Dining Delights | Peaches Prattlings

{January 12, 2024} St Thomas Day 2: Red Hook and a Snorkel

I don’t think I ever got tired of that view! The only thing I wish our room had was a screen door to the balcony so we could have slept with the door open and had the sea air and breeze, sometimes, coming through the room. I do so love the sleeping with the windows open! Especially at the beach!

Waking up on our own with the sun, maybe even a little before…eventually got motivated and went down to the beach to put our feet in the sand and the sea, feel the water on my toes. I may have mentioned, our goal at every beach is to get our feet in the water and get a picture! I think I only missed doing that on one beach! I got pictures of the beach and in the water, but not our feet in the water.

What’s that song by Zac Brown, Toes? Yup, I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand. Not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand. Life is good today. For me, all except for the beer, spot on! I just put that song on and now I’m staring longingly at the window and the rain on it imagining its waves gently laping at the window! Sorry, back to you!

We went down to Sangria’s and got some breakfast, quite tasty actually, and not horribly expensive. It was the view that beat all! And with that view, what more could you want?! And one of my favorite parts of being at the beach and on an island, you can go almost anywhere barefoot! I am a barefoot baby, aside from being a beach baby, and if I can go barefoot, I’m doing it! And..having sand on your feet, what a great way to scratch your feet if there’s an itch! Win-win!

After breakfast we went to talk to the concierge and booked our first boat excursion for the next day! We picked up a calendar and some ideas on things to do, asked the hotel to get us a taxi to take us into Red Hook to get some groceries. I apologize, I don’t have any pictures of Red Hook except what I shared from the Tap & Still.

We went to Moe’s Fresh Market to pick up supplies. Turns out Moe’s, where they say “Welcome to Moe’s”! I couldn’t believe it!, is one of the pricier markets on the island, go figure! We did go to another market later in the week that was definitely cheaper, but we’re in a touristy area, so… but…what Moe’s does have is an amazing wine cellar, with not just wine, but hard alcohols, rum from the islands, of course. The food, it’s a gourmet market, was stupid expensive, you have to remember, everything has to be shipped in, think Whole Foods, but more expensive! But their wine cellar had some of the best alcohol prices on the island.

This was also when we found out, no Uber on the island, just taxis, and they charge not per trip, but per person, and it’s more expensive if you’re travling solo! We’re supporting local economy…If you do take taxis, be sure you have exact change, or at least singles, you won’t always get change back if your ride was $7 per person, were you going to give a $6 tip on a 5 minute ride? Just a piece of travel advice. The taxi drivers are all very nice and some will give you tips on local flavor, some try to send you to the very touristy spots, it’s a mixed bag, and adds to the experience.

After Moe’s we crossed the street to Ocean Surfari who would become some of our new best friends! They set us up with our next two ocean excursions! Tuesday will be our Do It All Snorkel, I can’t tell you about it now, but it involves water, a boat, snorkeling, alcohol, and pizza! More next time on that! And they also set us up with a day trip to Jost Van Dyke, British VI, more on that later!

Almost everything in the store was BOGO [buy one-get one free]! You cannot beat that! And…if you spend $50, you got a $10 off coupon. We spent, we got, we spent, we got! We ended up with some fun treats, a hat and swim trunks for PSM and I got a swim shirt and sweater/sweatshirt. And you could tell almost everyone on the island, tourist and local, went to their place! The island was a walking advertisement for this place! I also picked something up that I’m super excited about, but I’ll tell you another time!

After Red Hook, we went back to the hotel, it was time for water! We changed into a beach gear, grabbed our snorkel gear, headed to the hotel lobby to get beach towels, a short walk and we were at our beach. It really was a nice beach. We both got in the water, the snorkeling wasn’t great, turns out we needed to go past the swimming area to see stuff, we’ll know for next time.

After snorkeling, PSM went to rest on the beach, I put up my gear and went back to swim and stand in the water, I was just happy. A few days later PSM said it was almost impossible to get me out of the water! And? ha ha

As I was in the water I started talking to some people, you just randomly talk to people at the beach, especially when you’re at a resort, people are more chatty, it’s nice. I ended up talking to a woman about traveling and told her about PSM’s Bourbon Trail Ride, I’ll tell you about that another time! And we became friends, I even sent her the itinerary I built for PSM. Now, speaking of meeting people, almost everyone we met while we were there, I say almost everyone, was either from Massachusettes or Pennsylvania, not far from where we live, some southern connection, and Jewish. What are the odds on that one?!

I got out a little while later, PSM was happy on the beach talking to a guy, with a drink in his hand. We were both hungry so I went to Sangria’s and put some snacks on his open tab, and another rum, works for me! We ate and chatted with the family, I talked to my dad, sat in the sun, went in the water…it was like a wash, rinse, repeat for the holidays!

We stayed on the beach until the sun went down. Why do I hear The Cars song You Might Think…could be the line “But you kept it going, till the sun fell down, You kept it, going. Now you see how my brain works sometimes!
We kept moving from one spot to the next on the beach because the sun would set over here, but not over there, so we moved over there, then that would become over here, and the sun would set over here, but not over there. It was a vicisous cycle! You definitely do not hear me complaining!

For the life of me, I cannot remember what we did for dinner that night! It’s all good because the next day was great, and the next day, and the next. How could it be wrong in paradise.

More tomorrow!

{January 11, 2024} Nostalgia

I was going to tell you more about our trip to USVI, but I ate something that sent me down another path. I know, you’re surprised…ha ha

What did I eat? A piece of celery with peanut butter, and it was so good…I had to go make another one to munch on while I talk to you! I can’t remember if that was something my mom or dad would make us, but it makes me feel good. Another one was apples with peanut butter, either slicing the apples or using one of those apple wedgers and serving the apple slices with peanut butter. How about this…celery with cream cheese and paprika, so good!

Some things may sound odd to you, but they were comforting to me. Noodles and cream cheese, if we weren’t feeling well, that was something she would make for us, I still do that to this day, but it has to be wide egg noodles, you can do it with almost any noodle, but it really has to be something that can pick up the cream cheese as it’s soft and melted, maybe add a little salt. I remember my sister telling someone that she knew ACS was the one when, early on in their relationship, she wasn’t feeling well and he made her noodles and cream cheese, it’s the little things.

I was just telling someone about my mom making her meatloaf with a hard boiled egg in the middle, most people have never heard of this, but it was a special treat that she did for us, and if there wasn’t a hard boiled egg…it wasn’t the same. Warm milk with honey if we were sick made us feel better and even if it was just in our minds…I’m ok with that. I know, milk with meat, ha ha. Not to worry, the meatloaf was a treat and the milk with honey was a remedy.

And the gems my dad taught me…I could never eat New England claim chowder without a pat of butter melting on the top; rice pudding, right out of the pot is really much better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, specifically Bryer’s vanilla, and the strange one that just works…those cheese crackers with peanut butter in them? Smear some strawberry jam on top, oh man, you will not be disappointed!

I’m sure there are others, but at the moment, those are the ones that are on my mind and making me smile. I wonder what some of yours are.

{January 5, 2024} Alright, alright, I’ll tell you where we spent the end of 2023 and rang in 2024!

The USVI! Yup, you heard right, that’s the United States Virgin Islands! Even threw in the BVI! British Virgin Islands. Not a bad way to spend the holidays and ring in the new year!

When we started planning our end of year trip, we thought about all the places we were interested in going. Two years ago it was Mexico, warm weather, beaches, mountains, sun, sand, and tequila, what could be better?! Last year, it was England, three weeks of adventure, tours, exploration, and family, that was pretty darn awesome! Are we alternating cold for warm, cold, warm, cold, warm? Hmmm…Actually the funny thing was last year it was warmer in the UK than it was in the states! Last year we were actually on target for Puerto Rico and a hurriane hit, we’ll get there one day. This year, we were close, distance-wise, we decided on the USVI.

If I tell you the week of December 18th was a tough one for concentrating, I have a feeling you might believe me! I had to teach a few classes that week and the fun fact I shared…going to the USVI! A few people gave me recommendations, but Thursday…it was tough! Best part of Thursday…actually Wednesday into Thursday…SDL and Miss A stopped by on their way to visit her folks for the holidays, how lucky was I?! I actually got to spend a bit of time with them last year, this was a great ending to the year!

We headed to Philly on Thursday evening, we were crashing at a hotel because for some reason, we thought a 541am flight was the way to go! There is definitely something wrong with us! ha ha. We found the parking lot, that was an adventure, grabbed an Uber to the hotel, got some dinner, so not worth it, but we were starving, showered, and set the alarm for 3am, UGH….they recommneded we get to the airport 2-3 hours before the flight, you know me, I’m a ‘by the skin of my teeth’ kind of flyer, but that’s when I’m solo, and it’s not right before Christmas. It’s a good thing we were there by 345a, the lines were crazy, but…we weren’t checking a bag, thank goodness, the line was ridonculous! Gotta love TSA pre-check! Board the flight, layover in Atlanta, grits for breakfast, yum! Next flight…there is an island in our future!

Both flights were uneventful, thankfully! We got a taxi to the hotel, this was the start of learning how things were going to go. Taxis are not inexpensive and…they charge per passenger, not per trip, interesting, no Uber or Lyft on the island, ok. The roads…well, keep your eyes open, and if you get motion sickness easily, um…might be better to be in the driver’s seat…the roads are not that wide, the speed limit seemed like a suggestion, and they drive on the left. There are signs everywhere ‘Keep Left’ done!

The room wasn’t quite ready so we went put our slippahs [flip-flops, sandals] on, and walked to the beach on the property. The sand was lovely and the water felt amaing. The first thing we always do is stand in the water and take pictures of our feet in the water. ahhhhh….

We had been traveling for a while, it was about 2p, time for sustenance…food and drink. We’re in the USVI, where some of the best rum comes from, what do you think the first thing PSM wanted was?! We went to Sangrias Beachside Bistro. Cover over head, sand on the ground, no walls, and a view of the beach, what more could you want?!

Food, that’s what we wanted, food and drink! PSM’s goal on this trip was to eat fish, fish, and more fish! PSM had ahi tuna nachos, and I had a tropical spinache salad, water for me, and a sangria for PSM, that was the name of the restaurant, after all! A delicious lunch and a few drinks later, we walked on the beach, talked to the concierge, and booked our first excursion, a catamaran for Sunday, talk about hitting the ground running!

By now, our room was ready, we hitched a ride on a golf cart up to the room, we had our luggage with us. That was the first time we hitched a ride and on our last day was the last day we hitched a ride, we walked the steps, the steps, the steps to get to our building and room! The room was charming, very beachy vibe. Seafoam colored accent walls, white walls and white exposed beams above, balcony overlooking the beach.

We stayed at the Elysian Beach Resort, it was a little away from things, a bit quieter, good location, not far from Red Hook, I’ll tell you about Red Hook and the next part of the trip in the next post. We got settled in, put our traveling clothes in the closet, we knew we wouldn’t need the long pants, long sleeves, and heavier outer layer until it was time to leave, ok with us! Unpacked, didn’t take much, a few pairs of shorts, tshirts, bathingsuits, and snorkel gear, done!

We walked around to check the resort out, sat on the beach for a bit, talked about where to go for dinner. Right onsite was a place people told us about for fish, the Caribbean Fish Market, not an inexpensive establishment! But could you beat the view?! We didn’t have the best bartender/server, that was a bummer. I know it was busy, but maybe acknowldge us, smile at us to welcome us, when PSM asks for a rum drink that’s not all sugary sweet, suggest something instead of tossing the drink menu at us? Maybe that’s asking too much.

Despite all that, we had a great time, we were together, we were on an island, the weather was perfecet, and we weren’t at work, that makes for a great time! We ordered a few appitizers: brussel sprouts, eggplant frites, and a flatbread with brie, pear, and arugula. Y U M! That flatbread lasted us two nights!

We talked, drank, started to relax, and just enjoyed each other’s company. We often talk about what a great life we have together and the life we’ve made, it’s not too shabby and we can’t think of anyone else we would rather spend it with. Sounds like a win-win!

After dinner we sat by the beach, it was probably about 20 feet from the restaurant, enjoyed the breeze, and the sea air that was kissing our skin. Again, not a bad life we have! Eventually, we decided to head back up to the room, up, up, up the stairs. I will see if I took pictures of all the steps to get from the room to the beach! We got our stpes in for the day for sure!

Back in the room, no plans tomorrow, we’ll think about it tomorrow! We’re on vacation!

And that friends, was day one of our USVI trip, not a bad way to start. I can’t wait to tell you more! But for now…going to say goodnight and crash! Coming back to reality…even a short week, feels like longer than a 5-day week! Aloha my friends! Happy Fri-yay!

{May 29, 2021} It’s Saturday, what shall we do?!

The weather is supposed to hold out for the rest of the day, what’s the plan?! Well, it’s Saturday, we have to introduce SDL and Miss A to The Shack of course!

Before that, after yoga, it’s Saturday, what else would we be doing!? we picked up bagels at the Bagel Factory, they only take cash and I didn’t have any, guess what…the woman behind the counter, I think she’s an owner, told me to just come back later to pay them. That’s the second place we’ve encountered that since moving to Missouri, that’s what I call hospitality! Back at the house, shower and off to The Shack.

We got very lucky, it was about 9am and we got a table pretty quickly! Wah to the hoo! The first booth we go, I’m not exactly sure how they expected us all to fit! Needless to say, I asked for a table instead of a booth. I kind of wish our server had gone with us, the server we got was less than…it happens. The food was good, as always, PSM and I both tried something new, SDL enjoyed hers and Miss A! Let’s just say first, SDL’s eyes were as big as saucers when she saw the size of the pancake, the entire plate! Second…she wasn’t sure if Miss A was going to eat it all. Well.. guess what…the eggs and the entire pancake…also mixed in with some yogurt for more liquid…g o n e! The girl can eat! What a champ!

We headed home to drop off our leftovers, get whatever we needed for the day, and potty breaks, of course! PSM had something else going on today, so it was just the three of us, girls day out! First stop…The Bagel Factory, paid my $10 and away we went.

First place was the Arch! How could we not! It’s the main iconic representation of St Louis, you can see it so much advertising and logos, it’s a landmark! Now, due to some restrictions we weren’t able to go up to the top, which is fine, we took pictures in front of the arch, from the side, you know the drill. Then we walked inside, went through security and down to the museum level, which is very interesting. We learned a lot while we were there, from concept, to funding to construction and completion. After learning, it was time for the gift shop, St Louis Arch souvenirs! SDL got a few things including postcards to send to family and friends back home, and of course, Miss A. I love that she does that, I do the same thing, I send post cards to PSM whenever we’re on a trip to tell him what a great time I was having!

After souvenirs, it was time for a bit of lunch, and luckily, they had a veggie burger! Not the best, but they had one, wahoo! There was lunch, pudding, bananas, and peanut butter, and dancing, what more could you want!

After lunch we headed out to walk the grounds a bit, we had just missed what looked to be a reenactment, bummer! But some of the costumes were fabulous! Eventually we headed to the car and off to Union Station, which was about a 4 minute drive, love that! Union station is a retired train station that now serves as a meeting spot with restaurants, shops, a pretty good candy shop, the St Louis Wheel, the Aquarium, which we will get to one of these days! Miniature golf, a ropes course, dancing fountain, actually fire and lights!, and so much more!

We walked around and they actually had a mini carnival with game and prizes, and a petting zoo! What?! I got to feed the goats, they tickled! PSM, please, please, please, can we get two pygmy goats?! OMG! They are SOOO cute! Imagine the savings on lawn maintenance! HA HA. They had goats, of course, an alpaca, a camel, Flemish giant rabbits, donkeys, and some other things I can’t remember! It was so much fun! I think I had more fun than SLD!

After petting and feeding, we headed over to the St Louis Union Station Hotel just in time for the 3D Light show in the Grand Hall, which runs on the hour from 5 to 10pm every day. There’s music and lights and just like the name, it’s all in 3D. There are birds flying, aquarium scenes, just wow! So worth it!

When the show was over, it was time to head out and find some dinner! Since it was Memorial Day Weekend a lot of the restaurants had a long wait if you didn’t have a reservation, and Italian was the request. We actually found one not far from the hotel, no wait!

The atmosphere was nice, the staff great, the food was ok, but the company, excellent! We talked, laughed, ate, danced, wash, rinse, repeat, what more could you ask for!? It wasn’t quite warm enough to put the top down on the way home, but the drive and conversation, as always were good, sounds good to me!

At home, it was time for a bath, spinning, laughing, and just being silly. And making plans for tomorrow, what adventure awaits us?!

{May 28, 2021} It’s Friday! What should we do?!

Well, since it’s Friday, even though it’s a holiday weekend, PSM and I were up and working, while I waited for SDL and Miss A to join us upstairs.

The rain was coming, so how much could we do outside? Not much, but we were going to have a great day, no matter what?! One of the things SDL asked before they came…a little pampering? Oh yeah! So…when I called, it turned out they didn’t have any availability for three people until about 1230p, perfect!

Breakfast, then groceries. I had to hang my head in shame! The usually stuff that we’ve had when they visit we were out of! I had just finished the giant jar of peanut butter the day before, no, not the whole jar all at once, but I finished it in a smoothie! And we haven’t had bread, loaves, bagels, nothin! in the house for a while, so I felt terrible about that! Luckily, SDL is always prepared and had two slices of bread and one of those small containers of peanut butter, whew!

We had some time until our appointment, so we went to the grocery store, just enough time to get what we needed, and even went to the Bagel Factory! Their bagels are pretty decent, it’s not NYC or Boston, which is all about the water, but they’re good and made fresh every day. They actually close at 130p, when we got there, there was almost nothing on the shelves and when we were about to drive away, they locked the doors, it was 1215pm! Well, alrighty then! Maybe tomorrow!

We took the groceries home, I unloaded and got everything put away, grabbed some sandals and away we went to our favorite nail salon, honestly PSM was jealous! You know I got him addicted when we lived in Hawai’i!

We got there just in time and they set up two pedi chairs for us, I helped Miss A get onto SDL’s lap and we both settled in to our massage chairs for some pampering! They did Miss A’s feet first, and she got the full treatment! SDL said it was the first time for her to get full treatment! Nothing’s too good for my niece! Miss A got the foot bath, scrubbing, trimming, clipping, massaging, and warm towel, what more could you want! Oh yeah, and pretty pink bubble gum toes!

When she was done, she hung out next to mom while SDL and I got pampered! They started with the pedis, pedicures for anyone not in the know! Oh wow, it felt great! It had been a few weeks since PSM and I went, actually, just over a month! My toes still looked good, a pedicure can usually last me over a month, unless your scraping the ground with your toes, you should be good! They did SDL’s manicure in the chair, she doesn’t get color, so they soaked her fingers where she sat, I love that! For me, I went over to a table and they got to work on my fingers. Claws and paws as the phrase goes! Just what the doctor ordered!

Back to the house, it was snack time for Miss A, walks for the pups, and a while later, it was time to head out for dinner. We looked at a few places and the winner was Three Kings Public House! I’ve told you about it! I go for the Brussel Sprouts! Y U M! We had food, drinks, laughter, silliness, dancing, a few trips around the pub, what more could you want?! Food, family, friends, and fun. Yup, that’s about it!

Back home, bath time, hanging out, talking to you and then…lights out. What adventures await us tomorrow?!

{May 27, 2021} Our first overnight visitors!!!

We have our first overnight visitors and I am over the moon! It’s…wait for it…wait for it…SDL and Miss A!!! Ok, now you know and you knew how I felt as soon as I said it!

We had a visitor last year, our first! DLP was in St Louis for a family event and came to see us, we went out to breakfast, then she came back and saw our house, but sadly, had to go after a few hours. Today, SDL and Miss A arrived for a long holiday weekend visit!

They left Atlanta Wednesday afternoon, after school and an appointment and they were off! It is about an 8.5 hour drive if…you make no stops! Well, for me, when I drove to Atlanta was about 9.5 hours, I factored in at least four 15 minute breaks for gas, food, and bio breaks. For them, it takes a little longer, so they cut the trip in half, keeping me posted along the way.

I worked most of the day, they got here about 4pm, just in time to take the dogs for a walk, in the rain…where did that come from? Seriously?! When I checked the weather a few days ago, it was going to be warm and sunny with very little chance of rain and now…more chances of rain for the weekend. Ah well. They were here! Hugs, hugs, hugs, and more hugs! A tour of the house, where are they staying, all that good stuff, then it was time for a walk. Well, Miss A, SDL, Ruby, Bee, and I started on a walk, water came from the sky, they went home and the pups and I continued on our walk.

We got home and PSM was just about finished with work so…instead of sitting too long, SDL said if she sat too long she was done! It was a long two days! We headed out to the food Miss A, SDL, and I always do when I visit them, Mexican! We went to El Maguey, where PSM and I went to celebrate Cinco de mayo. It was great! We talked, ate, laughed, caught up, reminisced, laughed, talked, ate, you know, wash, rinse, repeat. It was like no time had passed, just as it always is when we get together!

After dinner, we headed home, it was time for a bath, cuddle, running around like crazy people, then off to bed. I’m just a happy Auntie G! I love family visits! We have so many options for the weekend, let’s see what we can get in to, I’ll keep you posted!

{May 23, 2021} It’s Sunday…let’s go for a ride!

Sunday came and it was a nice day even with the possibility of rain, let’s ride Clyde!

We headed out for Hermann, MO. PSM is the Ride Captain for our mini biker group, of two! He plans the routes, usually avoiding the highways, and he never disappoints! It was about an hour and a half there, which I knew. It was a beautiful ride, a bunch of bikes were out. We stopped at the same gas station we always stop at when we’re in that area. Even though it was more than an hour’s ride, which was fine, as he said, it’s tradition now! We also both knew it would be time for me to fill up anyway. We chatted with a Harley rider, our bikes were about the same color blue. He gave us some ideas for different rides. Bikers really are some of the nicest people!

We went into Hermann looking for brunch, it was about 1203p at this point, so we were on the fence…breakfast, lunch, brunch? It was actually harder than we thought to find a place for breakfast. The nice thing, it wasn’t as crowded in Hermann as it was the last time we were there. We stopped at Stomp ‘N Grounds for breakfast. It was a cute little place, we sat at a bar by the window and chatted while we waited for our food and drinks.

PSM had decaf coffee, hot, it was supposed to be iced, I had a chai latte with almond milk with a mountain of foam that I didn’t ask for, and we got one of the two pastries we were going to munch on while we waited for our food, not a great sign. The funny part about getting the drinks was when they called our names, the guy said ‘decaf coffee and…the other drink’ really? The pastries were ok, a slice of cinnamon swirl bread and a brown sugar cinnamon chip scone, I would have enjoyed the scone warmed up, but I guess it wasn’t an option. PSM had bagel, lox, and cream cheese and I had a fried egg sandwich. I have to say, I have really been missing the East Coast, why can’t anyone have other choices beside PLAIN BAGELS?!

After brunch, we walked around Hermann, it’s a cute town, not much to it, but cute. I could see going back, or stopping there, with the bike group for drinks, like we did a few weeks ago, but I don’t see us going back on our own. What was crazy was how hot it was! There were a lot of bikes in town and I can tell you…the only people wearing pants…bikers! WOW! We were sweatin’! One thing we couldn’t find was anything that said Hermann! A hat, t-shirt, nothin’! I have started getting magnets wherever we go, as a memento, it’s small, easy to carry, and…our back door is magnetic! I’ve used it to display all the places we’ve been! I love it! Bummer on not finding anything!

We left Hermann and rode to Washington, MO, which we’ve been to before. It was about an hour’s ride, which was a good distance, we thought we’d check out the town a little, maybe get a drink. We stopped in two places that were shutting down in a few, really? It wasn’t even 2pm! Oh, that was the same thing happening in Hermann, for some reason, things were shutting down early! We stopped in a bar for a few drinks, enjoyed chatting with the bartender and decided to tip! It’s funny, we haven’t actually seen Washington, only the street down by the river, one of these days, we need to check it out!

Next, we headed to Defiance, MO. We drive through it all the time and talk about stopping, but never do. And when we were there, I think we found all the bikers in the state of Missouri! They were at these two bars across the street from each other. I think I saw maybe four or five bikes, not including ours that weren’t Harleys! I even saw two Indians, that weren’t ours! and that was about it! We hung out at both bars for a bit, long enough for a few drinks each, listened to some music and headed down the road to my main thought in Defiance, Good News Brewing Company. We had been to the first location and knew about this one, which actually has Alpha & Omega Coffee located inside as well.

It was a nice open space, garage doors all around, inside and outside seating, everything is a rough wood, barn-like, the way I like it! I remember going to the first one wanting to turn our lanai into that type of space, I don’t think it’s reasonable, but I would love it! Their menu is very limited, we ordered a cheese bread and a small pizza, not going to be good for either of us, but we were willing to take a chance. We sat, ate, drank, talked, laughed. Wash, rinse, repeat. It was so nice!

Eventually, after last call, which was about 6pm, it’s Sunday, after all, it was time to head out. We rode home, about an hour, got gas somewhere in there, greeted the pups, walks, dinner, relax!

I will say…it was a nice day and we both wore short sleeves…no jackets, didn’t need them, I only wore my vest because it keeps my t-shirt from riding up my back! Well…since we wore short sleeves and no arm sleeves, which we do wear in the summer, most of the time, it protects our arms from the harsh rays of the sun, and no sunblock to prevent what ended up happening…SUN BURN! OUCH! Well, now I have my base layer, which I usually get from driving the convertible, but I haven’t been going many places lately. We learned our lesson! It will be fine, but…I can also tell I am getting my biker’s tan, you can see where the hole in the back of my riding gloves are!

What a Sunday! What’s our next adventure?! Want to join us?!

{May 22, 2021} Just another average Saturday…

Yeah right! Who am I kidding?!

Got up, hot yoga, you know how we roll…it was tough! It’s getting hotter out and more humid, so hot yoga gets even hotter. Today there were quite a few people in class, different for a Saturday, I’m wondering if it’s because of the no mask on the mat policy, this particular studio, on a Saturday morning, it’s us and maybe one or two other people…this class had at least six people!

Hot yoga done, home, shower, work on the basement for a bit, it’s getting so much better! Then…go to Mungenast to pick up PSM’s bike, he was getting a new back tire put on. Pack the pups and PSM in the car and away we go! Top down, of course! And something we learned, Ruby has an issue with overpasses! I didn’t think much of it when we went under one a few weeks ago, she barked at it, but it turns out the change in pressure makes her bark and…jump! Not out of the car, but just enough to make us nervous! I don’t want to have to strap her down in the car! Hmmm…

After we got home, hung out with the pups for a bit, didn’t want to put them right in the crate after being out, and then we headed out to get some grub, bub. We went to a new place that I found, Olivette Diner and O M G! We are in luv!!! If you weren’t specifically looking for it, you would miss it. It’s a non-descript looking place from the outside. It’s in a strip mall, above the door Diner, that’s descriptive! The windows did say Olivette Diner, but honestly, if you weren’t looking for it…

We walked in and were very pleasantly surprised. They did have a few tables and chairs outside, we wanted inside and we weren’t disappointed! The place had a great retro feel, counter service with retro vinyl covered stools, facing the cook space, and a few retro booths, along with the retro signage on the walls. Let’s just say, a little retro. They had a surprisingly big menu for a small place, but we got right down to it.

We ordered a scramble with brie, spinache, and tomatoes, it came with a side of hash browns, and toast. I asked for the scramble to be done well, the hash browns dun…[note the emphasis on done] and when I asked which type of toast was better, our server couldn’t decide between the wheat or sour dough, both of which are made by a local bakery. Could I get one of each? Why, yes I could! Then… we ordered the Amazing Banana Waffle. It was a malted waffle topped with a hot and fresh banana, brown sugar, and cinnamon sauce. How could we not, it said it was amazing!

No sooner had we ordered and I got back from washing my hands, the food arrived. Did they actually cook it? It was sooo fast! Not that I’m complaining at all! I have to tell you, this was one of the best breakfasts we’ve had in a long time! We love the places we go and sometimes something new doesn’t always work out, but wowweee did this ever! It’s going on our favorites list! The scramble wasn’t overpowering with any one flavor and the brie was melted and blended in just right. The hash browns, ahhhhh, almost no one gets it right, this was…crispy and crunchy and just y u m! The toast, you know, I don’t know which slice was better…I ate one, then the other. Then…for the second set, I ate one bite of one, then one bite of the other, didn’t help! They were both so good, and just the right amount of butter! And the waffle…they were right…AMAZING! Wow! It was fluffy and light. The banana was hot and gooey, and the brown sugar and cinnamon sauce, who needs syrup. It really was fabulous! I would order this again and again and again!

I was disappointed, no room for pie and they had the list up and they have…strawberry-rhubarb pie, my favorite! Not to worry, we will be going back! Yessss! A true treat, if you’re in the area, or looking for a good place to go for breakfast or lunch! They are only open until 2pm, so get there early! Also…we were told the food came out so fast because that’s how they have to do it, normally the place is packed! Even at 1pm! Graduations are happening all around the state, that’s probably where most people were. Can’t wait to go back and bring people with us!

Now, back home, after we stop to get a graduation present. One of those graduations this weekend, we were invited to a graduation party, a son of one of PSM’s co-workers. After a brief sit down and hang with the pups, we head back out on the bikes to the graduation party. We saw a few people I actually knew and I met some of PSM’s co-workers, that was fun! Now I have faces to go with the names! It was a nice party, I enjoyed chatting with people and there were cupcakes, what more could you want!

After a while, we said our goodbyes and headed out to Nine Mile Garden for an Adult Prom! We’ve talked about Nine Mile Garden, it’s great. There is a micro-brewery and then there are always food trucks with plenty to offer, unfortunately, limited for me, but not for most. And the trucks are definitely varied! Something for almost everyone! And if you’re lucky, at least one of the trucks has dessert!

We didn’t really read the invite closely, so it was a lot of people watching…everyone was dressed in some form of 80’s attire, it was great! There were some prom dresses, suspenders, bow ties, big hair, wrestlers impersonators, rock star impersonators, 80’s music, lights, some decorations and music videos from the 80’s on the big screen. We ate, loaded spuds!, we drank, we people watched, it was so much fun!

What a Saturday, told ya…just another average Saturday. Well, for us it was!

{May 20, 2021} Another first…mask-less dining!

Yes, I know you can eat without a mask, this was walking into a restaurant without a mask!

Now, I know there are some of you out there who have been playing it very safe over the last year, not going out, strict quarantining, maybe only going out for groceries and curbside pickup, and I respect that. For us, as we’ve talked about, PSM and I have ventured out as often as possible. We respect the protocols the establishment has set for their business, masks walking in, masks walking around, masks off at the table, when eating. That is very fair, whatever is best for the business, I go with that.

This…was very different. So…I told you Monday about going to the yoga studio and being able to take our masks off at our mats, you still have to wear the mask when you walk in to the lobby, but on your mat, a machaya! [one of my favorite Yiddish words!] and they are allows you to shower at the studio again, rent mats, the whole gamut.

Tonight, we decided it had been a very long day, let’s go out for beer [for PSM] and brussels sprouts [for me]! I knew just where we were going! The Three Kings! Here’s where it was a new and different experience and took some getting used to. When I walked in, no one, and I mean no one…was wearing a mask! Now, there have been a few places, we may have talked about this, that you walk in with a mask and it’s half-arsed by the staff, so you’re like what’s the point, but you’re following the posted rules and I have accidentally walked out, especially if we’re sitting near the door without my mask on and felt odd and shocked when I got outside! This place, tonight…not one mask in sight, except for some people walking in the door.

I walked in with my mask, took it up when I sat next to PSM at the bar, but I have to tell you…the first time I walked to the bathroom, I didn’t wear my mask, and if felt weird, like I was doing something naughty! Imagine that! How times have changed! I walked to the bathroom, mask-less, no one looked at me, no one stopped me, it felt good, but weird.

Based on what the CDC said this week, businesses are at their own discretion to do what they want and I respect that. I will still be walking around with a mask in my pocket, probably for a very long time, until someone tells me I never have to wear one again, I’m not taking any chances, and why argue with what someone else is comfortable with/doing, what is it going to hurt?

I can’t wait to hear what your first experience is like going completely mask-less in an establishment. Oooh!

{May 15, 2021} Loaded Elevated Nachos…something new!

Typical Saturday, well, not sure who’s it typical for, ha ha. We got up, went to hot yoga, came home, I did my hair, turquoise this time, PSM worked on his pc and I did some work in the basement, it’s coming along! then made a Goodwill drop, then went to get some lunch. Typical, right? Ha ha

I am making some good progress! Promise! Even PSM said so, and that’s what matters, he can see it! I’m getting there! That made me feel so good! I’ll post pics after I’ve made some serious progress, you do not need to see where it is now!

We made the drop donations, then it was time for lunch, it was about 1pm at this point and PSM said, hey, let’s try Cracker Barrel, he’s never been, I used to go when I lived in Atlanta and it’s a good place to stop while you’re on road trips and truth be told, I love the store almost as I love the biscuits and corn muffins! The few times we tried to go during the pandemic it was a madhouse, crazy long waits. He was optimistic that it wouldn’t be too long it was about 130p, so why should there be a crazy wait time. He’s adorable! It’s Cracker Barrell…35-45 minute wait. See ya! At this rate, we may never go!

I saw something as we were driving past that I said, let’s give it a shot, Loaded Elevated Nachos. It was campy when we walked in, looked like an airstream trailer/food truck and very road trip old school. They had appetizers, entrees, and desserts, all nachos! They had two non-meat options: mushrooms and Impossible crumbles, we haven’t talked about my take on the Impossible burger and we’re not going to start now, but I tasted the crumbles and they weren’t bad, and mixed with everything else, I enjoyed it.

We ordered the Side-by-Side which is mix-and-match any two entrees or apps to share for $16, not bad, or, if you wanted to go solo, $10, can’t beat the price! I was slightly limited on my choices, a lot of things had a lot of dairy, but I was on a Bahn Mi kick, so I went with that, minus the Siracha Aioli, jalapenos, and cilantro. The fun part was, instead of traditional nachos, it was on wonton chips! Same shape as the nachos, but keeping with the Asian theme, they were wontons! PSM had the Hawai’ian BBQ, full on! He went spice city and the little spice on mine, I was on fire! I treated myself to an orange soda, well, PSM treated me, since he bought lunch! ha ha

They don’t serve alcohol, but if you wanted, you could get something from Narwhals, nothing but drinks, some even non-alcoholic, but we opted for orange sodas, y u m! I don’t drink soda very often, so I am very choosy about what I drink and I can’t tell you the last time I had an orange soda and this was, yeah, yum!

We got our food, went to sit outside and dig in. It was different, filling, tasty, and something I can see trying again. They had a lot of options and knowing they have meat alternatives, I’m down! Maybe next there will be some vegan cheese and sour cream! I could even see bringing my own vegan sour cream, especially if we are sitting outside!

So…if you’re in the St Charles area, check them out!

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