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| Sun, 02-22-2009 - 2:24pm |
We spent Fr & Sat in Springfield IL. A tour of the new Lincoln Library was high on the to-do list. Very well done and very much for grownups. Supper Fri PM with DBIL was good. He turns 76 this year and seems to have the longevity genes from his DMs side of the family. Got a good rate on a hotel adjacent to a Steak & Shake, so we knew we'd never starve - they're open 24/day. Sat. was our odd kind of shopping. We stopped at a place that is a throwback to the "head" shops of the 60s, run by a couple of graying hippies. Huge place, with all kinds of stuff. DH found a metal "antique" sign to hang on the door his customers use, I found an all cotton top with beautiful embroidery for summer. Next stop was a GoodWill "super" store. Very different than the disorganized mess locally. Even had a coffee shop run by employees. I look for clothes in fabrics I can use as trim for my projects. Got a real find with 4 mini-skirts in embroidered and beaded velvet - $2.50 each. Also found a bread baking canister for use with a crockpot. It is used for things like Boston brown bread and quickbreads. I don't know what happened to my old one, now need to find some recipes. Last stop was the Army Surplus store where DH could eyeball the arms for sale. Prices were way too high and choices were poor, so he purchased nothing. I like to look at all the oddball stuff. We met DBIL's DD for lunch on Sat. She has a new DGrD, so much talk of that.
The dance on Sat. eve was our 2nd at the dance club. Probably our last. They have terrible speakers which distort the music and DH has a rough time hearing. Also play music that is really not meant for ballroom dancers. I may break down & make a CD to send to their DJ. Luckily for us, the predicted snow veered North. It was a 30 minute drive, so we were back at the hotel by 10:30.
Our biggest complaint was the local eating places the relatives chose for us. If you eat pretty plain food, it get's hard for the old stomach to digest greasy/salty stuff. I ordered some local specialties and was disappointed. I should learn to just order a burger for lunch and something simple for supper. Worst part was after the dance we stopped by the Steak & Shake. DH & I both had a taste for their chili mac. The drive-in guy assured us it was not too late for it. Hah. When we opened the containers at the hotel we each had a pile of rubbery noodles with about 1/2 cup of chil on top. Now, I get this stuff a lot at home and it us usually smothered with chili. If this is their way of keeping prices down, they are going to lose a lot of regular customers.
We were back home by late Sun A.M. and the cats were so glad to see us. As usual, the youngest one left a puddle in the middle of the bathroom to let us know he was not happy. Litter box was cleaned regularly while we were gone, but makes no matter. He is one opinionated critter.
Jacquie

The shopping sounds like fun, but
a steak and shake opened up in waukesha wisconsin,been there once with the grands,i wasnt that impressed,but it was only burgers and fries. i just made chili mac yesterday,a big pot,dh doesnt like beans so i use noodles,have done that for years.that is maddening to order
We like S&S because it is usually the same no matter what city we are in - no surprises. The chili we had must have been scraped off the walls. We should have known better at that time of night. I told DH that from now on I'm packing fixings for PBJ sandwiches in an emergency. We like food we can identify and a lot of the new places make us wonder just what's under the "secret" sauce - LOL. DH did order pork chops for dinner on Fri. and got 2 done just right. I made the mistake of ordering scallops and they were overcooked and tough as rubber. My elder DB was in restaurant food supply business and he once told me that "you don't order seafood in the Midwest and don't order steak in New Orleans - just go with the local stuff that hasn't had to be brought in from far away and stored in a freezer". Of course, he also told me to skip the blackened meat/fish as it was often past it's prime and the seasonings could cover it up. I make the blackened dishes at home.
Jacquie
You're trip sounds half good/half disappointing.
Hi Jacquie, We're going to Springfield soon for a Conference but I hope to find time to go to the Lincoln Library. Last time I went there, I saw the monument but didn't get to the library. Should be especially interesting in his 200th birthday year.
Sorry the dance club was a bust but glad you got some good bargains.
I'll bet you're anxious like me to get diggin' in the garden. C'mon Spring!
Hugs,
The library is across the street from the Museum we went to. My DBIL told me that it really is a working research library and most old documents are retrieved on request. The attendant holds it while you read. The Museum is dedicated to telling his life story. There are 2 theater with regularly scheduled productions. If you must make a choice between them, I suggest you see the one about "ghosts". A tech wonder. Oh - if you see that one, don't come out and immediately begin your tour at the displays nearest the theater. That's the area depicting the end of his life. Just cross the rotunda to the log cabin and go from there. Even though we are a family of bikers, I thought the decorated Harley was out of place next to the full-sized mannequins of the Lincoln family.
Yes, I have already bought seeds. My plan is to turn my big raised bed into a cold frame with glass storm doors. That way I can have salad greens in early April, then the bed will be warm enough to set out tomatoes in early May. I do need work on a way to keep the tomatoes from sprawling all over everything else. They shaded the sweet peppers to the point where there was little fruit.
Jacquie