"I am so hungry I could eat a whole chicken", I proclaimed as my husband pulled into the parking lot. I was ready to jump out of the car, rush into the restaurant and order the biggest chicken they had. "There is no restaurant here, it is only a gas station", CP said. We got back on the road looking for a real chicken. Lesson learned - things are not always what they seem to be. The next time we passed by a gas station with a chicken in front, we won't assume that there is a restaurant there. You know what they say about being fooled twice that you only have yourselves to blame. If you allow the man to fool you again with his empty promises, then don't cry when things keep getting worse. And don't blame the other person either if you choose to believe in the man in an empty suit with no leadership skills, incompetent, only good at dancing/talking and performing imcomplete magic acts.
Here is Benjamin (below) having a great time at Wild Turkey distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY. After having a taste of Wild Turkey Bourbon, well known for its signature 101 proof, Benjamin mistaken the turkey barrel (above) for a horse and proceeded to ride out of town!
This is a real wild turkey we saw along the road while leaving the park at Mammoth Cave. Sometimes things are not as clear as they are and most people could not tell what is real and what is fantansy or just a bad magic act!
Happy March everyone! How are your New Year resolutions? I hope you are not "stuck in the toilet in Joliet" like Qaptain Qwerty - haa haa
These photos were taken in June 2010 when we drove from St. Louis to The Begin of Route 66 in Chicago, Illinois. Travelling Eastbound, we followed Hwy 53 north from Wilimington, thru Elwood, and past I-80 into Joliet. We heard about a very nice Route 66 Welcome Center and Gift Shop inside the Joliet Museum at 214 N. Ottawa but we never went inside because the building closed both times when we were passing thru! Hey Qap, I have a suggestion - the next time you happen to be either in Chicago or St. Louis, let's plan on driving on Route 66, then we could stop by Joliet for a potty break!
I thought the photos of the stainless steel coconut trees from the Home & Garden Show would go nicely with the book, "Cracking the Coconut Code" by Mary Jo McCabe. I saw on the cover that this book provides "7 Insights to Transform Your Life" and the author was "a respected and sought-after-intuitive interpreter. She developed a unique ability to communicate with individual souls, both living and deceased." (Is it sort-of like psychic, palm readers or fortune teller?) Well, I am not really interested in communicate with dead people and after the reading the book, I did not really learn anything that would transform my life. Perhaps it is my limited ability to understand; therefore, you could read the book and decide for yourself. 
Below are a few interesting questions and interpretations based on which answer you give, "Which tool do you reach for, a hammer, a saw, a wrench or a screwdrive, to reach goals in your life or to fix problems you are experiencing?" You have to read the book for the interpretations. 
Visualize a tree filled with apples. Where do you see yourself in relation to the tree, hugging the trunk of the tree, sitting on one of the branches reaching for an apple or sitting at top of the tree enjoying an apple? Again, you could borrow the book from your local library and find out the insights that might provide understanding of yourself based on which action you choose.
On your mental screen, visualize a backyard and pick what you would rather do, play in the sandbox, sitting on the swing set, or riding the biycle around the block? (I wish there was a question like, which would you choose, going to a Stanley Cup Finals game and meeting your favorite player or a Superbowl game sitting in the first row at the 50-yard seats?). 
Please note that I do not receive any commission nor promote this particular book or the field of psychic medium, I am simply sharing with you an interesting book I found at the library. (PS: I am not saying that I read everything in the book either!) Any interesting book you have read lately?
When walking from the parking lot to the store, I almost did not bother getting out my camera to take photo of the above plate "E-COLI". I was glad I did because when I came out of the store after about 30 minutes of shopping, I spotted the plate "TESTA" below. Individually these plates would be too plain, not much to decipher but they seemed to fit together as a statement, "Testing for ecoli".
I am not a supertitious person and I don't believe in someone being a jinx or a person could cause bad luck by saying or doing something either to himself or to somebody. (Well, there are a few exceptions when it comes to hockey players/games!). Perhaps it was simply a coincidence but the week before my husband commented that for 23+ years we have been married, I never had a bad cold. Well, earlier this week I got up with a sore throat, running nose and feeling iffy. It was not a bad cold and did not last long. Although I am feeling much better today, I still said that my husband jinxed me with his comment.
Would you like to decipher what the above plate "UDACHA" stand for? When I first saw it, I thought it was either "ACHU" or "ATCHOO" or "ACHEW". Perhaps it is the owner's last name. I hope it is not a bad word because I don't want the FCC to shut down my blog for violating decency standards!
I don't what it is with me and glasses. This is the 2nd pair of glasses that I broke. It happened at the moment when I needed it the most, at a business seminar. Everything was going well, I found a good spot (front row, right corner seat where you could see the Powerpoint presentation and the presenter will see you when you raise your hand with a question, one of those rambling questions not really seeking for answers but to show off how smart you are!)
When the lense fell off, I thought "No problem" I would just snap it right back in the frame. Then I saw the separation. I again thought "No problem", the handout was just a courtesy copy of what would be covered in the presentation, so I didn't really need to look at the handout. But I needed the glasses for reading and filling out the evaluation form. I went to the front desk and asked for a piece of scotch tape. The tape held together the lense and the frame in place, just long enough for me to complete the evaluation. If Webster's ever need an image of a geeky geezer, my chubby face with a piece of scotch tape holding up a pair of broken reading glasses would be it!
The above license plate is clever but too easy to decipher. Perhaps the owner's last name is Flower so I might find another plate that read "2-FLOWR", then I could use that image for a Tuesday Two post. I thought this personalized plate "1-FLOWR" would be appropriate following the Valentine's Day post. All we need is love and flowers to make the world go around in happy mode!
Regular readers (and a few faithful followers) know I am not particularly "thrilled" when it comes to Valentine's Day. In my humble opinion, it is just another commercialized celebration mostly for the benefits of greeting cards companies, florists and jewelers. Let's not forget the chocolate covered strawberries (there goes the diet)! I am not comfortable with "mushy" expressions or display of affecttion that just for shows. However, not wanting to be known as a "Valentine's Day pooper", I would like to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day and may all your days be filled with love and lot of love. 
I thought these photos of the butterflies (taken from the Butterfly House) and the sculptures (bottom photos) at St. Louis Zoo, would be appropriate for this Tuesday Two post as well as for Valentine's Day. 
Most of the snow from yesterday was gone. The sun actually came out around noon. The temperature was in the 40s but it was not windy, so the day was pretty comfortable when I went to the library and then food shopping.
The above sculpture reminds me of the movie "The Lion King". Even wild animals like tigers and lions love, protect and care for their offsprings, yet, there are people who abandon their children or worst, discard their babies simply because the option is readily available or were misinformed that it was the right choice.
Unlike Da Qaptain who just randomly put together a collage of the license plates, I make an effort to post plates that match in a "meaningful" way. (Actually, not only I am not as tall and good looking as Qap, I am not as smart and very technical challenge. I admit I don't know how to paste the photos together to make a collage.)
What do you think the message from the above license plate? Don't rush me, I am NOT-SLO? Or I refuse to SLO down because I have too much to do? I am smart, so don't say I am SLO? Hey Qap, your suggestion "If you don't have anything to say, say nothing. If you don't have anything to post, post nothing." did not work out too good for a blogger who took your suggestion to heart that he has nothing to wear and he wore nothing to work- haaaaaaaaaaaaaa haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!!!! (He is currently in St. Louis County jail for indecent exposure in public.)
I don't know about the owner of the above license plate but I know that when it comes to finding interesting vanity plates, I am the "Mighty One" compared to Qaptain Qwerty. Apparently, Da Qaptain tried to show off in his recent post with a collage of images of vanity plates he captured during his daily running. Hey Qap, I bet you a chili dog at The Varsity that I would find the most interesting (and clever) plate. Are you up to the challenge?
I was so pleased to see the above license plate "EVERS 2" after a few weeks of feeling bad (really bad) about the other license plate "NOT TWO"! I am encouraged by the message of "EVERS 2". Could the message be forEVERS tuesday 2? It is telling me that I should continue to publish the Tuesday Two theme because there would be millions of adoring fans who would be so disappointed if I discontinued the Tuesday Two posts. If you disagree with my theory, please feel free to let me know. I promise I will not feel real bad!
The owner of the vehicle must dislike my "Tuesday Two" theme so much that he/she has to let me know by selecting the above license plate. If you disagree with my theory, what do you think the message "NOT TWO" was about? (You might already notice that I am such a boring person with no interesting hobby that I just go around and capture images of specialty license plates.) Do you have a specialty license plate?
When Benjamin saw the above sign "Rock Paper Scissors", he asked me what it was about. I explained that it was the name of a store selling paper products like greeting cards, supplies for scrapbooks, and anything "papertry". I also mentioned that "Rock Paper Scissors" is a universal game which I remembered playing when I was a child in Viet Nam. For adults, it is a way to settle a bet or to decide winner and loser.Then Benjamin asked me how the game is played. I explained that there are usually two players, each either put his hand behind his back or shake his hand a number of times, then put the same hand out either in a fist (rock), out flat (paper) or with the index and middle figures extended, either pressed together or slightly apart (scissors). Winning is decided based on the following rules - paper wins against rock (paper covers rock), rock wins against scissors (rock crushes scissors) and scissors wins against paper (scissors cut paper). I told Benjamin that I had wonderful childhood memory playing this game because it was a lot of fun. Then Benjamin extended his two yellow hands -------------------
Here is another nice feature of my new automobile. Luc is a very polite vehicle. He "says" Hello when I "turned him on" - haa haa!
He "waves" Goodbye when I "shut him off"! Miss Manners would have given Luc her seal of approval for being a polite automobile.
I saw this sign at a punky soup and salad place when walking around downtown St. Charles. This would be considered my Humor of the Week since we all need a little humor (no matter how cheesy it could be) dealing with the current chaos of the world. Everyone, be well, be safe and be happy (I am trying!).
No, I am not turning into one of those "foul mouth" people who have limited vocabulary. I am just trying to add a little humor to my boring blog. The 2010 BBQ Bash took place last weekend of September on the 25th and 26th. Since someone we know was a contestant, we made sure that we would not miss the Bash again. (I think we were out of town last year.) Each entry was judged base on presentation, tenderness of the meat, how unique the barbecue sauce is, its level of tanginess, and its overall taste.My husband was at a golf tournament on Saturday so I walked around by myself. I had plenty of time to take photos without having to explain to CP why I captured certain images. I thought these were very “clever, silly and outrageously funny” BBQ trade names, especially “Hot Tasty Butts Piggy’s BBQ”. 
On Sunday, CP and I went to the Bash and we tasted three different kind of ribs. They were all good. (What can I say, I love to eat!) There were more than 20 food booths offering different kinds of BBQ. Some were from local restaurants while others were national chains. In addition to the BBQ, there were typical carnival food such as funnel cakes, pork rinds, roasted corn and kettle korn. The Bash was open to the public and there was no admission. You paid the vendors when you purchased food and drink. There were plenty of “freebies” from banks, insurance companies and complimentary massage from a day spa.
There was entertainment from local bands, dance performances, a classic car show, farmers’ market and chicken wings eating contest. Saturday was a beautiful sunny day but the rain came at night and chased away a lot of people when the Bash re-opened on Sunday.
Here is Benjamin (below) having a great time at Wild Turkey distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY. After having a taste of Wild Turkey Bourbon, well known for its signature 101 proof, Benjamin mistaken the turkey barrel (above) for a horse and proceeded to ride out of town!
This is a real wild turkey we saw along the road while leaving the park at Mammoth Cave. Sometimes things are not as clear as they are and most people could not tell what is real and what is fantansy or just a bad magic act!
Happy March everyone! How are your New Year resolutions? I hope you are not "stuck in the toilet in Joliet" like Qaptain Qwerty - haa haa
These photos were taken in June 2010 when we drove from St. Louis to The Begin of Route 66 in Chicago, Illinois. Travelling Eastbound, we followed Hwy 53 north from Wilimington, thru Elwood, and past I-80 into Joliet. We heard about a very nice Route 66 Welcome Center and Gift Shop inside the Joliet Museum at 214 N. Ottawa but we never went inside because the building closed both times when we were passing thru! Hey Qap, I have a suggestion - the next time you happen to be either in Chicago or St. Louis, let's plan on driving on Route 66, then we could stop by Joliet for a potty break! 
I thought the photos of the stainless steel coconut trees from the Home & Garden Show would go nicely with the book, "Cracking the Coconut Code" by Mary Jo McCabe. I saw on the cover that this book provides "7 Insights to Transform Your Life" and the author was "a respected and sought-after-intuitive interpreter. She developed a unique ability to communicate with individual souls, both living and deceased." (Is it sort-of like psychic, palm readers or fortune teller?) Well, I am not really interested in communicate with dead people and after the reading the book, I did not really learn anything that would transform my life. Perhaps it is my limited ability to understand; therefore, you could read the book and decide for yourself. 
Below are a few interesting questions and interpretations based on which answer you give, "Which tool do you reach for, a hammer, a saw, a wrench or a screwdrive, to reach goals in your life or to fix problems you are experiencing?" You have to read the book for the interpretations. 
Visualize a tree filled with apples. Where do you see yourself in relation to the tree, hugging the trunk of the tree, sitting on one of the branches reaching for an apple or sitting at top of the tree enjoying an apple? Again, you could borrow the book from your local library and find out the insights that might provide understanding of yourself based on which action you choose.
On your mental screen, visualize a backyard and pick what you would rather do, play in the sandbox, sitting on the swing set, or riding the biycle around the block? (I wish there was a question like, which would you choose, going to a Stanley Cup Finals game and meeting your favorite player or a Superbowl game sitting in the first row at the 50-yard seats?). 
Please note that I do not receive any commission nor promote this particular book or the field of psychic medium, I am simply sharing with you an interesting book I found at the library. (PS: I am not saying that I read everything in the book either!) Any interesting book you have read lately?
When walking from the parking lot to the store, I almost did not bother getting out my camera to take photo of the above plate "E-COLI". I was glad I did because when I came out of the store after about 30 minutes of shopping, I spotted the plate "TESTA" below. Individually these plates would be too plain, not much to decipher but they seemed to fit together as a statement, "Testing for ecoli".
I am not a supertitious person and I don't believe in someone being a jinx or a person could cause bad luck by saying or doing something either to himself or to somebody. (Well, there are a few exceptions when it comes to hockey players/games!). Perhaps it was simply a coincidence but the week before my husband commented that for 23+ years we have been married, I never had a bad cold. Well, earlier this week I got up with a sore throat, running nose and feeling iffy. It was not a bad cold and did not last long. Although I am feeling much better today, I still said that my husband jinxed me with his comment.
Would you like to decipher what the above plate "UDACHA" stand for? When I first saw it, I thought it was either "ACHU" or "ATCHOO" or "ACHEW". Perhaps it is the owner's last name. I hope it is not a bad word because I don't want the FCC to shut down my blog for violating decency standards!
I don't what it is with me and glasses. This is the 2nd pair of glasses that I broke. It happened at the moment when I needed it the most, at a business seminar. Everything was going well, I found a good spot (front row, right corner seat where you could see the Powerpoint presentation and the presenter will see you when you raise your hand with a question, one of those rambling questions not really seeking for answers but to show off how smart you are!)
When the lense fell off, I thought "No problem" I would just snap it right back in the frame. Then I saw the separation. I again thought "No problem", the handout was just a courtesy copy of what would be covered in the presentation, so I didn't really need to look at the handout. But I needed the glasses for reading and filling out the evaluation form. I went to the front desk and asked for a piece of scotch tape. The tape held together the lense and the frame in place, just long enough for me to complete the evaluation. If Webster's ever need an image of a geeky geezer, my chubby face with a piece of scotch tape holding up a pair of broken reading glasses would be it!
Just a few to-the-point words to go along with these personalized license plates. Would you believe that I found the "DREAM 5" plate right next to "JO GOLD" in the parking lot? I wonder if these owners are related.
The "G-MONEY" plate was actually taken either a few weeks earlier or later. I thought these three go nicely together. We all wish for wealth and forture so we no longer have to be stuck in jobs we hate, putting up with outrageous behavior, working for people we don't respect simply because we have no choice. 
With the Lenten Season is approaching, as a person of faith, I will try to be prayful for the transformation of the world we live in, to be mindful of performing acts of spiritual and corporal works of mercy, to be concern for others, instead of how large my personal accumulation of Gold and Money should be. I wonder if Mr. Steve Jobs would rather be a poor man, trading all of his wealth for many years of good health.
The above license plate is clever but too easy to decipher. Perhaps the owner's last name is Flower so I might find another plate that read "2-FLOWR", then I could use that image for a Tuesday Two post. I thought this personalized plate "1-FLOWR" would be appropriate following the Valentine's Day post. All we need is love and flowers to make the world go around in happy mode!
Regular readers (and a few faithful followers) know I am not particularly "thrilled" when it comes to Valentine's Day. In my humble opinion, it is just another commercialized celebration mostly for the benefits of greeting cards companies, florists and jewelers. Let's not forget the chocolate covered strawberries (there goes the diet)! I am not comfortable with "mushy" expressions or display of affecttion that just for shows. However, not wanting to be known as a "Valentine's Day pooper", I would like to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day and may all your days be filled with love and lot of love. 
I thought these photos of the butterflies (taken from the Butterfly House) and the sculptures (bottom photos) at St. Louis Zoo, would be appropriate for this Tuesday Two post as well as for Valentine's Day. 
Most of the snow from yesterday was gone. The sun actually came out around noon. The temperature was in the 40s but it was not windy, so the day was pretty comfortable when I went to the library and then food shopping.
The above sculpture reminds me of the movie "The Lion King". Even wild animals like tigers and lions love, protect and care for their offsprings, yet, there are people who abandon their children or worst, discard their babies simply because the option is readily available or were misinformed that it was the right choice.
Unlike Da Qaptain who just randomly put together a collage of the license plates, I make an effort to post plates that match in a "meaningful" way. (Actually, not only I am not as tall and good looking as Qap, I am not as smart and very technical challenge. I admit I don't know how to paste the photos together to make a collage.)
What do you think the message from the above license plate? Don't rush me, I am NOT-SLO? Or I refuse to SLO down because I have too much to do? I am smart, so don't say I am SLO? Hey Qap, your suggestion "If you don't have anything to say, say nothing. If you don't have anything to post, post nothing." did not work out too good for a blogger who took your suggestion to heart that he has nothing to wear and he wore nothing to work- haaaaaaaaaaaaaa haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa !!!!!! (He is currently in St. Louis County jail for indecent exposure in public.)
There was no alien like the one above, but there were plenty of regular folks (included a grumpy geezer named TOTA) at the 2012 Ice Carnival in the Loop. The event was scheduled for the weekend of January 14th and 15th. It was cold but not windy and the streets were not covered with snow like last year. We again parked a few blocks away and walked along Delmar where the ice scupltures were on display in front of the sponsoring businesses. The sculptures were created as promotional pieces for the stores, some were very clever but not all the art works represent what is being sold in the stores.
Above ice sculpture was sponsored by Gyro House and it was fitting that it was Socrates or a typical Greek philosopher. (Hey Qaptain, have you been to Socrates Sculpture Park on Vernon Boulevard in Long Island City, Queens? I definitely would like to check it out next time I am in NYC.) We each ordered a house gyro with lamb meat and hold the onion for mine. Once again we are on a "diet" trying to cut back on sweet, so no baklava this time. Last year, I almost had to make an emergency trip to the dentist when a large chunk of honey would not let go of my dental crown.
Above sculpture was in front of a tattoo parlor. The line was long so I did not wait. Maybe next year I would get there early to be the first one in line!
I don't know about the owner of the above license plate but I know that when it comes to finding interesting vanity plates, I am the "Mighty One" compared to Qaptain Qwerty. Apparently, Da Qaptain tried to show off in his recent post with a collage of images of vanity plates he captured during his daily running. Hey Qap, I bet you a chili dog at The Varsity that I would find the most interesting (and clever) plate. Are you up to the challenge?
I was so pleased to see the above license plate "EVERS 2" after a few weeks of feeling bad (really bad) about the other license plate "NOT TWO"! I am encouraged by the message of "EVERS 2". Could the message be forEVERS tuesday 2? It is telling me that I should continue to publish the Tuesday Two theme because there would be millions of adoring fans who would be so disappointed if I discontinued the Tuesday Two posts. If you disagree with my theory, please feel free to let me know. I promise I will not feel real bad!
The owner of the vehicle must dislike my "Tuesday Two" theme so much that he/she has to let me know by selecting the above license plate. If you disagree with my theory, what do you think the message "NOT TWO" was about? (You might already notice that I am such a boring person with no interesting hobby that I just go around and capture images of specialty license plates.) Do you have a specialty license plate?
When Benjamin saw the above sign "Rock Paper Scissors", he asked me what it was about. I explained that it was the name of a store selling paper products like greeting cards, supplies for scrapbooks, and anything "papertry". I also mentioned that "Rock Paper Scissors" is a universal game which I remembered playing when I was a child in Viet Nam. For adults, it is a way to settle a bet or to decide winner and loser.
Yes, TOTA was very impressed with Atlanta that I kept posting and writing about the A-town and since I took so many "cheesy" photos, it would be a crime not to share with my adoring fans - haa haa. The above "Coke" tree (I would not wish to impose my religion on the readers by calling it the Christmas tree - blaah!) was on display at the World of Coca Cola. My sister was working so I went on the tour by myself and really took my time to see all the exhibits and even tried a few different taste of sodas around the world.
At Centennial Olympic Park, workers were busy putting up Christmas decorations. (There, I said it - Merry Christmas to you Mr. Grinch!)
A worker saw me pointing the camera upward in his direction, he smiled and told his co-worker, "That is TOTA from St. Louis. She takes photos of everything wherever she goes. She even took picture of a piece of gum on the street!" The co-worker asked, "What does she do with the photos?" I was very pleased to hear the response, "She posts them on her blog. It is a very well-written and popular blog and I encourage ya'll to check it out and become one of her million followers" (Then I woke up and it was just a dream - haa haa haa haa haa haa) 
I thought of Qaptain Qwerty and how much he would enjoy running in Centennial Olympic Park. I wish I had more time to see all the sculptures and so many other nice features at the park. I specially like the Fountain of Rings featuring the Olympic Ring symbol that was created just for the 1996 Olympic Games. Visit www.centennialpark.com for more information. 
Here is another nice feature of my new automobile. Luc is a very polite vehicle. He "says" Hello when I "turned him on" - haa haa!
He "waves" Goodbye when I "shut him off"! Miss Manners would have given Luc her seal of approval for being a polite automobile.
I saw this sign at a punky soup and salad place when walking around downtown St. Charles. This would be considered my Humor of the Week since we all need a little humor (no matter how cheesy it could be) dealing with the current chaos of the world. Everyone, be well, be safe and be happy (I am trying!).
I thought the above photo showing the scoreboard at the September 30th pre-season game when the Chicago Blackhawks visited St. Louis was perfect for this Monday, November 22. The Blues scored 2 goals, and the time was 22.2 minutes left in the 2nd period. It is perfect for this post on this 22nd day of the 11th month. This Monday post will take the place of the regular feature of the weekly Tuesday Day theme. 
You probably ask, "So what is so significant about this post?". Well, being a hockey junkie, I found fascination in everything that has to do with the games. So, that is the significance!
A hockey game would not be exciting without a few punches being thrown, penalties being killed and the possibility of a short-handed goal being scored - life is good!
No, I am not turning into one of those "foul mouth" people who have limited vocabulary. I am just trying to add a little humor to my boring blog. The 2010 BBQ Bash took place last weekend of September on the 25th and 26th. Since someone we know was a contestant, we made sure that we would not miss the Bash again. (I think we were out of town last year.) Each entry was judged base on presentation, tenderness of the meat, how unique the barbecue sauce is, its level of tanginess, and its overall taste.
On Sunday, CP and I went to the Bash and we tasted three different kind of ribs. They were all good. (What can I say, I love to eat!) There were more than 20 food booths offering different kinds of BBQ. Some were from local restaurants while others were national chains. In addition to the BBQ, there were typical carnival food such as funnel cakes, pork rinds, roasted corn and kettle korn. The Bash was open to the public and there was no admission. You paid the vendors when you purchased food and drink. There were plenty of “freebies” from banks, insurance companies and complimentary massage from a day spa.
There was entertainment from local bands, dance performances, a classic car show, farmers’ market and chicken wings eating contest. Saturday was a beautiful sunny day but the rain came at night and chased away a lot of people when the Bash re-opened on Sunday.
