So about those surprises

Am back at my home now, and brought back a few treats. When I was walking around in the Haymarket District in Lincoln I found some great stores.

The first one I found was Licorice International. It is usually hard to find good licorice in the States, but this store is the exception! Quite the assortment!

Then around the corner I found another spot. If I hadn't more money in my car I wouldn't have eaten that night. Chocolate Expressions. They didn't have quit the selection of the other store, but the chocolate they had made me wish they had free samples like the other store!! They will print things on fondant covered chocolate, but I was after the dark chocolate made with beans from individual countries. I couldn't find them at their website , but the brands are International Chocolate Company, and Santander among other types of chocolate they had.

mmm chocolate... I think I will go eat some right now.

Last day in Lincoln

Am ready to be back. Got plenty of book on CD for return trip.

Tonight I dined at Vicenzo's (see bottom of link), most expensive place I dined. good italian food, but can't justify spending the amount for a full meal without helping mouths. One thing that is usually disappointing to me at italian restaurants is that I can't get a glass of spumanti... only by the bottle. This place actually had a brand of champagne that came in a half size bottle!! Woohoo. Must have been the 'date' place for the college crowd. Many conversations of themselves, or disgust for school rules..etc etc.

Yesterday ate at Thai Garden. It was the fastest and most food for the money restaurant I ate at the entire stay. good too. Was extremely hard to find nearby parking, but the walk was worth it. As an extra caviat... while eating a met a familiar face. Ran into a guy with whom I took a class with at OSU. He is now a post doc at Nebraska Univ! Amazed at how people's paths can cross at unexpected times.

when I went walking in Haymarket district found some shops I was drawn to, but can't talk about them now... would spoil the surprise for home... mwhahaha.

over and out

Another day

I don't eat out much any more, but I don't eat out any less when on travel (especially when I don't even have a microwave). Two nights in a row I've had slow service. Maybe be being skinny and single makes me invisible to the wait staff. I learned from yesterday.... brought a book this time. Country Inn and Suites always have a small library of books to take and return to some other hotel. Am ready Big Fish (yes there was a book before the movie!!). Pretty good so far.... and thanks to my wait staff (and partly of my taking time to enjoy my meal when it did come) I have made it to page 50.

So tonight I ate at Fireworks. Just around the corner from the indian food place I ate last night. The food was really good. I suppose they were training or something. There were 3 waiters that came and said hello before I could get drink (water at that). WTF the guy that got my water apparently got pinned as the guy to take my order (a role he passed on when I said I was ready to order earlier) The older couple next to me were asked by no less than 2 people how their flatbread was.

To quote Ringo from Hard days night... "Books are good". Perhaps I was a little anti-social, but I don't honestly think any of my servers were interested in how my pizza for 710 Ashbury tasted (quite good actually cream sauce ... very different) or that my beer was pretty good too (Chaco Canyon something something.... one brewed there, a light honey beer that was pretty good).

Anyway, now I wait for Rose to get the kids out and maybe play Magic the Gathering online (how else would we play?)

Back in Lincoln, NE. I like Lincoln. The drive is long, but I like Lincoln. I had forgotten the vast land that is Kansas (Hey! who turned off the city?). It is a good break though. Lots of farm land.... would be better if I wasn't driving. HAve to hand it to Rose, those book-on-CD are awesome!! Been listening to Lord of the Rings Unabridged. Made it to Disc 6 of 16 in Fellowship. I'll have to drive slower to hear the entire 20 hours.

Tom Bombadil song keeps getting stuck in my head..."Hey dol! merry dol! ring a dong dillo!/ Ring a dong! hop along! fal lal the willow!/ Tom Bom, jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillo!" — The Fellowship of the Ring (from wikipedia)

Ate at an Indian restaurant, The Oven. Still stuffed, and I ONLY ATE SIDES and Dessert!! One thing I've learned while traveling (esp w/o fridge) is that sides and kids meals are many times just as satisfying.... and MUCH cheaper.

To the land of Milk and Chicken

:(
Callie left us today. She was a great cat and I'll always remember her meowing. She would carry on a conversation with you.

And I don't know what it is about kids, but Jamie knew exactly what to say when Rose told her to say good bye to Callie.
"Goodbye Callie, we'll miss you".. *hugs cat*

Cian computer boy

I imagine Cian is doing what I would have done had I computers and video games then... play them. He has taken over my Playstation 2 playing games like Ape Escape 2, Sly 2: Band of Thieves, and now demo disks... especially the demo for Lego Star Wars II. He's gotten remarkably good at navigating menus to restart when he gets stuck (can't even read but can somehow figure out which one says 'yes' when asked if he really wants to quit).

Even plays Gauntlet with me on my Arcade Classics collection. Now even my computer gaming is not safe. He has figured out how to use the mouse to do online color pages, and has even tried his hand on my Oblivion game. Oblivion is quite challenging for him. Using 'W' to move forward and the mouse to move around he can navigate his guy, talk to people, open doors. He's even figured out 'TAB' brings up inventory and can change his armor and weapon! The poor kid finds himself in the prison often...Guards don't like getting hit with a warhammer! (Even if it was their fault they walked near you when you were hitting that barrel)

As I was looking through travel photos I came across one of Cian trying his hand at my 'radar game'. Not much to do but start/stop play and zoom in and out, but he did it!