Heading Back From Tampa Today .....

Published by Dick Schaefer, Award-winning, Unpaid, Part-time Contributing Writer; Amateur Investigative Blogger; Aspiring Photo-Journalist; and Missouri Tiger Fan

Date:  12/17/2010
Post:  1,289

Regrettably it is time to begin my trip back home from Tampa today.  It's been a great week with my daughter and grandpuppy!

I helped my daughter test drive some new vehicles and dicker over prices with the salesmen.  No decision yet but she is beginning to narrow her choice. 

I got to see the USF campus in north Tampa.  It's a large and beautiful campus.  I was surprised to learn that 40,000+ students attend the University of South Florida on that one campus.  USF has two other campuses in Florida.  I also got to meet some of her fellow grad students in the psychology department and see my daughter's office.

We ate at a lot of good restaurants .... Mexican, Chinese, Indian and seafood.  Although we walked the dog each day around the large nature preserve boardering her condo community, I think I have still gained a few pounds.

Yesterday we ate at Crabby Bill's, a great seafood restaurant right on the St. Pete Beach at St. Petersburg, and then we visited the Salvador Dali Art Museum, also in St. Petersburg.

Just as it has warmed up here, I have to begin my long and tedious trek back home to the frigid temperatures back in Missouri.  Darn!

Reciprocal Links:  http://www.DSchaefer.Vemma.com (Nutrition For A Lifetime), http://www.Heart2HeartLyrics.blogspot.com (Song Lyrics Seeking Singer-Songwriters), http://www.HermannMoNews.blogspot.com (The 'Drudge Report' of Hermann), http://www.RivertownRecipes.blogspot.com (Great Local Recipes), http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/richardhschaefer (Watkins Natural Products)

Other Recommended Links:  http://www.HermannAdvertiserCourier.com (Gasconade County's Newspaper of Record), http://www.Time4Pie.com (Great Pie, Coffee & Conversation)

Hello From Warren County!

Published by Frank Furter, IT Manager, Weekend Weather Reporter, Custodian and Coffee Brewer

Date:  12/16/2010
Post:  1,288

Our huntin' trip has been a complete "wipeout"!  Too damned cold and too damned miserable!  On top of that we got a lot of ice tonight and that will make huntin' in the mornin' not only miserable but also downright dangerous.  But we haven't run out of food, beer and whiskey yet!  Unfortunately, I have damned near run out of money for our "friendly little poker games".  I've hit a streak of bad luck!  I may have to run into Warrenton and visit an ATM tomorrow ..... provided the roads are passable!

Maybe I should've stayed in Hermann instead of goin' on this huntin' trip with my buddies!  Yet I hear it is cold, miserable and icy in Hermann too!

Reciprocal Links:  http://www.DSchaefer.Vemma.com (Nutrition For A Lifetime), http://www.Heart2HeartLyrics.blogspot.com (Song Lyrics Seeking Singer-Songwriters), http://www.HermannMoNews.blogspot.com (The 'Drudge Report' of Hermann), http://www.RivertownRecipes.blogspot.com (Great Local Recipes), http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/richardhschaefer (Watkins Natural Products)

Other Recommended Links:  http://www.HermannAdvertiserCourier.com (Gasconade County's Newspaper of Record), http://www.Time4Pie.com (Great Pie, Coffee & Conversation)

Hello From St. Louis!

Published by Jimmy Oldsun, NDRIRSRWRAFTC & Editor

Date:  12/15/2010
Post:  1,287

Just got back from dining at an Italian restaurant on "The Hill".  Can't get enough of those great restaurants in St. Louis!  Tonight we ate at Cunetto's House of Pasta on Magnolia Street.  It was absolutely marvelous!  Try it when you're in St. Louis sometime!

Reciprocal Links:  http://www.DSchaefer.Vemma.com (Nutrition For A Lifetime), http://www.Heart2HeartLyrics.blogspot.com (Song Lyrics Seeking Singer-Songwriters), http://www.HermannMoNews.blogspot.com (The 'Drudge Report' of Hermann), http://www.RivertownRecipes.blogspot.com (Great Local Recipes), http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/richardhschaefer (Watkins Natural Products)

Other Recommended Links:  http://www.HermannAdvertiserCourier.com (Gasconade County's Newspaper of Record), http://www.Time4Pie.com (Great Pie, Coffee & Conversation)

Hello From Branson!

Published by Lois Lame, SALRCYTMVDQJCP & Assistant Editor

Date:  12/15/2010
Post:  1,286

Hello from Branson!  My friend and I are having a great time here in Branson!  We've seen a couple Christmas shows, and we've eaten at some great restaurants.  The Christmas lights down here are spectacular.  It's been very cold, so that has limited our activities.

Wishing everyone Happy Holidays!

Reciprocal Links:  http://www.DSchaefer.Vemma.com (Nutrition For A Lifetime), http://www.Heart2HeartLyrics.blogspot.com
 (Song Lyrics Seeking Singer-Songwriters), http://www.HermannMoNews.blogspot.com (The 'Drudge Report' of Hermann), http://www.RivertownRecipes.blogspot.com (Great Local Recipes), http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/richardhschaefer (Watkins Natural Products)

Other Recommended Links:  http://www.HermannAdvertiserCourier.com (Gasconade County's Newspaper of Record), http://www.Time4Pie.com (Great Pie, Coffee & Conversation)

Hello From Metropolis, Illinois (Home of Superman)

Published by Clark Kant, Contributing Writer and Investigative Blogger

Statue of Superman in front of the
Massac County Courthouse.

Date:  12/14/2010
Post:  1,285

Hello HH readers!  I'm filing this report from Metropolis, Illinois .... the "Home of Superman".  I'm enjoying the time off and visiting friends and relatives.  I plan to do a little gambling at our local riverboat casino here on the Ohio River.

Here's a little historical information about my hometown of Metroplis .....

Metropolis has played key roles in America's history. It is believed that Native Americans originally populated this area, taking advantage of its natural benefits. In 1757, Massac County began its documented history when the French raised Fort De L'Ascension during the French and Indian War. The fort was soon rebuilt and named Massaic in tribute to France's Minister of the Marine. The site was subjected to only one unsuccessful Cherokee attack during this time.

The French abandoned the fort after the war. When the British later arrived to take over the site, they discovered only burnt ruins; the fort had been destroyed by the Chickasaw. During the Revolutionary War, in 1778, George Rogers Clark and his regiment of "Long Knives" successfully entered Illinois at Massac Creek and ventured 100 miles (160 km) north to conquer Kaskaskia without firing a shot. This action won the entire Illinois territory for the State of Virginia and the still-growing United States.

In November 1803, Merriweather Lewis and William Clark camped at Fort Massac as they made preparations for their Corps of Discovery expedition to the west. George Drouillard was recruited during their stay at Fort Massac. General George Washington ordered the fort reconstructed in 1794. It served as a military post for the next 20 years. Damaged by the infamous New Madrid earthquake of 1811-12, Fort Massac was abandoned in 1814, and its timbers scavenged by local settlers, leaving behind little of its original construction.

In 1839 the town of Metropolis was platted, situated about a mile west of the fort grounds. One of the town founders was a merchant who transported goods on the Ohio River. He picked the site because it was high above the river, with the hope that it would become a major transportation hub. In 1843, the Illinois Legislature formed Massac County. The McCartney family became leaders in building the town.

Soldiers once again were encamped here during the early years of the Civil War, when the area was used as a training camp. The Daughters of the American Revolution rallied efforts in 1903 to purchase the 24 acres surrounding the historic location, and in 1908 Fort Massac was officially decreed as Illinois' first state park.

Prior to the American Civil War there was a proposal to establish a Western District of Columbia to include present day Metropolis and the nearby area of Kentucky. An 1850 map illustrates this proposal.

On January 21, 1972 DC Comics declared Metropolis "Hometown of Superman". On June 9, 1972 the Illinois State Legislature passed Resolution 572 that declared Metropolis the "Hometown of Superman," the comic book superhero who is based in the fictional city of Metropolis. Among the ways it celebrates the character are a large Superman statue in the city, a small Superman museum, and an annual Superman Celebration that is always held the second weekend in June. Also, it has a local newspaper, known as The Metropolis Planet, a name inspired by the newspaper in fictional Metropolis, The Daily Planet.  I began my career in journalism at The Metropolis Planet about 40 years ago.

Metropolis is also home to Harrah's Metropolis casino/hotel, a riverboat casino frequented by visitors from around the region, making tourism one of the city's largest industries. Metropolis is also the location of the Honeywell Uranium Hexafluoride Processing Facility, which converts milled uranium into uranium hexafluoride for nuclear reactors.

Reciprocal Links:  http://www.DSchaefer.Vemma.com (Nutrition For A Lifetime), http://www.Heart2HeartLyrics.blogspot.com (Song Lyrics Seeking Singer-Songwriters), http://www.HermannMoNews.blogspot.com (The 'Drudge Report' of Hermann), http://www.RivertownRecipes.blogspot.com (Great Local Recipes), http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/richardhschaefer (Watkins Natural Products)

Other Recommended Links:  http://www.HermannAdvertiserCourier.com (Gasconade County's Newspaper of Record), http://www.Time4Pie.com (Great Pie, Coffee & Conversation)

Hello From Tampa!

Published by Dick Schaefer, Award-winning, Unpaid, Part-time Contributing Writer; Amateur Investigative Blogger; Aspiring Photo-Journalist; and Missouri Tiger Fan

Date:  12/13/2010
Post:  1,284

Hello everybody!  I arrived in Tampa last night.  It has been great to see my daughter and my grandpuppy.  My daughter is on her Christmas break at the University of South Florida in Tampa where she is a grad student.  We're planning all sorts of fun activities this week.  I'll tell you all about them later in the week.

It's very windy and chilly down here in Tampa.  The high today will only be in the low 50s.  But I guess I shouldn't complain since the Hermann area is really getting some frigid cold weather.

I think the first thing we're going to do today (since it's too cold to go to the beach) is to go car shopping.  My daughter's little Honda Civic has 113,000 miles on it.  Although it's still chugging along, we think it may be time to trade.  Her Honda has served her well.  She's had it since she first started driving in high school about 10 years ago.  Now she's got her eye on the Nissan Rogue and the Honda CR-V.

More later!

Reciprocal Links:  http://www.DSchaefer.Vemma.com (Nutrition For A Lifetime), http://www.Heart2HeartLyrics.blogspot.com (Song Lyrics Seeking Singer-Songwriters), http://www.HermannMoNews.blogspot.com (The 'Drudge Report' of Hermann), http://www.RivertownRecipes.blogspot.com (Great Local Recipes), http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/richardhschaefer (Watkins Natural Products)

Other Recommended Links:  http://www.HermannAdvertiserCourier.com (Gasconade County's Newspaper of Record), http://www.Time4Pie.com (Great Pie, Coffee & Conversation)