Weekend Roundup: Aug. Folkmarch, a summer picnic and scrapping with friends.

Saturday morning, I lazily putzed around the house, being careful not to "work" to hard...or do anything that I had intended to do before the day unfolded. I accomplished that well enough, and before I was about to head out to the Folksmarch with Tami, Renee called and asked if she wanted to help me get the dog cage for Riley. Yes Yes Yes!!! Now maybe when I return today I'll have a pair of shoes left, and a poop free house. So we hurry to Leah's to get the cage. Renee helps me assemble it and soon after, Tami comes by and we are off to North Syracuse for the Aug. Folksmarch.  I am sure I locked both the dogs up in their "away" homes before I leave feeling satisfied that my house will be poop free when I return.

Having had a late start of the morning we only had a 1/2 hour left of the march so we got out stamp, and pin and headed off along  the Historic Plank Road.  Apparently North Syracuse is home to the very first Plank Rd in America.  Here is a little history of Plank Rd taken from the internet

.
"On April 12, 1844 the “Salt Road” was taken over by the Salina and Central Square Plank Road Company. The first plank road in the United States was finished and ready for travel on July 18, 1846. The road cost $23,000, was 16-1/2 miles long and planked its entire length. Thomas Alvord, State Legislator, who later became Lieutenant Governor helped secure the passage of an Act to construct, maintain and collect tolls. There were four tollgates about four miles apart that were operated by the company which was a profitable enterprise for many years. The fees were 1 cent per head of cattle, 5 cents for a single horse, and 25 cents for a horse and wagon.
There was a dirt side and planked side to the road; the East Side was dirt and the West Side planked 3″ thick by 8′ long. Loaded wagons had the right of way on the planked side, the other side being reserved for empty wagons, single horses and for passing. Bicycles used the plank side on Sunday for racing. Due to wear and tear by horses’ shoes and iron hoops on wagon wheels, a gang was constantly busy just making repairs." pretty interesting hun?

 Tami and I walk down along the roads and catch a few sites including taking pictures of the Veterans Memorial, a few pretty flowers and some area attractions. There was also a tour of the one room school house that we missed by minutes and it was closed by the time we got close to it. We walked about a 1/2 a mile when my lower back started to ache so much I knew I wouldn't be able to make it much more. We did some stretching and I attempted to push through, but finally I had to ask Tami if she was okay with us returning. It was the worse it has ever been, and I didn't want her to have to run back to the car and pick me up. I really do need to look into this medically and I am sure loosing some pounds would certainly help. I am so defeated by this. We make a little side trip and stepped into the garden before we return to the North Syracuse Community Center, where the walk began and the car was parked.

 Surprisingly this was one of the only flowers along the way that was not looking ill or wilted.

 A little history about North Syracuse trolley system was located in this little memorial park across from the Community Center and Library.

 

Tami was great at trying to keep me positive about the "failed" walk, and encouraged me to get back to the gym and build myself up. Even with the failed full walk, we had to get out traditional lunch and decided on a popular restaurant/pub just North of the village bordering Clay called the Coppertop Tavern.

Tami and I were in our silliest of moods when we arrived and I am sure the waitress thought we had arrived drunk, we just couldn't get the giggles out. It took us awhile to make a decision on a lunch menu, but we both took a bowl of French Onion Soup as we continued to search.

I finally decided on can you guess? A burger and fries and Tami had some Cuban Club or Reuben Sandwich.

My burger was one of the BEST I have ever had! It was called the Pub Burger and included crumbly blue cheese, bacon, cheddar (It comes with Swiss, but I hate swiss) and a Cajun mayo. With recommendations from the waitress I got their homemade breads instead of a bun. IT WAS DELISH!!!! Would recommend it over and over again, and I am truly a burger expert. We were both too full to eat it all, and had to box it up, (So I got to nibble on it later too, it still tasted good) and skip desert. I caught a few cute pictures of the bathroom doors.

I seem to find humor in the bathrooms I go to? These made me chuckle because I personally have been that lady with her legs all twisted doing the pee pee dance before, but I think it would have been more appropriate if the Gent was standing free of pee pee problems....because there is NEVER a line at the MENS room ever, and this would NEVER happen.

We make our way back out into the sunshine, it is very dark inside the tavern and quite the old tavern feel and make our way homewards. I still haven't done groceries and No I haven't got TP. Tami and I discuss going to the grocery store together and decide make a quick dog check at my home before we head off to Price Chopper.

Funniest thing; when I open the door, there is Riley, whom I left in the cage, sitting there on the couch with the silliest look of "well Hi human, what's up?" (I so wish I had my camera ready when I walked in the door.) I looked at him and said...How did you get out? He didn't answer (cauz that would be really freaky), but continued to look at me with that I figured it all out and you cannot lock me up look on his face....I guessed I hadn't latched the lock properly, but despite his escape...I was poop FREE!

Tami and I made our way to Price Chopper, me with my list in hand and a pile of coupons. At checkout, I tell the cashier I am racing my friend (Tami was in the next line over) and I had bet her (which I had) my total order would be less then $50- not including the TP. (I had to get TP and the most practical price was the $11.99 super sized and I knew it would put my $50- budget over.) Bill totaled $132 and some change with the TP and before my shopper club card and coupons. I was getting a bit nervous. Tami won the line race, and I didn't make my $50- budget. My grocery total was $64.21,  $2.22 over with the TP. Well it was close and I got All laundry soap for .99 cents and got two Friendly's ice creams for FREE. I would have surly made my budget, but I did add a few things not on my list, strawberries, lettuce and a bagged Caesar salad complete with dressing, croutons ect that I only paid $1.00 for. I still felt victorious.

We made it to the church off Tami's street just in time to get FREE bread and a few pastries. I know this is for the poor, but it was five minutes before the time they stop, so it would have been thrown out anyways, so I am trying not to feel bad about it, and honestly right now we are poor. Now I have a free blueberry muffin for breakfast, leftovers for lunch from Coppertop, TP, $52.22 in groceries and enough bread for at least a week. We should all be good.

After Tami drops me off I scramble to make cupcakes, shower and prepare for Mary's party. I get a hold of my D&D (my son volunteered to be our chauffer for the evening so I could have few alcoholic beverages at the party if I decided to. It ended up that I didn't really need him, but I did let him drive Tami and I home just the same.)  We got Tami and headed to Mary's house for her annual summer picnic.

  I seem to have a lot of pictures of me eating! Here is Tami and I at the picnic chowing down on BBQ chicken and a whole host of picnic foods.

The band and friends of Mary and Brian's The Fab Cats. They are very good and play at several of the local establishments. Mostly music of the 50's-80's. Tami and I sang a lot of Elvis, Roy Orberson, and Beatles last night as the weather chilled quickly. My son played camera man and took some shots of the local pond area with some fun affects.

Many of Mary and Brian's friends I don't know, so I spent most of the evening with Tami and my son enjoying the band. We ate, ate some more, and ate a little more. Yep I was full!!!

 I look FULL here!

Here's Tami playing camera Man. This shot of me, sadly was the best of the bunch. She caught me singing with my mouth open, looking like I ate something awful, and a few others that were much less appealing then the one above. Nick never seems to take a bad picture.

We took a few friend pictures and decided to call it a night.

 Tami, Mary and me!

Mary and Brian. Another successful Annual Summer Picnic!

I made Nick stop at Red Box as we were going home realizing that I had FULL control of the TV this evening and rented Guilt Trip.

 

At home I nestled myself in my comfy PJ's covered in warm blankets, started the movie and my daughter calls for a ride home...really. So out again, then back and movie watched. It was cute. Dogs survived and no Riley did not get out this time, family all well in Lake George, daughter home from work with me. Son at his home with GF, and all is good with the world. I finally went to bed at 11pm and slept hard.

 

Sunday, I had hoped that the girls would come over for a scrappy date. Mindy and her two children came over, but no word from Cricket and Mary had a long evening the night before and kayaking today. It was nice to enjoy Mindy. We didn't get any scrapping done, but we enjoyed each others company and her kids had fun in the pool.  We agreed we would try and get together on Friday with all of the kids and try for a cheep day trip. After she went home, I watched Hallie Berry in The Call.

It was okay, somewhat unrealistic, but some good drama. Now I am just waiting for my family to come home, then later I hope to enjoy True Blood.