Where the Peas Went

This weekend we had the excitment of passing through, via a 130 miles detour or choice, the Chattanooga area. We spent a day and a half visiting family there. It was really really nice to see everyone, get some Couch's BBQ, including warm fresh coconut pie, and just had some relaxing.
Some of the things we did were:

1. ate at Couch's BBQ, as mentioned. I had a medium hot BBQ plain, what I've ordered for years, with a serving of fresh made cole slaw, made by my Dad, and this happens to be the ONLY cole slaw that I will eat. No one else begins to compare (except maybe Grandma, but thats an entirely different kind of cole slaw) and guzzled sweet tea, which I have missed dearly since moving west. And then we all had a piece of warm, nearly fresh from the oven, coconut pie made by my Dad. Ahhh......one of the worlds most perfect meals. Everyone needs to go get one now! While we were there our friend, Rhonda who lives across the street, came down with her grand-daughter to say hello. It was so nice to see so many friends while we were here. Such an unexpected gift and treat.

2. went with Mom to my Grandparents house and had fun visiting while we watched their cat, Sabrina, stalk my two Cresties. Sabrina was intent on getting Carlie and succeeded in taking her by surprise. By the time we left, Carlie and Paris both were extremly wary, and looking over their shoulder in a doggie kind of way.

3. we were going to get to watch my niece Bentlee, play T-ball. her game was at 2:30, but due to rain (they've apparently had lots) it was postponed to 4:30, and we had plans already.

4. The plans were to meet with Malcolm's aunt and uncle and we had a really nice time with them. We ate at McCallisters, another favorite. Had to get some of the chili cheese dip....and again, some sweet tea......another one of our old haunts. After eating we went to their house, where they introduced us to wii play (sp?) which is now something that we will probably end up gettign because it was SO fun, and, unlike playstation, I'm actually able to control the game and participate. (more on wii play later)

5. while we were waiting for Sharon and Michael to meet us, we ran into Best Buy to look at a camera that I had been drooling over online. I wanted to see it in person. So we went in and chatted with the sales guy about it. Sharon and Michael showed up in the midst of this ande visited with Malcolm while I debated and so on. I couldn't decide between the fancier camera that I had been eyeing, or a simpler one, but still a nice one, that Malcolm thought might be better for zooming. The sales guy told me to wait till Sunday's sales papers came out because they always have some kind of camera sale going on, though he didnt' know what it would be. Right before we left a woman came in and asked for the zoom lense for the camera I was wanting. So I talked to her about it for a while and asked her questions. So it was kind of nice to get a consumers thoughts on it.

6. slept in.....we slept in the basement spare room and its like totally pitch black down there and you could seriously sleep till 7:00 in teh evening and never know the sun had rissen. I was worried we'd sleep straight through our visiting time, but fortunatly we woke up around 9:00 eastern time, right after Mom and Dad had gotten up. This was surprising because that would be 7:00 our time, and Carlie has an internal alarm clock set for 6:29am. Thats when we rise everymorning when we're home because that's when Carlie gets up. Mom had made some yummy lemon poppyseed muffins and coffee. We sat on the front porch and listened to birds and watched Carlie and Paris.

7. At 12:30 my brother and his family arrived from church, and Grandma and Grandpa got there shortly after. We had fun visiting and watching Bentlee be crazy. She was using the ottamon for a trampoline and singing and being silly like she does. They caught me up on all her shinanigans, the funnies one I thought was during the discussion of how she likes to sing and dance, but only together. She was going to take ballett, until she found out she had to be quiet. She changed her mind about it then, and stuck with T-ball and Soccer, the latter of which she's not so into as T-ball. In Saturday's game, that we missed, she hit the ball using the T, and she hit it again when it was pitched to her, and she almost caught a fly ball, while playing first base (I didnt' know 4 year old's could do this!)

8. Dad grilled steak and we had baked potatoes and salad and Mom had made a strawberry cake. And after we ate we visited some more.

9. Ken and Sarah had a meeting to go to for soccer (they are coaching Bentlee's team) so they left Bentlee with Grandmommy and Papaw, and Grandma and Grandpa went home. I checked the sale paper for the camera sale and wouldn't you know it...the very camera I was looking at was the one on sale. Well, teh camera itself wasn't on sale, but they were selling it in a package with the zoom lens and it was a savings of $150. SO......I wasn't going to get the zoom lens, but what an opporunity, because we all know I'm going to want it shortly after getting the camera, even though I said I wouldn't. So even though I didnt' want to waste precious visiting time, I decided to head over to Best Buy real quick to pick it up. And, typical of my Dad, I've got my purse on my shoulder and Mom's car keys in hand, when Dad holds up another sale paper adn says "what about this camera." My Dad.....always finding great bargains...always coming out on top of deals.....an incredible shopper....if he was a woman he'd have an incredible designer wardrobe adn a million shoes from the top lines and would have gotten it all for pennies.
Anyway, the camera he found was at Wold Camera in the mall and it was the SAME camera with the SAME lens AND a "gadget bag and video" for $50 less than Best Buy. But I wanted to use my Best Buy card, so I called the store and they said they'd match the price. SO.....I got a $300 zoom lens for fifty bucks!! Thanks Dad!!!

After that came the time to leave. Dad drove us to the resteraut where our truck was parked, we grabbed one more glass of sweet tea (got to stock up while we can cause I just can't make it like he does) and hit the road.

Now.....everyone wanted to know what they were going to do with 51,000 lbs of dried peas. Here is the answer. Our bills said it was all going to Master Foods Corporation, and as we all know, these corporations do lots of things and have bought lots of businesses. In fact I think they own M&M Mars among others. SO.....when we pulled in this morning we discovered the destiny of our peas. They are going into Pedigree brand pet food. Now you know.