CHRISTMAS?

WHENEVER YOU GET THE RECHSTEINER BOYS TOGETHER IT’S GOING TO BE A FUN TIME !!!

WE SURPRISED GRANDMA WITH A CHRISTMAS PRESENT OF A NEW LAPTOP. SHE HAD MENTIONED SHE WAS GOING TO GET ONE THIS WINTER IN ARIZONA FOR HER WINTER OUTING.

OF COURSE THE FOOD IS ALWAYS A PROJECT ON ONE OF THESE WEEK-ENDS AND WE TURNED OUR EXPERT, MARY, LOSE IN WENDY’S FULL SIZE KITCHEN. IT WAS A REAL TREAT FOR MARY WHO USUALLY COOKS IN THE CAMPER KITCHEN. THE GOURMET ITALIAN CHICKEN SOUP WAS AN INSTANT HIT.

WENDY GOT STUCK DOING THE BREAKFAST PIZZA, AND REX DROPPED THE BALL, DRINKING 20 BEERS (AGAIN), AND EATING LIMBURGER CHEESE THE NIGHT BEFORE, SO DUTCH OVEN STICKY BUNS NEVER GOT OUT OF THE FREEZER.



MY LITTLE BROTHERS COVERED MY ASS BY GOING TO TOWN AND BUYING STICKY BUNS IN THE FROZEN FOOD CASE TO POP INTO THE OVEN, AND AFTER THE BREAKFAST PIZZA WE CRUISED THE LAKE BY PONTOON BOAT WITH THE STICKY DELIGHTS.



YESTERDAY WE PICTURED THE GUEST HOUSE FROM THE LAKE AND TODAY IS A PICTURE OF THE MAIN HOUSE.


HERE ARE THE BEFORE AND AFTER FAMILY SHOTS, 44 YEARS APART.




REMEMBER, LIFE IS SHORT, “JUST DO IT!”

SPOONER, WISCONSIN

“UP NORTH”

OUT WEST PEOPLE GO “UP TO THE MOUNTAINS” TO VACATION, GET AWAY, AND RELAX. HERE IN THE MID-WEST, THEY GO “UP NORTH”. WHEN YOU LOOK UP, “UP NORTH” IN THE DICTIONARY IT SHOULD SAY, SPOONER WISCONSIN.

IT’S AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL, PEACEFUL, AND RELAXING. WE CHECKED INTO THE GUEST HOUSE ON CABLE LAKE, HOME OF UNCLE HANS AND WENDY OUR BLOGGING PARTNERS.

WE CAUGHT A BEAUTIFUL WARM SUNNY AFTERNOON AND THE LAKE WAS SMOOTH AS GLASS. WE TOURED THE LAKE ON THE PONTOON BOAT, AND THE WATER WAS SO CLEAR YOU COULD SEE THE WALLIES, BLUE GILLS, NORTHERN, AND TURTLES IN THE WATER.





OF COURSE “UP NORTH” INCLUDES A LITTLE TAVERN RUN, WHERE WE MET UP WITH JAKE AND WOODY, THE BAR DOG. WOODY WOULD BE SMILING EXCEPT HE JUST LOST $2, ON SHAKE – A – DAY.



“SUNNY & 80” (ALMOST)

LOGAN BAR

WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO SHRIMP AT THE LOGAN ON WEDNESDAY. GUESS I BETTER FILL YOU IN ON THE DETAILS. THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT SPECIAL AT THE LOGAN BAR IS A DOZEN SHRIMP FOR $3.

BUT HERE IS THE CATCH, THEY BRING YOUR SHRIMP RAW AND UNPEELED, SO THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO DO IS PEEL THEM.

NEXT YOU SEND THEM BACK TO THE COOK AND WE ORDERED OURS GRILLED WITH GARLIC AND BUTTER.

AND PRESTO, YOU HAVE BUTTER AND GARLIC SHRIMP !!!

LOOKS GOOD DOESN'T IT? THROW IN ANOTHER 20 BEERS AND YOUR IN FOR ONE HELL OF NIGHT !!

THIS IS "GRANDMA JACK" WITH A GROUP OF HER GRAND BABIES.

MARY'S TWO DAUGHTERS NIKKI AND HEATHER.

PRAIRE DU CHEIN, WI

WE MADE IT BY EARLY AFTERNOON TO PRAIRE DU CHEIN, WI. WE MADE OUR REGULAR MOVE OF SPITTING UP, AND MARY CONTINUED ON TO MT HOPE TO SEE HER MOTHER AND I REMAINED IN PRAIRE VISITING WITH TODD AND SUCKING DOWN 20 BEERS.

WE WALKED ON THE BOAT AND I SAW MANY FAMILIAR FACES, HUGS, VISITS, AND QUESTIONS ALL AROUND. TODD MADE A FAST $50 AND WERE OUT OF THE CASINO.

NEXT STOP THE WINNESHEIK BAR WHERE WE SOLVED ALL OF THE WORLD'S PROBLEMS FROM GREEN BAY FOOTBALL TO THE U.S. ECONOMY, I THINK THE BARTENDER WAS TAKING NOTES, AND I'LL TRY TO GET YOU ALL COPIES.

IT'S GOOD TO BE HOME WHERE EVERYTHING IS GREEN, CORN IN THE FIELDS, AND HAY IN THE BARN.

AT LAST----I-70!!

OUR INTERNET CONNECTIONS AND TIME TO BE ON THE INTERNET HAVE BEEN SPOTTY AT BEST, THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.

AS I SAID BEFORE WE'VE DONE ALL THE INTERSTATE HI WAYS FROM THE MIDWEST TO THE WEST EXCEPT INTERSTATE 70. WE STAY AWAY FROM THIS INTERSTATE BECAUSE OF IT'S DIRECT ROUTE UP OVER THE ROCKIES PULLING A CAMPER. THE "SPRINT" WITH THE HONDA LET US TAKE THE I-15 OUT OF VEGAS AND THE I-70 ACROSS UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO TO DENVER.

IT WAS SPECTACULAR AND THESE WINDSHIELD SHOTS DON'T DO IT JUSTICES.

THERE ARE SEVERAL BEAUTIFUL STRETCHES WHERE YOU DRIVE ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER THROUGH THE CANYONS, AND NARROW STRETCHES OF MOUNTAIN PASSES. SEVERAL TUNNELS WHERE YOU DRIVE THROUGH THE MOUNTAIN AND COME OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE.

THE BIG TUNNEL IS THE EISENHOWER TUNNEL AND IT WAS AMAZING. TWO MILES LONG AND I'M NOT SURE OF THE CHANGE IN ELEVATION.

OUR HOSTS IN DENVER WERE THE COLORADO KIDS, AND ALTHOUGH I'M NOT TO SURE ABOUT THEIR TASTE IN MUSIC :-), WE CERTAINLY ENJOYED THEIR BEAUTIFUL HOME, OUTDOOR PATIO, AND VISIT.

AS YOU CAN SEE THEY WERE KINDA ENOUGH TO TAKE US OUT TO A BAR AND GRILL WITH AN OUTDOOR PATIO TO ACCOMMODATE REX THE SMOKER.

HERE IS MARY GETTING A DEMO RIDE IN JEANNIE'S BRIGHT (PULL ME OVER) RED AUDI.

WE REALLY ENJOYED OUR DENVER STOP, AND THANKS DAVE & JEANNIE !!!

NEXT STOP OMAHA, NE. DID YOU KNOW THAT MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL IS NOW A DOUBLE HEADER? THAT MEANS THERE IS AN EARLY GAME AND A LATE GAME, JUST LIKE SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE PACKERS AND THE VIKINGS ARE THE EARLY GAME, SO AFTER 540 MILES ON THE ROAD WE STOPPED.

IT'S ONLY HALF-TIME AS I'M WRITING THIS, BUT THAT RODGERS PASS IN THE FIRST HALF LOOKED EXACTLY LIKE A BART STARR "HAIL MARY" PASS FROM THE '60'S!!!

HEY, IS IT "SUNNY & 80" AT HOME?