GOING TO THE DARK SIDE

It was a day to remember.  When I was a kid, I always wondered why another country would try to completely take over OUR country.  Peace around the world wasn't even anything anyone talked about.  To compare what we went through as kids to the peace treaties and agreements we have today, has been amazing to watch.  Somehow, some people got rich and assumed power of their country, then tried to do the same with every OTHER country.  Thankfully we won this war, despite losing so many of our young men.

There are very few left who survived this attack.  One of them was our very own Elk, Frank Paredes.  We had a little bit in common ... he was from the same area of Arizona that I spent time in, so we hashed over the Indian reservation life.  He passed away two years ago.  

So here's to all the heroic survivors and here's to all those who gave their life, keeping our country free.  

 I call this guy Mr. Mr.  He sleeps a lot in his old age, which is NOT so good.  The Vet said he was EXTREMELY overweight ... but then changed it to ... well he's not that bad, just 2 pounds overweight.  I thought she was talking about ME.  

SO ... maybe if we become VEGETARIANS, we can lose a few pounds for the umpteenth time.  Yessiree ... we are going to the dark side.  Mr. Mr. started off with SENIOR food.  Wasn't I surprised that as I added a little more of the new stuff every day, HE ATE IT!  

So maybe if I add a little salad, he will eat that too.  NOPE ... not a chance.  He left every single piece in the bowl.  I can't blame him, I don't like salad in the winter either.

So just WHAT do vegetarians EAT?  I looked it up ... tofu and garbanzo beans.  Yes, that is DEFINITELY the dark side, and I'm NOT going there!!  I decided to try that cornbread casserole instead.  Jiffy cornbread mix, can of corn, can of creamed corn and some other stuff including lots of butter added in.  I used HONEY cornbread mix and threw in some cheese for extra flavor.  Not bad ... not bad at all!!

The trouble was I felt like all I had for lunch was cornbread.  I was back at the fridge in a flash.  Maybe some roasted carrots would do the trick.  Actually this wasn't bad, but again, I felt like I didn't eat anything.  Maybe that's the point.  Cooper wasn't impressed with either one.  He ate the carrots, but they didn't stay down long.  After cleaning up that mess, Mr. Cooper was taken OFF the veggie diet.

I've still got broccoli, more carrots, bell peppers and mushrooms to go.  If anyone has any recipes, maybe they would be so kind as to pass them along.  I mean really, there MUST be something you add to make these things more filling and taste BETTER!!

This would work, but probably will not help the diet.  Hawaiian banana bread, mostly for Mr. Jonathan, though I admit, I probably eat the majority of it.  It's banana bread with crushed pineapple.

I've been stocking up for the current trip, so my freezer is full to the brim.  I had a hard time getting that banana bread stashed in there.  I have a bad feeling that hardly ANY of this will fit in my RV freezer.  I still have a few days to whittle it down.  If not, I'll leave the frozen TV dinners behind.

There was one bit of excitement that lasted about 30 minutes.  I HATE THE TIME CHANGE.  It gets dark around here at 4:30 pm.  I went out to check the mail, to see a car next door, and two guys bending down next to the garage with a flashlight.  

Now that looks like two guys trying to break into a house.  I stood and watched them until they spotted me.  They slowly got up and walked back to their car.  I grabbed my phone for a picture as they backed out of the driveway.  

Just two days ago, about a big country block away, two guys tried to steal a car.  Seems they ran my direction when spotted, but I never saw them.  Are they BACK?  I called the homeowner ... this being the one who lets her dogs do their business on my lawn every day.  Turns out she was out of town and hired these two kids to check on her dogs.  Okay then ........

I spent the rest of the evening watching the rodeo.  I'm mostly interested in the saddle broncs and the bull riding.  I am NOT an adrenaline junkie.  I would be shaking in my boots if I was even at the far end of the arena when one of these guys was loose.  I've been run over before ... and it is NOT pleasant.

Two guys got stepped on, but not badly hurt thank goodness.  My fav Stetson won first place in saddle bronc riding and second place in bull riding.  That's four bulls he has covered in four outings.  That's unheard of.  He has to ride TEN bulls in ten days, as well as TEN broncs.  He's getting twice the action and twice the hardship.  Here's hoping he can finish with another THREE World Championships under his belt.  One for bulls, one for broncs and one for All Around.