Since The Incident Part II

By JT Pilaf

Ever since I've started wearing my new hat there's a lot of little things that I really can't do. I've been bugging Emma and Zachary every five minutes to get me this and get me that. They're being really good about accomadating daddy's little requests. I'm sure I'm getting on everyone's nerves. But I'm in great spirits.

I currently have a bad head cold and when I leave a room to go to another TV room I ask the kids to bring me my personal box of kleenex. It takes them awhile but eventually they bring it to me. In the meantime I have a river flowing into my mouth. Since the freak accident there's also a lot of things I can't currently do that I would love to do.

Right now I just sit in front of the TV with my cold beer watching afternoon baseball games. Thank goodness the Yankees played three afternoon games last week and swept the powerful Kansas City Royals.

I used to love goin to Australia with my buddy Jamone and catching kangaroos and dressing them up. Then we'd hop over to a local bar and see if we could get the kangaroos in without anyone noticing or asking for their ID. Man, those are good times.

Don't worry Jamone I'll be there soon.

All I can do now is watch reruns of Captain Kangaroo.

I used to love waking up early in the morning, driving down to the beach and surfing in the morning waves. We're spoiled living in Buffalo. You definitely get great Lake Erie surf waves that you can ride for hours, days even, and that morning surf can be a religious experience.

Another activity in Buffalo is skiing. Just outside of Buffalo, 30 minutes away, are steep hills that can be enjoyed . I'll miss swishing down the hills in my bright yellow and pink outfit trying to catch everyone's eye (mostly the ski bunnies) . I'm a little bit of a showoff. But believe it or not, there's very little snow left in Buffalo in April. So even though I can't ski because I'm in a full cast, I really couldn't because my skis would get caught in the grass.

In the meantime I'll probably just hang out with my two buddies, Slappy and Skeets, in Skeets' garage. We will probably talk about backhair, politics, Tom Delay's situation, the Buffalo Bills future, Canada's health insurance program, and Skeets' toenail collection. We may not be much to look at, but when we set our minds to it, we can accomplish anything.

I won't be running with my book club anytime soon. The "weekend warriors" as we call ourselves, would put on our skimpiest shorts and and tops and run around the streets of Buffalo for hours.

Instead, I'll just keep watching the Super Bowl tape from a couple years ago of Justin Timberlake taking off Janet Jackson's top. That poor girl, she was just trying to put on a good show and that wardrobe malfunction nearly humiliated her. I hope that tailor caught her rath. That person should never work again. How could you forget to sew the top of someone's outfit? Hello, isn't that knitting 101? Even I took Home Economics in high school. I almost passed too.

I won't be climbing garage anytime soon. Just last summer I added these plastic rocks and would have a ball climbing my garage with the kids and their friends from the n neighborhood. Sandra wanted a garden back there anyway. It's probably for the best, after Emma's four year old friend fell off last year our home owner's insurance went up.

So, here I'll just sit and rest, my family loves taking care of me. The kids are always offering to get me something and Sandra's been beyond wonderful. She just recently went to Victoria Secrets to get a new outfit. She's probably buying a french maid's outfit so we can role play. She's so good to me.

Sandra wanted me to add that I am allowed to drive. I just can't do anything when I get there. So, if you hear someone beeping their horn ooutside your house. It's probably just me driving by waving outside the window. Feel free to wave back.

MYSAN ANTONIO STORY

After a lot of thinking and not taking anything away from my daughter, "B"'s blog, which I thought was great, I decided that maybe you might like my version of the Texas trip.

The plane rides were perfect, but the most enjoyable parts were being pushed around in the wheelchair in the large airports. The girls were always tossing a coin and I was wondering why?

(we tossed the coin to see who got stuck pushing her) Anyway we were always allowed to pre board which saved me from standing in line!
San Antonio was beautiful and niece Pat and her husand Frank were wonderful hosts. I had my own room and a bath and was treated royally. There were twin beds in the room however no one took up the other bed as they said I snored!

We took many wonderful road trips! However, the girls insisted on snapping my picture every place we went. When I opened the out house door, snap, when I ordered a beer, snap, when I was eating, when I was dozing and then one day, they stuck a cowboy hat on my head, hung a basket on my arm, and shoved a muskat in my hand and told me to look mean! Being the little old frail lady that I am, I tried very hard. How did I do?

In the evening we played poker, and sometimes I won a few hands, and when I won they said I was playing cut throat! I never told them I learned them how to play watching "MASH" re-runs. The whole trip was just fantastic! The bad part was that it went far to fast!

The trip home did have one bad spot, at the San Antonio airport. I never realized how threatening I looked! They searched my poor body from head to toe! My daughters were clearly upset at this, I quess they do love me after all!

Anyway we got home safely, where they dropped me off, and I have not seen either one of them since! They did take one last picture, and I think it must have been a dandy as they drove off laughing! I hope I get to see those pictures, or maybe I better not!

Much love to all

Gram

proud papa

I don't want to bump the san antonio blog, but people have asked, and I wanted to share the latest pic.

The Saga Continues.....

I am a pretty early riser, I would get up at my normal "work " time, sneak out quietly

and watch the sunrise, the flora and fawna, my sis slept a tad later, but she would always bring me a cup of coffee, once she layered up of course!

I think one of the best touristy things we did was the RiverWalk. We did the boat tour, which was about 20 minutes but showed all the restaurants, and hotels that follow along the San Antonio river. The powers that be of San Antonio did it right. It was mobbed with people who could not spend there money fast enough! Pix below are of the River Walk boat tour.

I know I need to devote some time to our most gracious hosts! To say the invasion of the Holtz's merits some some sort of an award is an understatement! But we were so gracioulsy and warmly welcomed that we felt at home immediately! Frank, Pat's husband, is a retired Colonel, a 30 yr Army veteran who welcomed us so warmly, opened his heart and his home, had cold labatts, ready ,a wine closet, fully stocked, and cheerfully carted us from pillar to post that he should be awarded a medal! Below is Frank in the quest house. Frank was also quite the prankster, the outhouse on the ranch came fully equipped, with bathroom noises and a cowboy!

to the left is Popo's

Chicken Fried Steak YUM.

In the pict is Barb's daughter, Tricia, Frank and Pat.

Now would'nt this picture entice you to come to the Eagle Ranch!

To the right is Sue and I trying to figure out the electric gate! Rest assured no animal was lost on our watch!

to the left is Sue next to a field of Texas BlueBonnetts. This picture does not do the brillant color of blue justice! The best part of our trip was a stop at a huge, green house/plant ranch. It was amazing. Gramma sat while we shopped but she was kept busy as the Ranch had a little snack bar that had home made peach ice cream.

I always tried to keep scratch off's handy to keep Gramma busy!

To the left is a few games of GOLF at the Baltimore airport, as we had a 4 hour layover, and cards was just about the only thing left to do, and Gramma was out of scratch offs!

I have lots more pictures, but these are the high lites.

Our trip was undescribable. The sights, the sounds, the time with family, to share love, laughs and memories old and some new. It was days that Mom glowed remembering little girls, who were as much a part of her teen yrs, as Jeff was mine! There was a plaque in one of the bazillion shops we went into that read "When Family is Togother, The Soul is in the right place" Please know our soul was in Texas, and a small piece remains there. Gods Blessings to Pat and Frank, how do we ever say thank you? You allowed us to be togother in the most gorgous of settings, and share our life. May you always have enough rain to keep the well full, enough sunshine that the plants grow, and enough time to enjoy both!

Much Love to you both!

As I was saying......

The quest house was occupied on the first nite of our arrival, and Pat told Sue and I that when we were ready to retire, just to let them know, they would drive us back to town. Our first nite was spent in a brand new hotel, that was right on main street next to a wine cellar! How fun! There is a crummy picture of the hotel, but a great one of our bed and the bathroom!





On sunday we went to the Guenther House, for a late breakfast, early lunch. It was an old flour mill, converted to a restaurant, it was very fun and very delicious!
Please note the best of times were spent just sitting on the porch watching the world go by, it is a piece of heaven. Hummingbirds a pallooza ruled the porch. That is a National Geographic shot if there ever was one, hummingbird in mid air!

o Mom, Pat, and Barb relaxing in front of the garden. Pat is holding the keeper of the estate, attack cat, Barney. He ruled the roost! With the help of Stubby and Sashi.
The evening was spent playing cards, and I unfortunately do not have any pictures of San Antonio Anastasia cleaning all our clocks at poker....
I continue to have problems posting all the pictures, so let me post this and continue with the saga.

Two-Steppin it to Texas

I am sure you have all heard about the minute men lining the Tex-Mex border. I think Gramma took the call to arms a little too seriously!
But let me digress. For our Mother's birthday, christmas, mothers day, anniversary, arbor day and easter, til 2010, my sister and I decided to take her to see her niece in Bourne, Texas. Niece, Pat and her husband Frank, have a ranch in Bourne, and at a party this past summer after she had had 4 glasses of wine, she meaning Pat said of course we could come! I am just kidding, we were warmly welcomed..
We boarded our flight, and for the flight down I had gotten mother scratch off's so she had something to keep her busy, it was a long flight, and I did not want her running up and down the aisles. also we had befriended the stewards, and stewardess's as we were sitting in the first row, they found out how old gramma was, announced it over the loud speaker, and told everyone on board she was going to San Antonio for the first time. My sister added that it was her birthday, and that way we got extra snacks! The plane errupted with applause and just about everyone stopped by and wished her Happy Birthday! It was cute, even though it was a fib
Our arrival into San Antonio, was uneventful, smooth flight and we were greeted by glorious sunshine! We were picked up by Pat and Frank, and the ride to the ranch was another half hour. Upon our arrival, Pat had cooked us a scrumptous meal, labatts was cold, and Frank asked if I wanted to see the Family Blog???
So here is cousin Barb, Mom and Sue huddled in Frank's office reading about Jeff. Needless to say I brimmed with pride over our family blog!
Pat and Frank have a guest house on their property that holds visitors, tourists and family members. It was warm, cozy, filled with all the amenities of a five star hotel, and was just for my sissy and me! What a treat, we giggled and laughed and sat on the porch and watched the humming birds, the cows grazing and the Texas sunset!
Frank and Pat were wonderful tour guides! I am sure we saw the best that San Antonio and Bourne had to offer! From the riverwalk boat tour to PoPo's for chicken fried steak and gravy, that had over 2,000 plates on their walls!
I am having technical difficulties, and can not post all my pictures and they are shutting down the blog site at 9 for maintenance,
so I am going to post this, and continue with part two when they are done with the blog server.
Believe me the best is yet to come.... stay tuned

BIRTHDAY QUEEN!!

Auntie B~ Let's not say you're getting older. Let's just say your pageant days are numbered!
Happy, Happy 50th Birthday. Here's a blast from the past.With Love~Auntie P