You're taking me, aren't you? - BarkleyIt was a great weekend with friends, both far and near, gathering. Saturday was my first day out of the house in three weeks, other than short hops for physical therapy following my knee surgery to remove the torn meniscus, a couple carpools into the office and a stop at a store on the way back from the Doctor's in another little town. I couldn't drive, can't do any sort of travel for a while, but boy, did it feel good to get out for a day.
Lunch Saturday was meeting up with friends at one of the best Thai restaurants in the big city, a little strip mall gem you might miss, and you don't want too. When I make my monthly trek to the city and Trader Joe's I always stop there for lunch., the drunken noodles being the best in town.
The meals start with a Spring Roll and a bowl of Gang Jead Woon Sen which I am going to go buy a gallon of the next time I have a cold (they do take out at http://www.sawasdeeindy.com/)
The dinner entrees are served family-style and are often big enough to serve two, so our selections of Pud Priew Waan (a hot and sweet and sour stir fry with lots of fresh vegetables and chicken) and Pud Kra Prow (beef with several types of fresh peppers, onion, and fresh Thai basil - yum!) with rice, were more than enough to go around. It's a family business, with subtle but very attentive service, spotlessly clean surroundings and colorful decor (but I smiled at the TV towards the back, for the guys to watch football in the middle of a Thai restaurant - Go Colts!)
I always wonder why when you have a table of people of Scandahoovian, German or Celt descent, with ice blue or light green eyes, and you order Thai Hot, they ALWAYS say "are you sure??"
Yes, I'm sure.
After that, a wave goodbye and EJ and I headed West to drive through the country so I could take some photos. He had to explain to me that I needed to be careful regarding my shouted road warnings, as having driven much on business in the UK, when his seatmate yelled "SHEEP!!!" it meant immediate road hazard, not oh, let's slow down so I can take a picture of the little bastards.
Roger. :-)
Duly trained, we stopped and took photos of a couple of barns (which were guarded by legions of burrs), a cow or two and just to be polite, homemade ice cream from the cows home, at the Traderspoint Creamery (another excellent spot for lunch in the IND area). Caramel and Blackberry were the choices today. I'm glad we only ordered "one scoop" or we'd not be able to finish them.
As we sat in their beautifully restored restaurant in a barn I had the most overwhelming urge for cheese. Most odd.
Then, with a jug of their french style Yogurt for the fridge and some cheese to take home, we were off to Marsh grocers to pick up stuff to cook for supper. I had to use the electric cart, too sore from the photo walking to go far. I have to say, after having been to three business establishments and using their carts as I recovered, I would rate them as follows:
WalMart - Best on speed. Quite decent on maneuverability. They have enough forward motion you can do a donut in produce. The greeters were also very helpful in getting it unhooked from the charger and no one called the cops after that incident with the Billy Bass and the crutch.
Marsh Grocery on 86th: Second fastest on speed, but the store is NOT laid out to be friendly to anyone using one with tight displays everywhere (lookout its GATORADE!)
Target in Plainfield - for starters, when there are two greeters in a very unbusy store and there is a lady 20 feet away with a cane and a knee brace the size and shape of Chili on her leg, and it's obvious the electric cart she is trying to use is not starting, quit talking about snowboarding and ask if you can help before she hobbles painfully away. That being said, Secretariat AFTER he died is faster than a Target mobile cart.
Then it was home to store some ammo supplies and a couple of Zombie targets and get dinner started. (which was posted earlier today for those interested in Range Recipes)
SUNDAY. TIME FOR THE BLOG MEET!
Sunday dawned clear and cold, breakfast was half a crumpet with a new jar of Lingonberry jam (after the feast of yesterday and Barkley was taken out for a long, much-awaited walk while I did my flamingo impression in the shower. Not being up to the gun show, I got a ride to the Blog Meet, an impromptu one after the gun show activities were winding down. Roberta has obviously heard about my activities on the store electric carts
It was a good turn out for being on short notice.
From left at 8 o'clock and around clockwise - Mr. Engineering Johnson, my empty seat as I was taking the photos, Roberta X, Old Grouch, The Jack, Shermlock Shomes , Tam K., Don's wife and Don - official lurker #2 and a welcome visitor at our last blog meet.
The conversation was as lively and varied as the group. Guns and gaming, food and fairs, wookies and weaponry. Why if Tam can't win a giant stuffed llama at the fair, the shooting game is obviously rigged and why it's never a good idea to run up a large white bra up the mast on a U.S. military ship when the Captain is awake somewhere.
Food was plentiful and varied. As usual, the Scotch Eggs disappeared fast. I think the Wookie ate them.
Tam, the Wookie's companion, pleads the Fifth.
As always there were brewpub favorites like their IPA and Lawnmower Pale Ale, a selection of pub food, including fish and chips . .
. . . and hot pretzels, and a daily special, one of which was Turkey Manhattan (for non Hoosiers, that's an open-faced turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes under (or more authentically, between, the plated slices of bread) all covered with homemade gravy.
Three of the group had driven in quite a ways, so soon it was time to say goodbye. We departed, full, smiling, and looking forward to another one. Thanks, everyone, as always it was a lot of fun.
Those blog meets were always fun! :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot - I gained three pounds just reading about the food! :)
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