Number 28

28 years.  That's pretty amazing.  I mean, when I was a kid, and I thought about people being married for 28 years, that meant they were OLD :-)  I don't think of John and me as old, but 28 years is definitely a long time to be together!

Since we aren't traveling these days, getting away to Altoona feels like quite a treat (I know, right? Who would have ever thought?). John is still moonlighting for the hospital in Altoona.  They are short on OBs who will cover call, and we're extremely short on money, so why not?  Plus, they put us up in a nice hotel and pay for John's flight.  I drove Greenie there because we were exchanging televisions (why keep the nice TV in an empty house?), so the hospital got off paying for a rental car for John.

Number 28 spent in Altoona, but spent how we normally do--eating out at every restaurant that offers a free meal to a veteran.  Here's a small recap of the day:

First, a clean car.  We live off of a dirt road in Dexter, and it doesn't take more than one jaunt over Wylie road for our cars to look filthy.  Thankfully, the car wash was giving a deal to veterans.  And cookies.  They gave us free Veteran's Day cookies.

Look at Greenie!  231,000 miles and seven years later, he still looks brand new!

As much as we like our new Texas Roadhouse in Ann Arbor, there's something special about the one in State College. SO much chicken eaten there over the past ten years :-)

But while in State College, I remembered what I do NOT miss:  John on the phone, taking OB calls.  I do believe the kids will always remember him like this:

So, while a free pedicure wasn't on the list of Veteran's Day offerings, my nails needed some serious help after a week of SCUBA diving.  And in the past year, John has discovered that those lovely Vietnamese women can do good things to his trashed up, runner's feet.  And yes, I was holding Michigan proud on a Penn State football game day (I only got one comment all day, but the disapproving looks said it all).

We also went to Athenian Cafe in Altoona for our favorite kebabs (or as they call them in Central PA gyros), but I forgot to take a picture because I dove into the tasty food immediately!

And dessert at Sweet Frog's in Altoona.  I mean frozen yogurt with fresh fruit and chocolate chips?  Yes, thank you.  

Thank goodness John is tall!

Finally, let's not forget about Veteran's Day.  I'm incredibly thankful to the Air Force which offered John a scholarship to go to medical school so many years ago.  Little did we know the good effect it would have on our family for at least a generation.  It never felt like a sacrifice on John's part, or on our family's part--we felt like we always got more than we gave.  Except in the way of photographs.  John never had an official photograph taken of him in the Air Force, so this is the only proof that he even donned a uniform:  his military ID which he supposedly should have turned in when he left the Air Force, but nobody told HIM that.