Kevin chose moderation and had a hamburger and fries.

I…did not. I had a hamburger and fries and a chili dog. *hides face in shame*

But I have no regrets. Tomorrow is a new day, fresh with no hotdogs…err…mistakes in it.

I have no plans for the rest of the day.

Other than the pile of laundry that needs to be folded, the bathroom that I’ve been meaning to deep clean all summer, and the dishes that I’ve let go for a few days.

But after we have lunch (and drop off some recycling, take Kevin to vote across town, and take me to vote a few streets over) I’ll be back in my chair, kicking back, taking a nap, and dreaming that I’m back home like last week. Cause there’s no where else I’d rather spend my last day.

Pretty sure the rules of blogging say that 10:38 on a Tuesday night is the worst time to publish a post, but I’m doing this for the people. Not for whoever makes up those rules.

• How much do you spend on groceries each week? One Week of Food could put that into perspective for you.
• Very interesting essay on the manipulation and reuse of images in culture.
• The Calorie Police (Do you think the ACLU would defend my right to consume calories in whatever form I please? Just asking.) There’s a double standard here, folks.
• Micah’s post discussing “slow parenting” was eye-opening for me. It’s exactly what I hope to do someday. My parents raised us that way, to a certain extent. While it was not always on purpose (I know that much), I do appreciate that we were allowed to pursue our interests within reason and that we weren’t on the road every night of the week.
• Mango Slaw with Cashews & Mint (This is a recipe for you, Heather)
• Chagrin chagrin chagrin. Chagrin? Chagrin. CHAGRIN. Chagrin. (thanks, Rammi )
• I’m linking this post because Misti is talking about guys named Make Time and Cob.
• “Because I think the world knows just how much NBC, home of Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow, among others, has been in the tank for George W. Bush for lo these many years. Their relentless cheerleading for the former president, his domestic initiatives and his foreign policy has made them a laughing-stock among serious news organizations and a network no serious-minded person would admit watching.” – The Friar

Oh, and Clare got a haircut!

Oh, hi, Matt. And Tim.

. . .

My one word for Season 3: Transition. I’ve been told all along Season 3 is where the series really starts to get … confusing, if you will. I was content with the first two seasons. Sure, there were a few more questions raised in Season 2, but compared to Season 3, most of them seem … unimportant. I don’t want to say irrelevant because the smallest occurrence could have a significant impact on future events. Plus, the questions posed by this season seem … deeper. Like there’s more to them. It’s hard to put into words. Though I’ll certainly do my best…

1. Season 3…the first time we had a major hiatus in the middle of a season. If you didn’t know, it was between the episode when Jack told Kate to run and…when she actually ran.
   I wasn’t aware of the hiatus but from what I’ve found, it was a nice three months. I’m not sure I could’ve stomached that kind of a break with this season. It was confusing enough without a three month break. I suppose I’m spoiled having the DVDs at my disposal, watching the episodes as slowly or quickly as I please.
2. Now, this season — even more people checked out than in Season 2, I think. What did you think of this season?
   • This season grew on me. I’ll be honest, checking out seemed like a perfectly legitimate option during the first few episodes. There was a different tone to it right from the opening minutes of the first episode. They took everything you knew about the island, the plane crash, the “Others” and threw it out the friggin’ window. I mean, “A Tale of Two Cities” started innocently enough. A suburban home. A book club. I thought to myself, “Oh, another flashback. This is an interesting way to start.” Then my mind is torn open while all of my assumptions and thoughts about the first two seasons come spilling out. From the moment I saw that plane crash over the village with the “Others” dressed in civilian clothes, I knew this season was different.
   • On a broader scale, I think this season ventured outside of what you could call “reality.” Through the first two seasons, apart from whatever the heck that stupid smoke monster is, the show stayed within the confines of a storyline that most could believe, with a little bending here or there. But there’s SO MUCH that happens in Season 3 that really starts to kick into high gear the belief that this island isn’t only different, it’s powerful. What rules you may have believed about the island are broken and a brand new world is unveiled.
   • Time travel, in a sense, shows itself in this season. Desmond becomes a very central character in the season and is ultimately involved with the fate of Charlie by season’s end. I really enjoyed Desmond’s role in Season 3. I hope his abilities (or whatever they are) become more apparent as we trek forward.
   • The Others … aren’t actually “Others” as they’re described in Season 2. Heck, Ben wasn’t even born on the island as he claimed (then, of course, later renounced). He was brought in as part of the Dharma Initiative with his dad Roger (who, as my dad pointed out, was the Dharma van driver shown a few episodes prior…). There aren’t backstories for any other members of Ben’s group (except for Juliet, Ben himself, and Richard). Ben does mention most of them being recruited to the island once he was there, so I think it’s safe to assume they weren’t “natives” of the island. Richard, on the other hand, approached Ben as a child. Ben had run off after his mother after seeing her on the island. Once he’s deep into the forest, Richard (who hasn’t aged A SINGLE DAY), talks to him. Ben tells Richard he doesn’t like it there and wants to come with Richard, who then tells him he’s not ready. So we fast forward to an older Ben who ends up killing his father in the infamous blue van via poisonous gas. Ben returns to the barracks where Richard and his men have done the same. I’ll share my thoughts on this at the end of this questionnaire. Basically, my point in recapping that story is simply to point out the massive character development of Ben in this season. ESPECIALLY for a character that wasn’t supposed to last more than a few episodes. Now he’s central to what’s becoming the primary storyline in the series.
   • We discover more about John Locke. At the end of Season 2, it seemed his connection with the island might be in doubt and that he wasn’t too sure about his purpose there. As we progress through Season 3, he discovers more and more about himself and his purpose on the island. By the end of the season, John apparently comes to the realization they’re not supposed to be rescued.
   • As I said at the beginning, this season grew on me. I was very close to checking out. But as the season progressed, I opened my mind and accepted the seemingly new direction the series was taking. I hear Seasons 4 and 5 dive deeper into a “Science Fiction” frame of mind and focus more on mysteries and action (thanks, Mary).
3. Polar bears and fish biscuits At least one of your questions was answered!
   The fish biscuits were amusing. We were given a little more information about the polar bears. Namely, when Locke and Charlie hunted down the one that allegedly took Eko to its cave. Other than that, though, I still have no idea what on earth the polar bears are doing on the island. This series has posed a lot of questions already, and while I know they won’t ALL be answered, I’d like more insight to the bears…
4. Who is your favorite character as of the Season 3 finale?
   Dang. No option for two favorite characters this time. It’s a tie between Desmond and Ben. A VERY close second is Hurley. My dad kept telling me I’m about to happen upon big revelations with his character. I feel like we’re just scratching the surface with Desmond’s potential right now. Sure, he has flashes or visions or what have you, and it saved Charlie’s life a couple of times before ultimately telling of his demise, but it just seems like he’s destined for MUCH bigger things. Ben, on the other hand, it just an overall magnificent character. I’ve found myself not being able to tell when he’s telling the truth or when he’s lying. All part of his character, of course. Michael Emmerson plays that role brilliantly. From figuring out he wasn’t born on the island, to his neglecting father, to his relationship with the mysterious Jacob … Ben is definitely the most intricate. It also seems like his role is larger than Season 3 showed. I hope that’s the case.
5. Any newly introduced favorites?
   I suppose it’d have to be Ben. We knew him as Henry in the second season, so that classifies him as a “new” character. Juliet is also a newly introduced character, but she’s not a favorite at this point.
6. Least favorite?
   Of the main cast, I don’t have a least favorite. It’s rare to find that in a series these days. Every character has something about them that interests me and they’re all delightfully different. HOWEVER! Nikki and Paulo were the most annoying characters of this season, by far. It seems like they were suddenly thrust into the picture by given random speaking lines and then, out of nowhere, their own episode. Shallow characters, shallow side story, and completely unnecessary. Sure, they were buried alive. But I’m so convinced we won’t hear from them ever again, I barely gave any thought to it.
7. Do you have any favorite episode(s) from this season?
   “Flashes Before Your Eyes” and “The Man Behind the Curtain”.
   • “FBYE” because, if you’re not paying attention, this episode really messes with your head. Not only is it a Desmond-centered episode (which is always good, brother), but it takes you on a time trip. Does Desmond really go back in time? Did he alter time by turning the key? It set the stage for the flashes he has. That’s the first episode watched twice.
   • “TMBtC” because the episode is all about Ben. We found out how he reached the island. How his dad drove the blue Dharma van and drank the Dharma beer that Hurley and company stumbled upon. We discover his relationship with Richard. We also figure out that the original Dharma inhabitants were killed by the natives. This group, I believe, is the one we find currently pestering our crew. Plus, Locke and Ben visit Jacob. I don’t even know where to begin with Jacob. His name has been dropped a few times, but we get our first “look” at him and find out that he spoke to Locke instead of Ben with a cry of help. And Ben didn’t take to kindly to that.
8. Were there any you didn’t enjoy this season or found particularly tedious?
   Expose! See my comments on “Least Favorite”.
9. What questions does this season leave you with?
   Where do I begin? I suppose with what questions I can mark off the list from the past two seasons…
   • My #1 Most Wanted question: What is the smoke monster? It killed Eko and has made appareances here and there with its usual noise but there still hasn’t been anything to lead me to believe anything about it. I’ve got nothing.
   • Origin of the numbers? What about the bad luck associated with them? Hurley found the rabbit’s foot from Roger’s (Ben’s dad) body. There HAS to be some sort of connection there.
   • What’s the deal with the Black Rock? We know it’s a slave-trading ship. But why the dynamite? And how is it so far inland?
   • Locke’s connection with the island? I see this trying to come into view, but I haven’t found anything to grasp onto with him yet. I have an interesting theory about Locke I’ll share in the last section…
   • Who are the Others? From what I can deduce, they’re a mixture of the original natives of the island and people Ben recruited to the island under the Dharma Initiative label, which to me, went defunct when Ben/Richard killed the original members.
   • Polar Bears? We see the one in the cave where it had Eko, but nothing more. We need a resurgence of Michael.
   • Who is Kelvin Inman? Lots of info in Season 2 relating to Desmond, the hatch, and the Dharma Initiative, but nothing since then.
   • Why is Alex with the Others? Well, we find out that Ben claims to be her father. Then, during the season finale, she tells her Danielle is her mother. Do Ben and Danielle know each other?
   • Still lots of questions about Libby from Season 2. Not sure if those will be answered, but the questions surrounding her are almost too big to be ignored. Why was she in the mental hospital with Hurley? Why the encounter with Desmond?
   • Still lots of “hatch” questions. Doomsday Hieroglyphics? Dr. Mark Candle/Wickmund? Edits/splices in the Dharma films? (Possibly tinkered with by the natives?) Quarantine? Different copyrights on the Dharma films? Purpose of the invisible map on the hatch blast doors?
   • What were the Others pretending to be? Well, it looks like they were disguising themselves as natives. Why? Still not quite sure…
   • Is Dharma just an experiment? I asked this at the end of Season 2. I’m still very shifty on the timelines regarding Dharma and the natives. Again, check the final section for more on this…
   • Ice station at the end of Season 2? Still don’t know, but the finale at the end of Season 3 shed a little light on this. Penny has some sort of link to the island. I still don’t know how.
   • 4-toed statue? Still not a clue. Although, there was a mention of a “temple”…

Now, how about some NEW questions?

• The cages! Were these put in by the Dharma Initiative? The natives? It was mentioned to Sawyer the cages held bears … but what kind? The polar bears we keep hearing so much about?
• Cindy, the flight attendant on Oceanic 815, shows up on the island when Jack is in the cage. She says she came to watch and claims she wasn’t captured. The heck?
• Did the rabbit’s foot Hurley found really rid those around him of misfortune?
• What/where is “The Temple” that Ben briefly mentioned as his crew was getting ready to move again?
• What’s the full story on Richard? He was on the island likely before Ben ever arrived and still there at the present time. Yet, he hasn’t aged a single day.
• When will the jewelry store clerk of Desmond’s deja-vu episode show up again? She was briefly shown in a photograph with Desmond’s monk brother at the monastery. I assume we’re not finished with her quite yet.
• Speaking of Desmond, was his deja-vu episode just that? An episode? Did he actually go back in time? Did his altering of the events he described (saving the bartender) allow him to see the flashes/visions?
• Was Mikhal an actual member of the Dharma initiative … or a native? He said he arrived on the island to join the Dharma Initiative, but that story seems suspect. Since he’s kaput now, the question of his origin may not be important.
• Will the love square of Jack, Juliet, Sawyer, and Kate continue?
• Will Michael return? We saw Walt briefly as Locke tried to commit suicide, so I assume Michael can’t be too far behind.
• Where have Michael and Walt been? Home?
• So what’s the deal with Juliet? Really a spy? Or shunned by her “people”? She wants off the island as much as everyone else, it seems…
• What is the connection with Locke and this island? It only seems to be getting stronger.
• Who’s in the coffin during the flash forward?
• Does Ben have a connection with the island? Why is he the one who speaks to Jacob?
• Oh, and, who is Jacob?

Other thoughts?

• I’m trying to figure out the Dharma Initiative. I know, I know. When was it started on the island? I’m assuming the natives were already there if they are true natives of the island. Did the initial members of Dharma put in the sonic defense system AFTER finding hostiles … or was it purely a precautionary measure? I’m not sure we yet know the “purpose”, if you will, of the initiative. I mean, sure, push the button, save the world. Got that. But why the recruitment? Why so many people? Was it really just an experiment? I love everything about the Dharma Initiative, but there’s a TON I don’t know about it. I hope I find out more in Season 4.
• I looked at the Complete Series box set on Amazon. Even the box doesn’t make sense at this point. However, I noticed the doomsday hieroglyphics on the side of the box. A mini-spoiler informing me of their return at some point?
• When we saw Ben as a young boy escaping into the forest, he ran into ageless Richard. Ben asked Richard if he could come with him. Richard told Ben he wasn’t ready. However, when Ben later killed his father, he was then accepted by Richard and his men as he discovered they’d killed the people of the Dharma Initiative the same way. The same kind of scenario occurs when Ben tells Locke he can’t join them yet because he isn’t ready. In fact, Ben goes a step further and tells Locke not to come with them until he’s carry the body of his father on his back. Lo and behold, Locke ends up killing his father (he uses Sawyer as his weapon), takes his father’s dead body, and returns. There’s obviously a connection here, but what could it be?
• So apparently Jack and Claire are half-siblings. I’m not sure if this will have any long-term ramifications or not. It’s one thing for these characters to cross paths before they all get on the same plane but for two of them to share the same father? Hmmm…
• I’m wondering what the purpose was of the whole Nikki/Paulo storyline. It seems weird to have an episode that’s so separate from the rest of the season. I’ve already expressed my dislike for that whole side story. The buried alive ending was cool and all, but will these characters … resurface … at any time?
• Sooooo… Jacob. I’d heard the name thrown around before I started watching the series. Then, when we first meet Karl and find him locked in a room being brainwashed, one of the phrases on the screen is “God loves you as He loved Jacob.” Sure, it’s a Bible verse reference, but after meeting Jacob in this season, I’m convinced there’s another meaning to it. Some questions surface as well. I know it’s early, but it’s healthy to ask questions. Why did Locke hear Jacob and Ben didn’t when they visited the dark shack in the jungle? Jacob seems to be in a position of authority, so why did he ask Locke to help him?
• The Flash Forward. What. The. Heck. All through the final episode of the season (Through the Looking Glass), I see what I assume are flashbacks of a depressed, bearded Jack living his life, which seems to be in ruins. We hear from one of the surgeons that Jack is a hero “twice over.” At first, I thought he said “twice over” because Jack saved two people from the car. No, no. It’s because Jack saved two sets of people – the survivors of the flight and the victims of the car crash. Then at the end of the episode, Kate shows up and Jack starts talking about how they shouldn’t have left the island. How they have to go back. How every time he flies the trip from LA to anywhere across the Pacific, he wants the plane to crash. My jaw literally dropped upon that revelation. What in the heck does that mean??? Did they ACTUALLY get off the island or was this, perhaps, a scene that shows what WOULD HAVE HAPPENED if they’d been rescued. We never actually see the survivors get off the island. I have a feeling it won’t be that easy.

Did I leave anything out? And have I mentioned I LOVE THIS SHOW?! I do need to give a few props to my mom and dad (Ted and Carolyn Mahler) for watching the second half of Season 3 with me. They dropped some hints here and there and warned me the rabbit hole goes even deeper. And also to Mary Parker. We’ve had a few lengthy chats about the happenings so far. She’s also helped broaden my understanding and helped me prepare for Season 4. Good thing it’s a bit of a short season.

In light of this weekend’s patriotic celebrations, I thought it would be a good time to share a more sobering experience I had recently.

While we were back east a few weeks ago, we visited Arlington National Cemetery. It was my first time to visit and there are few experiences like it.

We saw the Tomb of the Unknowns and were able to watch a few different groups lay wreaths there for the fallen.

The memorial for the victims of the Challenger explosion was something I wanted to view. Some of my earliest memories are of this tragedy being on TV and my family talking about it. I know it sounds unbelievable, but I wasn’t yet 2-years-old when that happened.

Both Kevin’s Pop-Pop and my Uncle Mike served on the USS Forrestal. Pop-Pop was aboard during the tragic fire that killed so many men. I got a picture of Forrestal’s grave before we were removed from the grass. Silly us, we didn’t know that you weren’t allowed on the grass unless you were there for a family member. It certainly wasn’t listed in any of the information we picked up at the visitor’s center.

Luckily, one of the graves that Kevin wanted to see was accessible from the path. This is the grave of Audie Murphy, an actor from the post-WWII era and the most decorated US soldier from WWII.

We had come to Arlington for a reason though. I have an uncle buried there and he was in the same section as Audie Murphy. We had found his section and grave number before going to the cemetery and Kevin and his parents waited while I trudged down the rows looking for his number.

It was hotter than blazes that day and I don’t handle the heat that well. I was glad that the first row I tried was close to his number.

268, 269, 270…

I skipped the big monument and went to the next single because it seemed logical to me at the moment.

287…What?

I couldn’t figure out what I’d missed. The only thing between the two single headstones was that big monument. I walked around the other side.

And there he was.

You see, my uncle, William Henry “Bill” Arnold, was on a plane about to head home. It crashed before they made it out of Vietnam. Wasn’t shot down. Just crashed.

He and 15 other men are right there. Together in death as they had been the last moments of their lives.

He was 29. Never married. No children. My mom was just 5-years-old when it happened, but she remembers being told.

And as far as we know, I am the only person in our family to ever visit his grave. (Not by choice, certainly, but distance makes it difficult.) I can’t help but be a little sad about that.

Have a great, safe weekend!

Long before I stepped on my first flight (3 years ago at age 22) I was a fan of the A&E show Airline (it’s streaming on Netflix so go check it out!). It was an early reality-based TV show that actually showed what the people of Southwest Airlines did on a day-to-day basis and not some cooked up drama. I love flying through BWI because most of the time I see one of the ladies that I used to watch every week. The show is really entertaining (to me at least, but you have to keep in mind that at the time I wanted to be a flight attendant) and can be hilarious at times. I mean, drunk people in an airport, trying to get on a plane. Or drunk people who have missed their flight. Or drunk people who swear they aren’t drunk and if you don’t let them on that plane then by George you’ll regret it because they are missing their own wedding to a person they met in the bar at this very airport one month ago (actual plot from an episode). Common denominator here — drunk people. Coming from a family of teetotalers, drunk people are hilarious to me, especially the ones making royal fools of themselves in public.

The thing is I’ve never run into anyone drunk in an airport. Ever. Haven’t witnessed a scene of any kind. But Airline had prepared me for what I might encounter, so whenever I was boarding the plane in Denver to fly to Philly and felt someone bump into me and sort of get all up on me, I tried not to react because I had an idea of what I might be in for. Well, then this woman started shaking my shoulder and saying, “Excuse me, excuse me please, can you tell me where I need to be?” Her voice sounded familiar and I turned to check out the number on her boarding pass to help her find her place in line.

Oh. My. Lands.

It is a drunk.

It’s Meredith from The Office.

DRUNK MEREDITH.

Okay, it was Kate Flannery, but in my mind I am thinking DRUNK MEREDITH FROM THE OFFICE IS RIGHT HERE. I am not sure how many different faces my countenance contorted into at that moment, but I know my eyes were as big as saucers. Somehow I remained composed, checked out the number on her boarding pass, and told her that she was in front of us.

All the while, Kevin is deep in conversation with this guy about the Big 12 and what’s happening to it and yada yada, he doesn’t even notice that DRUNK MEREDITH is standing right in front of him. She is a pretty tiny lady, but still. So I’m kind of jabbing him but he doesn’t really respond because he’s used to me doing that sort of thing. And because I’m afraid he’s going to miss this or that the internet won’t believe me when I return with my tale, I dig around for my phone and snap the best picture I could get in that lighting. My real camera is a little too serious looking and I didn’t want to scare her or think I was some weirdo.

He finally responds to all my poking and prodding by turning around and saying, “Do you see who that is?!” And I’m thinking, No, I’ve only been poking your ribs for the past minute in a half to annoy you. But I just nod. By this time, Ms. Flannery has started eating an Egg McMuffin and I was really really hoping that Kevin would just let her be. But do you know Kevin? Okay. And the thing is, he’s sneaky. Quiet. Almost a creeper, but not quite. He’s very good at jumping out and scaring people. And really, his cunning is rivaled only by that of some African jungle cat. I’m pretty sure we put it on the table during our premarital counseling that he is never allowed to sneak up on me or scare me in anyway. Like my mother, I am highly susceptible to those types of attacks.

And what did Kevin do? He leaned down next to her and whispered, “We’re really big fans of the show.” She turned, smiling, enjoying her Egg McMuffin and said, “Aww, thanks.” That began a conversation between the two of them that I listened to but really didn’t participate in because it’s DRUNK MEREDITH and all my life I have wondered what I would do if I encountered a celebrity of any caliber and what I did know was that I would not be annoying. Shoot, sometimes I hate it when people start talking to me out of the blue. Imagine if people did that everywhere you went. That sounds like my worst nightmare (next to the movie Breakdown, but you know what I mean).

She was gracious and very pleasant, answered Kevin’s questions about her favorite episodes to be in (The Wedding), and went on her way to her seat. Whenever we got off the plane 4 hours later I asked Kevin not to bother her again, even though she didn’t put off the vibe that he was bothering her. And what happens? She approaches him while we’re waiting for our baggage and strikes up a conversation! What a nice woman.

Kate, you’re the only celebrity I have ever accidentally run into. And only the third famous person I’ve met in my life (the other two being Nicholas Sparks and Tom Lester aka Eb from Green Acres). And it was really nice to meet you. Thank you for putting up with us crazy Office fans.

And the best part, by far, is what she said to Kevin when they first started talking. “Sorry I’m just eating an Egg McMuffin and not drinking.”

There are a few things you need to be prepared for whenever you head out to pick blackberries. And since now is the time to be plucking those delicious dark fruits, I thought I’d share a few tips with you.

1. Silly hats, long sleeves, and long pants are a requirement. Chiggers, yellow jackets, spiders, little wormy bugs, and just about every critter you’d like to stay away from loves blackberries. And it’s gonna get hot out there so protect your head, face, and neck with a floppy hat. Or in my case a hat that is one size too small and makes me look like I belong to a back-to-basics religious community.

I have a big head.

No, not in a conceited way. In a “no-hat-ever-fits-my-head” way.

2. While you’re at it, spray yourself down with some OFF!

3. Wear decent shoes. You’re likely going to have gravel roads and definitely some briars and brambles to make your way through.

4. Make sure you have a good container to hold your berries. We like to use Rubbermaid containers that we fill with water as soon as we get back home. It’s good to rinse out all the sticks, leaves, ants, and little worms that might have made their way into your spoils.

5. Don’t forget to stop and enjoy the view. Blackberries are often found off the beaten path and this time of year there are tons of wildflowers blooming in Oklahoma. Be sure to take a moment to treasure the beauty that’s around you.

I find a lot of beauty in old barns. Blame it on my roots, I don’t mind.

6. Remember — all this sweet goodness comes at a price. You’re gonna get scraped, scratched, poked, and pierced. You may even be picking out the stickers days later (I was and always am).

(after a while, it’s hard to tell where the blackberry juice ends and the blood begins — yuck.)

But in the end, it’s worth it.

Here’s where I’ll admit to you that the Blues Festival going on in town wasn’t exactly our cup of tea. There were lots and lots of bikers. Really, the town was over run. There was a lot of stuff you couldn’t get to or see because of the large crowds this festival drew. I would love to go back and check out what I missed.

The one photo I took of any bikers.

Later that evening went a little ways past our cabins to The Rowdy Beaver.

Kevin had a steak. I had what I always have, given the chance…

…a pound of cold shrimp. Yum.

I wonder how much I would have to eat to get The Gout. That’s what we call it around here. I had an uncle one time who came down with The Gout. Not “gout,” The Gout.

Then we drove down some winding mountain roads to go see a natural bridge that it turned out you had to pay for and we weren’t into paying to see it. I mean, you couldn’t see what was on the other side so you didn’t know exactly what you’re paying for. This isn’t my first rodeo. I’ve been to the state fair and have seen the sign for the “Man Eating Chicken.”

I did take a picture of a rock though.

And then I had Kevin stop alongside the road so I could get a shot of this house. Because it looks like the same house in my favorite children’s book — The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston. The illustrations by Barbara Cooney are fantastic.

By the end of that day I was ready to get back to our cabin, relax, and enjoy a long bath, a cup of tea…and a Slim Jim.