Monday, May 10, 2010
kent to lost creek and back to kent again!
well, i'd kinda made a pact with myself to try and do better about keeping up the blog, so while we're sitting here in fife, washington, waiting on our load to be ready i thought i'd let you know what had been goin on since our last trip out this way and the previously blogged-about trailer incident.....lol......we finally made it out of kent on thursday and were headed east towards home.....we dropped that load at our company yard in indianapolis and picked up one from another team there that delivered in weirton, wv on sunday.....after dropping that trailer at the customer's, we headed off bob-tailing for lost creek.....we had a great time at home!!....no major excitement but alot of visiting with family and friends, some really good suppers, a little shopping and a pedicure!.....the rest of the time we just vegged out or worked on getting laundry done and the truck repacked......we headed back out on friday afternoon, going up near pittsburgh to pick up a load that had a stop in canton and then delivered in swanton, ohio late that night....from there we ran down thru the woods to columbus and got the one that we brought out here to kent.....we weren't sure just what we'd find on the way out here....we'd been hearing tales of snow just a few days before, but we were lucky for the most part....a little rain and a lotta wind, but no snow......yeah!!....lol.....all of our stops have worked out well, with trailers that have been in good shape......the only calamity was that we locked ourselves out of the truck at our fuel stop in billings, mt yesterday and had to have the locksmith come out.....ugh!!!....i'd had that happen once to me when i was a solo driver but this was the first time for me and brad together......we felt like a couple of rookies, hanging around the truck, which was still running and on the fuel island!)...waiting for the guy to show up......brad put the hood up on the truck while we were there so that other drivers would think we had a mechanical problem and we could save a little face!!!....lol....of course when he pulled in and parked in front of us with LOCKSMITH on the side of his van, it kinda gave the whole thing away.....lol......oh well, crap happens!....our other excitement came when the air hose going to the driver's seat came apart......lol....the sound of air whooshing in your cab is a little mind-boggeling when you're not expecting it.........we're not sure just what happened there.....at first we thought the pup got ahold of it, but then it looked more like maybe the seat came down on the metal trashcan and the rim of the can got it......anyway, we tried bending it double and taping it till we could get somewhere to get a coupling, but the tape didn't hold very well, so basically about 60 miles of the trip was spent with me lyin on the floor between the seats holding the hose.....lol.....what ya gotta do sometimes!!!!....lol.........when we stopped at the fuel stop, brad bought an airhose and installed that, so now when i don't feel like runnin the sweeper, i'll just open both doors up and blow everything to the ground!!...lol....i might like that.....maybe i'll end up having to have one installed at the house too!!.....anyway, we made our delivery in kent just 45 minutes late which i consider pretty darn good, since we were 9 hours late picking it up because they had us do that swanton, ohio run first, then we had about 2 hours of down time between the air hose issue and the lockin ourselves outta the truck issue.....and not to mention the gettin into seattle area at morning rush hour....it took me over an hour to get off i-90, down the 405, and down the 167 to the customer's...which was only about the last 25 miles ......geesh.....but i had a good cup of hazelnut coffee, so i just relaxed and did alot of people watchin as they scurried about tryin to get to work on time!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
drop unto others as you would have them drop for you!!!
no, no, no....get your mind out of the gutter.....i'm not talking about any kind of kinky sexual antics here......unless you wanna include the screwin you take when the driver pullin a trailer fubar's it up and then silently drops it and you are the lucky holder of the ticket to pick it up......we seem to be drawing those numbers a lot here lately.......
this load was a prime example.......
we arrived in kent, washington yesterday afternoon to pick up a load that brings us to indiana and then towards home for the weekend......we dropped our trailer in a door, unhooked and pulled over to the side of the lot to await it being ready to go.........after a couple of hours they came out to tell us the load was ready and on a different trailer than the one we'd brought......as we left out of the building with the paper work, they were locking up and heading home for the day........we hooked up to the trailer, pulled it out from the door and sealed it up and did the usual walk-around, making sure all the lights worked, etc.......as we came up along the driver's side, we noticed a big dent from top to bottom about half way up the side of the trailer.....the metal runner at the top of the trailer was so buckled that you could see part of the roof panel hanging over it........and the bottom metal runner was covered in yellow paint, and dented in pretty badly......and the turn signal assembly below it had been cable-tied back on!!!......we immediately called claims to report the damage so that, a. we could not be held responsible for the damage to the trailer, and b. that if, in fact the hole at the roof line went clear thru, then repairs would need to be done immediately since we had a trailer full of electronics, in kent, wa......which is basically seattle.....and you know what they say about how much it rains in seattle.........and that's true!.......anyway, as most things do when you let corporate in on anything, it turned into a big fiasco, with people from claims, people from the breakdown department and still others from dispatch all jockeying for position as head honcho in what to do about this load..........after a lot of deliberation and phone calls, it was decided that we would have to stay there at the shipper's until this morning and then have them take the freight off the damaged trailer and load it onto the one we had brought in......and, that they would be sending someone out with a tarp to throw over the roof to minimize any rain damage that might be happening......so about 3 hours later, and of course, right in the middle of "glee".....which we hardly ever get to see in real time......here comes a couple of dudes to tarp the trailer.............after more deliberation ...on their part, not ours, we were busy trying to salvage the last few minutes of glee......they decided that it didn't require a tarp after all and in their words, they duct taped the hell out of it and that would be fine till morning.......uh huh..... .well, as anyone who's ever spent an hour or so out in the cold, sleety, winter weather, tryin to get haz mat placards to stick to a cold and wet trailer will tell ya.....duct tape won't stick to it till ya dry it off!!!.....honestly, don't these people even watch red green????........so this morning, at first light , when i poked my head thru the curtain to see what everything looked like, imagine my non-surprise to find the duct tape flyin over the roof of the trailer like a flag of a redneck encampment..........then the shipper finally shows up for the day and is totally surprised to see us still sittin on his dock......he's one of those guys who is never gonna be voted most likely to win mister congeniality anyway......so after a lot of huffing and puffing on his part...... cell phone glued to one ear while he makes wild gestures with the other arm and a lot of foot stamping......he finally takes the load off the damaged trailer and loads it onto the one we had brought in with us yesterday.....now, if we can just get all the talking heads at our company to turn to the same page in the hymnal , maybe we can get out of here and headed to the other side of the world where home is.......so.....another 3 hours or so later we are finally given the ok to hook to the good trailer and head out..........in the mean time while all this deliberation is taking place, an honest to goodness repair truck shows up, complete with a generator that runs all kinds of wonderful tools to straighten metal and rivet metal, and honest to goodness caulking.....and he has the trailer fixed by the time we're ready to leave........anyway......to bring my little diatribe back to the subject......seems that the yellow paint i was telling you was on the side railing of the trailer??????...well, the same yellow paint was on the buckled up cross member on the bottom of the trailer......and what? you might ask is also that same color yellow and could have left this paint there????.....oh, only about a gazillion concrete posts and rocks painted yellow and placed in places to protect objects that you shouldn't back over in parking lots and dock areas.....little inconsequential things like fire hydrants, electrical boxes, drains.......my point is that not even the densest of drivers could have gotten up on this pole, and then gotten off this pole and not have known what they did......and yet, they brought the trailer into that shipper and dropped it, hooked to another and went on their merry way, leaving the problem for the next driver to have to deal with................i'd really like to catch some of these inconsiderate, cowards in the process of dropping trailers like this.......i'm an old hand at duct tape and i know where to stick it to the dry parts.......they'd only be dry till i ripped it back off!
Monday, March 1, 2010
ask a truckdriver......
my friend, salena, over at the daily rant finds some of the best memes for her blog.....i always love reading them because they give you such insight into the thoughts and lives of the folks who answer them.....it's always nice to learn more about friends, family....and in this case, also fellow drivers........
1. what is your favorite interstate to travel??
it's hard not to say i79 simply because that's the one that runs past our house.....but i really enjoy running i 5 thru northern california, oregon and washington.....beautiful scenery, lush green mountains, amazing lakes and rivers, not to mention those cute little expresso huts!
2. pilot, t/a, flyin j or loves??
pilot!....like salena said, they have clean showers and restrooms, and hazelnut coffee!!...
3. If you had to travel cross-country (East-West or West-East) would you prefer to take the Northern Route (I-80 or I-90) or the Southern Route (I-10 or I-40)?
i don't really have a preference here.....there are so many interesting things to see along both routes.....not to mention family and friends sprinkled along the way......i'm kinda like salena, in that i prefer to be cooler than too warm, but as long as my ac is workin, i'm good to go on either route!
4. When driving, do you prefer to see the sunrise or the sunset?
the sunrise!....i love that feeling of greeting the new day......the way that, even when you're driving west, you see the sky begin to come alive behind you.....i love being up while most of the world is still sleeping......
5. Favorite state to drive through?
oregon..............oregon never disappoints!!....the columbia river is breathtaking by day and with the moon glimmering off it at nite......i love portland with all the lights glistening off the water..... any state that has family in it, kansas, missouri, north carolina, massachusetts always makes me smile when i cross the state line too......
6. Least favorite state to drive through?
again, i agree with salena.....definitely texas!!...takes FOREVER to get across it....and with the exception of a few city lights and a couple of good bbq joints, it's mostly hot, dusty and bumpy...
7. What do you think is the most truck friendly state?
oklahoma......lots of truck stops and parking areas.....
8. What do you think is the least truck friendly state?
california......between the 55 mph speed limit, the lack of parking and the no idling enforcement, it takes the cake!.....florida is just about as bad for parking, as are a few others.....makes you feel like they're basically saying, "give us our stuff and then get the hell out!"
9. What is your favorite town to layover in?
vegas, baby!......lol.... .....with the exception of lost creek, wv, of course!!
10. Las Vegas, Reno or Atlantic City?
las vegas, hands down!!
11. Atlantic Coast or Pacific Coast?
pacific coast......you get everything from the desert to the mountains, city lights to olive groves, awesome views of the ocean......and those little expresso huts!
12. Favorite type of freight to haul?
well, for what we do now, i'd have to say electronics or airfreight......neither one are usually really heavy loads......my all time favorite tho, is when we were flat-beddin and doing over-sized stuff ......
13. Favorite company/industry to haul for?
the military......like salena said, it's always interesting!
14. Most annoying traffic related gripe regarding truck drivers?
trucks running up on and then tailgating four wheelers.....it's bad enough when they do it to other trucks.....it's downright stupid when they do it to cars......
15. Most annoying traffic related gripe regarding four wheelers?
being on the dang cell phone......passing and then cutting right in front of me to get off at the exit.....being on the dang cell phone......coming off the on ramp at full speed and running alongside me on the shoulder when i can't get over, which most of them would be able to tell if they weren't on their dang cell phone.......
16. Do you drive solo or as part of a team?
i ran solo for a number of years, but for the past almost 8 years i've teamed with brad.....teaming is better!
17. What kind of truck do you have and what color is it?
an 09 international.....and it's red......it's a company truck...that's the only reason we have it....
18. How many gears does it have?
it has 10 "pretend" gears
19. Does your truck have a name?
it has many at times....but most of them can't be repeated here......
20. Do any pets travel with you? If so, what kind and what are their names?
we have a new little miniture pinscher puppy.....just six weeks old.....her name is babygirl
21. What is your favorite drive in the entire country?
our driveway......what???...you didn't see that coming????.....
22. What state do you currently live in and were you born and raised in that state?
west virginia.......and yes, i was born here, raised here and if God is good, will die here.....i'm a hillbilly girl, thru and thru......
23. What kind of trailer do you pull?
a 53' dry van
24. What is your favorite truck stop?
jubitz in portland, oregon
25. What jobs did you do before you became a truck driver?
stay at home mom, waitress, pharmacy technician, deli worker, photographer, basket teacher, mayor, city recorder, truck driving school instructor.....
26. Have you ever been to Canada and if so, which is your favorite Province/Territory? Why?
several times....i think i've been in 7 of the provinces.....my favorite is ontario.....it's beautiful up there....and so clean......you can't be up there without noticing how clean everything is.....
27. What type of weather do you dislike driving in?
black ice.....this might not have been a good choice coz actually i don't drive in it.....i shut down asap!!
28. What do you listen to while driving? Type of music, talk shows, etc.
i listen to alot of audio books on cd.....john grisham, sue grafton, diane mott davidson and janet evanovich to name a few........our sirius satelite radio.....everything from howard stern to martha stewart......blue collar comedy to rosie odonnell, cnn to npr......
29. Who is your favorite talk show host?
ok, ladies....don't get offended but i gotta say.....howard stern
30. What is your CB handle?
dreamweaver.......but i hardly ever have the radio on.
1. what is your favorite interstate to travel??
it's hard not to say i79 simply because that's the one that runs past our house.....but i really enjoy running i 5 thru northern california, oregon and washington.....beautiful scenery, lush green mountains, amazing lakes and rivers, not to mention those cute little expresso huts!
2. pilot, t/a, flyin j or loves??
pilot!....like salena said, they have clean showers and restrooms, and hazelnut coffee!!...
3. If you had to travel cross-country (East-West or West-East) would you prefer to take the Northern Route (I-80 or I-90) or the Southern Route (I-10 or I-40)?
i don't really have a preference here.....there are so many interesting things to see along both routes.....not to mention family and friends sprinkled along the way......i'm kinda like salena, in that i prefer to be cooler than too warm, but as long as my ac is workin, i'm good to go on either route!
4. When driving, do you prefer to see the sunrise or the sunset?
the sunrise!....i love that feeling of greeting the new day......the way that, even when you're driving west, you see the sky begin to come alive behind you.....i love being up while most of the world is still sleeping......
5. Favorite state to drive through?
oregon..............oregon never disappoints!!....the columbia river is breathtaking by day and with the moon glimmering off it at nite......i love portland with all the lights glistening off the water..... any state that has family in it, kansas, missouri, north carolina, massachusetts always makes me smile when i cross the state line too......
6. Least favorite state to drive through?
again, i agree with salena.....definitely texas!!...takes FOREVER to get across it....and with the exception of a few city lights and a couple of good bbq joints, it's mostly hot, dusty and bumpy...
7. What do you think is the most truck friendly state?
oklahoma......lots of truck stops and parking areas.....
8. What do you think is the least truck friendly state?
california......between the 55 mph speed limit, the lack of parking and the no idling enforcement, it takes the cake!.....florida is just about as bad for parking, as are a few others.....makes you feel like they're basically saying, "give us our stuff and then get the hell out!"
9. What is your favorite town to layover in?
vegas, baby!......lol.... .....with the exception of lost creek, wv, of course!!
10. Las Vegas, Reno or Atlantic City?
las vegas, hands down!!
11. Atlantic Coast or Pacific Coast?
pacific coast......you get everything from the desert to the mountains, city lights to olive groves, awesome views of the ocean......and those little expresso huts!
12. Favorite type of freight to haul?
well, for what we do now, i'd have to say electronics or airfreight......neither one are usually really heavy loads......my all time favorite tho, is when we were flat-beddin and doing over-sized stuff ......
13. Favorite company/industry to haul for?
the military......like salena said, it's always interesting!
14. Most annoying traffic related gripe regarding truck drivers?
trucks running up on and then tailgating four wheelers.....it's bad enough when they do it to other trucks.....it's downright stupid when they do it to cars......
15. Most annoying traffic related gripe regarding four wheelers?
being on the dang cell phone......passing and then cutting right in front of me to get off at the exit.....being on the dang cell phone......coming off the on ramp at full speed and running alongside me on the shoulder when i can't get over, which most of them would be able to tell if they weren't on their dang cell phone.......
16. Do you drive solo or as part of a team?
i ran solo for a number of years, but for the past almost 8 years i've teamed with brad.....teaming is better!
17. What kind of truck do you have and what color is it?
an 09 international.....and it's red......it's a company truck...that's the only reason we have it....
18. How many gears does it have?
it has 10 "pretend" gears
19. Does your truck have a name?
it has many at times....but most of them can't be repeated here......
20. Do any pets travel with you? If so, what kind and what are their names?
we have a new little miniture pinscher puppy.....just six weeks old.....her name is babygirl
21. What is your favorite drive in the entire country?
our driveway......what???...you didn't see that coming????.....
22. What state do you currently live in and were you born and raised in that state?
west virginia.......and yes, i was born here, raised here and if God is good, will die here.....i'm a hillbilly girl, thru and thru......
23. What kind of trailer do you pull?
a 53' dry van
24. What is your favorite truck stop?
jubitz in portland, oregon
25. What jobs did you do before you became a truck driver?
stay at home mom, waitress, pharmacy technician, deli worker, photographer, basket teacher, mayor, city recorder, truck driving school instructor.....
26. Have you ever been to Canada and if so, which is your favorite Province/Territory? Why?
several times....i think i've been in 7 of the provinces.....my favorite is ontario.....it's beautiful up there....and so clean......you can't be up there without noticing how clean everything is.....
27. What type of weather do you dislike driving in?
black ice.....this might not have been a good choice coz actually i don't drive in it.....i shut down asap!!
28. What do you listen to while driving? Type of music, talk shows, etc.
i listen to alot of audio books on cd.....john grisham, sue grafton, diane mott davidson and janet evanovich to name a few........our sirius satelite radio.....everything from howard stern to martha stewart......blue collar comedy to rosie odonnell, cnn to npr......
29. Who is your favorite talk show host?
ok, ladies....don't get offended but i gotta say.....howard stern
30. What is your CB handle?
dreamweaver.......but i hardly ever have the radio on.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
the 2010 handbook
a friend sent me this in email and i thought i'd share it with you.....yes, it's a little past the new year's start, but never too late to put good advice to work for us......hope you enjoy....and find a few things here that will work for you this year.....
health:
1. drink plenty of water
2. eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar
3. eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and less food that is manufactured in factories
4. live with the 3 e's....energy, enthusiasm and empathy
5. make time to pray
6. play more games
7. read more books than you did in 2009
8.sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. sleep for 7 hours
10. take a 10-30 minute walk daily.....and while you walk, smile
personality:
11. don't compare yourself to others.....you have no idea what their journey is all about
12. don't have negative thoughts over things you cannot control.....instead invest your energy in
the positive, present moment
13. don't over do.....keep your limits
14. don't take yourself so seriously.....no one else does
15. don't waste your precious energy on gossip
16. dream more while you are awake
17. envy is a waste of time.....you already have all you need
18. forget issues of the past....dont remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past.....that
will ruin your present happiness
19. life is too short to waste time hating anyone
20. make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present
21. no one is in charge of your happiness except you
22. realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.....problems are simply part of the
curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last
a lifetime
23. smile and laugh more
24. you don't have to win every argument.....agree to disagree
society:
25. call your family often
26. each day give something good to others
27. forgive everyone everything
28. spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6
29. try to make at least 3 people smile each day
30. what other people think of you is none of your business
31. your job won't take care of you when you're sick......your friends will....stay in touch
life:
32. do the right thing!
33. get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
34. God heals everything
35. however good or bad a situation, it will change
36. no matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
37. the best is yet to come
38. when you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it
39. your innermost is always happy......so, be happy
there's so much good here....a few that i'm not sure what they mean.....but i keep remembering the quote that we are only as happy as we choose to be.......as for me, i'm happy....i wanna be happier....so i'm gonna choose to have a 2010 full of good times with brad and all my family and friends.....a profitable year in the truck with safe travels and awesome adventures....who knows, i may even organize my files and balance my checkbook........i'm just sayin......
health:
1. drink plenty of water
2. eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar
3. eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and less food that is manufactured in factories
4. live with the 3 e's....energy, enthusiasm and empathy
5. make time to pray
6. play more games
7. read more books than you did in 2009
8.sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. sleep for 7 hours
10. take a 10-30 minute walk daily.....and while you walk, smile
personality:
11. don't compare yourself to others.....you have no idea what their journey is all about
12. don't have negative thoughts over things you cannot control.....instead invest your energy in
the positive, present moment
13. don't over do.....keep your limits
14. don't take yourself so seriously.....no one else does
15. don't waste your precious energy on gossip
16. dream more while you are awake
17. envy is a waste of time.....you already have all you need
18. forget issues of the past....dont remind your partner of his/her mistakes of the past.....that
will ruin your present happiness
19. life is too short to waste time hating anyone
20. make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present
21. no one is in charge of your happiness except you
22. realize that life is a school and you are here to learn.....problems are simply part of the
curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last
a lifetime
23. smile and laugh more
24. you don't have to win every argument.....agree to disagree
society:
25. call your family often
26. each day give something good to others
27. forgive everyone everything
28. spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6
29. try to make at least 3 people smile each day
30. what other people think of you is none of your business
31. your job won't take care of you when you're sick......your friends will....stay in touch
life:
32. do the right thing!
33. get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful
34. God heals everything
35. however good or bad a situation, it will change
36. no matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up
37. the best is yet to come
38. when you awake alive in the morning, thank God for it
39. your innermost is always happy......so, be happy
there's so much good here....a few that i'm not sure what they mean.....but i keep remembering the quote that we are only as happy as we choose to be.......as for me, i'm happy....i wanna be happier....so i'm gonna choose to have a 2010 full of good times with brad and all my family and friends.....a profitable year in the truck with safe travels and awesome adventures....who knows, i may even organize my files and balance my checkbook........i'm just sayin......
Saturday, January 9, 2010
some sites we see on the road just speak for themselves.....
seriously, you just can't make this stuff up!......hermiston, oregonTuesday, December 1, 2009
Thanksgiving.....
to say that thanksgiving at our house was nice would be an huge understatement.....to say it was caotic would be even more so........
we didn't get home from the road till late on tuesday evening, so most of wednesday was spent with a mad rush to the grocery store and all the preperations for the thanksgiving meal.....luckily, my sister, wanda, who lives near us had picked up the turkeys and was thawing them, so that major task was well underway!.....brad's cousin, lu, came from boston and we had dispatched our young nephew to the airport in pittsburgh to pick her up and she was safely ensconced at the house, waiting for us......next came all the crew from north carolina.....my sister, karen, two of her three girls and their families, her other daughter and her family, who live closer to us......and then the day after thanksgiving we were joined by wanda's son, david and his wife sarah, who would have been with us on thanksgiving but sarah had unfortunately had a mishap and broken her foot on wednesday and wasn't quite up to the trip thursday!.... all of the usual suspects were there, save my son, jj and his family from kansas, who we missed dearly!
the thanksgiving meal was all of our "traditional" goodies......turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, corn pudding, cranberry salad, deviled eggs, salad, sweet potatoes done up two ways, one with marshmallows and brown sugar and the other in a casserole so that everyone has them the way they like them......hot, homemade rolls......and then there were the pies.....pumpkin, pecan and cherry.....sour cream pound cake and pecan rolls!!!!!.....
friday found some of the younger set braving the early morning sales with some of us older (wiser) folks joining in at a more reasonable hour!....and then that night we had a seafood night.....we had a shrimp boil with potatoes and corn on the cob, along with some crabcakes and pan seared scallops!......the evening was almost declared a disaster when it was discovered that the wvu mountaineer game against pitt was not on any of our available tv channels, but every computer in the house was soon fired up and the game was enjoyed online!......that the mountaineers beat pitt in what is locally known as the backyard brawl was a very sweet icing on the cake!!
saturday was alot less hectic.....it had been declared "leftover day" foodwise, so the only cooking involved was creaming some turkey under biscuits and setting out all the leftovers out of the fridge.......
most everyone headed home early sunday morning.....the north carolina group headed out at "dark-thirty" that morning......and brad and i took lu back to pittsburgh to catch her flight home that evening......i missed them all the minute they were out the door.....there were 21 total.....our time together was filled with food and football, brad tending bar, shopping, catching up, playing with the kids, family drama, and, of course, more food! it pretty much had all the elements that make up an awesome time together!......
we didn't get home from the road till late on tuesday evening, so most of wednesday was spent with a mad rush to the grocery store and all the preperations for the thanksgiving meal.....luckily, my sister, wanda, who lives near us had picked up the turkeys and was thawing them, so that major task was well underway!.....brad's cousin, lu, came from boston and we had dispatched our young nephew to the airport in pittsburgh to pick her up and she was safely ensconced at the house, waiting for us......next came all the crew from north carolina.....my sister, karen, two of her three girls and their families, her other daughter and her family, who live closer to us......and then the day after thanksgiving we were joined by wanda's son, david and his wife sarah, who would have been with us on thanksgiving but sarah had unfortunately had a mishap and broken her foot on wednesday and wasn't quite up to the trip thursday!.... all of the usual suspects were there, save my son, jj and his family from kansas, who we missed dearly!
the thanksgiving meal was all of our "traditional" goodies......turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, corn pudding, cranberry salad, deviled eggs, salad, sweet potatoes done up two ways, one with marshmallows and brown sugar and the other in a casserole so that everyone has them the way they like them......hot, homemade rolls......and then there were the pies.....pumpkin, pecan and cherry.....sour cream pound cake and pecan rolls!!!!!.....
friday found some of the younger set braving the early morning sales with some of us older (wiser) folks joining in at a more reasonable hour!....and then that night we had a seafood night.....we had a shrimp boil with potatoes and corn on the cob, along with some crabcakes and pan seared scallops!......the evening was almost declared a disaster when it was discovered that the wvu mountaineer game against pitt was not on any of our available tv channels, but every computer in the house was soon fired up and the game was enjoyed online!......that the mountaineers beat pitt in what is locally known as the backyard brawl was a very sweet icing on the cake!!
saturday was alot less hectic.....it had been declared "leftover day" foodwise, so the only cooking involved was creaming some turkey under biscuits and setting out all the leftovers out of the fridge.......
most everyone headed home early sunday morning.....the north carolina group headed out at "dark-thirty" that morning......and brad and i took lu back to pittsburgh to catch her flight home that evening......i missed them all the minute they were out the door.....there were 21 total.....our time together was filled with food and football, brad tending bar, shopping, catching up, playing with the kids, family drama, and, of course, more food! it pretty much had all the elements that make up an awesome time together!......
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