hmmmmmmmmm

Hmmmmmm ~ I guess it's been a few days since a post!  OOPS.  On Friday (I guess it was) we did a bike trip back to Sturgis.  Seems you can't be in the area with bikes and not take them to Sturgis ....  so here they are.  It is quite quiet in Sturgis now but give it a month and a half and there certainly won't be a quiet street anywhere in the town.  Probably there won't be any Sturgis natives in the town either, as they leave town for rally week and rent out their properties ~ which probably pays some of their mortgages for the entire year.  I keep driving by the house we rented here in Spearfish ... I have such terrific memories of that house and our time there in 2002.  

While we were in Sturgis the other day we were at a place that had an Elvis "statue" so we had the owner take our picture with "him"  for Connor (aka "cutie pie"), my grandson.  You see Connor's other grandmother is an Elvis fan and when Connor and Trish lived with them in Michigan while Josh was in Iraq this last time Grandma taught Connor "you ain't nothin' but a hound dog" ....... captured, of course, by Trisha on video ......... leg shaking and all, while they were making cookies and Connor is standing on a stool to help - it's pretty funny (but of course that is a very biased opinion I admit) ~ anyway, this picture was taken for Connor.

Yesterday we went back to Deadwood (no bikes this time) because Rick wanted to go to the Deadwood  Elks while he was here and that particular Lodge is only open a couple days a week with odd hours (I think I posted about that earlier?).  Well the light wasn't on at the Lodge but we chanced it anyway.  Yup it was open (sort of ... they were prepping for a private party, but we were able to be there).  Rick had his picture taken at this very bar (hard to believe isn't it!) when he was here back in 1997... don't know where the picture is but here is the 2008 version .. how'd I do?  I am trying very hard to remember the lessons learned at the Beth and Betty Alves school of smiling!!  I'm getting tired of "unpostable" pictures of yours truly, because I am such a "frump face"  so this is my attempt at redemption!  Plus, one of our Whitman neighbors commented on the blog pictures - while the scenery is wonderful there are few pictures of us!!  So these are for you Gina!
Finally, this is "us" at the  Midnight Star Casino in Deadwood.  This is the casino owned by oooooooh Kevin Costner.  The casinos in Deadwood are "different" than any casinos I've been to and I like them better.  The buildings are all very old and the decor of them is period "correct" rather than the glitz of Vegas.  It's a nice change but Rick thinks it's only a matter of time before that changes.  I hope not!

So it seems that today will be another lay low day in the Whelan world .. it is another beautiful day here in Spearfish but me thinks we'll be hangin' out watching the Red Sox.  

By the way, we have extended our stay here again!  We were originally suppose to be out of here this past Wednesday, then extended to be out of here today, now we will be leaving on Tuesday ~ absolutely positively must make our way over to Sioux Falls to settle in there before Rick flies out.  Plus we've made a reservation (we rarely make reservations - hate the commitment) there starting Thursday for four nights which should allow us time to "scope out" a more desirable (less expensive??) place for me to be while he's gone.  During that time I will also (along with Sir Arlo) be heading to Nebraska or Iowa to meet up with my younger sister "Kimerly" (aka Kimberly), from Vermont, who will be in Kansas City for some job "training" - the Omaha area seemed like sort of 1/2 way between us  ..... I am still up in the air whether to take the coach or book an Arlo friendly motel.  Certainly Arlo would be more comfortable in the coach but we shall see.  

But I digress, remember what happens here in Spearfish tomorrow?  STARBUCKS  - the Tracey/Starbucks drought is thankfully over!!!  How many pounds should I buy "just in case"?  Oh man maybe that's why I didn't sleep well last night - the anticipation of it!