A wonderful place to eat, Beef N Barrel

Tonight we are staying in Olean, New York, the home of St. Bonaventure University where a friend MaryAnn used to teach English.   She later moved to the Philadelphia area to do the same.   We asked at the desk of our hotel for a good local place to eat and she recommended Beef N Barrel, here in town.  So after walking around part of downtown we went in search of this restaurant.   After asking only once we were able to park right in front.  Their special is roast beef on Kummelwick, which is a terrific tasting bun.   It was melt in your mouth beef.   Foxy had sliced roast beef plate au jus.  Finally we topped it off with home made apple pie.  Our waitress was Michelle and she was superb.  If you ever get to the southern tier of western New York State then stop in Olean and try the Beef N Barrel.   You will not be disappointed.   Happy travels.   

Traffic

When we left Little Rock, Arkansas, about 40 miles to the East we ran into some construction on the road.   Fortunately for east going traffic there was no slow down but the poor folks going west were cut down to one lane and the traffic was backed up for about ten miles.   Awful for them!  Later that same day as we got into northern Kentucky we ran into the same problem with the south traffic having the same problem and the backup was again many miles.   We were fortunate in both cases and felt bad for the other travelers going in the opposite directions. 

Today when we skirted Columbus we found a fast lane going east that was perfect and moved the traffic right along.   So as we arrive in New York State we really have had little slow and go type traffic and feel very fortunate for sure.   Happy travels.

Little Rock, Arkansas

Tonight we are staying in Little Rock, Arkansas.   When we arrived we fed Max and left him to guard the room and then drove to the city center next to the Arkansas River.   There is located the Presidential Library of William Jefferson Clinton  (420.  Also located in the same area is the River Market which has lots of shops and restaurants and a store of presidential paraphernalia.  We only had an hour before the library closed so drove by the outside and then went to the market area to get in a good walk, stop for a brewsky and hordeuvers of crab cakes.   We think we made the better choice considering the time restraints.   Billy Bob's library will have to wait for another visit.  We also managed not to visit Hope, Arkansas where Billy Bob was born.   Maybe another time.   Tomorrow - Memphis.  Happy travels.

Pleasant elderly gentleman

I was looking over a written report of one of my doctors when I came across the phrase, he is a pleasant elderly gentleman.  I can be pleasant but not always.   I can be grumpy, angry, disorderly or obnoxious but really try to be pleasant most of he time.  Indeed I open doors for others of all ages and gender but do not always open the car door for Foxy.   My excuse is that our car door clicker no longer works and costs too much to replace and thus I have to go to the drivers side to open that door and then operate the switch to open all of the rest of the doors.  I do not always dress like a gentleman since I have been retired, I prefer to  dress very casually and favor blue jeans.  iI try not to interrupt others when they are talking and generally work on being a gentleman. 

Now as for the elderly business.   That is just so wrong.   That doctor should realize that there is a naughty 35 year old inside of me desperately trying to escape this wrinkled prison who frequently gets out by saying whatever comes to mind and damn the consequences.   I think elderly means to me that I am stooped over, walk with a cane, can't hear well or see well.   My cataracts have been operated on, so I can see well and my hearing aids work most of the time even if everyone around me does not talk clearly.   I keep all my canes in the storage unit and as for being stooped over, well, you get the picture.    Happy travels.

Packing up

We are getting ready for our trip North to New York State.   This means hauling stuff to the storage unit including a gazebo we use for additional shade, folding chairs, bikes, and the barbeque grill with its attachments.   We had to borrow Kim's car to transport some of this since it does not all fit in our car.   Then we took plants and flowers and some of the refrigerator supplies over to Kim's house.   One of our neighbors, Bob, received the rest including my peanut butter jar but not before I had one more lunch of a PB sandwich.  

Foxy put stuff away inside and I continued to work on the outside.   Then we both packed to be away for three months.   We take a traveling bag to get us in and out of motels and the rest stays in the car.   Max is going too and whining about it.   He knows something is up and is quite worried.   The first day on the road he will continue to whine and then get yelled at until he settles down into a completely bored routine and start sleeping although he does like to watch out the window.

Tomorrow morning we will complete any last minute packing, move in the slides on the motor home and take it about ten miles north of here to be stored.   We will then retrace our steps and go to our church where we are being interviewed by a consultant who has been hired to help our church move forward into the future and perhaps not lose any more members.  This should take about 30 minutes and then we will truly be on our way and start heading  first to Arkansas and then Memphis.  Even though we have been on the road a great deal during the last month, I am looking forward to this trip.  We live in a beautiful country and it is a treat to visit some of these places and sights again.   Happy travels.

We travel back to Denton

Early on Sunday morning we packed up the car, cleaned up at the home where we stayed and then over to Tim and Kristy's home to pick up Kim and boys and were on the road by 7:00 am.   We stopped for a bite of breakfast and then later on for lunch.    There was light traffic most of the way and this time we arrived by traveling through Dallas on I35 E.   By five o'clock we were glad to be home and to get unpacked.   This has been the third significant  trip we have made in the last four weeks.  We are really tired but now face the prospect of putting our motor home in storage and heading for New York to help my mom be moved into an assisted living situation, quite a change after living alone for thirty years.  Happy travels.

Keilah graduates

Keilah graduated this past weekend on Saturday.   She has been home schooled by her mother for the past twelve years, will spend the summer in Honduras and then attend Grace University in Omaha in the fall planning to become a nurse.   She is a poised young lady and will rise to the challenge of her college curriculum I am sure.   She graduated with ten other home schooled  students and during the graduation ceremony each graduate made a presentation followed by his/her parents.  It took about two hours for the presentations.    Following the ceremony there was a reception and later a second reception for family and close friends at home.   A busy day for sure.   Happy travels.