We left Henderson at close to three in the afternoon yesterday, and drove mostly in the dark to Memphis. We were both feeling a little punk, so we had a bowl of soup in the hotel restaurant and stayed in for the night. Today we spent a few hours along the main drags of Memphis, saw the clubs on Beale Street, visited the Peabody Hotel and saw the ducks, and had lunch at the Rendezvous, a very good rib joint. Then we hit the road and drove here, to Little Rock. It's now about five-thirty, and we're going to stroll the avenues and boulevards here, hoping to find an appealing place to have dinner. Tomorrow we will go to the Clinton Library, and then back on the road, heading to Oklahoma City.
Best to all,
Dan
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
End of December - Heading Home
I've been here in Henderson, KY, for eight days now. I came in last Sunday to attend the funeral of Lynette's mom, Helen Mathews. The funeral was very moving; we loved Helen very much and we are all sorry that she is gone. It was nice to see flowers and notes from many of Helen's California friends.
Lynette has been busy, along with her sister Amy and brother Gary, tying up some of the loose ends from her mom's affairs. Now, we are ready to head home. Our plan is to drive the car we bought for Helen back to California.
We plan quick visits to Memphis and Little Rock (the Clinton Library), then a straight shot across Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle to New Mexico, where we'll stop for a night in Santa Fe. We were there many years ago and would like to see it again. Then on through Arizona to Glendale, CA. If we are able to leave today I expect to be home on Saturday or Sunday.
But there is a hitch - Lynette came down with serious stomach flu, or something like it, in the middle of the night last night. Her sister and brother-in-law Alan are also suffering from this bug. I hope it leaves me alone! The question is, when will we be able to hit the road?
I hate to see Lynette feeling so ill. She is almost never sick, and has seen me through so many colds and flus and injuries. As I write this, at almost one o'clock in the afternoon, it looks like we won't be getting to Memphis any time too soon.
When I got here on Sunday, the temperature was nine degrees Farenheit, and it held at that level through the funeral the next day. But then it warmed up a lot the day after that, reaching a toasty 56 degrees, one degree short of the record for that day. It has been about the same for the last five or six days - shirtsleeve weather for the folks here. It was actually warmer here than in Southern California for a couple of days.
I'm looking forward to the trip home. The little car - a spiffy 2008 Toyota Corolla - is fun to drive, and it gets about 33 miles to a gallon of gas. I have made a few music discs for the journey - some Mozart, some Stones/Beatles/Kinks, and a couple of mixes of old stuff. Between that and NPR, when I can find it, we should be in good shape.
I went to Wal-Mart yesterday, at Lynette's behest, and bought snacks - crackers, cookies, chips (low-cal, low fat for all of these, of course) for the road. The last time Lynette and I drove across the US was in 1977. We had fun then and hope to enjoy this one, too.
It's been a nice visit, not withstanding the reason for my coming here. It was nice to see Clay and LeighAnne (Lynette's nephew and neice) and their families, and it was also nice to spend a little time with Gary and his partner, Eika. Eika and I had a day to ourselves last week when Lynette, Amy and Gary were busy at their mother's house, and we drove to Evansville to look around and have lunch. We walked around the downtown area and found some interesting buildings to look at, and dined at a Chinese restaurant. We also visited the casino and walked along the riverbank. It was a breezy, cool but comfortable day, and we had a good time.
That night, Amy and Alan, Gary, and Lynette and I went to dinner in Evansville at a very nice place called BoneFish. A good time was had by all.
I've been reading a novel titled "The Yiddish Policeman's Union," a very funny book by Michael Chabon. I haven't read anything else of his. I may check out his "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," which won a Pulitzer prize recently. The one I'm reading now is an inventive, satirical imagining of a Jewish settlement in Alaska. Suffice it to say that it cracks me up. I recommend it.
I'll try to post reports from the road. Meanwhile, I wish everyone who reads this a happy new year!
Lynette has been busy, along with her sister Amy and brother Gary, tying up some of the loose ends from her mom's affairs. Now, we are ready to head home. Our plan is to drive the car we bought for Helen back to California.
We plan quick visits to Memphis and Little Rock (the Clinton Library), then a straight shot across Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle to New Mexico, where we'll stop for a night in Santa Fe. We were there many years ago and would like to see it again. Then on through Arizona to Glendale, CA. If we are able to leave today I expect to be home on Saturday or Sunday.
But there is a hitch - Lynette came down with serious stomach flu, or something like it, in the middle of the night last night. Her sister and brother-in-law Alan are also suffering from this bug. I hope it leaves me alone! The question is, when will we be able to hit the road?
I hate to see Lynette feeling so ill. She is almost never sick, and has seen me through so many colds and flus and injuries. As I write this, at almost one o'clock in the afternoon, it looks like we won't be getting to Memphis any time too soon.
When I got here on Sunday, the temperature was nine degrees Farenheit, and it held at that level through the funeral the next day. But then it warmed up a lot the day after that, reaching a toasty 56 degrees, one degree short of the record for that day. It has been about the same for the last five or six days - shirtsleeve weather for the folks here. It was actually warmer here than in Southern California for a couple of days.
I'm looking forward to the trip home. The little car - a spiffy 2008 Toyota Corolla - is fun to drive, and it gets about 33 miles to a gallon of gas. I have made a few music discs for the journey - some Mozart, some Stones/Beatles/Kinks, and a couple of mixes of old stuff. Between that and NPR, when I can find it, we should be in good shape.
I went to Wal-Mart yesterday, at Lynette's behest, and bought snacks - crackers, cookies, chips (low-cal, low fat for all of these, of course) for the road. The last time Lynette and I drove across the US was in 1977. We had fun then and hope to enjoy this one, too.
It's been a nice visit, not withstanding the reason for my coming here. It was nice to see Clay and LeighAnne (Lynette's nephew and neice) and their families, and it was also nice to spend a little time with Gary and his partner, Eika. Eika and I had a day to ourselves last week when Lynette, Amy and Gary were busy at their mother's house, and we drove to Evansville to look around and have lunch. We walked around the downtown area and found some interesting buildings to look at, and dined at a Chinese restaurant. We also visited the casino and walked along the riverbank. It was a breezy, cool but comfortable day, and we had a good time.
That night, Amy and Alan, Gary, and Lynette and I went to dinner in Evansville at a very nice place called BoneFish. A good time was had by all.
I've been reading a novel titled "The Yiddish Policeman's Union," a very funny book by Michael Chabon. I haven't read anything else of his. I may check out his "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," which won a Pulitzer prize recently. The one I'm reading now is an inventive, satirical imagining of a Jewish settlement in Alaska. Suffice it to say that it cracks me up. I recommend it.
I'll try to post reports from the road. Meanwhile, I wish everyone who reads this a happy new year!
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