August and Everything after....

...And I'm feeling it...ba, ba, ba...ba, ba, ba.

Directions to here: Take the way home, that leads back to Sullivan Street

o8.06.06....Bobble and friends at the Lake County Fair

Ferris wheel, Elephant Ear, Midway, Taffy Apple, Mouse Game, Cotton Candy, Industrial building, walking tacos, pony rides, fried oreos, Grange Tent, fried cheese, cow barn, midget search, horses and carnies....yes, it's that time of the year again...The Fair!
Went to take Dad bisquits and gravy in the afternoon...and he didn't even touch it...so now I KNOW something is wrong, as he usually licks the plate. Left him sleeping and went over to the fair and met up with Susie & Jerry, Dave & Sandy and Janet, where I ate enough for both me and Dad together. Bobble and I won at the mouse game...betting on #66. Took the annual walk of the midway in search of (Jerry: "what are we looking for?" Nancy: "midgets")...the um, SIDESHOW oddities and once again proved the t-shirt true: Too many freaks, not enough circuses." Ah, you gotta love the fair, Dave.

This was Sandy's favorite ride....and only for skinny people. We had to watch from the sidelines because our number on the scale is over the limit. Wait til next year. Biggest Loser goal: to ride the bungee at the Fair!On Monday, I acted as Sister Susie's Farm Bureau Assistant and confirmed once again that if I had to be her I would cry everyday. That woman can get stuff done. Took Dad to the doctor and found out his blood pressure was so low it barely registered. Took him to the Grange Tent anyway and had lunch...and tried to get him to eat, but not much luck.
Took Dad home, stopped and saw Jamie's new apartment and back to the fair for more food and fun. Doesn't this little girl need a pony, Grandpa?














Watched Sandy's second attempt at a flip on the bungee: chicken.
Ate some more and called it a day at the fair.
Back in Indy by midnight.


Directions to here: 9 mile stretch to the main gate to the Grange Tent to the MIdway to the food walk to the gallbladder surgery, if you're sister susie! (2003)

Saturday's Road...Bobble and the racers and sister #2

Saturday morning, Patty and I continued our quest to the "corner"...by heading up 31 and hitting the antique places we had been to last year with the antique "speeders..."we're done here"...Susie and Sandy. We came to "Picker's paradise" and took a slow stroll thru the one side and I crossed over to the other side....only to find the "corner" that used to be filled with all kinds of paper, that they didn't let me even go in last year, is GONE...packed up and GONE. Now, this would be like me moving my books, moving my apartment...I can't imagine where this guy went? Anyway, there was a heavy sigh...but I did find some treasures, none the less. We had lunch and I got to see the eldest Hoshaw child...and then I was off to the Lake Village Raceway to see sister #2...official ticket taker at the track, Janet.


Man, those karts go fast!
Here I am trying to keep up with who's on first:

Moore Motor Sports had a pretty good night....that's Casey #5 behind Bobble...

And the Checkered flag goes to Casey Moore! Darold looks good with that big smile!


Directions to here: 23 to 80/90 to 421 to 10 to 41 to ticket gate to racetrack turn and go round and round and round and round...20 laps

Friday's road...Bobble and the Amish and sister #1

I woke up on Friday with a new plan for the rest of my vacation:

3 days...3 sisters.

So instead of heading south I headed east toward South Bend...but had to wind a little south to see who really is from Hicksville USA...


I wandered up and over...up and over... toward South Bend and passed thru Amish Country. Now, I know that the Amish don't like to have their pcitures taken...but they just look so darn cool...and then there is the Bobble head dog Chronicles to keep up so I just couldn't resist:


I ended up in downtown Mishawaka and met sister #1 - Patty at Eddie's Collectibles and we took a SLOW look at EVERYTHING(unlike other sisters I know). I found a few paper treasures...cause I don't have enough paper in my apartment. Then I back tracked a bit to Elkhart to take more photos of signage...and ended up in The Hoshaw's backyard watching the end of childhood...as the tree house got moved to the neighbor's yard.
Directions to here: RR 2 to Indiana 101 to SR 6 to 9 to SR 20 to the tollroad by mistake to Capitol to BR 20 to 19 to tollroad 80 again to 23 to Jeff and Patty's back yard

Thursday night at the Plaza

Thursday afternoon found me with 3 days of vacation left and back in the midwest.
After Jolene's service, I back tracked a little to Delta Ohio and spent an hour or two at a few antique shops I had passed that morning. As I drove the country roads and came into downtown Archbold ( Jolene's hometown)...I couldn't help but wonder how many times Jolene had driven by these sights.
I passed the Arch motel...another antique mall...and then in downtown Archbold came across a feeling of deja vu as I passed a diner in the middle of downtown. I did a double take...and parked...grabbed the camera and crossed the street to take a picture. As I saw the small neon milkshake and hamburger signs in the window...I laughed out loud. Jolene and I had always talked about visiting each others hometowns...and as I stood in downtown Archbold...I said out loud, "Jolene, I have already been to your hometown!" I'm 95% sure that I drove thru Archbold in '99 while on tour with a band. I remember saying slow down as I took video of a small restaurant with silver and neon signs. Sure enough later that night I passed the community college where the concert was! I mused in my head that Jolene was probably in high school and maybe even hanging out when I passed the restaurant back then. Last night, talking to a friend from her home town...I found out...(incredibly)...that she WORKED at that restaurant as a waitress...so who knows maybe she's even in my drive-by video...it was a definity a surreal movie moment. I know Jolene is shaking her head in wonder, just as I was as I stood and looked at the diner!
After seeing the sights in Archbold and driving thru Bryan...where I took in a car show......(I NEED a car with fins), I decided to head to Indy via back roads. On my way out of Bryan I stopped at the Plaza motel to take a picture...and realized how very tired I was...having only slept two hours the night before. So...I pulled in, got a room and spent the rest of the night taking a drive thru Defiance and sitting in the lawn chairs outside my room using the free internet!! Mom and Pop motels forever.



Directions to here: Alternate 20 to 66 (ohio) to SR 2 to vintage neon...room #1

tuesday's road

my jersey trip may be cut short, but we still found time for the best thing about jersey..."the diner".

directions to here: S.R. 23