Peoria – ? I grew up there. Going home for the holidays to feel like a kid again and was not disappointed. Snow at Christmas (a blizzard!!) Corn fields I used to run in…

Stuck in the mud! Was I back in High School?

My dad, still tall and handsome at 86, an ex-Marine Sergeant – called (what else) Sarge. Didn’t want to call him when I got stuck in the mud, nor did I when I was in High School stuck in the mud!

Now for a few anecdotes:

1. Dad: a bit forgetful – always asks ‘where are you’ and with me that’s okay because I go everywhere. I was staying half an hour away at a friend’s while home for the holidays.

Phone: Only reception I could get was either outside in the freezing rain or snow (did I mention I traveled from Sydney where it’s summer)?  So I decided to try the garage and it worked and wasn’t as cold and wet!  So I called my dad to tell him I had gotten home to my friend’s okay.  He said “where are you” – I said, “in the garage”. – he said, “my garage?” at which point I was on the floor of the cement garage in hysterical laughter.  I said, “no Anne’s garage” – he said, oh good I wouldn’t have wanted to lock you in my garage, it’s cold”.

2. I was going to cook dinner at Dad’s. He & his wife’s idea of a gourmet meal is choosing which TV dinner.
I insisted on marinating the chicken overnight. I found an interesting array of spices and went about spicing up their lives. I then went back to my friend’s to eat and sleep. I went back the next day to cook a spicy, awesome dinner and went looking for my marinated chicken.