Vacation Highlights - 2009

Vacation is a time for memories.  However, some of us have weirder memories that others.  If you are really lucky you have a video camera in which you can share these memories to unsuspecting friends and relatives.  Or if you're like me, you share them with strangers on your blog.

In this clip, I have just gotten back from an antique shop.  I was (no joke) verbally assaulted by a fat man with no shirt on.  You hear me ask the question, "Was he a Yankee?  Was he a carnie?"  See what my answers were.

In the next video you can hear me discuss what a "mud walla" is.  You may also see a 50 pound catfish jump in the mud walla.

In this third clip, you can see a fox eating mashed potatoes.  That's right.  Don't believe me?  Watch and see.  My Grandmother put some leftover food out for the wild animals, and boy did they come in.  This fox goes nuts for the mashed potatoes. 

The fox stayed there so long, I was able to get a few pictures of it with my regular camera.

After thinking about it, I have to admit.  Grandma does make some pretty good mashed potatoes.

Adrian Always Has A Place At Grandma's House

I am glad to get some time off from the road.  In what I consider one of the better decisions of my life, I have taken my time off at my Grandmother Betty's house.  I have had fun with Grandma just taking care of things.  Namely, eating lots of great food.  I am so tired of eating fast food.  I was so glad just to eat regular green beans and potatoes.

I could tell you more about what's been going on, but without pictures what's the point?  So here's some great photos with commentary.

Let's be honest.  I am a pretty darn good cook.  But I am known in the house for making great iced tea.  This is rasberry tea with real cherries and nectarines added in for real fruit flavor.  Grandma really liked this.  The good part?  No sugar.  Only Splenda for Grandma and me.  Gotta watch that sugar.

This is the vase that I got Grandma for her birthday.  It is made by Fenton (a West Virginia company.)  The color starts as a rose at the top, and light blue at the bottom.  Grandma's favor color is purple so she was really happy with this.

I bought this clothing/ sewing material for Michelle, a really good friend of mine in California.  It's very Ren Faire, something that she would like.  The shop is called WV Quilt in Barboursville, W.V.  They are really nice there.  I also got a "Whoppie!" card.  Once you spend $200 in the shop you get a 20% discount on your next purchase.  They keep track of the amount you spend on your "Whoopie!" card.

Everyone who has talked to me for more than 20 seconds knows I have lost a bit of weight in the last year.  So I kind of needed a new belt.  Seriously, I was cutting new holes in my old belt.  Well, I got this great belt in New Mexico, but my belt buckle didn't fit it.  So I stopped at one of the leather shops at the flea market and got a new belt buckle for a whole dollar.  Wow. 

This is the view of the Guyandotte River from the back of Grandma's property.  This is the clearest I have ever seen the river.  It's usually really muddy.  And it's quite a bit lower than I've ever seen it.  Which is funny because it was the highest I had ever seen it just a few months ago.  I liked this picture so much that I used it for the main picture on this blog.  I think it shows up a little better than the old picture.

Here is some video of the river I took with my camera.