Trips - not much knitting

I know it's been a while but I've actually been trying to stay off of the computer instead I've been KNITTING. In between everything else I've had going on - so let me tell you what I've been doing.

The first weekend of November I went with a group of gals to Kid & Ewe in Boerne, TX. It was so much fun! I am not going to go in much detail - you can read about the trip & see pictures on the blog of others that went:


Jen (Nov 20th)or Dawn

THEN - the next weekend I flew to New Orleans to meet up with my family & take my Mom to the beach for her birthday celebration. She turned 60 this year & we were going to throw her a suprise birthday party. As it turned out, she would have killed us if we had done that! So we headed to Orange Beach, AL to spend some time at the outlet mall in Foley & some beach time. We had a blast. My sister brought her kids & we laughed all weekend that we had lots of lessons that she'd have to reteach them when they got home. For example:

Lesson #1: Don't say "Eat me"

We got to the condo, threw open the windows & immediately saw this written in the sand. So my 8 year old niece kept saying "Hey B, eat me. What does eat me mean?" I must admit I thought it was about hysterical but I wouldn't think so if it was my own kid. What's wrong with people that do stuff like this? Geeze.

Lesson #2: Don't throw your food. On my Mom's wish list for the trip was to go to Lamberts. If you've never been & you have an opportunity, please go. It's like Cracker Barrell on crack. This guy:

walks around with hot rolls on a cart & if you want one you have to catch it. They throw it at you. My 6 year old niece Laken immediately busted out crying wondering why people were throwing stuff at her. That seriously made us laugh even harder. We are terrible people. The food was tasty but the servings, well - they were extreme. The lady next to me had her food served to her in a skillet. Not like a skillet you get at most restaurants, a real live full sized with a handle kind of skillet. And she didn't even get something COOKED in the skillet as you'd expect, she got chicken salad. I asked. My cousin Tiffany is doing Weight Watchers. - and I mean really doing it - like a few pounds from her goal, not lose 10 pounds gain 6 like me - so she decided she was staying on program & ordered a salad. Here it is:

Bigger than her head. In a bread hat. She ate 2 plates of food & still had more salad than would fit in a to-go container. Really. I got fried pork chops & here is what my plate looked like:

I think my serving size was less than her salad! Oh - and here were the drinks!
Now if they filled it up with wine I might would have been more tolerable. It was a fun experience though. Back to the lessons.

Lesson #3: Don't smoke.

The last time I was home in Louisiana I was telling my Mom about how on the last knitting retreat I went on we sat around drinking wine smoking candy cigarettes. She got a bit excited & said she wished she knew where she could find some to give to the girls. Nevermind that she would get FURIOUS if my Dad bought us candy cigarettes - but that's what happens when you are a grandkid. And she denies ever being mad about them but my sister & I both remember that.....I digress. When I went with some friends on the Hwy 80 Garage sale we found this little -uh - quaint store that sold them so I bought some. I promptly gave them to my mom to distribute though so that I wouldn't be in trouble with my brother-in-law. She handed them to the girls & told them they had to smoke them all before they got home or their Daddy would be mad. It was such a funny scene - seeing Laken step away from the cigarettes, then hold them wrong so my Mom had to show her how to hold them right - I mean, it was just wrong.

Lesson #4: Don't talk to strangers
On our way there, a big wreck was on the interstate and was blocking the way. Go figure. Tiffany & I were ahead of the rest of the pack so we saw it right after it happened & it was way less of a pain for us. The other group - including the kids - were behind & sitting in traffic right next to an 18 wheeler. Well, everyone knows that truckers had CB radios & talk to each other & know what is going on! (Right? Do they still have CBs & do that? Shrug) So my Aunt rolls down the window, flags the trucker to roll down his window, & he does. She asks how far ahead it is, all the pertinant questions, all the while - talking to....well, a stranger. The girls were asking - "Who is that man Aunt Net is talking to? Does she even KNOW him?" HA! Don't talk to strangers. Really. Do as I say, not as I do. That's all I'm saying about that.

Disclaimer: I swear we are good people & my sister is an excellent mother. We were on vacation & being silly. Really.

A final shot.

Sigh. I love the beach & want to live there - just as soon as I win the lottery.

PS - I do have knitting content, I swear I do. I'll post again this week & let you know what I'm doing - it's a bunch! Just too much for one post. Later.