bowtwi

That Baby Scratch My Back really spoke to me! What a treat! I have enjoyed all of these tunes, but that one really did something for me.

Guess what I found when I googled "center of the USA", not even "geographical center ..." Lebanon, Kansas - Geographic Center of the 48 States Geographic Center of the Contiguous United States is located just north and west of Lebanon, KS, adjacent to a pasture and overseen by a friendly-if-nonplussed herd of cows. The Center is a small grass patch containing a 10 ft. high stone podium and flagpole, on which U.S. and Kansas flags fly. A small plaque on the podium informs visitors that a government geographic survey in 1898(?) established this spot as the center of the continental U.S. A picnic table allows you to contemplate the the equilibrium of your surroundings. Nearby is a tiny hut, the Chapel at the Center, which invites you to pray (a bible is provided at the altar; it was open to the book of Revelation when we visited) and sign the guestbook. Souvenirs, a sign informs you, are available back down the road in the town of Lebanon. Lebanon, Kansas - U.S. Center Chapel This is a very small chapel outside of Lebanon. The chapel has seating for about 6 friendly people and was well kept up. It is purported to be "the Geographical Center of the U.S.A." It sits on a little rise overlooking a corn field. Nearby is a defunct motel. You can get info on how to get there from the cafe in Lebanon. [Penny Spring, 06/16/2002] Here's the link: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/getAtt...ractionNo==7032 I happen to live 246 miles from the geographic center of the USA. Now THAT might be a coincidence.

Paw - I live about in the center of the USA. The question I answered when I said I figured the center was near my house was (I'm copying and pasting, as I don't know how to quote twice in one post the proper way) suda's and I quote: "For next summer would be nice to do a National or International Greasespot Cafe Reunion somewhere. With a year's planning in advance, think lots of people could be ready by the summer of 2008. Anyone have the stats on where all the GSC's are located so they could estimate a good central place based upon who populates the cafe? If we could get a location and date set now, people could plan vacation times, etc. around it if they were interested in attending. With Labor Day and Memorial Day always being a long weekends, maybe they would be good dates. Labor Day is much better for us as May is usually hectic, but I'm game for either. If someone will provide the "geographic center" of GSC posters, I'll try to do some checking into places. Suda (who loves a good party)" The bolding was mine to point out the question I answered. I see no coincidence with my answer - I see a map of the USA. I have no qualms with anyone having a Roast anywhere. I tried to make the Texas BBQ last fall. I went to the mini GS gathering, as I think they called it at the !'s one year wedding anniversary. I have met a lot of GSers and strongly encourage anyone who is so inclined to do it too. You could certainly have a New England Roast or you could attend the Southern Comfort Weenie Roast and whatever the gathering in the TN or KY area was dubbed. I'm sure nobody would mind. And I bet if you hosted one, plenty would come. As I've read the plans for the New England get together I tried to fit that into our schedule, as I'd LOVE to attend, but I'm committed to the Southern Comfort Weenie Roast and my son's wedding, so our vacations are pretty well set already for this year. You might notice that I was playing around when I suggested near my house, maybe that didn't communicate here in cyberland, but I'd made more than one post where I mentioned wanting to attend one in TN or KY. Not to mention that over this past year more than once, I've agreed to an Arkansas location for a Roast. I'm not trying to get you all to come to my area - I think I've proven that I'm willing to incur the expense and do the traveling it takes to meet as many of you as I can. I don't see a coincidence here.

Dooj - I don't do weenies either - I AM ONE! People eat whatever they choose. One Roast Rascal taught me how to make biscuits & gravy. We eat it now every other week or so - I believe that was the 2nd Roast. Rascal brought a ham she'd baked at home and brought up one time and that was some of the best sandwiches I'd ever had. If Sudo is going to make his famous (or infamous, I don't know yet) better than sex stew again, I'll be sure to be there the first night. Sushi made outstanding biscuits & gravy another year. Anything Littlehawk's cooked has been to die for scrumptious too! Rascal's Hannah is an expert s'mores maker, by the way. Those are just off the top of my head memories. My point is I don't believe I've ever eaten a weenie at a roast, although I've seen plenty roasted... Just bring whatever you want to bring and if you bring enough to share, others will eat it, no doubt!

Looks like the wedding will be the week or weekend before Labor Day, so for the princess and me Labor Day weekend looks best - we'll already be in TN. That Land between the Lakes you mentioned on the way home from last year's Roast sounds interesting to me, though I am flexible...

Suda - I love the way you think!!!

Dooj - I'm asking, I'm asking! LOL I'd love to have what you'd call the BEST!

We've had about a dozen roma tomatoes already, leaf lettuce galore, jalapenos and a few bell peppers. I've got eggplants that are 5 and 6 inches long (I never grew them before - what a hoot they are!), rhubarb - oh yeah, I love my garden. Nothing better than stuffed peppers that I grew myself. My big boy tomatoes haven't ripened at all yet, but those romas have gone wild - I'm picking at least 2 a day already!!! Tomorrow we're having company and serving taco salad with homemade salsa, homegrown lettuce, bell peppers, tomatoes - I'm probably more excited about this than I should be, but I'm having a ball. The other first time thing I'm growing is watermelon - oh man, does that stuff ever grow fast - it's creeping out of the garden already! My flower garden's doing well too, but the veggie garden is my best ever. Except for the corn, which sucks this year. The green beans were happier before I broke a trunk off one of the plants. My daughter put the sprinkler on the garden one night last week and "forgot" to turn it off after 20 minutes - it ran for 4 hours before I noticed - doesn't seem any worse for the near drowning... It's amazing what fertilizing the dirt first did for it this year! I'll be sure to use that or compost again from here on out! I'd participate in a gardening forum - you bet!!!

KY and TN are personal favorites of mine, but I must say it seems to me that the geographic center of the GS community would be somewhere a little northeast of Kansas City, Missouri - I know of a couple campgrounds and a GS family that has a pretty big fenced-in backyard and a pool (hint, hint).

there's an echo in the cafe. there's an echo in the cafe.

What a beautiful couple!!! Congratulations!

The princess and I are interested, but I have to wait to see just when bow jr's getting married. Labor Day week was their first choice and the week before their second, but they don't know yet when Pauli can get time off work so we're waiting to hear about that. Just wanted to mention that we're up for it unless the wedding interferes.

Excellent!

I change my dishcloth and dishtowel every day. I use SOS pads for the really tough spots and if I use a brush, I don't use it for long before I gross out on it and have to toss it away. I use a lot of paper towels.

It appeared for a while that we'd get rained out of our fireworks here, but now it's cleared up and looking more hopeful. Meanwhile, the princess and I made a 4th of July cake.

I believe it was '90 or '91 while I was sponsoring a family at the Indiana Campus that craig decreed no more gifts for the corps - that all of a sudden we were trying to bribe them. It had been my complete pleasure to honor their children on their birthdays with a bouquet of flowers delivered to the campus. The girls would be summoned to the switchboard area to pick up their delivery. I also sent socks for their birthdays or whenever I got a notion to. The mom of this in residence family was very selfless, so it was my habit to send her favorite shampoo and conditioner every couple or 3 months, whatever it was, so that she wouldn't run out of her favorite shampoo while in residence. Again, my total pleasure to provide. This was in addition to whatever financial commitment I had made. During their in-residence training is when the no gift policy started. I remember well not being able to send those little gifts that meant so much to both them and me. Couldn't have been later than '91, I don't think.

I'm an orthodontist in Stillwater, MN! So why, pray tell, am I paying over $5 grand for the princess' braces???

Pinatas are always a hit with kids that age!

I paid out of pocket for my health care for about 6 years - just got health insurance a few months back. They always charged me 80% of what the insured people were charged. If I paid in full the day of the service, they knocked off another 5%, so I ended up paying 75% of what the insured were charged. Once I received a bill in the mail for the other 25% of "normal fees" as if I had only partially paid my bill. I called the office manager and they removed it from the bill and I never heard from them again. My understanding is that Medicaid pays 80% of what's charged. Not all health care providers accept this, but many of those that do, say it's because they prefer knowing they'll get 80% from Medicaid over hoping the patient will pay 100%.

That says a lot!