Tiger Lilly and I are setting off tomorrow morning for Missouri to get an early start on the holiday week with my folks. The Mall Diva and Reverend Mother have to work the early part of the week, but will catch up with us later. Bonita is staying with her best friend since she hasn’t seen much of her lately, and there are certain complications associated with transporting a minor across state lines without the express approval of her parents.
One of the things I’m going to do while down there is help clear out the old family cemetary nearly reclaimed by nature that I wrote about back in July. I’ve already thrown certain tools into the trunk so that I don’t drive off without them.
I’ve also thrown my work gloves in the car since my hands have gotten soft since the days I swung a brush-hook for, I think, $3.25 an hour. My current tools don’t raise near as much sweat as the old ones; nevertheless the laptop is also making the trip. The long hours of the drive are typically good thinking time for me and I expect some things will work their way into this blog, sort of like the sumac and other shoots and saplings that have pushed through the ground out at the old Ficke farm.
Other implements of destruction in the trunk include my golf clubs. Highs for the week are forecast in the upper 50s and lower 60s, so we’ll probably work in another family tradition as well. Blogging is likely to be persistent but sporadic. If I don’t see you, have a happy Thanksgiving!
And a Happy Thanksgiving to….oh, you’re supposed to be here!!!
Have a safe trip down to the sticks. Keep your eyes open when you get to Vichy as there has been quite a bit of road work from the (years ago) improved sections of US 63 down to the Maries/Phelps county line. The new road surface was seriously under-specified with typical state directed corrections. Striping is minimal and barely visible at night (which happens around 5pm locally). Just remember that the zig to the left onto ’68 will be followed by a zag and another zig-zag to get you back heading towards the St James and I-44 interchange. MODOT promises that this will all work out in the end…….
See you tomorrow!
A safe journey to you and yours, Jon–
Happy Thanksgiving!
You and Tiger Lilly: who’s gonna have control over the radio, and who’s gonna be pulling their hair out. Or do you both listen to the same music.
King D, Tiger Lilly and I pretty much agreed on the tunes. She put up with my Lyle Lovett jag, and I head-banged to her iTunes-generated “Extended Jams” CD. I did draw the line on Enya, however. You really don’t want to be putting on the soporific music in the 9th hour of a 10-hour drive.
Leo – thanks! We’ll remember you and your son in Iraq this Thanksgiving!