It's that time of year again, the annual Adams Family Horseshoe Tournament! We ventured up Friday after work and spent a fine evening at the Elks with Mike and Dar followed by an evening snack at Coney Island. For those of you not familiar with Johnstown, Coney Island is an institution. Serving very basic burgers and hot dogs. This was only my second visit there in all the time that I have known Adam, as I was so off put the last time with the large lady stacking hot dog buns all the way up her bare arm and then filling them with hot dogs to serve. This is the secret ingredient I guess, and people LOVE this place. It is really known for its "sundowner" which is a cheeseburger with chili and a fried egg on it. Yes, heart attack on a bun. Again, it is much beloved and Adam is always asking to go when we are in town. This night I relented. Heck, I even tried a bite of the sundowner myself! ***SHOCK*** I don't understand the obsession, but I respect it. I can also now say that I have "been there, done that". Johnstown-ians look at you as though something is not right about you when you say that you have never experienced a sundowner.
This adventurous evening was followed by an absolutely gorgeous day of friends and family, horseshoes and good time out at the Adams abode. I didn't play because I was the referee with the whistle (OH MY GOD DO I LOVE HAVING THE WHISTLE) and "beer b*itch" making sure everyone had what they needed and keeping things civil...I LOVE THIS JOB. The tournament was followed by a family game of dingers and making moonpies around the fire. This was another first for me, moonpies, and the are AMAZING. They are white bread, sauce, cheese, and optional pepperoni, that are put together and placed in the fire to cook...think pizza. This is also a Western PA staple that I had apparently been missing out on. Two huge gastronomical feats in a single weekend.
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| Mom and her favorite...Michael? |
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| Yes, I tried the sundowner...a single bite, mind you. We were ALL shocked. |
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| Mayer men love their sundowners |
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| Cousins love: Kayla, Gemma, and Adam |
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| Amos and Uncle Kevin |
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| Getting their tournament on: Kevin, Mark, Adam, and Brandon |
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| Followed by the classic dingers: Uncle Kevin, Adam, Kevin, Brandon, Gemma, and Greyson |
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| Family Style: Mike and Tasha vs. Tabitha and Uncle Kevin |
We had to leave early Sunday morning to drive all the way out to Maryland's Eastern Shore for a Juniata event. President Kepple, the president who tenured over my and Adam's time at the college, retired last year and they hired a guy. Tom Kepple was an awesome president who did many great things for Juniata, and we were quite partial to him. He was the direct reason that Adam got his first government job out of school. The job that enabled us to move to Hawaii and afford us wonderful things in this life. He was also just a really great guy. Yes, we liked him a lot. This event was to introduce the new guy, Jim Troha, to the alumni (we have a large presence in the DC/Baltimore area). It was a nice luncheon out on the bay at a fellow alum's house, and we were able to mingle with other alum and spend some time with the new president. He seems like a great guy too, lots of potential, so I am hopeful for things to come for Juniata. This college will always hold a revered status in my heart, as it lead me to my dream guy and my dream life....and I just want everyone to wants to be able to have the same opportunity to experience such awesome things as we did. Ahhh, Juniata.
