Yes, we are back from our trip. We extended it one more day by staying the night in Wichita at one of our favorite hotels -- the Hotel at Old Town. Highly recommended if you're ever up that way.
The highlight of the day in Wichita belonged to SGK. I hunted up a rock shop for her - or as it is known in the trade, a lapidary supply - and she nearly went into hysteria. She found real-life speicmens of all the minerals she had been reading about and they were 90% off to boot as the store was closing after 25 years. Overwhelmed, she could hardly contain herself as she browsed shelf after shelf of rocks and gems of varying sizes, shapes, and lusters. And, she would add, striations and cleavages. I'm not sure what those are, but she was rattling off the Mohs scales numbers and alternate names of everything. Oh, and toxicity. Yeah, she really wanted this glass-encased orange and yellow stone called orpiment. I've never heard of it, but it apparently emits a cyanide residue if you handle it. So, of course I bought it. What kind of father would I be if I didn't buy my ardent little petrologist (geologists study the earth, dad!) a poisonous rock? As long as she discovers a gold mine, diamond vein, or huge deposit of oil, I'll consider it money well spent.
One downer for the trip is that I learned Quik Trip is in a collusion deal as I suspected. A clerk at one of the stores told us. It's with Love's Country Store of all the g**amn places. Which would you rather have: a cheerful, friendly staff offering an exponential range of delicious refreshing beverages in a glowing red and white building beckoning you like your favorite grandmother telling you to, "come into the light..." or a rundown, dirty yellow and red hole-in-the wall with overpriced bottles of Coke sold to you by a haggard clerk who obviously resents having to work there? Quik Trip has been one of the Top 100 Places to Work in America for six years in a row; Love's has a tacky 1970's hand-drawn-by-the-founder's-three-year-old-granddaughter logo of cascading red, yellow, and orange hearts.
I'll bet I find out that Culver's is in collusion with Braum's. Why else would a quick check of their locations map reveal a crescent-shaped arc around the Oklahoma City market? Once again, we lose out. Braum's hasn't updated its stores or image in, what, 20 years? The stores all look tired and beat and they haven't had a new item on the menu since Reagan was in office. Culver's has 10 kinds of frozen custard, reubens, Philly cheesesteaks, something called a Butterburger (aka Myocardial Infarction In A Sack), turkey melts, and their kid's meals actually have a character, Scoopie, associated with them. Oh, and free wifi. Braum's has hamburgers and fries, ice cream and yogurt. I don't hate Braum's - it's just 'OK' - but it's not Culver's. This is probably unfair because I don't know for a fact that there is a deal there, but it's obvious something is up.
Why do I care about this? Why should you care about this? See, this is what the founding fathers meant when they forbade collusion -- inevitably, people in a certain market will be oppressed by a lousy c-store chain, a lack of Mr. Pibb, and grungy dairy stores and that violates their right to the pursuit of happiness.
Other random facts, observations, and reflections from the trip:
When we went into Cero's Candies in Wichita, we did meet a bubbly and friendly person who seemed to rise in defiance of my opinion of personality-deprived Kansans. You get someone like that in a room with YHWH and you will get 'the story'. We did. She's from Tulsa. The streak continues. The candy is really good by the way and you get to see the production line.
The drive through that northwest corner of Missouri on I-35 is one of my most-despised routes. You see it on the map and you think it'll be easy; you zip right in, you zip right out. Like a Love's Country Store, only cleaner. But no, it's not like that. Like it's big ugly step sister, I-44 between Tulsa and St. Louis, that drive is a trip-killer.
I can't drive after lunch anymore. It has nothing to do with eating lunch because I rarely eat lunch on the road, it's just that the warm afternoon sun conks me out now that I'm old. Thank God for rumble strips. Of course since our travel day does not begin until 11:30am and everything closes at 5:00pm, I'm left with little choice but to exceed the speed limit with one eye, while the other eye gets a little, well, shuteye.
Next time I travel north of the 40th Parallel, I have to remember to bring a black eye mask. The sun comes up at like 4:30am up there and once I wake up, I can't get back to sleep. Since we don't start activities until 11:30, that's seven freakin' hours - practically a whole work day - I have to find something to do in a motel room.
I've always heard Wal-mart had for some reason singled us (ie Oklahoma) out for Anschluss decades ago when they began their aim of world domination. And while it's still debated whether they destroyed small-town America, my observations upon rolling through the upper midwest like we just did reveals that they have not been successful at destroying everything. There are still small downtowns wholly intact all across that region that have not been relegated to antique shops and crafters' malls. Not so our little state.
Despite my distrust of corporations, I really enjoyed the Spam Museum in Austin, MN and was reminded of how much I love Kellogg's Cereal City in Battle Crick, MI. Now, if the Oklahoma City revered its past as much as these corps do their products...
That's enough. Thanks for reading this far...
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
That's the Fare From Gothenburg to Barcelona
Today was low-key reentry day as we got back on the interstate and ate a big chunk out of the return trip. Our only sidetrack was a stop at the Brown vs. the Topeka Board of Education National Memorial in, well, Topeka. We could have made it home tonight, but the car was already late and we're having so much fun we decided to stretch it out one more day and stay in Wichita. So we'll be home tomorrow.
The Brown v. Board site was well done and I'd recommend it to anyone going through Topeka or looking for a day trip. It's in the actual school where it all happened and has a great mix of video, interactive, and documentary displays and a very friendly staff. Rather than being just devoted to the Brown v Board case, it works as a museum to the education aspect of the Civil Rights movement.
While I'm on the subject of National Parks, I would like to mention what a great place they must be to work. Obviously, I would love to work in a park; but I can't tell you what an oasis of friendliness the rangers are when you're traveling. I'll go ahead and indict whole states by saying that all the states we have visited with the exception of Iowa are not quite friendly and most of the hospitality and travel personnel we have encountered have been metaphorical bandits -- in effect they sit behind the counter with grim faces and say, "Hand it over." That didn't happen once in Iowa. I'm not whining, it's just that when you travel to places unfamiliar you are by nature in an unsettling position and feel somewhat out of sorts or blind in a way. A little hand-holding or a smile goes a long way for weary travelers. I try to remember that when I'm behind the desk. Kansas we noticed was not really unfriendly, but they just have a flat affect, like no personality at all. Of course, I realize I come from a perfect state... But, seriously, you can't say we don''t have personality. Even if you call us all hicks, that's something.
But the park rangers always seem to be courteous and friendly and chatty no matter which park you go to. That's why the guy at Effigy Mounds the other day was remarkable. It has to be the first time I've ever had a less than favorable response from a ranger. And even at that he wasn't rude, just brusque. And of course I'll be the first to tell you everyone can have a bad day, so I just blew it off. But how is it the Parks can maintain such high standards? Is it the training? Are they highly motivated? I'd love to know why. I always love going to the parks because you know you will be consistently treated well.
The Brown v. Board site was well done and I'd recommend it to anyone going through Topeka or looking for a day trip. It's in the actual school where it all happened and has a great mix of video, interactive, and documentary displays and a very friendly staff. Rather than being just devoted to the Brown v Board case, it works as a museum to the education aspect of the Civil Rights movement.
While I'm on the subject of National Parks, I would like to mention what a great place they must be to work. Obviously, I would love to work in a park; but I can't tell you what an oasis of friendliness the rangers are when you're traveling. I'll go ahead and indict whole states by saying that all the states we have visited with the exception of Iowa are not quite friendly and most of the hospitality and travel personnel we have encountered have been metaphorical bandits -- in effect they sit behind the counter with grim faces and say, "Hand it over." That didn't happen once in Iowa. I'm not whining, it's just that when you travel to places unfamiliar you are by nature in an unsettling position and feel somewhat out of sorts or blind in a way. A little hand-holding or a smile goes a long way for weary travelers. I try to remember that when I'm behind the desk. Kansas we noticed was not really unfriendly, but they just have a flat affect, like no personality at all. Of course, I realize I come from a perfect state... But, seriously, you can't say we don''t have personality. Even if you call us all hicks, that's something.
But the park rangers always seem to be courteous and friendly and chatty no matter which park you go to. That's why the guy at Effigy Mounds the other day was remarkable. It has to be the first time I've ever had a less than favorable response from a ranger. And even at that he wasn't rude, just brusque. And of course I'll be the first to tell you everyone can have a bad day, so I just blew it off. But how is it the Parks can maintain such high standards? Is it the training? Are they highly motivated? I'd love to know why. I always love going to the parks because you know you will be consistently treated well.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Papa Zulu
Today was spent all in Iowa. We got off to our usual half-day start and left Decorah for the Effigy Mounds National Monument where we encountered a brusque and cranky ranger -- a very rare thing indeed. We went on a nice one hour nature walk to the top of the bluffs along the Mississippi. So far all the girls love Iowa and want to move here. The young'ns think everyone is nice and the big'n loves how neat and tidy everything is.
Next stop was Dyersville, Iowa home of The Original Field of Dreams Movie Site, Inc. I say that to differentiate The Left and Center Fields of Dreams. Sad to say, there are two competing tourist attractions at the site of the filming of the great Kevin Costner opus. One owned by the family who owns the house and the infield, the other by an investment banking firm which bought left and center fields and has a fancy souvenir stand. At first I was upset about the inestment souvenir stand, but then I thought, it's actually pretty cool because if you really love the movie, getting to make a choice between the field cleared of corn or a corporate enterprise allows you to become part of the ethos of the movie.
Every great road trip has to have discovery of a great restaurant. On this trip we have discovered a chain called Culver's. We think they are in collusion with Braum's because they have locations all around Oklahoma, but none within. It's mainly a frozen custard stand with great sandwiches and burgers.
Every great road trip also has a new catch phrase that cracks everyone up. On this trip ours is: She's got agates in her bra.
We wrapped up the day with visits to Amana Colonies and C.F. Kats' college potentials: Cornell College and Grinnell College (or as we call them, The 'Nells) and finally landed in Newton, home of Maytag.
Sayonara
Next stop was Dyersville, Iowa home of The Original Field of Dreams Movie Site, Inc. I say that to differentiate The Left and Center Fields of Dreams. Sad to say, there are two competing tourist attractions at the site of the filming of the great Kevin Costner opus. One owned by the family who owns the house and the infield, the other by an investment banking firm which bought left and center fields and has a fancy souvenir stand. At first I was upset about the inestment souvenir stand, but then I thought, it's actually pretty cool because if you really love the movie, getting to make a choice between the field cleared of corn or a corporate enterprise allows you to become part of the ethos of the movie.
Every great road trip has to have discovery of a great restaurant. On this trip we have discovered a chain called Culver's. We think they are in collusion with Braum's because they have locations all around Oklahoma, but none within. It's mainly a frozen custard stand with great sandwiches and burgers.
Every great road trip also has a new catch phrase that cracks everyone up. On this trip ours is: She's got agates in her bra.
We wrapped up the day with visits to Amana Colonies and C.F. Kats' college potentials: Cornell College and Grinnell College (or as we call them, The 'Nells) and finally landed in Newton, home of Maytag.
Sayonara
Quality Chicks
We've been incommunicado with no internet and spotty cell phone service for the last few days. It's been pretty nice, actually.
Wednesday we went up to Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior and then we swung east over to the Apostle Islands of Wisconsin where we stayed in the fishing cum tourist village of Bayfield. Our last morning there we ferried over to Madeline Island (the only remaining inhabited Apostle) and rented some bicycles to cruise around the island. It was actually pretty fun, but it was the one crisis point on the trip thus far. SGK wanted to try riding her own bike even though she hasn't ever quite mastered it and when we tried her out the poor thing was gripped with fear and couldn't get going. That was fine as they have the little tagalong bikes you can attach to the back and have the little ones pedal along with you. But she was crushed and had to pout which started me on a slow boil. Then she didn't want to get on the tagalong bike. Then we had to go through the whole, "I can't..." and "I'm scared" routine. You know how it is when you have someone going into hysterics. The only guide we really have for that is the classic TV/Movie scenario where someone goes into hysterics and their loved one gives them a hard slap across the face. No, I didn't do that but I did loose a few mild expletives in a low tone. It's where I fail with girls. As a boy all I know that work are the bullying things we grow up with like accusations of cowardice, girliness, and sissiness. Those don't work here obviously. But refusing to give in and coddle, I just ignored her, put her on the bike and took off. She was fine after that and we cruised around the wooded island for an hour and a half. She really loved it and I paid for my persistence with an hour of running commentary on a range of arcane topics.
YHWH absolutely fell in love with the whole of the Lake, though and SGK has rekindled her geologic passion, having discovered the Lake Superior Agate and rock shops. Our swanky auto now cruises a bit more sluggishly and the tires have a little less bounce owing to her rock haul. Thanks to Tex's gift of a mineral handbook, she now regales us with the Mohs scale hardness, luster, and classification of each rock.
We have all enjoyed our time on the trip so far, but the one shared opinion we have is that the people in the North Woods are not very friendly. We've discussed it a lot and we can't decided whether they are "unfriendly" or "not friendly" or whether we have too-high standards because of our own state's legendary friendliness. So far we have shrugged it off and figured it must be a Scandinavian thing owing to the stereotype of the taciturn Northern European.
So, signing out from somewhere on the Mississippi River...
Wednesday we went up to Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior and then we swung east over to the Apostle Islands of Wisconsin where we stayed in the fishing cum tourist village of Bayfield. Our last morning there we ferried over to Madeline Island (the only remaining inhabited Apostle) and rented some bicycles to cruise around the island. It was actually pretty fun, but it was the one crisis point on the trip thus far. SGK wanted to try riding her own bike even though she hasn't ever quite mastered it and when we tried her out the poor thing was gripped with fear and couldn't get going. That was fine as they have the little tagalong bikes you can attach to the back and have the little ones pedal along with you. But she was crushed and had to pout which started me on a slow boil. Then she didn't want to get on the tagalong bike. Then we had to go through the whole, "I can't..." and "I'm scared" routine. You know how it is when you have someone going into hysterics. The only guide we really have for that is the classic TV/Movie scenario where someone goes into hysterics and their loved one gives them a hard slap across the face. No, I didn't do that but I did loose a few mild expletives in a low tone. It's where I fail with girls. As a boy all I know that work are the bullying things we grow up with like accusations of cowardice, girliness, and sissiness. Those don't work here obviously. But refusing to give in and coddle, I just ignored her, put her on the bike and took off. She was fine after that and we cruised around the wooded island for an hour and a half. She really loved it and I paid for my persistence with an hour of running commentary on a range of arcane topics.
YHWH absolutely fell in love with the whole of the Lake, though and SGK has rekindled her geologic passion, having discovered the Lake Superior Agate and rock shops. Our swanky auto now cruises a bit more sluggishly and the tires have a little less bounce owing to her rock haul. Thanks to Tex's gift of a mineral handbook, she now regales us with the Mohs scale hardness, luster, and classification of each rock.
We have all enjoyed our time on the trip so far, but the one shared opinion we have is that the people in the North Woods are not very friendly. We've discussed it a lot and we can't decided whether they are "unfriendly" or "not friendly" or whether we have too-high standards because of our own state's legendary friendliness. So far we have shrugged it off and figured it must be a Scandinavian thing owing to the stereotype of the taciturn Northern European.
So, signing out from somewhere on the Mississippi River...
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
It's Not A Problem
Day Four
We got off to another slow start to day. I can't seem to get through to everyone that when you start the day at 11:00 am you only get to do half as much stuff, but I refuse to be a vacation Nazi, so I just bide my time.
Our first stop was downtown Minneapolis with the stated goal of visting the Mary Tyler Moore statue. We found it easily enough and it was very tastefully done, including go-go boots and little Jackie-O purse. She's just flinging her beret in the air.
We strolled around Downtown Minneapolis awhile and visited some of the big department stores since the girls haven't ever really been in one of those grand old style stores (when didn't shop much at all in NYC last fall). They weren't much wowed by it.
Finally, as we walked back to the parking lot, I felt like I had to turn around and go to the new Minneapolis Public Library even though I had been trying to avoid it. They spent $125 million on their new building and I wanted to see what they got for the money, but I was afraid of becoming envious. Thankfully, the building is really ugly and industrial looking so that helped soften blow. And from the outside it looks like one of the villainous craft stalking Kevin Costner in Waterworld.
Somehow, while SGK and I were in the Children's area, my amazing wife struck up a conversation with the librarian in the special collections room and we all got to get a special tour of the room and see some of the treasures including one of Audubon's gorgeous elephant folios. I also talked shop with a couple of the librarians and swapped a couple of war stories.
The rest of the day, we spent looking at college campuses for C. F. Kats, including Macalester and Hamline.
Finally, we went with Drew's family to a Minnesota Twins interleague game vs. the Braves. We had nice seats and it was half off. It was great fun even though the venue is horrible for baseball. I still refuse to side with owners, but not having ever been to a game in the Metrodome, I have always taken the side of the taxpayer in the notorious stadium squabble in MSP, but I have to say they really do need a new place to play. Actually, that doesn't mean I agree with the corporate thieves who want the city to build it. If they want it bad enough, they should build it.
We got off to another slow start to day. I can't seem to get through to everyone that when you start the day at 11:00 am you only get to do half as much stuff, but I refuse to be a vacation Nazi, so I just bide my time.
Our first stop was downtown Minneapolis with the stated goal of visting the Mary Tyler Moore statue. We found it easily enough and it was very tastefully done, including go-go boots and little Jackie-O purse. She's just flinging her beret in the air.
We strolled around Downtown Minneapolis awhile and visited some of the big department stores since the girls haven't ever really been in one of those grand old style stores (when didn't shop much at all in NYC last fall). They weren't much wowed by it.
Finally, as we walked back to the parking lot, I felt like I had to turn around and go to the new Minneapolis Public Library even though I had been trying to avoid it. They spent $125 million on their new building and I wanted to see what they got for the money, but I was afraid of becoming envious. Thankfully, the building is really ugly and industrial looking so that helped soften blow. And from the outside it looks like one of the villainous craft stalking Kevin Costner in Waterworld.
Somehow, while SGK and I were in the Children's area, my amazing wife struck up a conversation with the librarian in the special collections room and we all got to get a special tour of the room and see some of the treasures including one of Audubon's gorgeous elephant folios. I also talked shop with a couple of the librarians and swapped a couple of war stories.
The rest of the day, we spent looking at college campuses for C. F. Kats, including Macalester and Hamline.
Finally, we went with Drew's family to a Minnesota Twins interleague game vs. the Braves. We had nice seats and it was half off. It was great fun even though the venue is horrible for baseball. I still refuse to side with owners, but not having ever been to a game in the Metrodome, I have always taken the side of the taxpayer in the notorious stadium squabble in MSP, but I have to say they really do need a new place to play. Actually, that doesn't mean I agree with the corporate thieves who want the city to build it. If they want it bad enough, they should build it.
Monday, June 11, 2007
A Mighty Wind
Day Three
We met my old pal Drew mid-morning and began our hajj to the commercial mecca of the USA -- the Mall of America. You know, I absolutely loved it. It wasn't that hard to get to; it wasn't hard to park.
Most importantly, SGK got her first initiation into the world of amusement parks. You will recall they have an amusement park in side along with the four floors of shops. There's nothing like nudging them through the line, sometimes scaring them, sometimes soothing them and coaxing them into the little car on the rollercoaster and then after it's all over you ask them what they thought and they have a huge smile all over their face and they can only make breathless interjections like, "Wow!" And then the ultimate payoff...."Can we go again?!"
YHWH got 'the most comfortable shoes she's ever worn' and I found a nice retro Swatch like I had back in the 80s.
Laptop battery's about to go...
We met my old pal Drew mid-morning and began our hajj to the commercial mecca of the USA -- the Mall of America. You know, I absolutely loved it. It wasn't that hard to get to; it wasn't hard to park.
Most importantly, SGK got her first initiation into the world of amusement parks. You will recall they have an amusement park in side along with the four floors of shops. There's nothing like nudging them through the line, sometimes scaring them, sometimes soothing them and coaxing them into the little car on the rollercoaster and then after it's all over you ask them what they thought and they have a huge smile all over their face and they can only make breathless interjections like, "Wow!" And then the ultimate payoff...."Can we go again?!"
YHWH got 'the most comfortable shoes she's ever worn' and I found a nice retro Swatch like I had back in the 80s.
Laptop battery's about to go...
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Think Over What You Just Said
Despite YHWH leaving the key in door all night we had a purty good night's sleep. The only coffee place on campus was packed, so YHWH jumped out of the car to get us some joe, while the rest of us made the block several times. Finally, Killer was worried YHWH had been killed or kidnapped, so I had to go looking for her. Apparently, the Stomping Grounds uses a cup-at-a-time drip method to make their coffee and with the place being packed out, I guess it can take a while. Extremely delicious coffee though -- if you have time.
Next stop, Mamie Doud Eisenhower's birthplace in Boone. Mamie is much-loved by Killer who was so taken with her during our trip to D.C. last year. Unfortunately, although two of our guidebooks say her birthplace is open DAILY 10-5, we arrived to find it closed and a piece of white tape over the word DAILY and MON-SAT written over it. Killer took it pretty well, though and she and YHWH and Mr. Tom roamed the grounds for awhile and even sweet-talked the groundskeeper, but, she not being a keyholder, no help was forthcoming.
The rest of the morning was a leisurely drive through Iowa to a city which shares its name with C.F. Kats' boyfriend. Photo ops were taken advantage of. Eventually, we pulled into Clear Lake, Iowa for petrol and a visit to the Buddy Holly crash site. It was pretty fun to get to trek out into the middle of a soybean field to see the tastefully small shrine standing against the fence where the ill-fated Cessna bearing Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper came to a rest. C. F. Kats is a huge fan and this completes her visits to homage sites. Clear Lake was very nice and worth an extended stay.
Wrapping up the afternoon was the Spam Museum in Austin, MN. We got there with only 15 minutes to spare, but it was really fun and quite tastefully done. Killer and I picked up T-shirts for souvenirs, and we had our first fisticuffs of the trip. YHWH and I got into a fight after I told her it wasn't nice for her to say in front of the Spam ladies that we should get her brother a Spam shirt because it would be a hilarious joke. We were civil, and though we rarely fight in front of the kids, I do think it's good to fight in front of them sometimes.
Final stop was St. Paul where we met up with my oldest pal, Drew and her family and had dinner and ice cream at two local hotspots.
Next stop, Mamie Doud Eisenhower's birthplace in Boone. Mamie is much-loved by Killer who was so taken with her during our trip to D.C. last year. Unfortunately, although two of our guidebooks say her birthplace is open DAILY 10-5, we arrived to find it closed and a piece of white tape over the word DAILY and MON-SAT written over it. Killer took it pretty well, though and she and YHWH and Mr. Tom roamed the grounds for awhile and even sweet-talked the groundskeeper, but, she not being a keyholder, no help was forthcoming.
The rest of the morning was a leisurely drive through Iowa to a city which shares its name with C.F. Kats' boyfriend. Photo ops were taken advantage of. Eventually, we pulled into Clear Lake, Iowa for petrol and a visit to the Buddy Holly crash site. It was pretty fun to get to trek out into the middle of a soybean field to see the tastefully small shrine standing against the fence where the ill-fated Cessna bearing Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper came to a rest. C. F. Kats is a huge fan and this completes her visits to homage sites. Clear Lake was very nice and worth an extended stay.
Wrapping up the afternoon was the Spam Museum in Austin, MN. We got there with only 15 minutes to spare, but it was really fun and quite tastefully done. Killer and I picked up T-shirts for souvenirs, and we had our first fisticuffs of the trip. YHWH and I got into a fight after I told her it wasn't nice for her to say in front of the Spam ladies that we should get her brother a Spam shirt because it would be a hilarious joke. We were civil, and though we rarely fight in front of the kids, I do think it's good to fight in front of them sometimes.
Final stop was St. Paul where we met up with my oldest pal, Drew and her family and had dinner and ice cream at two local hotspots.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Everything's Up To Date In Ames
Day One
As usually happens we got off to a less than ideal start. After we picked up our swanky blue Chrysler 300 from Overcoat we began the extensive loading process. It's a pretty roomy old-guy car with plenty of room, but we still didn't have enough room for everything. And just as we were pulling out we heard the rumble of thunder and sure enough, we were hit by a blinding rainstorm as we got to Guthrie.
Our mascot for the trip is a, well, stuffed turkey named Mr. Tom.
Our sweet ride had Sirius satellite radio in it, but we're an XM family, so we didn't know the stations. That's when I got the creative-family-fun-idea that we generate our own channel list by turning to each station listening for a few secs and then C.F. Kats or I would come up with a name. Some of the ones we came up with were Snag My Sari On A Synthesizer: A European Movie Soundtrack; Glo-ry! I'm Dizzy: A "Thank You, I Receive That!" Story; A Child's Garden Of Narcisses; The Hottest Thing I've Ever Tasted Was Silver Spring Jerked Chicken; Ponytails R Us; and finally the tragic Scotsman-sung ballad of loss and more loss rated the channel name Bobby Goldsbrrrrro's Kilt.
We did tire of that after an hour or so - they have over 200 channels by God - and somewhere east of Emporia, Kans. I slipped in my CD of number station recordings. Once they got over the eerie fear that grips you like the aural equivalent of a stroll through a deserted mental institution, the hypnotic recitations of numbers made them nod off. Although at first C.F. Kats did say, "I can't believe how easily everyone in this car accepts this!"
For lunch we decided to pull off at Emporia and get some sandwich stuff and have a picnic. We got the food alright and directions to 'the park', but upon arrival we were met by a toll-taking ogre collecting parking fees to park at the, well, park. Weird. There was a baseball toonament, but we just wanted to eat in the shade. No dice. So we drove for-ever until we found a cement-covered urban park/memorial to native son William Allen White. We all pretty well decided that we consistently find Kansas to be unfriendly even though that goes against conventional wisdom.
Our sojourn through Oz was rewarded, though, by a delicious QT raid just over the state line in Kansas City, Mo. Mmmm....cocaccino....
Skittering across the northwest tip of Missouri, we slipped into Iowa and uneventfully arrived in Ames, where we stayed in the stately Memorial Union hotel. Very cool. During the evening we strolled around Iowa State's Campustown area and ate some BBQ. The girls also got see Saturday night on the streets of a college town. And despite YHWH leaving the key in the door all night, we had a good night's sleep.
As usually happens we got off to a less than ideal start. After we picked up our swanky blue Chrysler 300 from Overcoat we began the extensive loading process. It's a pretty roomy old-guy car with plenty of room, but we still didn't have enough room for everything. And just as we were pulling out we heard the rumble of thunder and sure enough, we were hit by a blinding rainstorm as we got to Guthrie.
Our mascot for the trip is a, well, stuffed turkey named Mr. Tom.
Our sweet ride had Sirius satellite radio in it, but we're an XM family, so we didn't know the stations. That's when I got the creative-family-fun-idea that we generate our own channel list by turning to each station listening for a few secs and then C.F. Kats or I would come up with a name. Some of the ones we came up with were Snag My Sari On A Synthesizer: A European Movie Soundtrack; Glo-ry! I'm Dizzy: A "Thank You, I Receive That!" Story; A Child's Garden Of Narcisses; The Hottest Thing I've Ever Tasted Was Silver Spring Jerked Chicken; Ponytails R Us; and finally the tragic Scotsman-sung ballad of loss and more loss rated the channel name Bobby Goldsbrrrrro's Kilt.
We did tire of that after an hour or so - they have over 200 channels by God - and somewhere east of Emporia, Kans. I slipped in my CD of number station recordings. Once they got over the eerie fear that grips you like the aural equivalent of a stroll through a deserted mental institution, the hypnotic recitations of numbers made them nod off. Although at first C.F. Kats did say, "I can't believe how easily everyone in this car accepts this!"
For lunch we decided to pull off at Emporia and get some sandwich stuff and have a picnic. We got the food alright and directions to 'the park', but upon arrival we were met by a toll-taking ogre collecting parking fees to park at the, well, park. Weird. There was a baseball toonament, but we just wanted to eat in the shade. No dice. So we drove for-ever until we found a cement-covered urban park/memorial to native son William Allen White. We all pretty well decided that we consistently find Kansas to be unfriendly even though that goes against conventional wisdom.
Our sojourn through Oz was rewarded, though, by a delicious QT raid just over the state line in Kansas City, Mo. Mmmm....cocaccino....
Skittering across the northwest tip of Missouri, we slipped into Iowa and uneventfully arrived in Ames, where we stayed in the stately Memorial Union hotel. Very cool. During the evening we strolled around Iowa State's Campustown area and ate some BBQ. The girls also got see Saturday night on the streets of a college town. And despite YHWH leaving the key in the door all night, we had a good night's sleep.
Friday, June 08, 2007
From the Land of Sky Blue Waters
I've pretty much hit a creative brick wall of late. I don't knit anymore. I don't write anymore. I don't read anymore.
If it was the 1970s, I would just skateboard down to the arcade and drop a quarter into the biorhythm machine to figure out when my creative curve was going to turn the corner. But, like my short shorts and feathered hair, those days are bygone.
The Centennial projects required such an acute focused energy I've given over to blaming them, but who knows. At the Last Public Place in America I'm seeing a number of guys come in to ask for temporary cards and using their military ids for verification (read: Iraq/Afghan war veterans now living in homeless shelters). That really makes me feel hollow. And angry. Also today I saw a leg at the security area. Someone forgot their leg. How do you forget your leg? I didn't have time to find out what happened. The world is too much with me.
So, in the words of Boon Schoenstein, there's only thing to do... roadtrip! It's time for the annual family roadtrip. I'll try to report in from the road....
Of course, I have to figure out a way to watch the final Sopranos episode with the kids in the hotel room...
If it was the 1970s, I would just skateboard down to the arcade and drop a quarter into the biorhythm machine to figure out when my creative curve was going to turn the corner. But, like my short shorts and feathered hair, those days are bygone.
The Centennial projects required such an acute focused energy I've given over to blaming them, but who knows. At the Last Public Place in America I'm seeing a number of guys come in to ask for temporary cards and using their military ids for verification (read: Iraq/Afghan war veterans now living in homeless shelters). That really makes me feel hollow. And angry. Also today I saw a leg at the security area. Someone forgot their leg. How do you forget your leg? I didn't have time to find out what happened. The world is too much with me.
So, in the words of Boon Schoenstein, there's only thing to do... roadtrip! It's time for the annual family roadtrip. I'll try to report in from the road....
Of course, I have to figure out a way to watch the final Sopranos episode with the kids in the hotel room...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
