I Have the BEST Step-Daughter (to be).

Early Friday morning I got a message from Vernon's daughter that literally brought tears to my eyes. She wanted to surprise her dad with a Valentine's dinner that she would cook herself. That wasn't the special part as she often makes dinner for her dad. The extra special part is that she wanted me on the computer in a Google+ Hangout at the other end of the table, with a vase of pink roses to add the final touch. She wanted to do this for her dad because we weren't able to be together for Valentine's Day. She coordinated a time with me and I made sure that I was ready for lunch when she had his dinner ready. She made a wonderful bolognese (spaghetti sauce with meat) and home made garlic bread; I had a bowl of chili with cheese. I even drank out of one of my fancy wine glasses. He was so surprised to see me "sitting" there on the pink table cloth with the pink roses. He looked so happy and so surprised. She then left us to enjoy our dinner together.  Oddly enough, we've never had a dinner like this online before. Vernon was amused that I obviously had known about the secret Valentine's dinner and stated, "I can never trust either of you again". I have to admit that if he was able to see my face while I was playing dumb to Yasmine's odd behavior he would have known I was up to something.  Saturday morning I was in a giddy mood, excited about my date with Vernon.  It makes me happy when that girl of his does things like this for him.  This was the first time she's involved me and it was lots of fun.

Thank you so much Yasmine! I don't think you quite realize how very thoughtful and wonderful this dinner was to the both of us.  You are the best!

A Saturday Out With Vernon

From the top of the ski jump hill, lens on full zoom.

A day out with Vernon you say?  How is that possible with him being over 3,500 miles away? Well, sometimes I go places and sometimes I'll even force myself to go out so I can take pictures and tell Vernon about it later. Today was a beautiful Fall day so I wanted to go out and take pictures of the fall colors and show them to Vern. Unfortunately we aren't at peak colors yet, I'll have to go out again next weekend and see if they are any brighter, but I went out anyway and took some nice photos and went places I think Vernon would have wanted to go.  I also drove around town appreciating where I live,  and the beautiful day. I took pictures of things Vern might want to see. I think I was out for about three hours, throwing in a few errands here and there. I had a great morning, and then this afternoon was spent on an online video call with Vernon. It's like I spent the entire day with him. Here are the rest of the photos I took while out and about this morning.

Where do you like to go with your Sweetheart when he/she can't be with you?  Do you ever find yourself appreciating things you see every day when you try to see them as if you were experiencing it with that other person? I find myself doing this quite often.

From the top of the ski jump hill, lens on full zoom.

From the top of the ski jump hill. Observation deck to left.

Flagpole at Veteran Memorial at top of ski jump hill.

Mountaineer Stadium

Mountaineer Stadium

Mountaineer Stadium

Menominee River, the border between MI and WI

Menominee River, the border between MI and WI

Menominee River, the border between MI and WI

A small corner grocery store.

We have a date in Spain planned!

I was a basketball player and I am a football fan. Americans get a little nuts over Nascar, especially in the south. Why? I have no idea. It’s as boring as golf to me.  I just assumed all racing was the same as Nascar, round and round and round and round and round the same round track.  Well, all racing isn’t as boring as Nascar.

I was Skyping with Vernon today and I was being distracted by Heidi and goofing around with her.  Vernon was being distracted by the TV and searching for the mother ship, uhhhhh I mean a mother board.  Well, he then started to get pretty vocal while watching the TV. “Woah!” and “Oooh!” and “I love it when they race in the rain, they’re all over the road!” I was like, “What are you watching?” He said the blah blah blah race in Canada. I figured it was live and I started flipping channels. I found golf (Aaak!) and Nascar (Aaak!) and then this other race with these cool low little cars and the course was all curvy and twisty and it was wet and as I turned it on this guy was trying to get debris from a recent crash out of the road and freaked as a car came around the curve and he fell so the car had to swerve around him. {breathe!} I bet they both needed a clean pair of shorts after that.

In the upper left corner I saw a logo, F1.  So I asked Vernon, “F1, Formula 1, you know that racing group right?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m watching.”  

Then I saw the Canadian flags and I knew we were watching the same race. AWESOME! Last time we watched the same thing together it was the Royal Wedding.  We started watching the race together. Well, I had an educated guess that F1 racing was international, drivers from all over the world. Since Vernon was into cars and Top Gear I’d figure he’d know the name of England’s driver if they had one. Turns out they have 2 guys, Hamilton and Button. After he said the second name I was like, “I have a button on my shirt-Button?”

“Yes”.

Well, turns out this Button guy was in 4^th place, then 3^rd then 2^nd, and there were a few laps to go.  It was pretty exciting to watch. Those little cars can really get around those hairpin turns.  Then on the final lap the guy who was ahead for several laps lost control for a bit, Button pulled ahead and he won the race. I don’t know if it was fun and exciting because it actually was or because I was watching it with Vernon and we were enjoying it together?  Either way, we are going to watch the next race that takes place in Spain, two weeks from now.

I think we have a date planned. I can’t wait!