The baby needs new shoes...

No, I have not taken up the gambling life.  No, Rufus is just fine with his white gloves and boots; no need for any other shoes.  The Honda CR-V is about ready for new tires, and Discount Tire has a Memorial Day special (10% mail-in rebate).  I called them yesterday, made the deal over the phone, and set up an appointment for today.  That means yet another trip into Harlingen.

The good news: Joan suggested I stay home... and we'd go out for lunch when she got back.  I like that plan!  Our dealings with Discount Tire have always been good - they are friendly, efficient, and competitive on price.  Their people hustle while they work, and they always seem to have good people.

With an appointment, Joan got right in, and they had all 4 tires balance, mounted, and ready to go (including the paperwork) in about 40 minutes; and, they were busy.  When she called to tell me she was on her way home, she said, "That could not have gone better - these guys are great!"

For some reason, I have been craving fried chicken.  OK, I know the reason: Cracker Barrel has been running an ad on TV with a great-looking chicken dinner.  We don't have a Cracker Barrel, but we do have Blackbeard's, and one of their specialties is chicken fried chicken and chicken friend steak.  Chicken fried steak is a Texas thing: they pound out a less-than-tender piece of beef (to tenderize it, of course), then dip it in batter and fry it up like you would fry chicken.  Put enough gravy on it, add mashed potatoes and green beans, and you have a Texas tradition.  It is kind of the same thing for chicken fried chicken, except it doesn't have to be pounded.

The down side of going to Blackbeard's: the restaurant is up one level from the parking lot: that means a long ramp or up some stairs.  In my current condition, I handle stairs with less pain than any kind of ramp.  This is my outing for the day.

I made it up the stairs, we got seated, and chicken fried chicken (for me) and chicken fried steak (for Joan) was ordered... it was every bit as good as my taste buds had anticipated.  The Thursday before a holiday weekend, it was surprisingly uncrowded.

Time to head for home.  Those stairs I mentioned...

Moving forward!  (With a full belly!)

Now, I need a nap.

;-)


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Happy School's Out Day!

I got a call from Steph this afternoon: her school year is done.  She will have a couple weeks off before two weeks of a math program/summer school.  Then, three weeks off and it will be time for back to school.  Dang, that seems to go fast.  When I was a kid, I remember getting three months off for summer.  Three whole months, all in one big bunch.  That was a different time.

Hugs to our girl and son-in-law, Dan: enjoy that time off, however short, with no schedules and no really early mornings!