is there any more pie?

tasty treats

Posted on October 7, 2023 by is there any more pie?

We were on the road at 7:30 Friday morning. Wyoming beckoned!

Around noon we were close to Wheatland when Banjo Man announced he was hungry. And not only was he hungry, he wanted to eat in a local cafe. Or a diner. He insisted I take the next exit and drive into Wheatland.

I protested. I am not adventurous about food. I’ve had plenty of awful meals in small towns. And this town did not look promising.

“My diner indicator is green,” Banjo Man pronounced.

“And my diner indicator thinks your diner indicator is full of sh**.”

But he was not to be deterred, even after a very unpromising drive down the main street. He told me to park in front of a hair salon and went inside to ask for a lunch recommendation.

Which is how we ended up at Tasty Treats. They specialized in burgers. It was a simple little place, busy and clean. My husband’s diner indicator was satisfied.

Our day ended in Sidney, Nebraska, about 450 miles from where we began. At Pizza Hut.

We are trying to watch the game, but the channel keeps disappearing. poor Banjo Man. He has waited all day for this and now he can’t see it..

Tomorrow…Omaha!

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i think it’s friday

Posted on October 6, 2023 by is there any more pie?

I’m chugging my morning coffee in Sheridan, Wyoming this morning. It is 6:45 AM.

Yesterday while we were on the road looking at this…

…the Retainer Rescue Mission was taking place as two intrepid Montana men and a trusty cell phone flashlight located my missing piece of plastic and wire. It was under the nightstand, very close to the bed.

Kathy from Montana (aka “kb”) kept me posted on the plan and then, hours later, the mission’s success. My French Friend Janou stood by as a back up if needed.

The texts offering help just made my day.

Kathy is going to mail the retainer to Rhode Island for me. I am beyond grateful to everyone who helped!

I’ve been pathetic. I admit it.

We also left behind our bottle of Tylenol and the road atlas. Much easier to replace!

We stopped in Livingston, MT for lunch, hoping to have quick bowls of soup, but alas, there was no soup. So we split a chicken sandwich and hustled back on the road.

474 miles to Sheridan from Missoula and we did it before 5 PM. We traded off driving every two hours. After Missoula, I took over at Butte, as Banjo Man announced he couldn’t possibly close his eyes when he could enjoy looking at Montana. Thirty seconds later he was sound asleep…

Those previously scary, snowy, blizzard mountain passes were just pleasant hills and curves this time.

And then, at 5:00…

The Wyoming Rib & Chop House was calling our names.

The goal today? Be in our hotel for the Nebraska football game tonight!

We hope to actually be in Nebraska tonight. Go Big Red!

Posted in family, food, friends, road trip, travel | 2 Comments

breakfast in missoula

Posted on October 5, 2023 by is there any more pie?

Yes, we made it this far.

Believe when I say it wasn’t easy. There is so much to do to leave the house ready for the winter and, despite giving it our all on Tuesday, we still didn’t leave the lake until 1:00 Wednesday afternoon.

Banjo Man managed to drive for an hour before needing a nap, so I bought coffee in Plains and took the wheel.

He slept for almost two hours.

The highlight of the day was having dinner with old friends Gary and Judy, who baked chicken pies for us. So much fun to visit with them, as always.

Once at our hotel, things went downhill in a hurry. I am never at my best when deliriously tired, so when our room’s thermostat was stuck on 67 degrees and blowing frigid air, I begged Banjo Man to go down to the front desk for help. He returned with a helpful maintenance man who unlocked secret closets and adjusted the temperature so we could have heat.

Once cozy and warm in bed, I reached for the little plastic box that holds my retainer only to discover it was EMPTY.

I’ve worn that retainer since 1991, after wearing braces at the age of 39. I have carefully packed it over thousands upon thousands of miles of road trips, writers’ conferences, and eleven trips to Great Britain and Europe.

So…where is it now? I’m stymied. Somehow it never made it to its container and fell on the floor in my rush to hop out of bed and get busy with my list of chores? Maybe it is under my nightstand or under my bed. The little blue plastic case never left my bedroom until I put it in the Zip lock bag that holds essentials like my toothbrush and lip gloss and moisturizer. Could the retainer have fallen off the bathroom counter and is now wedged between it and the tub?

I wish I knew, even though it doesn’t matter now.

I am aware that I am whining.

I will rally any day now. I will find an orthodontist who will create a replacement, no matter how long it takes. I will even eventually forgive myself for being too distracted, too busy, in too much of a hurry to pay attention to personal details.

We have been so busy.

So…change of subject….we are looking forward to a beautiful drive across Montana today. We don’t know where we will stop or how many miles we will travel. But we do now that the scenery will be gorgeous!

Posted in friends, lake, personal female whining, road trip | Leave a comment

it’s that time of year

Posted on October 5, 2023 by is there any more pie?

Do you know what I love about October road trips?

I love my afternoon caffeine fix when it’s flavored “pumpkin pie.” The gas stations and truck stops will have versions of pumpkin cappuccino available as needed.

And come mid-afternoon I definitely need help to get me through the rest of the day as we speed towards yet another hotel.

Cheers!

Posted in food, just for fun, road trip | Leave a comment

cabin fest 2023

Posted on October 4, 2023 by is there any more pie?

Oh, my, what a time was had by all!

Joe (seated on the left on the bench) put together another musical extravaganza. And everyone who ever had anything to do with the band gathered to play some tunes.

Dancing Mandolin Player, Bruce, and Retired Mountain Lady

The younger generation gathered outside. And with the addition of a beautiful baby girl, four generations attended Cabin Fest.

Retired Mountain Lady gets her equipment. The porch made a great “back stage” area.

So much work went into getting the cabin ready. The bunkhouse had to be cleared and organized, as did the cabin. Brother-in-law Ned built shelves, sister-in-law Nancy vacuumed and delivered four chairs.

George worked for hours every day. I think he will need some rest when he returns home.

As you read this, we will be packing up the car to head eastward. It’s never easy to leave the lake house. I will make one more attempt to find an arrowhead on the beach. And we will say goodbye.

What a joy to live in this beautiful place!

Posted in family, friends, lake, music, road trip, the band | 2 Comments

last days on the mountain

Posted on October 3, 2023 by is there any more pie?

Poor Banjo Man. He hates to say goodbye. We spent five hours up here on Monday.

We had one last fire in the stove.

We cleaned. We ate apple pie. We rested a bit.

We put up the sign.

We have a caretaker, someone who will check on things often. The cabin won’t be abandoned for the winter.

And we’ll be back in the Spring.

Posted in lake | 2 Comments

a little bit of home

Posted on September 22, 2023 by is there any more pie?

These spindles, painted by George and installed into the bunkhouse by Banjo Man, came from the family farm in Nebraska. The guys remember standing next to them on Christmas morning as they and their sisters waited for their mother to give them permission to come downstairs and see what Santa left them.

Putting them in the bunkhouse loft was a labor of love.

As you can see, this has been a huge undertaking. You’re looking at Banjo Man’s summer and the reason why he is one happy guy.

Posted in family, lake | 1 Comment

from my window

Posted on September 10, 2023 by is there any more pie?

Is this what heaven looks like? If so, I’m happy with those glorious shades of yellow peeking over the clouds.

I was on my way to Denver.

And then…to Austin.

My boys surprised me by waiting for me at the bottom of the escalator!! Ben had driven all the way down from Round Rock to pick me up so I wouldn’t have to trudge through a parking garage to get a taxi at 11 PM in 98 degree heat. Will is still car-shopping and waiting for his van to be repaired.

Will had planned to Uber to the airport, get me and Uber us home. Ben saved the day.

I was pretty darn thrilled to see them.

Meanwhile, back at the cabin…

Banjo Man traveled up the mountain to spend the night in his own version of the wilderness.

I’d rather be in Texas.

Posted in austin, family, texas, travel | 1 Comment

texas awaits

Posted on September 7, 2023 by is there any more pie?

I am leaving Banjo Man. For five days.

This will be the first time we’ve been apart for two years, since the cancer diagnosis and all of its resulting operations, procedures, tests, etc.

We’ve been glued to each other’s sides.

And now? Well, I have decided to no longer hover. I am very, very good at hovering. But my husband has assured me he won’t exhaust himself working on the cabin (there are 8 more chunks of siding to paint) or readying the place for Cabinfest. There are plenty of individual meals in the freezer for him.

Deep breaths for me. It’s going to be weird leaving him behind while I jet off to Austin to see The Funny Grandson’s first football game on Monday evening.

I will be calling home three times a day. This is going to be more stressful for me than it will be for Banjo Man, though I think he will be a bit lonely with no one to talk to morning and night. He enjoys his quiet mornings working in his office, his afternoons at the cabin, but the evenings might be a little too isolating.

Wish us luck.

By the time you read this, we will have spent a luxurious night at the Davenport Grand Hotel, enjoyed dinner with Dancing Mandolin Player and Bob, attended a Bonnie Raitt concert and gobbled up breakfast in the Grand’s dining room. It’s the happening of the summer!

Banjo Man will go home with DMP and Bob, and I will drive myself to the airport for an afternoon flight to Texas.

I actually have a blueberry cake in my carry on.