Homeward Bound...not just a movie from my childhood

The first week of my very welcome Thanksgiving vacation was spent with my family in Chicago. The drive from Rochester to Chicago is typically 10 hours long. This trip was no different with one exception. Aaron and I have decided to start "collecting" flattened pennies. (Collecting as in if we have the money and we see a crank, then we get it). Ohio has some classic penny cranks. I will elaborate on this in a future post. 

Aaron talked of how much he wanted chicken, specifically Popeye's chicken only moments before embarking on this trip, low and behold, we found one on the way. 


We then met my family at Steak and Shake where we were bombarded by hoards of tweens demanding fries and water. Put this on the list of things that make me feel old at 22.

The highlights of the trip were definitely the dinner my mother cooked (typical tacos), the dinner Aaron and I cooked (typical pizza), and a wonderful trip to Forest Park to visit Willie. And I bought a few great records that will inspire me to finally buy a new needle for my record player.

B-Tyne T-Giving

Yesterday was the third and final Ballantyne Thanksgiving. I have been looking forward to it since the beginning of the school year. It definitely lived up to my expectations despite my sweet potatoes not getting enough oven time (turkey juices, smoke, fire, ect...). On the whole, it was wildly successful with tons of food, music, hookah, and friends.

Two turkeys and no leftovers...

I had the pleasure of peeling, boiling, and mashing (with the help of Al) 10 pounds of potatoes. They were gone within 30 minutes. If photography does not work out, I can always make mashed potatoes.