? Inny? Linda?) didn't know what to do when Inny draped herself across the target, while I took pictures. :-)


While we were waiting for the financial transaction to be made...Inny and I jumped on the some fitness equipment to pass the time.

From Sears, we headed next door to Macy's.


On the way in the store, we got behind these people. Apparently pajama pants tucked into Uggs, and a fanny pack worn as messenger bag were the hottest of style trends...in the 90's...in St. Louis.

I had the three gals pose like I was taking their pic (that's Inny's arm on the right)....when I was really taking a picture of the style offender.

After our stop at Macy's, we headed out for breakfast.



Where the waitress spilled my chocolate milk all over the table. Then, instead of cleaning it up...she literally THREW a pile of napkins at me, and walked away.

Hmmmmm....she must have been upset about having to work on Black Friday. I bet there was a smokin' deal somewhere that she was missing. :-)

After breakfast we all went back to our hotels and beds for a couple hours, before reconvening at Kent and Linda's.

My sis and family were staying a couple more days, while we were going to be heading home. Before we left, everyone loaded up in their vehicles and we went to Fleet Feet to look around. I was in heaven. A running store, with an awesome selection of gear. What is there not to love??????

From there, Mot and I set the GPS for home and we left.

It was a great holiday!!!!!!!!

Thanksgiving 2010 (part 1)

(reprint from my running blog)

Mot and I drove down to St. Louis over Thanksgiving to spend the holiday with family.

Thursday morning, the 5 of us got up and participated in the local 5K race. Chesterfield, MO Turkey Trot 2010


Linda, Amanda and Kent before the race. It was rainy, misty and chilly...awesome running weather!!!!


We signed Mot up at the last minute, since everyone else was going to be running. Not sure how excited he was about it....but he had fun.

Whether he admits it or not! :-)


All 5 of us before the start.


Not sure on the exact number of people that showed up...but it was over 2000.


The two boys stuck together......while we three ladies split up.



The run was fun. It wasn't a flat course, but it wasn't mountain climbing either. I took off at the start, like I always do. Too fast.

My Nike sportband says I ran the first mile in just over 5 minutes....pretty sure it was delusional. I don't think I could run that fast.....on roller skates...with a jet pack. :-)

I did end up taking a couple of walk breaks, at the top of a couple of hills....but ran for nearly all of it.

Still trying to figure out how to dress for cooler weather running. I was stripping layers as I ran, and was still pretty warm. I'll get it figured out...in time for summer to come around again. :-)


OK...I know this shot is blurry, but I was taking pictures on the run, give me a break. See the two in the middle (she's wearing shorts)? She lives about a mile from me. They happened to be talking about Omaha weather when they ran by, and I chimed in.

How funny to be 7 hours away from home, and then end up running with someone who lives almost in your backyard!!! :-)


There were quite a few dogs on the route. This black lab reminded me quite a bit of Sam. I can't wait for Sam to be old enough to run with me!!!!!!!


After the race....still all smiles!!!!!

(3.1 miles, 10:00 pace)

(to be cont)

Halloween Shopping Day

In my post yesterday, I mentioned the shopping trip Danny and I went on to get our Halloween costumes. Well, in looking through my pictures, I found some shots from the day. :-)

He called the night before wanting to make sure that I took my hockey jersey with me the next day. He had a "surprise" for me.

With Danny, you never know what to expect.

And I love that!!!!

He picked me up that next morning, and we were off.

It turns out that the University of Nebraska at Omaha was having their homecoming weekend that day. The first 100 fans that arrived to the after parade party showing their team spirit rec'd a free hot dog, drink and chips.

Sweet! Free food, homecoming parade, on a gorgeous day. Can't complain about that!!!!!


License plate in the parking lot of the university. School mascot is the Maverick...a cow/bull.

I believe it said somewhere in the paper that this was only the 2nd or 3rd year of the parade.

What did it look like?

Well...it was a college parade, thrown by college students.


Marching Band.


Football mascot.

And then maybe a dozen floats decorated and driven by the misc fraternities and sororities.

Half dressed men and women, throwing 5 or 6 pieces (total) of candy....on floats decorated to represent the "Las Vegas" theme of the homecoming season.

Pretty lame...but fun at the same time. :-)

From there we went to get lunch, then start our Halloween costume shopping.

I didn't take many pics while shopping, surprisingly. We were having a good time, and it never really occurred to me. Getting the pieces we needed was important business.


That is...until Danny started trying on wedding dresses as possible dresses for Nell (Steve) to wear. :-)

After we'd gotten all the pieces we thought we'd need....we stopped by the fire station to show Mot what we'd found....went to our houses to unload our crap....then headed downtown for the first hockey game of the season!!!!



After the game we went to the Worm.

Then we left the Worm and headed in the direction of home.

With a stop at T's tavern for another drink and my very first Keno game.....


...then Village Inn for an early (really early) morning breakfast.

We sat and ate....while watching all the high school homecoming kids all dressed up, making fools of themselves like only high schoolers can do.

Eventually the kids left, so we finished breakfast and he dropped me off at home.

A great day!!!!!

Halloween at the Girls': 2010

Val and Dee throw a big Halloween party at their place every year....they've been doing it for quite a while.

Mot and I have been lucky enough to be invited the last couple of years! He's had to work both years, and hasn't been able to go....but the boys have taken me along as a third wheel....and boy am I glad they have!!!!!

Last year's theme was Dead Celebrities....and I went as Amelia Earhart (sadly, I've not been able to find a picture of me at the party).

I drank a full bottle of pre-mixed margaritas (with half a bottle of good tequila added to it)....and remember very little of the evening. (whoops)

This year's theme was cartoon characters.

The three of us decided to go as Dudley Do-Right, Nell and Snidely Whiplash.

Danny and I went shopping for the pieces of our costumes a few weekends before, and because Steve wasn't along.....we voted (it was unanimous) that he'd be Nell. :-)

He took the information in stride!!!

So, the day of the party had finally arrived!!!! I had everything I needed, but the spirit gum to keep my mustache firmly on my face.

Yep, I was going to be Snidely!!!

Danny and I found the MOST AWESOME knee length black "fur" coat at Goodwill......it was perfect!!




Mot finds this picture of me horribly disturbing!! :-)

The party was full of friends we've made during our bowling league....and was as fun as ever!!!


Popeye and Olive Oyl


Scooby and Shaggy


Batman and Robin


Scooby and the Cat in the Hat


Carl and Ellie from UP


The Swedish Chef

And many, many, many other misc characters!!!!


















We all spent the night dancing away on their back deck.....laughing, talking.....and making quite a lot of noise. :-)

The next morning, Mot met the three of us for donuts and a recap of the previous nights adventures.