still heading South

Monday we left Joliet and headed south again heading towards Vincennes, IN. taking all back roads. Spent the night at a county park a few miles off the beaten path that was very nice. Found a level site with good view to the south for the satellite so I could watch the Bears game.

Great game, with Chicago beating Green Bay.

Tuesday we headed for Heiskel, TN which is just north of Knoxville, TN. Signed in for two nights with the intent of leaving here and driving thru the Smoky Mountain national park....but after much thinking and asking a few opinions decided that it would be to much wear and tear on the truck and trailer...lots of big hills and very sharp curves. So we will spend another night here before heading out on I-75 towards Disneyworld. We do not like the interstate highways, way to boring, but in this case much easier on our home and truck We do not have to be there until Sunday at 1pm so will make a couple of stops after pretty short driving days.

Warm here, about 80 today.

take care and be good
love to ya
Jim and Linda

Heading South

Yesterday morning we left Woodstock, IL and headed south about 90 miles to the Empress casino boat. Step one in the journey to Disneyworld. We will spend 3 nights here with Rose and Leroy and than head towards Knoxville, TN

Rose and Leroy took us to the high roller room where we had an excellent buffet dinner, with some of the best clam chowder I have ever had.....and that includes Mo's and Ivars on the west coast.

Afterwards we went to the Moose club and met three other couples for drinks and dancing to a very very good club band. ......it seemed like there was always a fresh pitcher of cold beer on the table.

Leroy says the slots are very tight here, but on the way out of the high roller club he put a $100 in a dollar machine and hit it for $1100......says he had a hunch to play that machine.....right......

ND football this afternoon, with the Bears on Monday night....fall is great, get to watch football again.
love to all of ya
Jim and Linda

JIM’S BIRTHDAY

Hi All

Just a short update for you.

It took 3 years of begging to finally get Linda to agree to going to a Japanese restaurant, where they cook at the table, for my birthday….The rule is you get to have what you want for your birthday, but somehow that is not always the case.

Anyway I enjoyed the meal. The cook was a little disappointing as he did not have many good moves, must still be a rookie. I had filet mignon and sea scallops and Linda had lobster. A couple of Sapporo beers and a glass of plum wine topped it all off.

Our dear old friend Jim and his new Chinese wife Hudai came over on Saturday afternoon in a restored 1967 Chevelle SS396. Jim had one when he was a lot younger and bought this one from a dealer in Volo, IL.  It was wonderful to see Jim after 25 or so years and to meet his new wife. They live in China as Jim is working over there and has been for about 10 years. They come back to the states once a year for a month. We went out to dinner at Heston Bar which has been around since the early 1940’s and is known all around for their superb prime rib. Three of us had the small cut, 16 oz., (the big cut is 40 oz.! I ordered it about 30 years ago and ate the whole thing) and one of us had shrimp…..can you guess who had the shrimp, even thou she had prime rib in Laughlin?

Time is running out on our stay here in the Midwest and soon we will be heading for Disneyworld with a couple of stops  on the way. One at the Empress casino in Joliet, Il for 3 days to visit with Rose and Leroy, than on down to Knoxville, TN. to visit with friends Sam and Eula. Need to be in Disney on October 3rd for a week, than on to Campbellsville, KY to start work.

Hope all is going well with you and yours.

Love to all of ya’

Jim and Linda

Labor Day weekend 2010

This past weekend we were “camping” with our old club. Des Plaines Valley Camping Club.

We had a good turnout, I think there were 17 families in attendance. The party started on Friday and everyone started heading home on Monday.

Friday is a “unwind from the workweek night” and everyone was greeting and meeting and having a few cocktails, or beers. In what has come to be kind of a new tradition with the club there was a Texas Hold-em game. $5 buyin with unlimited rebuys. In the end I walked away big winner with $37…..and had to stumble back to the trailer after way too may beverages including some shots of Tequila….oh, my!

Saturday was off and running with every one enjoying morning coffee and friends. Our two grandsons slept over, so I was fighting with Linda for enough counter space to make some much needed coffee, sausage and scrambled eggs, while she was making waffles for the boys….

As has also become a tradition, two couples take over as wagon masters for this weekend. Every year they go “up North” for a week of fishing and fun and there is always a fish fry on Saturday. It is a lot of work for them and their volunteers, but the fish, walleye and perch, I believe, is always wonderful. Here are some shots of the preparation that goes into a good fish fry.

Barb, Pete and Scotty working away

some of the fish ready for the next steps

Margarita's to help fortify the work force, that is about a gallon of very strong stuff!!!!

Here the cooking pots are getting heated up to 350 degrees, exactly.

 

and finally everything is ready and all of the side dishes are in place.

 

Picasa Content

lots of smiling faces and happy tummy’s!!!!

Saturday night, another texas hold em game and guess who won another $35!!!!!

Sunday saw more happy faces and little groups gathering to talk and enjoy good company…

Several years ago Pete and Scotty make a “giant Jinga” game out of the equivalent of 2x4’s and they got the game out.

Things get pretty tense later in the game, and when it finally topples over, it makes a big noise!

Sunday afternoon, another poker game, this time 5-10-25 cent cash money game…..yes I won again, about $9….I am going to the casino on Tuesday to see if my luck holds out!!!!!.

For those of you interested, here is the link to the rest of the picture:  http://picasaweb.google.com/rufnitII/20100906LaborDay2010#

Monday we all headed back home or for those of us not working to other places. Linda and I drove back to South Bend for about 10 days, and are looking forward to our reunion with our dear old friend Jim and his new wife.

Hope that this finds you all well, and I hope that we can get together somewhere down the road

Love to all of you

Jim and Linda