Smorgas Board of Topics

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATHY, A.K.A. COOKIE

I will apologize in advance for the several topics that I plan to cover.  I could dedicate a blog to each one of them, but that would seriously risk our readership, except of course for the Russians who can not stop reading the blog.

I know I discussed spring having arrived, but I thought I would share some more photos for those of you still in winter.

Cactus in our front lawn on Easter morning!  How appropriate!

Ok, not spring related but I had to show you Pete taking the challenge of walking along a hundred yards of poles that were used as a barrier.  He made it without falling including having to jump from pole to pole as they were not touching!  That is amazing for someone pushing 70!  Pete is my hero!!!  I did it but that was expected... 

Back yard

I love the Lavender and so do the bees!

Ok, on with the blog.  We headed to Philly for a brothers get together.  It made sense to hold it in the City of Brotherly Love.  Before we flew out of Vegas, we spent the evening with Pete, Cookie and her sisters who had come into donate some of their hard earned money.  We stayed at the Golden Nugget.  If you ever start to feel bad about your physical appearance, there is no better antidote than an evening at the Nugget.  At one point I was waiting for Julie (imagine that?) and decided to observe the hordes as they walked by me.  The vast majority of the people were HUGE (say it like the president)!  Don't get me wrong, you can spot grossly overweight people everywhere, but this was like a parade of them.  Anyway, I felt better about myself.

We met up with Hennrich sisters and Pete for dinner.  It was a fun time and a chance to both celebrate Cookies up coming birthday (April 20th) and share in their alcohol enriched childhood memories.

Lori, Cookie, Mary and Julie

Birthday smooch!  Come on Pete, close your eyes!  The fish in the tank will wait!

An then it was off to Philadelphia!  I had honestly never been to Philly, but hated it all the same having grown up in Pittsburgh.  It was just how we were taught.  Well, I have to take it all back.  It is a lovely city, at least the tourist parts we got to see.  Shortly after arriving at the airport we realized our brother Kip and his wife Sherry would not make it as Delta cancelled hundreds of flights due to "weather".  A few minutes later we heard that daughter Katie and family would also not make it due to children illness.  Well, it was just going to be us and bother Gary and his lovely family.

We took a beautiful drive through Amish country to have breakfast at a smorgasbord called the Shady Maple.  I guess I was expecting a quaint little home/restaurant serving Amish delicacies.  It was not to be.  As we drove along a picturesque two lane road passing small farm homes with lots of clothes drying on the line and beautiful fields, farm animals and of course buggies, my anticipation grew.

I swear one of those kids in the back mooned me!

Blue Ball!  I would have preferred Bird in Hand.  Oh well...

We finally arrived at the Shady Maple.  Fortunately we got there just before the buses!  Yes, there are tour buses that bring the starving in from of all places, the Golden Nugget in Vegas!  Only kidding about that.  Anyway, the place was HUGE!  There were lines to pay as you go in.  I thought we were going to a Phillies game.  The place was so big, you could not see the back of it due to the curvature of the earth!  The food was good and the Amish workers were pleasant.  All in all a good experience.

Shady Maple

A small portion of the dining room.

We also went by train into Philly to take a get on and off bus tour.  The weather was perfect and we saw so many great and historical sites such as the Museum of Art made famous by Rocky.  It was actually pretty good even if Rocky had never finished his famous run there, but we of course got the obligatory pictures standing where Rocky stood.

Dave and Julie enjoying Philadelphia 

Mary Ann and Julie on the tour bus

QVC is located on West Chester.  We had to go see it until of course the security guards chased off the precious sign.  Who knew...

Julie, Dave, Mary Ann and Gary at the Philadelphia
Museum of Art.  Those are Rocky's foot prints!  Size 6, go figure. 

Gary's family.  Back Row: Greg, Megan, Suzy and Colleen
Front Row: Gary, Mary Ann, Dave and Julie

We had a wonderful time with Gary and family.  Next year we will do it all again in Key West!  Julie is telling me wrap up this blog.  Sorry if it is too long.  Next blog will be about Pete and Cookie getting an Echo Dot.  I will share some of the trials and tribulations that Alexa has trying to understand them and decipher their questions!  Until then.