Flo goes to her first Moscow Social Event

Flo: Well, I'm just so excited to go to my first Social event in the Pacific Northwest. I even bought a new Christmas dress. I'm glad Mr. Spike talked me into attending this White Elephant party.
We had a potluck dinner... wow, these ladies can cook! The food was SO good! I especially liked the champagne punch.
These are the best meatballs I've ever had! And they were so kind to let me sit in the water- felt more like home.

I didn't see any White Elephants at the party, but there was this amazing piece of artwork. We didn't really know who it was supposed to be- some thought it was Kramer from Seinfeild, some thought it was Barack Obama, and some thought it was a self-portrait of a Chinese American. When Anita got home and showed this picture to Todd, he thought it was Hugo Chavez. Dianne, U of I's current first lady, had the honors of bringing this home. It will look wonderful in the President's house.

Sweet Home Alabama

Anita got that dreaded phone call the day before Thanksgiving: her dad had been rushed to the hospital. The next day, we were on our way to Alabama. It was a relief to find that nothing life-threatening was going on, but he will be in a rehab hospital for a few weeks. Because that hospital has strict visiting hours, we had time to explore the countryside a little. The first thing we found was a cotton field!
We came across a store, Outpost 72, which had wicker rocking chairs on the porch. This just screamed "the South" for some reason, so of course, I had to sit back and rock for a while. The cashier, however, caught Anita taking a picture of me, so now she thinks Yankees are a little strange :o)
Much of our time was spent waiting in the hospital. LOTS of waiting in the hospital. They say patience is a virtue... more like it's torture! It didn't help that each update brought different issues, and we were all just a little confused by the time we left.

Hey, it may be an IV bag, but it's the only drink I had during the whole trip!

Interesting Southern Food

Spike: hmm... souse... looks like some sort of lunch meat. What are the ingredients? Let's take a look: Pig snout? Pig tongue? Who the heck would be crazy enough to try this!?! Okay, I'll give it a try
ARRRGH!!! I'm dying... stomach cramps... can't breathe... Oh the Humanity!
Okay, I recovered from Souse just in time to find this. I know Pork Rinds are not strictly southern food, but microwave pork rinds? Why would you feel the need to microwave pork rinds? We also found interesting things like fried peanuts, cracklings, and deep fried okra (Southerners like their food fried!)

Spike discovers that the Amish love Wal-Mart

We went to Lawrenceburg, TN one morning and found the Amish parking at Wal-Mart. Who knew the Amish shop at Wal-Mart?
Spike: While we were taking pictures of the parking, an Amish family came along. We decided to be respectful and refrain from photographing them (I wanted to... I thought dinosaurs could get away with anything... but Anita wouldn't let me). As they walked into the store, they kept looking back at us. We were very careful not to stare, so it was awkward when they were staring at us. I guess dinosaurs are a novelty in the Amish culture. We also realized that our license plate was from Minnesota, so Yankees also stand out a bit.

Caramel Spike Finds a Lady Friend

Spike: We were able to take Anita's mom and her friend Doris on a geo-caching trip. We found this cave. Doris told us that she was not allowed to go to this cave when she was little, because that's where the "bad" people were. Leave it up to me to corrupt such a sweet lady :o)
Spike: Well, what do we have here? That sure looks like a fine Southern Belle! Watch the Spikemaster at work...
Spike: Hey, there, pretty lady. Is there a rainbow, because you're the treasure I've been waiting for!
Flo: (tee hee) Well, aren't you a cute one! What's your name, darlin'
Spike: Well, I'm just a Yankee waiting to sweep you off your feet!
Flo: (tee hee) You're a mess! I'm Florence Frogg... but you can call me Flo
Spike: Flo, it certainly is my pleasure! Hey, why don't you come with me? I can take you on all kinds of wild adventures.
Flo: Well, I don't know... where y'all headed?
Spike: Idaho
Flo: Idaho? Now, darlin' why would I want to go all the way to Idaho when I'm at this paradise?
Spike: Well...ummm...the skiing is amazing!
Flo: I'm a frog, for goodness gracious! Frogs don't ski
Spike: ummm...errrr... there are no bugs!
Flo: Hello, what do you think I eat?
Spike: errr...umm... errr...ummm... I have cool friends?
Flo: Well, if your friends are cool... and I could use an adventure... okay! I'll hop along and we can make some good memories
Spike: I think I'm in love!

Will Flo adjust to life in the mountains? How will Chocolate Mike react to Spike's new girlfriend? Tune in to future episodes of "A Dino went a Courtin" to find out!

Palouse Divide Quilting Retreat - Sanity Seekers Quilt Retreat November 13-16, 2008

Shirley of Palouse Divide Lodge and some scrapbookers admire our quilting work at the evening Show and Tell on Saturday night.  Chocolate Mike and the gang are always willing to tag along to Palouse Divide Lodge; it's one of their favorite places.
Sanity Seekers on the porch of Palouse Divide Lodge on Sunday showing off just some of our work.  Happy but tired faces.  Sleep is not necessarily a priority at a retreat.
Alien: "You meet the most interesting people at these retreats."
Somehow we lucked into the big room all to ourselves for our retreat.  Spoiled forever.

Palouse Divide Quilting Retreat - Yes, We Actually Did Some Quilting

Chocolate Mike admiring some of Mary's work from the retreat: one bag, Treehouse quilt top, multiple neck rolls, baby quilt for Sarah, two Christmas table tops, and pillow cases.  
Obi Wan: "The force is strong in the Bernina."
Chocolate Mike: "What are you crazy?  Pfaff is the only way to go.  Only rotary cutters at 20 paces can solve this eternal question."
Alien: "Can we get one of these treehouses for us?"

Palouse Divide Quilting Retreat - Saturday Night

Chocolate Mike: "Well, one can't really quilt all the time on a retreat."

Carmel Spike: "It is Saturday night.  And there are so many tasty beverages that people brought.  It would be impolite not to taste them."
Chocolate Mike: "Imagine there is fabric of drinking Santas to match our mood.  Those quilters think of everything."
Inquiring dinosaurs want to know how Jenny knows people at the gym that just give her rum.  What was more tasty - the margaritas in a bucket (a retreat classic), the new frozen merlot slushies, or Captain Morgan's Tatoo and diet Coke.  Not to mention the Fiery Buffalo Bagel bits.

Chocolate Mike: "Someone check to see if Lana and Jackie are still quilting."

Palouse Divide Quilting Retreat - Did you say quilting, I meant drinking

What's a dinosaur to do for a little local flavor on a Saturday after two days of hard quilting?  Craft show and new-owners of the local watering hole in nearby Oneida?  We're in.  Such a welcoming sign - if they are into hunters, I'm sure they welcome dinosaurs.
While waiting for our onion rings we made new friends with things out of people's purses.  Why Jackie carries at least 5 Chap Sticks at all times is a little bit of a mystery.  As is the little lady in Constance's purse that took such a shine to Chocolate Mike.
Oh, the tall quilting tales that were told.
The craft show was beyond scary, but we would like to highly recommend the food and service at the Drifters Bar.  It was awesome.

Mike and Alien in Portland Oregon

Mike: The SPains took us on their journey to Portland Oregon.
Alien: They went with David and Jenny Harder to see Dave Ramsey.
Mike: He's that Total Money Makeover guy, right?
Alien: Yes, I'm glad we don't have to worry about that.
Mike: We had a good time. We partied on Halloween and went to this old pizza place aptly named Old Town Pizza.
Alien: It's supposed to be haunted by Nina. See her name carved in the wall?



Alien: Why did you think it was funny to throw me in the H2O chamber?



Mike: Jenny and Molly on Halloween giving us some liquid courage to face the Portland natives.
Alien: I got quite a lot of comments on my costume.

Amazing Adventures in Sisters/ Bend Oregon

Mike: Here we are on the road again. We spent the night in Kennewick to meet up with Molly's parents.
Alien: Then it was get in the van and hit some geocaches on the way to Sisters, Oregon.
Mike: We stopped off at this old cemetary which had some pretty nifty headstones.
Alien: Yeah, like this stone boot and the puppy dog and duck behind us. I think I want a UFO crashed into the ground headstone myself, with an epitaph that reads, "Here lies Alien, what's he doing buried here? He should be with his family, floating a bazillion miles into the atmosphere."
Mike: Interesting.....It was sad to see all of the babies buried here. Let's take a moment of silence.......


Mike: Look at these lucious lips. So kissable so..... eh hem...didn't know anyone took a picture of that.
Alien: Our first stop in Sisters was to eat at Bronco Billy's, an old hotel converted into a restaurant.
Mike: Delicious steaks!



Alien: After dinner we toured upstairs and found some old artifacts.
Mike: It was a little spooky up there. It looked like a place the Ghost Hunters would go to investigate.



Mike: Phew! No ghostly aparitions here.



Mike: The following morning Molly's dad, Bill, took Nate, Annabelle, Alien and I on a hike up to Belknap Crater.
Alien: I have to say I was a little frightened going back into that day pack given the fact we were left in for a few months.
Mike: No kidding.



Alien: But Nate did take us out to look at the terrain. This sure makes me miss home.
Mike: It makes me glad a cold beer is waiting for us back at the house.



Mike: Even though we can't vote we sure had a blast watching the Vice-Presidential debates.
Alien: Doggonit Mike, there you go.....were you for beer in a Pilsner or against beer in a bottle
Mike: No, you got it wrong, I voted FOR the beer in a Pilsner not against it in the bottle.
Alien: 25% of Americans prefer their beer in a can so if you vote for it in a Pilsner, 85% of all Americans will be hurting, because we're all hurting.
Mike: No...no...that's not true...All Americans can't drink or don't drink. 68% of the American population is of drinking age and of that 68% only 25% drink of those 25% that drink only 10% drink beer. Of that 10%, 5% drink Keystone Light and since I voted against beer in a plastic red cup that means that 38% of Americans will have to drink their beer out of a frosty mug. How is that so difficult to understand?



Alien: I am protecting my rights to drink beer out of a Plisner.


Mike: Here we are in front of Mirror Pond in Bend, Oregon. Yes, the same Mirror Pond that Dechutes Brewery has crafted their fine ale from.
Alien: Do they use the water from Mirror Pond, becuase it's kind of filled with duck poop.
Mike: I'd rather not know.



Mike: Yippee! Two pubs in one day!



Alien: And a brewery tour as well. Did we die?
Mike: No I think Nate convinced the troups to tour the Dechutes Brewery and try Sample after sample after sample.....



Mike: I'm feeling quite tipsy and oh, so happy.





Alien: Back to the real world now, folks. Lets tour a lava cave! Because nothing reminds me of home like a big black hole and I'm not talking about my mother.
Mike: Hey, nobody told me to bring a flashlight.



Mike and Alien: Enter the big black cave of doom.......
Mike: It actually was really neat in there. I'm glad we're out of it but still...give me a beer or three and I'll visit it again.




Mike: What?!? Good thing we're skinny so we can get out of jail. Poor girls.
Alien: Well, another fun adventure to throw down in the books.
Mike: Or the blog.
Alien: Where are we off to next?
Mike: I here there's a scrapbook retreat.
Alien: Oh dear......another one?