Zune!

Because Beth was so good this year Santa brought her a Zune MP3 player!

The Zune pictured here as the small white box on the table is equipped with a 30G hard drive and a 3 1/2 inch color screen. It can store 7500 music titles, pictures and will play 14 hours of videos. It is also wireless to tranfer data between Zunes. Synchronized to her laptop Beth can download music and movies from the internet.

She is the "coolest" Aunt!

For more on the Zune visit: http://www.zune.net/en-US

Not Again!!!

I love my new human companions so very much. They treat me the best however why do they insist on making me wear this foolish looking hat at this time of year?

Do they think I enjoy this? I look so stupid and Thelma and Louise laugh at me!

Don't tell anyone but I buried that hat in the back yard today where no one will find it!

Chappell's Restaurant N Kansas City

While in Kansas City we ate lunch everyday at Chappell's Restaurant. The owner Jim Chappell was fantastic to us each day that we visited.

If your in Kansas City don't miss kunch at Chappell's.

In 1986 Chappell's started out as a cozy little political/sports bar and grill. In the 18 years since, visitors, athletes, news people, and television stations from all over the world have come to find their particular sport and piece of memorabilia in which they are interested. The owner, Jim Chappell, has created a restaurant that is both comfortable and casual. From the beginning, the restaurant served such good food that the demand caused expansion, renovation and two more expansions. The "cozy little bar" now seats 235 serving everything from the popular Zagat raved, half-pound hamburger to steaks. People get excited about the memorabilia, but it is the good food that brings them back.Jim's hobby for collecting became a passion and the restaurant is chock full of sports memorabilia. Customers usually find it and an eager owner/host who willingly leads them around the restaurant showing and explaining the awesome memorabilia. Customers are welcome to look at the many items on display and tour the restaurant at their leisure. Jim would love to meet and talk with you, so if you have any questions, be sure to ask.

Frankendog!

Our beloved Louise was diagnosed with a hard lump mass under her right arm while at the vets last week for a bath. The vet suggested that it be removed as soon as possible so today she had surgery!

The mass was removed and there was no sign that it had spread to her limp nodes so for now she is out of danger. The mass was sent for tests and we'll have those results after the holidays.

Frankendog is resting comfortably!

Christmas Party Fun.

Our annual Christmas Bunko party was held last Saturday night at Cortney and Brad's house.

I was time to eat, drink and be merry! We had a great time. The Bunko punch was very good this year also, lol!

Christmas Bunko

Joe and Richard were the big time money winners at this years Christmas Bunko party.

Joe of Team Viagra promised to take all the Viagra Team to lunch with his winnings however we haven't heard a word from him since he sobered up, lol! I wonder if he forgot?

2006 Chevy Impala!

Here's a picture of the front end of our new 2006 Chevy Impala just before driving it off the lot.

I programmed the XM satellite radio last night via XM's web site which sent a signal down from the satellite activating our system. We now have 24o static free stations that will continue from state to state without a lost signal! Technology is a wonderful thing!

My New Car!

Well it finally happened! After 16 years and 316 thousand miles it became time to retire my 1990 Acura Integra. The Integra will be donated to the local Woman's Center as a tax write off. I truly hope that wonderful little red car can bring happyness and hope to a desperate woman in need.

The Intergra's replacement is this 2006 Chevy Impala. Over the last year I have driven many rental cars and none impressed me as much as the Impala did.

The Impala has been changing, morphing, and maturing with the vagaries of the market since 1958 when the first one showed up as a coupe and convertible.
Now, the Chevrolet Impala has been substantially upgraded for 2006. The 2006 Impala features new and very attractive exterior styling, a new interior, and a choice of three new engines.
The new Impala is a comfortable and convenient car, roomy, easy to get in, with big grab-style door handles. It's a practical sedan with Innovative flip-and-fold back seats and folding rear seatbacks. And it comes well-equipped with safety features, including side-curtain airbags. The Impala LT best exemplifies the model line, especially when ordered with the larger, 3.9-liter engine, which delivers responsive performance. The LTZ upgrades with leather, a very nice XM Satellite Radio setup and other convenience features.
An inexpensive pricing structure with loads of rebates on it puts the new Impala on the shopping list for family sedans. Impala competes with the Ford Five Hundred, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima.

And "YES" to answer your question, I did sleep in it last night, lol!!!!!

My Older Brother!

My older brother who lives up north visited me in Kansas City today for lunch. Most of our lunch time conversation concerned his "Naughty and Nice List" and of course his gift list for this year!

Sunset Over Kansas

Beautiful picture of the sunset this evening in Kansas City.

Kansas City traces its beginnings to 1821, the year Missouri was admitted to the Union.
In that year a Frenchman from St. Louis, Francois Chouteau, came up the Missouri River and established a trading post on the waterway about three miles below the great bend in the river, now the Northeast Industrial District. After being flooded out in 1826, he rebuilt on higher ground at the foot of what is now Troost Avenue. Chouteau and several other French families who joined him constituted the first non-Indian settlement in Kansas City.

McCoy also found a rock ledge on the south shore of the Missouri River that formed a natural landing for river boats. Until that time, Independence, Mo., has been the best spot for transferring supplies from the river route to the land routes westward. The water route was faster and easier than shipping by land, and McCoy reasoned that if supplies could be floated to his landing -- about 22 miles farther west than Independence -- even the four-mile trip overland to Westport would cut the land haul by 18 miles.

Legend has it that the new owners held a meeting at which one of the subjects was a name for their new township. After rejecting such ideas as Port Fonda, Rabbitville and Possum Trot, they decided to name it the Town of Kansas, after the Kansa Indians who inhabited the area.
The town retained that name when it was incorporated and granted a charter by Jackson County June 1, 1850. (When it was incorporated by the state Feb. 22, 1853, it became the City of Kansas, and in 1889, it officially became known as Kansas City.)

For more visit: http://www.kcmo.org/kcmo.nsf/web/home?opendocument

Out My Window in Kansas City.

Sunday morning outside my hotel window is a beautiful picture of the Country Club Plaza.

The Plaza’s popularity and reputation has been recognized around the country. The entire 15-block district, with more than 150 shops and dozens of fine restaurants, makes The Country Club Plaza Kansas City’s premier retail, dining and entertainment destination.Shoppers will recognize fine stores like Anthropologie and Tiffany & Co. Original Kansas City stores like Halls and Tivol give local flavor to the Plaza’s reputation as a national fashion center. Pleasant surprises can be found along each block – from tiny shoe boutiques to delicious chocolatiers, couture clothiers, stylish salons and fine jewelry.Contemporary American to Kansas City steaks, authentic Italian to cosmopolitan Mexican are all a part of the Plaza experience. Whether it’s the hot spot that caters to the late crowd or a quiet courtyard café, the Plaza restaurants offer an atmosphere that no other district can duplicate.The Plaza is kept lively with a year-round calendar of music and special events, including the famous Plaza Lights and the widely recognized Plaza Art Fair.With its rich history, fine dining, superb shopping and entertaining activities throughout the year, it is understandable that the Country Club Plaza is the Midwest’s premier destination.

For more visit: http://www.countryclubplaza.com

Snow in Kansas City!

This picture was taken while on approach to the Kansas City International Airport last Saturday!

Kansas City had received 9" of the white stuff four days before our arrival to begin Spar/CVS training camp.

Strange Cloud Over Woodstock!

Today while checking the mailbox I was confronted by this strange cloud formation north of our neighborhood. Looking like the eye of a hurricane or an alien invasion it was quite the sight!

Greencastle PA Train Station

While visiting the CVS in Greencastle PA last week I visited the town train station. Now the headquarters of the local Scouts it's a beautiful example of 1900 train station design.

The Scout headquarters occupies a building erected by the Cumberland Valley Railroad as a passenger station in the course of the construction of its double-track "highline" through Greencastle in the period of 1906-1908. Prior to that time, since railroad service to the town began in 1839, all freight and passenger traffic had followed a route along Carlisle Street through the Public Square.
The first passenger station was on the west side of the Square in the north part of what was known as the Western Auto Store, owned by Carl Carbaugh. Later it was moved to the site of what is now the Citizens National Bark building on the east side of North Carlisle Street, where it remained until 1900, when a new station was built on the site of what until recently was the Dr. G. A. Sowell home on the west side of North Carlisle Street.
On February 5, 1906, for a consideration of $10,000, Greencastle's borough council granted the Railroad permission to build the "highline" along a route just west of Jefferson Street, the new line to accommodate all except local freight traffic. The project involved construction of the overhead head bridge at the north end of town and overpasses on Franklin, Baltimore, and Madison Streets as well as construction of a new passenger station near the intersection of Baltimore and Jefferson Streets.
The new station, representing the latest in passenger station design went into service on Sunday, February 7, 1909, at 12:45 p.m.., when passenger train No. 6, with Jacob Talhelm as engineer and Jacob Stouffer as conductor pulled up at the station on the northbound track as nearly 500 people cheered.
Built of brick and stone, the new station had a flaring canopy over the platform to the west, and a portico on the east side with steps descending toward Jefferson Street. The main approach was by a winding walk which led up the hill from Baltimore Street through the landscaped grounds. South of the Building was an open area for horse-drawn vehicles, railed to prevent them. from falling down the hill.

For more visit: http://www.greencastlemuseum.org/Local_History/scout_building.htm

Close Up Of The Star

Here's a closeup of Chris's new star.

Inside the tree.

An interesting view up the center of the tree.
The 40' pole is supported by 8 aircraft cable guide wires. One set located at the top and the other half way down the telescoping pole.
You can also see all the sets of lights installed atop their pulleys.

Test Lighting of the Star.

The first testing of the new star.
Designed and constucted by Chris it shines bright atop the tree.

The New Star!

Now 40' tall with its new star installed this years Christmas tree is almost ready for its offical lighting tomorrow evening!

Working on the lights.

Once the tree is raised and guide wires secured it's time to install the upper and lower light strands.
Here's Chris working through the web of lights!

Team Viagra

It's that time of year again when Team Viagra meets to raise Chris's 40' lighted Christmas tree in his backyard.
The tree now a neighborhood drive by attraction has several new features this year including a newly designed star and grounded mounting bracket which made the raising of the treee much easier.
Here's Chris, Joe, Emery and myself.

Movie Making!

Joesph and Cabe work on the production of their Thanksgiving movie!

I think the title was going to be "Super Gabe Saves The Earth From Alien Space Invaders Stealing Thanksgiving Turkey's!!!"

So watch for it at a local theater near you, lol!

Thanksgiving 2006

I cleaned my plate!

Margret's famous Cradberrys!

Papa Judd helps himself.

Joesph and Beth

Budd and Margret

Allentown, PA

While visiting a CVS store in Bethlehem, PA I stayed at the Crown Plaza in Allentown, PA!

Allentown was originally named Northamptontown by its founder, Chief Justice of Colonial Pennsylvania's Supreme Court, William Allen. Allen, also a former Mayor of Philadelphia and successful businessman, drew up plans for the rural village in 1762. Despite its formal name, from the beginning, nearly everyone called it "Allen's town". Allen hoped Northamptontown would turn into a commercial center because of its location along the Lehigh River. The low water level most of the year, however, made river trade impractical. Sometime in the early 1770s, William Allen apparently gave the property to his son, James, who built a country home called Trout Hall after his father's hunting and fishing lodge. Even by the time of the American Revolution, Allentown remained little more than a small village of Pennsylvania Dutch, more properly German, farmers and tradesmen, but continued its development as a center of marketing for local farmers from the post revolutionary years into the 1920s. The U.S. Census of 1810 placed it at the heart of the largest grain producing regions in the country.

For more visit: http://www.allentownpa.org

Crown Plaza Allentown, PA.

Great place to stay while in Allentown, PA.

Welcome to the Crowne Plaza Allentown, Pennsylvania
Come and indulge in personalized, exemplary service in a soothing environment. After a long day, escape to our spacious guestrooms and deluxe suites-the largest in Lehigh Valley. Special touches like pillow-top mattresses and high speed internet access make it easy to work and relax.
Feast on mouth-watering dining options at GEO Spirits and Cuisine, our onsite restaurant and lounge, offering casual American cuisine and your favorite cocktails.
Are you visiting for a business retreat or family reunion? We boast 10,000 square feet of spacious event space.
Experience all of the comforts of home at this full-serviceAllentown Pennsylvania hotel, including: newly renovated guestrooms and suites, free high speed internet access, 24 hour business center,room service airport and local shuttle service and more
. This Allentown Pennsylvania hotel is only minutes from Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom, Lehigh Valley Hospital, and Mulhenberg College. Come visit the Lehigh Valley where you will have every reason to visit every season. Whether on business or pleasure, the Crowne Plaza Allentown is the perfect place to stay.

Worst Departure Airport In The US!

I'm leaving from Philly today and the storm that hit the south yesterday in due to hit here this evening!!! I'm trying for an early afternoon flight!

Airports for 11/01-11/02, Departures category:

Philadelphia 94.2%
Denver: 93%
Pittsburgh: 92.7%
St. Louis: 92.6%
Houston: 92.2%
Washington Dulles: 92.1%
Washington Reagan National: 91.4%
Salt Lake City: 91.2%
Orlando: 90.9%
Minneapolis: 90.7%
Charlotte: 90.7%

Sucking Air!

I took this great picture Tuesday morning while flying to Boston.
Air Tran has a new fleet of Boeing 737-700's that are just beautiful airplanes.
AirTran Airways is one of America's largest low-fare airlines - employing more than 7,500 friendly, professional Crew Members and operating almost 700 flights a day to 50 destinations.
The airline's hub is at Hartsfield - Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest airport by passenger volume, where it is the second largest carrier.
AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings (NYSE: AAI), is the world's largest operator of the Boeing 717 and has America's youngest all-Boeing fleet. The airline recently added the Boeing 737-700 aircraft, one of the most fuel efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft flying today, to its fleet.

Rainy Day In Boston

Wednesday morning was a rainy gray day in Boston.
This picture was taken as we taxied from Logan International Airport on our way to Philly.

Club Diner Runnemede NJ

One of my favorite spots to eat while visiting the Philly area ia the Club Diner in Runnemede NJ. They have the best open face hot turkey sandwich I have ever had!

Located in downtown Runnemede the diner is a favorite haunt for locals and always promises interesting conversation.

Whoops!!!

My poor wife fell Thursday while at work.
We visited the Doctor yesterday and after X-rays it was determined that she had a class two sprain and a possible fracture of her little toe. The Doctor bandaged her foot, suggested Motrin for pain and ordered her to stay off her foot for 48 hours!
I brought her home, made her a steak dinner and we watched her favorite movie "8 Mile"!
She was much better this morning.

Central of Georgia Railroad

Sitting next to the CVS in Summerville, GA was this display caboose from the long disbanded Central of Georgia Railrod.

Chartered in 1883 as Georgia Railroad, became Georgia Railroad & Banking Co. in 1836. Leased jointly to Louisville & Nashville and Central of Georgia in 1881; CofG interest later passed to L&N, which assigned it to Atlantic Coast Line. In 1983 the new Seaboard System Railroad bought the Georgia Railroad from the banking firm and merged the operation.

Ocean Liner SS United States

While flying into Philly Wednesday I was able to snap this aerial shot of the SS United States in her berth. You'll have to double click on the picture to see her better.
She awaits either a complete refit and return to the oceans of the world or to become a museum to her grand past.

Look Who was Napping TOO!

Look who was napping in the other chair, lol!!!

Aren't rainy days off the greatest??

Rainy Afternoon Off In Georgia!

Hoverin' by my suitcase, tryin' to find a warm place to spend the nightHeavy rain fallin', seems I hear your voice callin' "It's all right."A rainy night in Georgia, a rainy night in GeorgiaIt seems like it's rainin' all over the worldI feel like it's rainin' all over the world

Neon signs a-flashin', taxi cabs and buses passin' through the nightA distant moanin' of a train seems to play a sad refrain to the nightA rainy night in Georgia, such a rainy night in GeorgiaLord, I believe it's rainin' all over the worldI feel like it's rainin' all over the world

How many times I wonderedIt still comes out the sameNo matter how you look at it or think of itIt's life and you just got to play the game

I find me a place in a box car, so I take my guitar to pass some timeLate at night when it's hard to rest I hold your picture to my chest and I feel fine(minor scat) But it's a rainy night in Georgia, baby, it's a rainy night in Georgia Ifeel it's rainin' all over the world, kinda lonely now And it's rainin' all over the world

New Bedford, MA

Wednesday evening found me over nighting in New Bedford, MA. This was the view form my hotel window at sunset.

The history of New Bedford as recorded by the English began four centuries ago and pre-dates the Pilgrims of Plymouth by 18 years. English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold investigated New Bedford's harbor on May 31, 1602 (Julian Calendar). Gosnold's expedition set out from Falmouth, England, and was financed in part by the Earl of Southampton, a patron of Shakespeare. Gosnold named Cape Cod for the abundance of fish he observed there; he named Martha's Vineyard for his beloved daughter, Martha, and named the Elizabeth Islands for his queen, Elizabeth I. Some historians place Gosnold's landing on New Bedford's mainland shore at "Smoking Rocks," a rocky outcropping that once existed approximately west-northwest of Palmer's Island. The site is now part of the South Terminal.

In the full glory of the days of whaling prosperity New Bedford sent out more whale ships than all other American ports combined. In 1857, when the population was about 22,000 the peak was reached, with 329 vessels engaged, representing an investment of $20 million and a yearly catch of $10 million. At this zenith, New Bedford was the richest city per capita in the world. However, from that year onward the industry steadily declined. The fleet had succeeded in hunting the leviathan to every corner of the globe, almost to the point of oblivion. In addition, the price of whale oil dropped steadily after petroleum was discovered in Pennsylvania in 1859.

For more visit: http://www.ci.new-bedford.ma.us/DestinationNewBedford.htm

Don’t Stick Your Tongues Out At Me!

Evidentially tired of having their pictures taken Louise and Janie show their distaste!!!

Connecticut Fall

This week’s travels took me to CVS stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
The weather was cool and rainy and as you can see the fall season was in full color.
This picture was taken at a scenic viewing area just outside and above New Milford, CT where we’re building a new CVS.

For more visit: http://www.newmilford.org

Destroyer Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr

Also located in the cove is the Destroyer Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., known by her crew as the "Joey P," was laid down April 2, 1945, by the Bethlehem Steel Company at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, MA. Launched on July 26, 1945, and commissioned on December 15, 1945, she was completed in only 8 months, reflective of the fast pace of shipbuilding during the last year of WWII.
Homeported in nearby Newport, RI, Kennedy spent the next 27 years performing countless duties. Following commissioning, she spent the rest of the decade conducting training exercises in the Atlantic and Caribbean, and executed peacekeeping duties as a member of the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. On February 3, 1951, she joined the carrier task force attacking North Korean positions. In May of that year she stood off Wonsan, North Korea, using her 5" guns for nearly a month of continuous bombardment duty. Kennedy left the war zone and arrived back in the States in August 1951, and for the next several years she completed several Sixth Fleet tours of duty, midshipmen cruises, and joint NATO maneuvers.
In early 1961 she operated in the Caribbean, assisting with the first Mercury space flights. She arrived at New York Naval Shipyard in July for renovation under the FRAM I (Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization) program. This conversion afforded her new anti-submarine gear, a helicopter hangar and flight deck, and other improvements designed to extend her useful life. Following a post-refit shakedown cruise, she returned to Newport in September 1962 to embark President John F. Kennedy for his observation of that year's America's Cup Races.
In October Kennedy was dispatched to the Caribbean to participate in the naval blockade of Cuba. It was here on October 26 that Kennedy stopped and boarded the Greek freighter Marucla, suspected of ferrying missile components to Cuba.
From the early 1960s until her decommissioning in 1973, Kennedy again performed innumerable duties, including her role as a recovery vessel during the Gemini space program. She was stricken from the Naval Register of Ships in 1973 and acquired by Battleship Cove in 1974. In Spring 2000, Kennedy was towed to Rhode Island sound to portray herself and her sister ship John R. Pierce (DD753) in the Kevin Costner film entitled Thirteen Days, which recreated the events surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis.
A National Historic Landmark, USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. is home to the Admiral Arleigh Burke National Destroyermen's Museum and serves as the official memorial to Bay State citizens who gave their lives during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

Battleship Massachusetts

While visiting a CVS store in Fall River, MA I happened on the Battleship Cove and the Battleship Massachusetts. The USS Massachusetts was built in Quincy, Massachusetts at the Fore River Shipyard of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation. The ship was launched on September 23, 1941 and holds the record as the heaviest ship ever launched in Quincy. "Big Mamie", as her crew knew her, was delivered to the Boston Navy Yard in April 1942 and commissioned the following month.
Following her shakedown period Battleship Massachusetts went into action on November 8, 1942 as part of Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa. While cruising off the city of Casablanca, Morocco, the Battleship engaged in a gun duel with the unfinished French battleship Jean Bart, moored at a Casablanca pier. In this battle, Massachusetts fired the first American 16" projectile in anger of World War II. Five hits from Big Mamie silenced the enemy battleship, and other 16" shells from Battleship Massachusetts helped sink two destroyers, two merchant ships, a floating dry-dock, and heavily damaged buildings and docks in Casablanca.
For the complete, printer-friendly history of USS Massachusetts, follow this link.

Mystic Sea Port

A legendary maritime destination – for over 300 years.Long before Mystic Seaport’s ships, shops and shipyard, the banks of the Mystic River were filled with...ships, shops and shipyards. Since the 1600s, this historic area has been a center of shipbuilding. Between 1784 and 1919 – the golden age of American maritime enterprise – more than 600 vessels were constructed along the Mystic River. But with the advent of steam power and the decline of wooden shipbuilding after the Civil War, textile manufacturing became Mystic’s dominant industry.
Big dreams during the Great Depression.As the great Age of Sail gave way to steamships and railroads, wooden ships and boats were turned into firewood and the nation’s seafaring traditions began to disappear, three Mystic residents decided to work together to keep the past alive.
On December 29, 1929, Edward E. Bradley, an industrialist, Carl C. Cutler, a lawyer, and Dr. Charles K. Stillman, a physician, signed the papers incorporating the Marine Historical Association, today known as Mystic Seaport. Their dream: create a dynamic, educational institution to preserve America’s maritime culture – and turn the achievements of a past era into an inspirational force for the future.
Time to get growing.Despite the economic conditions of the Great Depression, Mystic Seaport grew rapidly. Donations of log books, photography, ships plans and other maritime artifacts poured into the one-building museum. In 1941, Mystic Seaport acquired the Charles W. Morgan, the country’s last wooden whaleship from the once-great Yankee fleet. Historic buildings from across New England were also moved in to complement the Morgan – and the authentic coastal village area of Mystic Seaport was born.
Over the next 50 years, Mystic Seaport experienced explosive growth, amassing the world’s largest collections of maritime photography (over 1 million images) and boats (nearly 500), as well as collecting two million other maritime artifacts. And the 1970s saw the creation of the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard, additional exhibition buildings and several new accredited educational programs.
Mystic Seaport reaches its goals. Then, sets new ones.By the 1990s, Mystic Seaport was widely recognized as the nation’s leading maritime museum. In 1996, Mystic Seaport underscored its mission to create a broad public understanding of the relationship of America and the sea with a six-week seminar entitled America and the Sea, which encouraged college professors from around the country to incorporate maritime history into their teachings.
In 1998, Mystic Seaport began construction of the freedom schooner Amistad – marking a major educational program centered on the re-creation of an historic vessel from the keel up. In 2000, the Museum published its 70th publication, America and the Sea: A Maritime History, described by Kirkus Reviews as “the definitive work on the subject.” And in the summer of 2000, the dramatic exhibit Voyages: Stories of America and the Sea opened to national acclaim.
Bringing hundreds of years of history into the future.Now, Mystic Seaport is making the history of America’s relationship with the sea even more accessible to all-new audiences. As part of a $35 million renovation that includes new exhibit halls and reception areas, the Museum’s new, state-of-the-art Collections Research Center provides easy and convenient ways for scholars and researchers from around the world to access Mystic Seaport’s renowned archives, via the Internet and integrated databases. It’s just one of many ways this showcase of the past two centuries is preparing for the next one.

For more visit: http://www.mysticseaport.org

Mystic Pizza!

I stayed at the Mystic Sea Port Holiday Inn while visiting stores last week and had dinner at the famous Mystic Pizza!

Mystic Pizza® (the restaurant) caught the eye of Los Angeles based screenwriter Amy Jones, who was summering in the area. Ms. Jones chose Mystic Pizza® as the focus and setting for her story of the lives and loves of three young waitresses. "Mystic Pizza" was filmed on location in Mystic and neighboring towns. A set was built for the indoor scenes, as the actual Mystic Pizza® restaurant was too small and could not close for months of filming. The movie was released in 1988.

Want your own Mystic Pizza? Order on line at http://www.mysticpizza.com

Fall In Georgia

Fall is my favorite time of year in Georgia. As you can see our leaves are beginning to change in the backyard.
The days are beautiful, the nights cool and its time for the Georgia Apple Festival on the second and third weekend of October in Ellijay, GA.
Producing 600,000 bushels of apples each fall, Ellijay/Gilmer County is Georgia's Apple Capital, so it's only natural that the second and third weekends of October each year, people from all over the nation come to Ellijay to celebrate the apple. Handmade arts and crafts, homegrown entertainment, and plain old fun, combine with every apple product imaginable to make the weekends a family adventure.
Throw in the colorful fall leaves, crisp mountain air, sky-blue days, and star-studded nights and you'll want to visit again and again. Sponsored by the Gilmer County Chamber of Commerce and the Ellijay Lions Club, the festivities include a car show and a parade. For more visit: www.georgiaapplefestival.org

13 Stairs!

Twice in the past ten years since moving into our new home in Georgia I've painted the front stairs. As you can see there are 13 stairs up to our front door as our home sits on a hill.
I would kindly suggest to all you new home buyers out there that you consider buying a home that sits flat on the ground or better yet become a millionare and pay someone to paint your front stairs!!!!

Devil Dog Attacks Louise!!!

A Red Eyed Devil dog attacked our beloved Louise this morning while she lay sleeping.

The attack was well planned and the Red Eyed Devil Dog pounced on her back from behind. The attack was so vicious that Louise fell fast asleep during it!!!

That Red Eyed Devil Dog has been seen before around our house during October!!!

Washington National Cathedral

I was thrilled yesterday to be able to stop at the Washington National Cathedral. Still under some constructions it's a beautiful site. The stain glass is amazing!

The idea for a national cathedral is as old as Washington itself. In 1791, when Congress selected the site to be the capital of the United States, President George Washington commissioned Major Pierre l’Enfant to design an overall plan for the future seat of government.
Included in l’Enfant’s plan was a church, “intended for national purposes, such as public prayer, thanksgiving, funeral orations, etc., and assigned to the special use of no particular Sect or denomination, but equally open to all.”
Largely through the efforts of Washington community leaders such as Riggs Bank President Charles C. Glover, plans for building Washington National Cathedral gained momentum. On January 6, 1893, Congress granted a charter to the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation of the District of Columbia, allowing it to establish a cathedral and institutions of higher learning. Signed by President Benjamin Harrison, this charter was the birth certificate of Washington National Cathedral.
After his consecration in 1896, the Rev. Dr. Henry Yates Satterlee, the first bishop of Washington, managed to secure land on Mount Saint Alban — the most commanding spot in the entire Washington area.
On September 29, 1907, the foundation stone was laid. President Theodore Roosevelt and the Bishop of London spoke to the crowd of ten thousand. The stone itself came from a field near Bethlehem and was inset into a larger piece of American granite. On it was the inscription: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). With the laying of the cathedral foundation stone, the grassy, tree — shaded Close became home to the longest — running construction site in the nation’s capital.
In 1912, Bethlehem Chapel opened for services which have continued daily ever since. In October 1928, President Calvin Coolidge came to open the General Convention of the Episcopal Church at the Cathedral.
The Cathedral quickly became a place for services of national focus. When the United States entered World War II in 1941, monthly services “On behalf of a united people in a time of emergency” began. Holy Spirit Chapel served as a War Shrine and community memorial services were held.
As construction continued, Washington National Cathedral continued to take its place in history. President Woodrow Wilson’s tomb was dedicated in 1956 (Wilson is the only US president buried within the boundaries of the District of Columbia.) The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., preached his last Sunday sermon from the Canterbury Pulpit in 1968. Thousands gathered for President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s funeral in 1969.
In 1976, the Cathedral’s nave and west rose window were completed and dedicated in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II and president Gerald Ford. It was also the place the nation gave thanks when the American hostages in Iran were freed.
The Pilgrim Observation Gallery was completed and opened to the public in 1982. In 1983 the final phase of construction began with the setting of the first stone for the west towers.
The completion of the west towers in September 1990 marked the end of eighty-three years of construction.
The Cathedral continues to be a place of national focus. It was the site of President George W. Bush’s Inaugural Prayer Service and later the National Prayer and Remembrance service on September 14, 2001. On December 25, 2002, the Cathedral broadcast its fiftieth national Christmas service.
Since the first services were held in Bethlehem Chapel, Washington National Cathedral has opened its doors to people of all faiths as they have gathered to worship and pray, to mourn the passing of world leaders, and to confront the pressing moral and social issues of the day.

For more visit: http://www.cathedral.org

10 Years!

Beth and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on Sept 27th! How time flies when you're with the one you love!
Here we are accompanied by Beth's parents June and Judd celebrating last even at the Longhorn for dinner. Chris and Molly Maher joined us for a fun evening.

New Heart Section at CVS.

CVS has added a new Heart section to it's product mix. You'll see this new expanded section soon in most stores.
They have come up with a great product mix to support most heart patient needs.
Stop bye your local CVS and visit this new section.