With the favorite daughter being home, our day2day schedules have been altered.  But, I’ve still been hitting the road.  But, I’ve been home every evening.

Friday evening, while sitting outside at the picnic table, we were chatting about stuff…just random stuff.  I made a comment about a good cheeseburger.  Kela had a remark or two.  Then she said, “You know.  I have eaten a burger in every country that I have been to.”

Of course, I had to ask questions.  Best burger, how many countries, etc.

She answered all questions.  Six continents.  Lots of countries.  Best fast-food burger–In N Out.   Best burger— that turned into another story.   It maybe wasn’t the best burger but…..

She was working for the Amazing Race.  Long shooting hours, whole different time zones and a late night.  “Well, I was wore out, starving and just kind of wanted a drink of something for a night cap.  So, here I was ordering a burger.   I got a bottle of wine.  I sat there beach side with a burger, a bottle and I was in Bali.  It was all just kind of perfect.”

I mentioned something about a cheeseburger in paradise.  “Dad, it wasn’t playing out loud but it was playing in my mind.”   When she was young, she loved for me to play that Jimmy Buffet greatest hits CD.  She would sing that song over and over.  Seems fitting now.

With her being home, the family came to the house on Sunday.  I smoked up some pork butts, fresh corn and taters and there was plenty of other fixins.  Both sets of grandparents as well as uncles and aunts from both sides and plenty of cousins.  Cousins aged from 8 months to 28 years.  Cool deal!

I am still learning about greenhouse type plants.  My mom and Tammy’s mother are both really knowledgeable about plants.  They have been huge resources for my learning about these plants.  And they both help the students.  Tammy’s niece also works part time at a nursery in Stillwater.  While talking about several different succulent plants, Tammy’s brother Todd mentioned that he had a confession about caring for houseplants.

A decade or two ago, his wife took a teaching job several hours away.  He stayed home to work and keep the house operational.  She entrusted all of the house plants to him that winter.  He made an effort to keep them living but only had luck with one plant.  He watered that plant, talked to that plant, might have even shared a cold one or two with that plant.  It stayed green until she moved back home.  He was proud of that plant.  A few months later………..his wife broke the news to him about that plant.  Yep, it was plastic.

Today, I took a team of jr. high kids to judge at NOC sheep field day.  Clayton Washmon made a hand and was 3rd high individual.  Good trip, great kids.  I got word during the contest that Tammy was having a bad day. Sasha–the tri color Queen B corgi at our house–was sick and had a pancreas problem.  She is only 11 years old so hopefully they can get her healed up.

And Duke had to go to the emergency room.  He turned white and all but passed out while working at the Vet Clinic.  Turns out he got bit by a tick while at FFA alumni camp.  They’ve (hospital not Vet clinic) got him on antibiotics and everything should be fine.  His color is now good and he is griping a lot this evening.  I think that he is close to being back to normal.

I practiced my engineering skills on this fine evening.  I used a wee bander to castrate a kid (goat).  Every time that I use that thing, I have to watch the instructional video to remember how it works.  And it does work.

Speaking of working, I’ve got stuff to do and places to be tomorrow.