New Adventure | Peaches Prattlings

{August 31, 2026} Day 7: 308.2 Miles, 4 Hours, 2 States, 6 Cities, A Bad Meal, A Car/Motorcycle Parade, and a Good Meal!

Day 7 started kind of liesurely, I think I mentioned I had an interview, so we waited for me to complete it before we took off. Since it was going to be a later departure, we slept in until 730a, well, the alarm was set for 730a, DJH is really good at sleeping in, unlike me! We met at the bikes to load up about 8a, then breakfast about 830a, could have been earlier, not sure. And no, I haven’t heard anything about the interview results, after a month, I don’t hold much hope, not losing sleep over it!

We got on the road, destination Riverton, WY, and heading closer to seeing PSM! He would be joining us Sunday! And…DJH put his GoPro mount on my handlebar, and I was going to be taking video of our rides! So…the images should be much better! Some of the pics when I first starting using it might not be the best, but with practice, they definitey got better!

There were some really, really, really, long stretches of road, some pretty, some not so much, but it was wide open road and allowed us to drop the throttle and get up there, wind therapy, here we come! And…if you’re thinking just because we’re moving fast, 99+ degrees is refreshing, hot wind is hot wind, no matter how fast you’re going! We rode from Loveland, CO into Wyoming through Rawlins, The Buttes, and Laporte, CO.

We stopped for lunch in Rawlins, WY, unfortunately, the town was a bit dead and there weren’t a lot of food choices, but we were sticky hot and hungry, so we settled on Shogunz Pizzeria & Bar, the atmosphere was welcoming and the decorations were fun, DJH had a great sandwich, VGT wasn’t thrilled with what he got and I ordered a flatbread, well, a pizza with no cheese and the toppings I asked for weren’t there and what I asked to be removed, there, so, one out of three of us had a good meal. I believe I mentioned that all but a few meals weren’t great, this was one of them. The people were nice and the beverages were cold, that was a big plus!

After lunch, back on the bikes heading towards our destination for the evening, the Super 8 Riverton, it was a place to crash and rest our heads. We rode through Three Forks, finally getting to Riverton, WY. Turns out, they messed up our reservation, they only had 2 king rooms for us, I ended up getting a cot, which was fine for me, and gave DJH the bed. The only bad part for DJH, was that I was right in front of the AC and if he could, he would probably sleep inside it! lol. He loved to turn the air down to 60 no matter where we were! Let me just say… brrrrr!

As we were riding down Federal Blvd towards the hotel, it seemed like everyone from Riverton was setting up their chairs on the road for something, and it looked like Main Street was blocked off for a block party, good for us? Turns out, we arrived just in time for the Rocky Mountain Rebels Car Show and Riveton Rendezvous Balloon Rally weekend! It started with the parade of cars, it went on for a very long time, felt like there were at least 100+ cars, both classic and modern, motorcycles, trucks, busses, you name it, they were there!

As we stood there watching, there was a family next to us, and luckily for them, they were throwing candy from the parade to the spectators, those kids lucked out! After the parade, we were trying to get an Uber to take us to Main Street, but that wasn’t going to happen any time soon. But…we were in luck, County Commissioner Ron Fabrizius and his wife offered us a ride to Main Street! He is a 3rd generation farmer, rancher, and manufacturer. They were lovely people who seemed to know everyone!

We got out at Main Street, walked up and down, looking at the cars, bikes, and other vehicles that had been in the parade. We also tried to go to one or two of the restaurants I had on my list, but they were closed for the event. We ended up at Taqueria Los Amigos, unfortunately, they don’t have a website, but if you’re in Riverton, WY, definitely go! They are at 712 E Fremont Ave, Riverton, WY 82501. They offer authentic Mexican street food, the staff was friendly, and the food was terrific! It wasn’t on my original list, but it is now!

We tried to get an Uber back to the hotel, but…because of the street fair, it was proving very difficult and we eneded up walking back. VGT had taken a shower when we got to the hotel, unfortunately, DJH and I were still in our riding attire and our riding boots, my feet needed to breath! It wasn’t that far from the hotel, just under a mile, but when you rode all day and it was hot and sticky, then walked the few blocks of the street fair, even a quarter mile feels like 20!

All-in-all, a good day of riding that ended with a parade and a festival, what more could you want?! And tomorrow…we’re off to Montana!

Also…this is when I started recording our rides using the Relive app. It’s an app that tracks whatever you ask it, could be hiking, cycling, running, skiing, boating, driving, fishing, you name it, it can probably track it, and for us…motorcycling. It tracks from whenever you click start to finish, and it will add any pictures or videos that you take. It gives stats: Duration, Distance, Elevation. It also shows different cities and states that you enter and cross, speeds you may achieve, and it shows you the route you took. I’m still perfecting how I use it, but I’m going to start including the recordings, I hope you enjoy!

Relive: Day 7

Day 7: 308.2 Miles, 4+ Hours 99+ degrees, and a parade! Tomorrow…Montana!

{August 30, 2026} Day 6: 357.6 Miles, 8.5 Hours, 4 National Forests, 8 Cities, and a Hornet Attack

Day 6 started casually, VGT’s bike was at the dealership getting attended to, so…wake up at 8a, what? oh yeah! You know me, I don’t sleep a lot, and this trip was no different despite riding for 6/8/10/12 hours, some nights I just couldn’t sleep past 3 or 4am, fun…

We met at 830a for breakfast at the hotel, took our time, when we were done we went outside to sit on the patio, finish our coffee and tea, chat, and just enjoy the liesurely morning. At one point DJH went inside for something and VGT and I moved to another table, all of a sudden I felt something, turns out it was a hornet, actually several hornets…not sure if you can see how swollen my wrist became, but it wasn’t fun. And boy howdy did it hurt! We looked under the table and there were 2 nests, terrific. When we went inside, I told the front desk, they said they would take care of it, but…I spoke with a maintenance worker who was stung last week, and told the hotel…

I put some ice on it, which helped a little. VGT looke up stings and ice and a wet teabag were the immediate solution, and it helped a lot! As the days wore on, I realized there were more and more stings, I lost count after 7!!! Eventually the swelling and itching went down and then away.

When VGT got word that his bike was ready, I offered my bike to ride over and I jumped on the back of DJH’s, that was surreal, I’m not usually on the back of a bike. When we got to the Teddy Morse’s Grand Junction Powersports, I asked VGT what he thought, first thing he said “Can you say back rest?!” I don’t have one and I don’t really mind. When I have my bag strapped to the bike, then I use that as a back rest, but the rest of the time, I’m ok.

VGT went to the service area and DJH and I walked inside, first thing I see…little Amira, an 11 week old Doxie puppy. What a doll baby! We walked around, DJH needed a new rain jacket and I got a t-shirt, just a momento from the dealership. PSM and I have a stupid number of dealer t-shirts, it’s a great way to remember where we’ve been and we have quite a few Harley Davidson ones, especially if there isn’t an Indian Motorcycle dealership nearby. Well, VGT was ready to roll and we all headed back to the hotel to load up and take off!

And they’re off! We headed out on I70W, a major westbound highway that spans about 2,150 miles across the United States, running from Maryland to Utah. We rode through Fruitvale, Paraschute, Silt, White River National Forest, Dotsero, McCoy, and a bunch of unknown locations until we stopped for gas at this really charming gas station, Egeria Fuel Station and Liquor Store in Toponas, CO, very unassuming on the outside, but inside, the front had all these great framed alcohol advertisement images, and quite the colleciton of wine, hard alcohol, and moonshine, just to name a few, for sale. And the guy who worked there…charming! I bought PSM some wee dram bottles of things I knew he liked and one local for him to try. Since I’m not sure what he would like, outside of what we have at home, I never buy him anything more than a nip bottle, just in case it’s not his cup o’ tea, so to speak!

We rode on and stopped in Walden for petrol, more unnamed roads, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest, Arapaho National Forest, Roosevelt National Forests, and Pawnee National Grassland, you could see where some of the wild fires had taken its toll on the trees, and finally making it to Loveland, CO, where we were spending the evening at the Hampton Inn Loveland.

We got settled in, DJH and I went for a dip in the pool, VGT went to grab a shower and a rest. Eventually I called an Uber and we went to the Lazy Dog Bar & Grill. Our driver to the Lazy Dog Bar & Grill was great, very chatty, in a good way, talking about Loveland and other things, our driver back to the hotel, not a fan…the music was really loud, don’t get me wrong, I like the volume in my car to be up so loud the mirrors shake, but I’m alone, not driving other people around, hoping for a tip… just saying…

The Lazy Dog Bar & Grill was enjoyable! The atmosphere was great, it was a sports bar, but it was also very dog themed! All the pics on the walls were dogs, the signs for the restrooms, you name it, it was kitschy and I loved it! The food, really good. So far… except for the first night, we’ve had some great meals!

Back to the hotel, let’s get some laundry done, it’s about time! A later start to the day tomorrow, I have an interview at 1130a local time, so…breakfast at 8a, I’ll do my interview and then we’ll head out!

Day 6: 357.6 Miles, 8.5 Hours, hot temps, a hornet attack… tomorrow Wyoming!

{August 26, 2026} Day 2: 351 Miles, 4 States, Hello Kansas! Day 3: 494 Miles, 2 States, Hello Colorado!

Day 2: KSU [don’t forget, that’s kick stands up! and I’ll remind you a few more times, and then you’re on your own!] 7a. We were very done with this hotel, it was time to get going!

We packed up the bikes and we were off, first stop… gas, we didn’t get a chance when we got to the hotel because it was raining and we were done. We try to get gas just before we get to the hotel so we don’t have to think about it in the morning, we can just get up and go.

We decided to get on the road and stop for breakfast somewhere on the road. We rode for almost 2 hours, about 140 miles. We took I-70W, crossed into Illinois, you may have noticed that I have screenshots from when we cross a state line, it’s dorky, but it’s something I enjoy trying to catch. I love the icons they use for each state and I just found a site that has all of them!

We were looking for a place to eat and get gas, first order of business…gas, then food. There was a sign on the highway about the world’s largest golf tee in Casey, Illinois, we were SO close, but didn’t go to see it, but…we did pass by the Giant Antlers in Casey, Illinois! One of these days we’re going to visit every silly world’s largest things! Did I tell you a few years ago, when we lived in Missouri, we went to see the world’s largets bottle of Catsup?! It’s actually a water tower, but who cares! It was sooo cool!

Not finding food at that exit, we got back on the highway, found a gas station, then I got a text from DJH, he was at Niemerg’s Steak House in Effingham, IL, holding a table for us! Sounds good! The joint was jumpin’! We had a good breakfast, made up for the crappy evening we had, we are off to a good start!

After breakfast, we got back on the bikes and headed towards Kansas, riding through Missouri. As we were riding, we were passing a lot of the places PSM and I had spent time in while we lived in Missouri, it was bringing back such good memories, we really did enjoy our time there, we made the most of what Covid tried to shut down, we didn’t let that stop us! We stopped for gas near where PSM was headed for the week and here we said see ya, So long. Farewell. Auf wiedersehen. Aloha. Did that sound a little like the Sound of Music, you’re welcome! But sadly…we had to say see you soon to PSM, got back on the bikes, we headed towards Kansas and he was…. let’s just say… outta there!

A few hours later we crossed into Kansas and about 4p we were at the Ramada Topeka Downtown. It was a decent hotel, it reminded me a little of an Embassy Suites, where the rooms open over the center courtyard of the hotel. We got to our rooms, explored a little, ended up in the basement and when we got off the elevator, this statue scared the you-know-what out of DJH and I! At first it really looked like a person! I went to take a picture with it, pretending to sit on its lap and the entire top half moved, no thanks!

We got settled into the rooms, DJH and I took advantage of the pool and hot tub, some took a nap, then showers, I ordered an Uber, we were NOT getting back on the bikes! Let’s just say, when we got to our hotels, if we didn’t eat at the hotel, unless the restaurant was less than a 5 minute walk, it was Uber or taxi for us! It was the start of steaks, steaks, and more steaks! Not for me, no, but the fellas! There would be a lot of steaks on this trip! We went to The Weather Room, for dinner, the guys had steaks, and I had a really good strawberry and spinache salad, not as good as my mom’s but good! and grilled asparagus, I was very happy!

Then it was call an Uber, head back to the hotel for some well deserved R&R! The people in Topeka were very nice, both of our Uber drivers, the wait staff at the restaurant, the hotel staff, but downtown Topeka, there was a lot of construction happening, but not much else, unfortunately. It looked like it would be a nice city to explore, when they finish renovating.

Day 2: 351 Miles, Sunny Skies!

Day 3: Meet at the bikes at 7a, load the bikes, grab some breakfast, then take off by 8a. The woman at the front desk when we checked in, very nice, raved about the breakfast, we think she over sold it! But…we had some food, then it was KSU at 8a, we were heading to LaJunta, Colorado.

One of our stops, about lunch time, was in Hayes, KS. While I was pumping gas, a woman at the next pump started asking me questions about my bike and riding, she was about my height, and I let her sit on my bike to get a feel for it. She was very nice, she actually approached me and said “This might be creepy, but you’re about my height and that’s a big bike! could I ask you some questions?” Of course! We chatted for a while, her husband is 6’3 and rides a much bigger bike, she’s interested in learning and she showed me the bike she was looking to buy for a first bike, a very good choice!

We chatted for a few more minutes and she gave us a recommendation for lunch, Thirsty’s Grill and Pub, that’s where she was going! sounds good. We went and it did not disappoint! In the waiting area to the side, they had a red pickup truck, kids version, of course we had to pile into it! I tried to get in, I was able to get my head in, that’s all, so we piled on the truck bed! We got a table, and it was an eclectic place. Sports bar, lots of tvs, KS Chiefs memorabelia, astroturf looking floor, a stage with a piano, then decorated like a beach hut, driving scenes painted on the wall, and Marilyn Monroe. While we were there, I saw the woman from the gas station, we greeted each other like old friends! The food was as good as she said!

Back on the bikes and a few hours later, we crossed into Colorado! I was home! Some amazing winding roads we were on, DJH knows how to make what could be a boring road more fun. We stopped for gas and finally made it to the Hampton Inn La Junta. Unfortunately, the pool was not available, they were having some issues, no worries, cool showers for us! Then regroup and walk across the parking lot to Felicia’s Mexican Restaurant. The service was good, food was good, wait staff friendly, what more could you want?! Back to the hotel to crash and do it all again tomorrow!

Do you know those videos ‘tell me you xx without telling me you xx’? Well…look at my picture “Tell me you ride a motorcycle without telling me you ride a motorcycle!” This was just Day 3, more to come!

Day 3: 494 Miles, Sunny Skies, Hot Wind, Hot Weather, and it’s only getting hotter!

Tomorrow… Durango…then the real fun begins! G’night!

{August 25, 2026} 4 Weeks… 11 Thousand Miles… 2 Countries… 12 States… 29 Hotels… 8+ National Parks… 20+ National Forests… Countless Challenging Roads… Great Heights… Amazing Views… Outrageous Temperatures… A Trip of a Lifetime… Ready?… Let’s Go!

Yes, you read that right…the trip of a lifetime! Did we do all those things? Yes we did! Did we plan it all? Yes we did! Was it for everybody? Those that could go… Yes!

It all started almost 2 years ago, DJH mentioned a trip he wanted to take, and knowing him, we knew it would be epic! After all, we did a three week motorcycle trip together 3 years ago. After a lot of back and forth, DJH and his wife, MH came to spend a weekend with us last September, we had a great time, riding, hanging out, exploring, and… while MH and I hung out, PSM connected his laptop to our 30+” tv, then he and DJH planned our route.

The plan was a trip out West and beyond. They had both been to quite a few national parks and national forests and had an idea of where they wanted to go. PSM had been to British Columbia for a work trip shortly before then and knew exactly where he wanted to go. So… they put their heads together and came up with a game plan. Where to start, how to get there, which roads might be the most fun, which states, cities, national parks, forests, rivers, and streams we should visit, how to get the best bang for your buck. We had a plan.

DJH then went and planned the actual routes we would take, approximate mileage we would put on our bikes each day to get to the next destination. The three of us got on a call and started talking logistics. On the 3 week trip a few years ago, DJH and I would coordinate every day, what time were we meeting at the bikes, what time was kick stands up [KSU], I would text the group that information, then I would find a place for dinner each night. They started calling me Julie McCoy! You know… Cruise Director for that amazing sitcom from 1977-1987, The Love Boat, you’re welcome for the ear worm! So… now you have an idea of my role in this cast of characters!

That being said…PSM, DJH, and I got on a call and looked at all the places we would be staying and my job…find and book hotels for 6 people. Yes, you heard that right, find and book hotels for 6 people for a 4 week trip! Ok, well…we started with 6, ended with 4 and I’ll get to that, but… I went on Hotels.com, Hilton.com, and some one-off independent hotels and ended up booking 27 hotels for the trip, yes I know the title says 29, but I’ll get to that as well, later. That only took me 5 hours! And yes, I am in the process of working on becoming a certified travel advisor, after all of that, I definitely need to! Important information: Did they have laundry facilities, a pool [very important!!], did they offer breakfast, free parking?

Unfortunately, after I had booked a lot of the rooms, LGD had to drop out, so I had to cancel all of his reservations, DJH, PSM, and I were sharing a room, MB and VGT were in their own rooms. I had contact and credit card information for them, so off I booked!

I also did research into where we would go for dinner each night, I had to make sure it was something everyone might want and somewhere I could eat. During that 3 week trip, I didn’t have as many options as I would have liked, but I have to tell you, this trip, except for a few meals, we all ate really well! Yes, I’ll get to those too! You know my style!

We had the destinations, we had the routes, the sites, now we needed the people. The message went out to the usual suspects, who might be interested, unfortunately, even if someone is interested, they might not have the time to be away for that long. LGD, MB, VGT, and DJH…all retired, lucky bucks! PSM and I… vacation, so… 4 weeks for them, 3 weeks for us. Three weeks is nothing to laugh at! I was definitely ready for another grand adventure! And some of those amazing roads we took before, we were going to do them again!

I had ridden with all of them except VGT, PSM had ridden with him before, I was excited to get to ride with everyone again! We had a call towards the end of June, for me to ‘meet VGT’, see everyone, go over last minute details, and to talk about equipment and any tools we might be taking, such as air compressors, tire repair kits, first aid kits, gas transfering kit, and other essentials, so that we wouldn’t all have to carry everything for ourselves, since we would be together. During this conversation, while we’re talking about getting our bikes serviced and how excited we all were, they were talking about being retired and I said ‘I’m unemployed!’ It had literally just happened on Monday, this was a Thursday. PSM looked at me and said… ‘why don’t you go with them for the full trip!’ What?! I hadn’t thought about it. Mostly because I had just become a free agent, it didn’t occur to me!

The original plan…The 3 guys would come in from Massachusettes on Friday, they would take off and PSM and I would get our bikes serviced on Saturday, PSM and I would take off from the dealership and head to St Louis so he could work for the week, then we would head out and meet them the following Sunday in West Yellowstone. Change of plans, slightly. We changed the service date for the bikes to Friday, the guys came in from MA on Friday, we met for dinner, hung out at the house, then I took MB and VGT to their hotel, DJH crashed at our place.

Saturday morning, took the pups to camp at Glamorous K9s, I picked the guys up, we loaded the bikes, went to breakfast, and then we were off. One thing I noticed as we were taking off, my bike hit 25k miles!!! So…every day I took a pic of my mileage and I’ll share all of that with you. The game plan…ride 100-150+ miles, and that all depended on elevation how far a tank would get us, stop for gas, hydrate, get the wiggles out, and back on the road.

First stop for the night…Indianapolis, along the way, West Virgina, Ohio, where we hit a wonderul rainstorm, had to pull over and put on our rain gear. We were so wet, I took off my jeans and just wore my rain gear, my waterproof boots, not so much! First major tourist destination…Huber, OH Buc-ee’s! Yes, I finally got to a Buc-ee’s and wow, that’s all I can say, wow!

Wait… did I tell you what I packed for the trip? I don’t think I did. Ok, this is not everyone’s cup of tea, and as you can see, Eunice is only carrying this one bag! In said bag: 4 short sleeve t-shirts, 2 long sleeve t-shirts, 2 pairs of jeans, 1 long sleeve flannel, 1 pair of pjs, 4 pairs of socks, 8 pairs of bloomers, one pair of shorts, one pair of sandals, one pair of very light shoes, one small toiletry kit, my Indian Motorcycle sweatshirt, my MS Surface Laptop, Samsung Tablet, and charging cables, 15 laundry sheets, and that’s it. In the saddle bag on the right is my rain gear [rain pants, rain jacket] and cover for my bag. In the left saddle bag is a very light sweatshirt, one long sleeve flannel shirt, deck of cards, snacks, extra batteries. And that is it!

Back to Day 1. We rode through a crazy rainstorm in Ohio, it stopped just as we got to Buc-ee’s, we gassed up, we got some snacks, saw what all the fuss was about, and then got back on the road. Next stop was Indianapolis, Indiana, at a hotel we are not going to name. One of the rooms had been canceled because the hotel overbooked, but told me that Hotels.com had overbooked, it went back and forth. There was a cheerleading competition in town and that’s why it was so crazy busy. Our waitress at breakfast told us she was going to be going to Indianapolis for the competition herself on Sunday, what are the odds!

We got to the hotel, one of the rooms was not available, we were soaked, all the restaurants were closed. What else was going to go wrong? We got into our rooms…finally, the room PSM, DJH, and I were in…only one bed. Got them to give us a cot… it was more comfortable to put the mattress on the floor! We were wet, tired, hungry, so we put our clothes togehter in a dryer and I ordered pizza, it was something…

We decided on KSU, remember, that’s Kick-Stands Up at 730a, we look at when sunrise is and take off as the sun is coming up, but we aren’t in danger of encountering any wildlife. We also couldn’t wait to get out of this hotel, the front desk staff was great, the hotel, not so much! We headed into the sunrise, ha ha, for Day 2 on our way to Kansas. First stop…petrol, then breakfast.

Ok, I think that’s enough for the buildup to Day 1, don’t you? I’m going to post this, then tell you about the next few days in my next post. I haven’t decided if, after we get to Durango for the ‘start of the trip’ I’m going to group the days together, I’ll figure that as I go, but as always…I’ll take you for the ride! I cannot wait to share all that we did and saw, it was amazing! I’ll include our routes, Go-Pro footage, milestone, highs, lows, excitement, terror, triumph, victory, the thrills, the chills, no spills!

Something that’s going to be a little different…I’m going to keep using initials for people’s names, but you’re going to see faces, I know, crazy, right?! We had too many amazing adventures, saw so many wonderful sights, and took pictures in front of some iconic places, how could I not share?! In case you were wondering…now you know what I look like!

Day 1: 4 States, 577.4 miles, 1 rain storm.

Ok friends, here we go! I don’t know about you, but I’ve missed you and I’m so excited to be back! And what a story do I have for you! Ready… set… go!

{January 2, 2026} What a trip! What a year!

Oh, my friends, so much has happened since we last spoke! But where do I begin?!

There were motorcycle trips, family trips, father-daughter trips, local trips, international trips, auntie-niece trips, friend trips, cross country trips, graduations, birthday milestones, college, vow renewal, oh my! We met new people, reconnected with old friends [notice I didn’t say old people!], put some miles on the vehicles, retired other vehicles, dreamed, worked, didn’t work, worked again, all within the span of 365 days. That’s a year, right? We all know math isn’t my strong suit, but I do know that much.

I’m going to tell you some stories of travel, of milestones, but that will take time and I want to jump right in, so… I’ll give you one or two milestones per month and then I’ll tell you more as the year goes on, sound fair?

January 2025: PSM and I spent the last year of 2024 and the first week of 2025 in Hawai’i. GES, ACS, MGS, and EMS joined us on the Big Island for a week, we got to see Mauna Loa erupting, toured Volcano National Park, swam with manta rays, we rang in the new year riding motorcycles up some challenging roads, and before we left, did some stargazing at the Mauna Kea observatory, before biding farewell again to our beloved Hawai’i. ACS turned 54, I always say he’s my older younger brother!

February 2025: I drove to Atlanta to participate in the Hot Chocolate 15k again, and each year I say I’m not going to do it again, and what did I do? Signed up for 2026! I got to visit with some friends and family in Atlanta and on my drive there and back. We took a family trip to NYC with dad, GES, ACS, EMS, and MGS, went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, walked through Central Park, went to a revival of Chiacgo, attended a memorial for a beloved family member. End of February, PSM got a new motorcyle.

March 2025: EMS turned 18! O M G!!! What a celebration! Where does the time go?! We explored Strasburg and discovered so much about the railrold and Pennsylvania’s impact! We even participated in a murder mystery train ride! We rode our bikes to Gettysburg and went to the National Military Park Museum, what an experience! And… they had air conditioning! That may have been the best part! PSM took said new motorcycle to Daytona Bike Week.

April 2025: SDL, Miss A, and I went to Amsterdam to celebrate Miss A’s 15th birthday! What a trip that was! The day I left for Amsterdam was my last day with IBX, I was a free woman! Came home in time to celebrate Passover with the family in Boston. While I looked for a job, I took the dogs for lots of walks at the Reading Arboretum, even got to take some friends with us! Spring was just beginning! We drove our two beetles to Volkfest, VWs for miles! We participated in a Biker Blessing with the Lebanon Valley Motorcycle Club. Not to mention trying new restaurants and distilleries here and there, but that’s every month!

May 2025: MGS turned 15! Just wow! Another great celebration! Dad and I flew to Edinburgh, Scotland to meet GES there for our first father-daughters trip! Dad even got to hang with the pilots on the way back! I finally got to pet a Scottish Highland COOOO!!! We toured Edinburgh and Glasgow, what an AMAZING trip! So amazing, we decided we needed to do another father-daughters trip again in 2026! I’ll keep you posted! We did a ladies carnival motorcycle ride with friends, a memorial day ride to the National Cemetary, then we had one of our trees cut down in our backyard. Went to Boston to…help throw my BABY sister a 50th, yes, I say BABY SISTER FIFTIEITH birthday party! That’s a WOW! And boy was she surprised! The same weekend, we took pictures with MGS after she got ready for THE PROM!

June 2025: Rode my motorcycle to Boston, first solo trip on a motorcycle that far! MUCH to celebrate! MGS graduated high school! We had a graduation party for said graduate! We got to celebrate my sister’s 50th birthday! I got to hug and kiss her on the date of her birth, and remember when we brought her home from the hospital in 1975! Then I got on my bike and rode home in the rain, as soon as I got to New Jersey, the sky cleared up, go figure! We had a new roof put on ourhouse, part of the reason we had to remove the tree in May. A classic car show and more motorcycle rides. Towards the end of June, we drove to Boston to surprise our friend’s son-in-law who was being deployed, it was great to spend time with friends and family, on the way back, we stopped at Tree House Brewing Company to bring some goodies back to one of the guys at Hernley’s Indian Motorcycle.

July 2025: Did I mention one of the great things about being between gigs…being able to meet dad for lunch during the week, exploring new places to meet and eat! PSM had a birthday, not telling you any more about that! I rode to spend a weekend with CWB, then rode my bike in the blistering heat, no thank you, then I rode into Manhattan to see Jinx Monsoon, one of my favorite drag queens, in The Pirates of Penzance, a show my grandmother took me to as a kid! And…I found vegan NY style pizza at Zillions Pizza! OMG! At home, we had our 4th bay cemented and finished out the blacktop on the driveway. I also got to swim in our neighbor’s pool, loverly! And best of all, well, so much is great, but…July 31, 2025, just over 3 years since I bought Eunice, my 2022 Indian Super Chief Limited, she hit 20,000 miles!

August 2025: We rode to the Berkshires in Massachusettes to spend dad’s 83rd birthday with him! It was great! We went to the Normal Rockwell Museum, The Clark Art Institute, Ventforth Hall, Chesterwood, Tanglewood for a concert, The Red Lion Inn for his birthday dinner, the Berkshire Botanical Garden, Frelinghuysen Morris House & Studio, and Williams College of Art. We were only there only 5 days! At home, we had the entire area where the tree had been done over into a beautiful landscape. K&D N came to visit for a weekend, PSM got DN on the back of his bike and KN rode mine, first time DN had been on a bike in a long time, she enjoyed it and felt safe! Here’s hoping for a weekend trip! We rode up to Wellsboro, PA, the Grand Canyon of PA with the Lebanon Valley Motorcyle Group, got to walk on the Kinzua Creek Skywalk, wow! The last week of August, I drove with a friend I met recently at the park with her dog, Oscar, across country to help her move from PA to Shelton, WA. We loaded up the trailer, suv, the dog, and the cat, and we were off! We even got to celebrate her birthday when we got there! We became fast friends and travel companions, and I’m happy we’re still friends! And JM, our nephew, started veterinary school in St Kitts! Good luck to him! We’re coming to visit, promise!

September 2025: First weekend of September, PSM and I rode up to Jim Thorpe, PA with some friends and took the scenic railroad to see the fall folliage, it was stunning! Unforatunely, I got some heartbreaking news the same day, it was rough riding home and for a while after that. Second week of September, we rode with RC to Ocean City, MD for Bike Week. Great ride down and back, some fun rides in between, and RC’s son joined us for part of it. I got to put my feet in the ocean on many beaches, we went to Assateague State Park to see the beach and wild horses. We got back and went to the famous Hinklefest, then discovered a new place for dinner. PSM started a new position at Bayer! Wahoo! He’s going to be traveling from time to time! Our friends D & M came for a weekend and we did some riding, went up to Hawk Mountain and saw some amazing birds, took them on some fabulous back roads, truly spectacular. I snuck in an interview for a long term training gig. Towards the end of September, we went to Boston for the holidays, then a car show in Myerstown. Since we’re adding birthdays, I turned 54, seriously?!

October 2025: I drove to Boston for the holidays and the Jimmy Fund Walk. I got to see PSM’s family that were in for the holiday, split my time between my our families, I represented! While I was there, I got the call that I got the gig! I will now be commuting from Lebanon, PA to Long Island, NY! Got to see EMS play in a college futbol game, she was great! Did the Jimmy Fund Walk with ACS’ Pink Warriors, and found the placard that dad and I were quoted on! Went out one night before I left and celebrated September and October birthdays with my sister’s friends, they’ve adopted me! I started the new gig by spending a week in NYC watching some training classes. On the way home one Friday, I went to a celebration of life for a friend that I had lost, his birthday is coming up in February, smiling. PSM and I went to the Golden Age Air Museum and took a ride in a bi-plane! I am SO proud of him! His brother and s-i-l drove their RV to PA and we met them in Bethlehem for brunch and then we toured the National Museum of Industrial History. PSM got a new truck! She’s pretty!

November 2025: We started November off by dancing the night away at the LVMC Halloween Party! PSM had his runes read at The Drunken Smithey’s Faerie Fest, we had some of the absolute best pancakes we have ever had at The Brickerville House, then drove to New Hampshire for the week of Thanksgiving, enjoyed some snow, baked several mock apple pies, visited his uncles, spent part of Thanksgiving with his side and the other part with my side. We also got to see K&D N, we love spending time with them, even got to see one of their kids while we were ther, where does the time go?! PSM was traveling so I had the dogs with me in NY before we left for Thanksgiving, they kept me company, they were great in the car there and back. We’re not sure what happened on the way to NH, but it turns out Bee might not be great for long car rides anymore. They were definitely happy to be home!

December 2025: Back and forth to Long Island, some of my travel days were awful! 4 hours there, but 5-7 hours home, no thanks! All good, we worked out a decent travel schedule for me! The best part about going back and forth, I stop at dad’s on the way there or the way back home. Sometimes it’s for lunch or dinner, sometimes it’s just to say hello and get a hug, whatever it is, it’s worth it! GES & ACS celebrated 21 years of marriage, I can’t wait for them to see what we got them! It didn’t make it in time to send to them before we went on vacation, but dad is taking it to them this weekend! Speaking of leaving…PSM and I drove to a Doubletree near JFK on Friday, December 19th, and VERY early Saturday, December 20th, we started our annual 2 week end of year holiday in… Grenada! What an amazing trip that was! The weather, the sand, the surf, the ocean, the fish, the people, both the locals and our fellow vistors, and the food. I will tell you all about it, promise! We brought in the new year at the top of a hill and it was spectacular! Some of you who are reading this as we speak are new friends we made when we were in Grenada. The funniest question I got from someone…what’s in Grenada besides you two?! Well… I’m gonna tell you…but not tonight!

For now, I am going to sign off and grab a few winks, it’s late, I’m a little knackered, my fingers are a little sore from ‘talking’ so much! I have to tell you, I’m excited to be talking to you again and I look forward to a long, happy, and healthy relationship!

A Happy, Healthy, and Wonderful New Year to you my friends! May 2026 bring you all you hope for and more! Good night!

{February 23, 2025} A whirlwind weekend in NYC!

Is there any other kind?!

After work on Friday, PSM and I jumped in the Jeep, well, climbed in is more like it, for me, at least! PSM is not as vertically challenged as I am! I digress…we got into the Jeep and headed for the big city, the Big Apple, the big NYC, sensing a theme here?

We were making good time and decided to grab some dinner and stopped in Easton, PA, at at Pop’s Kitchen and Taproom. It was an interesting place, as in, it was part of the gas station parking lot, and when you walked in there was a convenience type market on the left, the counter/kitchen straight ahead, and to the right was a bar with some tables, and the beer cooler right behind it.

It’s an eclectic little place, had a few people in when we got there, two people at the bar, and as time went on, the place filled up, some regulars, and some passing through like us. I really liked the decorations, definitely a tap room, especially with all the beer taps hanging from the ceiling!

Back on the road, we parked and made it to the hotel by about 930p, definitely made good time, let dad know we were safe and up we went, to the 12th floor. Our room was right in between two elevators, but…it wasn’t as loud as you might think! The only time I noticed the elevators was when I was in the shower and heard the gears, it took me a minute to figure out what the noise was!

We were having a lazy morning, but it was time for some grub! We walked right by my sister and dad’s hotel, literally next door! We went to two places that had a long wait, NYC is full of places to try, and we found the Brooklyn Diner, nostalgic, yet, not inexpensive…as evident by the price for one single pancake…$15! Let’s just say, the experience and food were worth it!

We sat at the counter, one of our favorite places to sit, and shared a frittata, potatoes, challah, a cup of coffee for PSM and hot tea for me. We almost always share our breakfast, we enjoy it! The food was good, the company even better, and the atmosphere was buzzing. You could tell some of the folks were regulars, by the way they were greeted and chatted with some of the staff.

Our waiter was great, very friendly, as we chatted, we found out he was from Mexico, so we chatted about our shared love of Mexico, my time spent there as a kid, and the trip PSM and I took 2 years ago. The manager was another character, very nice woman and we hit it off like gangbusters! Go figure!

After breakfast, we headed towards Central Park, which was only a few blocks away, we were going to stroll through the park to The Met, apologies, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, for those not in the know! That’s where we were going to meet my dad and sister.

The walk through the park was wonderful! It was about 35 degrees, maybe it got up to 40, can’t remember, but the sun was shining and it was lovely! There were so many people about…horse drawn carriages, reminded me of my trip with SDL and Miss A almost 2 years ago, there were pedicabs, people walking, running, jogging, strolling, walking dogs, pushing strollers, playing frisbee with their dogs, visiting the vendors selling stuff, waiting for the Zamboni to finish so they could lace up their skates and take a turn on the ice at the Iconic Wollman Skating Rink. What more could you want?!

We walked through the park to the museum, isn’t it iconic?! I love this museum, so many fond memories growing up and spending time at the museum. We went in and found my dad and my sister, that took a little doing, only because the museum is huge and there is very little to no signal in a few parts of the museum, so if they moved…Marco… Polo!

After the museum we got a knish, NY pretzel, and some drinks, y u m!!! Then we got in a taxi, how very totally NY of us! and headed to The Village for a celebration of life for a family member, which I will tell you in a separate post. I will tell you that the celebration was just that, there were a few tears, but so much love, joy, life, and love, did I say love, in that room, you couldn’t help but smile.

After the celebration, we got in two taxis, you couldn’t fit us all in, so it was the girls in one cab and the guys in another. We headed back towards the hotel to find food and take a breather before we went to the theater. Near the hotel was Serafina, an Italian restaurant that could take 7 of us without a reservation at the moment, it was about 5p, it hadn’t filled up yet. Most of us had eaten at a Serafina before and liked it, this time…not so much.

Aside from smelling weed the entire meal, we think it was coming from the building next door, which was connected by a door that didn’t seem to want to close, the food was just…bland. PSM ordered an Old Fashioned and said it wasn’t very good, I asked to taste it, as I always do, and let me tell you… I did not make a face, I could not taste the alcohol and all I tasted was sugar, and you know how much I love sugar, this was not one of those times!

So… unfortunately, in addition to the drink, which they remade, the food was bland, I’m not sure if anyone truly enjoyed their meal. The bruschetta was good, that was the saving grace. Look, not all meals can be winners, but, for me, I don’t think I’ll be going to another Serafina any time soon, and it’s ok, there are plenty of other Italian restaurants to try!

After dinner, we went back to our respective hotels to take a breather, get off our feet for a few before we went to the theater, and when I say for a few, I meant it! We had just taken off our shoes and it was time to put them back on. Unfortunately PSM wasn’t feeling well, so he stayed behind and I met everyone in the lobby of their hotel to walk to the theater. As my dad would tell you, PSM didn’t miss much!

We walked to the Ambassador Theater to see a production of Chicago, now you may know it from seeing it on Broadway starring Bebe Neuwirth, who played multiple characters, Paige Davis, Sandy Duncan, Joel Grey, and one of my favorites, Jinx Monsoon, literally just to name a few! or a local theater near you, or maybe you saw the movie Chicago, starring Rene Zellweger, Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen Latifah, and Chita Rivera. Maybe you just know the score.

The premise: Roxie Hart, a chorus girl, kills her lover after he tries to end their affair. Velma Kelly, a nightclub star, kills her husband and sister after finding them in bed together. The two women compete for the attention of the press and a lawyer named Billy Flynn.

There are some great numbers: All that Jazz, The Cell Block Tango, my favorite When You’re Good to Mama. There is a bonafide story there, truly there is. The problem we had with this production, in our opinion….there was no set, not a big issue, I’ve seen many shows without sets, maybe just a block here and there, but some pieces of set, besides a few chairs would be helpful. The orchestra was on the stage, so that took up most of it, even though there was an entrance in the middle of the orchestra, I thought the orchestra, while very good, was loud and drowned out some of the players.

The show opened with All That Jazz, then went into the next number, and the next, there wasn’t a lot of dialog that wasn’t sung, and without a story/backstory or some context, if you don’t know the show, you would probably be lost, or bored, as my nieces were. We thought it would be a good high energy show for them, which it was high energy here and there, but not enough for them.

The singing and dancing was good by the players, Dylis Croman was great as Velma, had the moves, motions, dance, vocals, character. Nakiya Peterkin was a powerhouse as Matron Mama Morton, Max Von Essen was good as Billy Flynn, Greg Hildreth was great as Amos Hart, and R. Lowe was fabulous as Mary Sunshine, the reporter.

The one actor we couldn’t get behind was Erika Jayne as Roxie Hart. You may know Erika Jayne, or not, from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. She could sing, but her movements weren’t fluid, they were a little stiff, especially compared to the rest of the cast, we didn’t really get behind her as a lead. I just realized I said get behind twice, sorry!

Overall, we were happy to hear the music and sing along, sort of, but overall, not the best theater experience for us, well, when you have a favorite performance, you compare all others to that one and that happened this time, oh well…we still love going to the theater, won’t stop us from maybe seeing another performance of Chicago somewhere else!

After the show, it was back to our respective hotels. We enjoyed the walk together, discussing the show and reminiscing about our favorite shows. Dad and I made plans for tomorrow, PSM and I would drive him back home, an little extra time to spend together, bonus!

The next morning, we got up, showered, packed, went to a local diner, had a decent breakfast, back to the hotel to finish packing and go to pick up the Jeep. On the way, got to see and say goodbye to EJS and MGS, then back to pick up dad and drive to Staten Island. We got to the house and hung out for a while, then we hit the road, but not before stopping at Heartland Bagels to pick up supplies, and by supplies, I mean bagels, bialys, spreads, and a few sweets, NY bagels, what more could you want?!

We were then officially on the road, back to PA, listening to the next few chapters of the Jack Reacher book we’re listening to. We stopped to pick up groceries and then… the puppies! We were back early enough on Sunday to pick up the pups instead of tomorrow. The house is now intact, everyone is home!

Ok, that was quite the weekend, I think I need a nap, what about you?!

{February 9, 2025} Let’s head north! Stop in NC, and drive 10 hours, what did you do today?!

Got up, waited for SDL and Miss A to get up, took a shower, packed, hugs and kisses all around, and headed out. My goal was to leave between 8 and 9am and I split that down the middle! I was out the door at 830a exactly! Highly unusual for me, btw!

I got on the road and headed to meet MM at Nellie’s Southern Kitchen in Belmont, NC, a little over 3.5 hours from SDL’s house, no problem. I stopped for gas, got something at Starbucks along the way, oh, and dropped the top on the beetle bug, it was 77 degrees out after all! Yes, I said 77, don’t get too jealous, I told you it was that fabulous all week, but…I was heading back to the frozen tundra, so…

We found each other at Nellie’s, sat down and started catching up. The beautiful thing about our relationship, like many of my friendships, it doesn’t matter how much time there’s been between visits, we pick up where we left off.

Nellie’s was nice, when I went to the restroom, I was looking at all the decorations, and there is a hallway that had a lot of Jonas Brothers memorabilia, photos, press releases, newspaper and magazine covers, gold records, albums, and I looked it up, the restaurant was started by Kevin Jonas Sr, his wife Denise, and their four sons. The restaurant is named for the Jonas Brothers great-grandmother Nellie Jonas, go figure!

It has a nice atmosphere and feel, it was crowded, you definitely need a reservation, there was live music and a general warm feeling. It helped that it was a very warm day in Belmont, NC, so people were not only in Nellie’s but crowding the small town’s streets.

After lunch, we walked around town, there was even a winter market in the park. I have to chuckle because a winter market implies winter temperatures, we were with everyone else in shorts and tee shirts walking around enjoying the 77 degree winter weather!

After a bit, it was time to get back on the road, I had another 8 hours of driving, best get to it! MM and I hugged our goodbyes, I got in the car, plugged in my phone, dropped the top and away we went, and by we, me and Black Betty, the beetle bug!

Something PSM and I do when we drive, we go until we’re at about half a tank, pull off the road, fill up, take care of business, maybe get a drink, and generally get the wiggles out, then back on the road, it makes the trip easier and you get to move around a bit.

It was great, it was about 77 degrees out most of the drive, I had the top down, sometimes listening to a podcast, sometimes blasting my music and dancing down the highway, what could be better! Don’t get too jealous, as soon as I got close to West Virginia, the temperature dropped, and quickly. It went from 77 to 65, then 60 in a flash, I got to West Virginia, pulled in for gas, and all of a sudden, it was 55! So…top back up and back on the road.

I drove through 7 states total, Georgia > South Carolina > North Carolina > Virginia > West Virginia > Maryland > Pennsylvania. By the time I got home…it was somewhere between 25 and 30 degrees, see…told you not to get jealous! One of the things I love about using Google Maps is when you cross a state line you get the pop up “Welcome to…” and whatever icon would represent that state. My phone did something funky just as I was crossing the border into Pennsylvania, hence, no Welcome to… oh well…

I pulled into the driveway about 1030p, it was clear, thanks to PSM who spent FOUR hours on Sunday breaking through the ice and snow, THANK YOU! I made it into the barn, unloaded my bags, headed into the house and got attacked by puppy love, not a bad way to be!

I can drive for a long time as long as it’s daylight, I’m ok at night, but if it’s been a super long drive, that last hour can be tough. Sometimes I pull into rest areas and service stations a little more often, but I make it to my destination.

Overall, not a bad day, I know it took closer to 11 hours total driving, but it wasn’t bad. Come on, what could be bad with a convertible and manual transmission?! Come with me next time, we’ll drop the top, blast the tunes and say wheeeeee!

{January 30, 2025} Ten years ago today, my world changed

Absolutely for the better, best! Today I went out on a date with a new guy that I had only emailed with for a week. Who knew…that first date would become the longest first date ever! We’re still on it!

January 30, 2015, well, January 2015, was a crazy month in the world, the weather, friends, the weather! That was the year no one went to school, work, or flew on a Monday in January in Boston! They called it snowmaggeden! ‘Nearly 95 inches of that winter’s snow fell between Jan. 24 and Feb. 22, completely burying the previous snowfall record for a 30-day period, which had been just 58.8 inches. The unprecedented month included four consecutive weeks of storms that dropped between 16 and 24 inches’.

I happened to be living with my sister’s family at that time, it was after I left Denver, before I got a place of my own in Boston. I know I’ve told you some of this story, but I’m going to tell you again, and more, maybe! My sister and her friend AT, who I knew, were talking and since everyone I knew in Boston, except for one friend from high school, were my sister’s friends, they thought…PSM and I were both single and we might get along.

Let’s see…we both love to travel, ride motorcycles, computer geeks, love movies, and skiing. Yeah, that’s about right! So… they gave us the other one’s emails and I honestly don’t know who sent the first email, but it went from there! We made simple chit chat, then our emails grew, a little longer each time. I will say the first email I sent, I waited…and wondered…and after a few emails, it was like we’d known each other for a long time, even though we were still getting to know each other!

I think I told you we started sending each other pick up lines, but not just any pick up lines, I sent him science-y pick up lines, I knew he had a background in bio-chemistry, and I think I told you…I still don’t understand some of them! ha ha, and in turn, he sent me computer-y jokes, they were hysterical! Luckily, he’s a techie, really smart and actually understood some of them! ha ha

After a few emails we decided we would get together the following week, yup, we emailed for one week and went on our first date, he came up with six ideas for a first date, what guy does that?! My fella, that’s who! We decided on an Irish pub, I had just gotten back from Ireland a few weeks prior, so that would be perfect!

He picked me up from my sister’s house, he came to the door and held my arm to get to his vehicle, made sure I didn’t fall or slip on the ice, held my door open, and away we went. We talked, laughed, got to know each other, and ended up closing the pub down, now…that’s a good first date if I do say so myself.

He took me back to my sister’s house, we were remiss to end the date, but it was late and I think one or both of us had something going on in the morning. We said goodnight with the promise to talk tomorrow. And we did, we talked, we texted, we talked, we texted. Oh! I forgot! During our first date…I told him there was a murder mystery dinner theater happening at my sister’s synagogue, which was not far from her house, and would he like to go with me? I know you know he said yes!

The murder mystery dinner was the following Saturday, he met me there and…he was wearing a suit! LOVE that!!! Oh, and get this…at one time in his life, he actually lived up the street from where my sister lives and…he used to go to the synagogue my sister’s family belongs to and where the murder mystery dinner was!

After the show, he and I went to a local pub to continue talking and getting to know each other and at some point I said…”so, when are you taking me skiing?” And his response…funny you should ask me that, I was going to see if you wanted to go next weekend?! How could I refuse such an offer?!

So…we talked and texted throughout the week and Friday came…it was Valentine’s Day weekend, and guess what was delivered…a dozen red roses, yes indeed! I was touched and felt a little spoiled! Let’s just say…when the women in the friend group found out…the guys started calling, not his fault he was making them look bad! ha ha!

He picked me up on Friday and we drove to his house in New Hampshire, I’ve told you about the ski house before. So it was PSM, his dog Mollie, and me. He did tell me not to wear black, great…everything I have under my ski gear and apres-ski…black! Mollie was a big white dog…go figure!

So…we went to New Hampshire, we skied, we apres-skied, hung out, got to know each other and we’ve been together ever since. You’ve been with us on this journey, on some of our trips, the good, the silly, the adventurous, and who knows what the future holds, but…

here it is January 30, 2025, ten years, how many trips and countries, three home states, three dogs, several motorcycles later and we are still going strong. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for us, but you know I’ll be sharing it with you!

We try to wish each other happy anniversary on the 30th of every month, well, not February, of course…but I just want to say…happy anniversary PSM, I love you. Here’s to our 10th year of dating, looking forward to the next ten, and the next!

{January 25, 2025} No real apples, I promise!

Tonight we went to the weekly LVMC meeting and I brought two pies. Two mock apple pies.

Yes, I said mock…apple pies! I was supposed to bring them last week, but I was in NYC with dad, and I honestly couldn’t remember when I promised to make them, so…I wanted to make up for it this week and I made two mock apple pies.

Back to the pies. I found this recipe a few months ago, I honestly don’t know how I found it, what I was looking for, none of that, but I found the recipe and I couldn’t believe it, so I thought…why not! I can’t eat real apples and this doesn’t have any apples in it, so…here we go!

The recipe calls for water, sugar, cream of tartar, 30 buttery round crackers, c’mon, we all know what those are! and yes, 30, well, 30 for the filling, and 1 cup crushed for the topping, cinnamon, lemon juice, and a pie shell. I know it sounds crazy, but those are all the ingredients.

Here is the history of the mock apple pie, it actually dates back to the mid-1800 when fresh fruit, apples specifically were scarce, inventive cooks would use salted crackers or stale bread. In the 30’s Nabisco started putting the recipe on the back of the box.

Why does mock apple pie taste like real apple pie? “Mock apple pie tastes like apple pie because it uses ingredients that mimic the flavor and texture of apples. The acidic qualities of crackers, combined with other ingredients like lemon juice, cream of tartar, and cinnamon, create a flavor profile that’s similar to apple pie.” Works for me!

So…a few months ago, I bought a box of Ritz Crackers, lemon juice, pie crusts, and cream of tartar, the rest I had in the cabinets. I set about making the pie and unfortunately, the crumble top got a little burned, but….I pulled off as much of the burned pieces I could and I cut a slice for PSM and I.

Let me tell you… two things happened…One: IT TASTED LIKE APPLE PIE!!! and two: PSM said “I might have to have another slice!” That doesn’t always happen! Not because he doesn’t like what I make, he does, most of the time, and i will admit, not everything I make is great, but he’s not a huge sweets guy and…he’s not really a pie guy!

For our wedding, neither of us wanted a cake, and when I mentioned pie, he quickly said no, he doesn’t like pie, which I happen to la la la love! So…when he said he’d have another piece, and he had one… tickle me…well, tickle me pink!

So…I knew I wanted to make two pies to take to the club tonight, all food is sold and the profits go to the club, what could be better?! Share some sweets and help the club? Score! I started making the first pie, PSM brought me another pie crust when he got home.

The first pie I made in our Cuisinart Air Fryer Toaster Oven thing, I had the pie on the top rack, too close to the top, so it burned the crumble on top, part way through I moved it to the oven and kept it on the lowest rack possible.

Second pie, I made in the oven, lowest rack possible, top still burned a little, and interestingly, both pies had the same amount of filling, one was fluffier than the other, hmmm….either way I made two pies, wrapped them up in tin foil and we headed to the clubhouse.

They went to the kitchen, we went up to the meeting and after the meeting, while we were all hanging out, people started to have some pie, $3 a slice, very reasonable! One guy, JB, told me he made the same pie last week. Someone else, who happens to be a fabulous baker, asked me for the recipe! Can you imagine! Then a few other people had a slice, even PSM bought a slice!

I kept having to tell people, ‘no!’ there are no apples in this pie! Don’t ask me how it works, it just does! PSM said I shouldn’t sell it as a mock apple pie, but I completely disagree, I want people to know what it is and how great it is! And it was so great! they asked me to make some for the clubhouse when we have bingo night! I was tickled… pink, like a pink lady apple! HA HA

I was in a good mood when I made the pies, which you really have to be in a good mood when you bake or things just don’t come out right, and I was in an even better mood when people told me how much they liked it and asked me to make it again! I’ll come down off the cloud soon! Best part…there was a little pie left so guess who got to take it home! Y U M!!!

If you make it, let me know how it came out! And if you could believe your tastebuds!

{January 25, 2025} Sold Out? Already? Wow!

We got up leisurely, gotta love Saturdays! Took the dogs for a walk and talked about where we would start our day….Why, the Whirling Dervish, of course!

I say of course because one…it’s Java Journey time! and two…their hours are limited. Thursday and Friday, 7a-1p, and Saturday 8a-12p. I think I told you last year, it’s not the main business for the owner, there is a real estate office in the front of the building and that’s the main source of income.

We got there, along with everyone else! There were four people in there when we opened the door, well, four customers, and it was crowded! There was one person working behind the counter/register and three people in the kitchen, don’t call the fire marshal! That’s how small this place is, just saying! They had a steady stream of people in all morning and their baked goods, almost out! And we were there about 830/9am!

PSM got their signature drink, The Jittery Gnome, don’t you just love it?! I opted for a hot tea, the loose tea smelled sooo good! I only get a hot tea from them, I didn’t care for the tea I had last year made with almond milk, just wasn’t for me. Just being in there can overwhelm some people, it’s small and jam packed with gnome knick-knacks, but I love it! Besides, I really enjoy their pastries. We got a pastry to go, our drinks were ready and we headed out, five more people came in as we were getting our drinks! crowded!

Oh! I forgot! When we got our passports stamped, they gave us two gnome stickers! Squeal! Guess where one of them is going?! Yup, we need to differentiate between my cup and PSMs and gnomes just aren’t his thing!

I held the door for an older woman and we started chatting about the Whirling Dervish and the Java Journey, and places to explore in Pennsylvania. A lot of the places she mentioned were already on my list, but I did get to add one or two more! Love talking to people!

After the Whirling Dervish we headed to the next destination, we try for at least two stamps per weekend day, why not?! We went to Caffeination Station, the place that is set up like a train station! They have a train that normally runs above the cafe, it wasn’t running today, not sure why, neither did anyone working there, go figure!

PSM got their Winterspice Latte, we asked what it was like, “Imagine if Christmas had a flavor, that would be it!” well, then, let’s! I had a chai latte made with eggnog, eggnog! Almost no one has it, especially after the end of the year! Don’t ask me how, but eggnog has never bothered me when I have it, I’ve been told that something about the ingredients mixed together counter the agent that isn’t good for people with a dairy intolerance and until it does, I’m having it! There is non-dairy eggnog, which is great, and I drink it every year! I have found it made with almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, no matter which, it’s yummy! And go figure, while I was searching for a link, I found a recipe for diary free eggnog, enjoy! Let’s just say… it was de-lic-ious!!! Happy me!

To go with our yummy drinks, we ordered breakfast sandwiches, and they did not disappoint. We sat at the counter, there really wasn’t much room at any of the tables, not complaining, most of the time we prefer to sit at the counter! While we were at the counter, we started chatting with the owner and staff, and apparently we looked like we needed a cookie! We were gifted a chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips. I loved the chips! It was a good cookies, I had to try a piece! The combo was great!

As we were talking, someone called to ask if they had any of they had any of the Java Journey travel mugs left over, nope. The person that answered the phone suggested the Whirling Dervish, we didn’t see any when we were there, but who knows. Then the owner told us everyone was sold out! What?! It was only a week and everyone is sold out, wow!

It kind of makes sense, this year, they chose travel mugs, which is definitely more desirable than the ceramic mugs last year. Don’t get me wrong, I love the mugs from last year, they are ceramic, but look like old school metal camping mugs. I was really lucky when I called the Timeless Cafe and they held two for me! Apparently there was a gift basket that came out right after Thanksgiving, those were gone faster than you could say Java!

The owner told us to call next year and see if they can hold a basket for us! Apparently the businesses order a certain number of baskets, and mugs, of course, and people will call and order them weeks ahead! That, of course, isn’t the spirit of the event, but hey, whatever works for people…But…hopefully next year, we’ll be two of the lucky ones who get a basket! And we are definitely not waiting until the weekend to get our mugs!

If we don’t get a basket, which comes with two mugs and passports, and gift cards, one of us will be at one of the participating coffee shops when the doors open on day one! This is fun! I think I told you, they added three new shops, one of them being a mobile coffee truck! It’s just a fun way to explore new things, chat with all the other people on line with us, some of them have their travel mugs, but we can spot each other at least with the passport! It’s like a secret club we joined!

Ooh, where to tomorrow?! The game is afoot!

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