OH MY ACHING BODY?

Morgan ended up staying thru Saturday with us.  She and Chloe were out of school Friday, and the following Monday.  We "were" planning on taking them to the lake.  Morgan ended up being out of school the rest of the week, and she wanted to stay here..  On Friday, Gary and I took the girls to the State Fair of Texas, for it's final weekend of the year.  Talk about an exciting day.  The "mascot" of the fair is Big Tex..... a huge statue of a "Texan".  He's greeted visitors to the fair for the last 60 years.  As his luck, and ours, would have it, he burned up while we were traveling to the fair.  Eric called and informed us.  It was a very tragic event for all of Texas.  People were crying and laying flowers where he once stood.  The news crews were out in full force.  The paper printed that the fire started in his boot.

Sorry about the photo, but it's all I could get of Big Tex burning.  However, this is all that was left a couple of  hours or so after the fire.... all we saw....

They didn't want to tramatize the kiddos by leaving him out there.  They did have a service in the evening.... gag..... we didn't stay for it.

We three gals rode a "kite" kind of ride.  I got nauseated and swore off the rides for the rest of the day.

After that, we all played games for a while.  Our favorite???? Well, the girls would say the squirt gun races, where everyone tries to fill their assigned tube with water before everyone else does, so you can win a prize.  We found one place where the lady didn't want to pack everything up, so she made me a deal.  If two of us played by ourselves, and played two games, we could have either two regular prizes, or one of the giant prizes.  Well, we're no dummies, so we took her up on it.  One regular sized dolphin, one giant cow, one giant penguin wearing a snow hat, and one giant green frog later, we left her booth.  Course, we had to carry that crap the rest of the day.  Wait, make that "I".

We hit my favorite booth, the chicken whacken joint.  I just love it, but this year they added Angry Birds you could whack.  You lay your choice of animal (stuffed, of course) on a catapult thingy, and hit it really, I mean REALLY, hard and fling it at a pot on a rotating grill.  If it goes in, you win.  Well.......

At lease we all won a hat.  We traded up on 3 hats and won an Angry Bird cube, and I can't remember what Morgan got.  We ended up with two traded up prizes and one hat.  Here's the hat.

I know, it is so flattering.  We did the Sky Rail Ride, but that's as exotic as my ride got.  I did use the bathroom once.  Remember the movie SEVEN DAYS IN EUTOPIOA?  Well, I had to go potty, and I noticed the trash can.  I couldn't believe that they would use the SFT logo from the movie.  It stands for SEE, FEEL, TRUST.  It makes you a better golfer.  Well, duh!  As I was reviewing the pictures, I realized it stood for State Fair Texas.  Now, makes me wonder.... what do they do with them the other 11 months out of the rear?  Weird.

Well, I said weird, but maybe I didn't have it in perspective. 

Morgan and Chloe rode one ride together, then Morgan got a tummy ache.  All rides were off after that.

 

We were pooped.  I have added one more ride that we did NOT ride.  It's called the stratosphere, or something like that.  I included it because later Friday night, it stopped with a full load at the very top.  It took HOURS to get them all down.  I had tried to talk Chloe and Morgan in to riding it, but thank goodness Morgan's tummy hurt.  This picture was taken from the Sky Rail.

We ended up thinking it was a great day.  I called Sheila on the way home, and made final arrangements for her and Mark to come over so Gary could take us all out to eat.  His treat!  It was Morgan who started it all.  She had a brilliant idea to invite them over to play Pass The Ace, but instead of using money, we all used candy.  She was working on getting her Halloween stash started early.  We all went to El Fenix (yes, Chloe got to pick...Morgan let her).  I think Mark and Sheila liked it,  they said they did.  It's not fancy food, but it's consistent.  After that.... the games began. 

I do think Mogan may have won one hand, maybe not.  I know that she dropped out of the game early and started making JibJab videos for everyone.  She made one for Mark with him dancing with Obama.  Now I need to clarify.... she does NOT like Obama (such a smart child), she does things like that to be funny!    When Sheila got knocked out on one round, she played with the mini pinball machine Morgan and Gary got by dumpster diving.  .

 

 

We had a great time, just like always when the Coles are over.  I won some candy, I think Mark and Sheila both did also.  We tried playing 99, but I had trouble counting.  Well, sorta.  I had continued trouble remembering to draw a card after I played.  Sheila made up a stupid rule that if the other person plays before you draw, you have to play without the card.  Bummer.  Oh well. 

 

Saturday, Morgan realized that her parents were not going with us to the lake, and she decided she wouldn't go without them.  She did, however, want to go with me to the couples tournament at the golf course.  We did that, and the girls just love it.  They hit golf balls, drove the cart, and helped me in the raffle prize drawing.  Margie and Ralph were the big winners of the evening, they each won a club.  Mark and Sheila didn't win anything, if I remember corectly.  But, I'm pretty sure they had fun.  After golf, I took Morgan home.  Chloe and I packed and set an alarm for 7:30 so we could get an early start for the lake.

 

We got up at 7:30, and managed to head out at 10:30.  Don't even get me started about Gary!  We got to Lake Tawakoni, and what a surprise.  It was beautiful.  The camp grounds were spacious, to put it mildly.  We settled in.  We managed to ride bikes and walk the first day.  We ate breakfast early, so we ate at the lake a little on the ealry side.  Unfortunately, we were all starving around 9pm.  I for once in my life, had no snacking food of any type.  No chips, cookies, crackers, tuna, NOTHING.  Well, I had canned chili, but no one wanted that.  We were all miserable.  It was so late, there was nothing within 60 miles open.  Alas, we all went to bed hungry, cause we didn't want to set up the grill and do steaks at 10 pm.

 

Sunday, we ate as soon as we woke up.  Chocolate chip pancakes for Chloe, and bacon and eggs for Gary and me.  Nope, they were GF, but I never told Chloe.  I only ate one.  Too sweet for me.  Gary even ate some.  We went paddle boating and took out the kayaks.  I did paddle boat with Chloe for a while, and that was a disaster.  She cannot peddle at a pace.  It's either 90 miles an hour, which I cannot keep up with, or she's dorking around and climbing out.  You name it.  I finally got us back to shore and she went in the kayak.  Here is what happened when Stella decided she'd like to kayak.

 

 



Now, watch closely.  Stella actually dove UNDER water (maybe started sinking and swam underwater is more like it) and comes up on the other side of Chloe's kayak. 

 



We had a great time.  We will definitely go back. 

 

I have cleaned every thing in the RV.   Tuesday, I washed every sheet cause they are new ones and the ones I used were itchy.  So, I washed every set... there are 4 of them, not counting the back ups for the twin beds.  Then today I had to put everything back.  I also mopped, ran the sweeper, etc.  Gawd, what a chore.  However, it's ready for a trip to Thackerville.  That's a different blog to be.

 

Last night we celebrted my birthday and with Angie and her clan.  It's Eric's birthday.  We usually go out to eat together as a dual celebration.  Angie selected a restaurant called The Company.  It's in the M Street District.  They are a gluten free restaurant.  What a shock.  We ordered the following...

chicken fried steak, shrimp with pico and guacamole, fajitas, braised ribs, cesear salad, and an order of sweet potato nachos.  Everything was delicious.  Oh, we ate outside on the patio, and I started out with Prosecco... my favorite.  Everyone shared bites with everyone else.  To top it off, Eric and I split a piece of cake.  I have no idea what it costs, Gary bought, but it was worth it.

Yes, Eric and I both got the same card..... Obama sang to us.  That's our GF cake.

 

 

WELL, for about 30 minutes.  I did have cheese on the sweet potato nachos (oh it had buffalo chili on it in addition to the jalapenos and cheese) , and I maybe had too much grease, but I was sick on the way home, and all night.  I'm still not 100% today, but I'm better.  Maybe I just had too much.  Oh well.

 

I am going to tidy up the house tomorrow, maybe.  I am tired.  I definitely need to get a new set of maids.  However, I think I'll help Gary (read that nag) get the house painted on the inside.  I don't know why I say that.  He's never done it, I always do.  Oh well, he'll have to help me this year.  We have both agreed to fix it up and sell it.  Oops, I think I've already blogged that.  I'm repeating myself, so I think I'll hit the sack.  Have a good one!