Hamburg, Iowa and Can you Identify this?

I stopped at the first town in Iowa. Turns out: Genesee, Idaho exists with another name, in a different state. I'm curious about what Popcorn day entails. Perhaps I can drive back down there before I head to Idaho. I'm sure my mom would understand why I need one more day on the road.

That sign says "Welcome to Hamburg, Cornerstone of Iowa. Business District"

I think the business district was composed of a Gentleman's club and a gun store. Ahhhh just like home!

I stopped at the Hamburg Market to use the restroom but they directed me across the street to the City Hall. Displayed prominently in the hallway was a collection of old pop bottles. Relics I'm sure. I almost wanted to stay there it was so homey.






























And though it's unrelated, I don't have enough to say about this next picture to require a separate post. Can any one identify the sort of machine that these tires go on? I saw three different trucks carrying these giant tires. I'm almost scared to imagine the machines these belong to.

A Stop on the Way

I'm currently located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I got in around 5PM last night. The pets and I had an easy day on the road and I took advantage of the short drive to stop at some really fabulous places in Missouri and Iowa. I will post pictures as soon as I can find my camera cable. (it's somewhere in the car)

I'm staying with Laura's family for the day. Her mother and I are going to do a bit of shopping today. I'm going along to try on clothes for Laura so that her mom can be sure to buy her the right size. At least I can be useful. Also on the list of things to do today: get the car aligned, wash the dog, and get a haircut. My poor mohawk has been neglected for nearly a month and there is nothing so horrendous as a grown out mohawk. I can just tell my mom that I cut it of for Her. But, in my heart I know it's not true.

The dog smells like death. He must have found something extra delicious to roll around in. The dog is also terrified of Laura's step-father and barks and cowers every time he comes within six feet. Scott is a great house guest...

The closer I get to home, the more relaxed I feel. Leaving the palm trees and swamp behind has really done amazing things for my mental health. I've passed through the rolling mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee and am now out on the expansive prairie. Next comes the badlands and finally, home--the Rocky Mountains.

While I'm driving I try to turn my thoughts to the history of the place. I thought about the Civil War while I was in Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky. When I hit St. Louis I began meditating on Lewis and Clark. I think I may even be approximating their route. They came over Lolo pass into Idaho and I don't think I'll be taking the Lolo motorway home, but up 90 is about the same. My goodness things have changed in the past 200 years--thanks a lot Will and Meriwether! Couldn'ta done it without ya.

I promised Laura that I would edit another one of those plant-host-insect-parasatoid papers that she loves so very very much. This one is difficult though, and you lovely readers can thank this most boring blog-post ever to my reluctance to do any real work. The children will be up soon so then I'll have an even better reason to not work....

Travels With Scotty

QUICK STATUS:I'm currently located in Columbia, Missouri at the Lucky 7’s Motel. In the past 35 hours I've covered approximately 1300 miles. (That includes sleeping. If only I had a traveling companion who could help drive, I'd not have to report such lame statistics). Last night I was in Macon, Georgia. Tomorrow I'll be in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. I've passed through six states. I've tried five different types of energy drinks. Unfortunately for my mental health, most of those were consumed today. Rockstar is my favorite so far. Redbull is better, of course, but is much more expensive. I am cheap. The cats are still alive.
This trip is my first solo cross-country journey. I've been enjoying the drive very much, though I know I could make better time if only I had less cats in the car. Does anyone know how long I can keep a cat in a carrier before it becomes cruel? The dog is easier to deal with.














John Steinbeck is one of my favorite writers and Travels with Charley is one of my favorite books. It's the story of Steinbeck's trip across America in the fall of his own life. He wanted to experience the America he had been writing about for so many years. He traveled in a large truck outfitted with a camper and a standard poodle named Charley. He washed his clothes in a bucket that bounced along on a bungee cord and he ate pie at lunch counters while lamenting the loss of regional accents.

I read Travels with Charley during my self-proclaimed neo-beat phase, back in the late 90's. I think I remember the main points pretty well. Steinbeck was disappointed with inter-state highways because he felt that they removed the possibility of any sort of personal experience with the country you would get traveling on the smaller roads. Unfortunately, I'm on a budget and in a hurry. Otherwise, this could be my chance to experience America, real America, like I once longed to. For now though, the interstate will just have to do. I saw some interesting things. I mostly saw a lot of the same things though. Interstates are basically green tunnels. When the topography is flat, there's no seeing over the trees that surround the road. But when there are any sorts of rises, the views are breathtaking when the road first opens up.

Georgia started with palm trees and traffic cones and ended with rolling hills.

Tennessee had a surprising amount of elevation. Of the five states I drove through today, it was my favorite state, particularly the area between Chattanooga and Nashville (okay, that's like the whole north/south swath of the state). When I was young, we moved to Indiana. One of my main concerns about the move was the lack of any sort of 'hills' in our new home. Now, as I drive back through the Mid-west for the first time in over ten years, I'm appreciating the smallest hills. My two years in Miami has made me appreciate any sort of geography that isn't swamp land.

Kentucky was anonymous. I didn't even KNOW I had crossed into a different state for about 50 miles, when I saw the Kentucky State Penitentiary exit.

Illinois is where I finally stopped around 4:30 PM to eat some food. I was already too far gone on Rockstar, Full Throttles and Red Bull to think straight much longer. I nearly had a full out temper tantrum in Quiznos in Marion because I couldn't figure out the wireless password. Luckily a calmer voice in my head prevailed and instructed me to "drink some water, just sip it, you're fine you like it". That helped and I soldiered on. Illinois faded into Missouri.

Missouri is very nice, though very similar to northern Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois. Missouri was especially nice because of the time of day I experienced it. I drove across the state-line around 7PM. I think any landscape is more beautiful around sundown. My dad used to call that the Magic Hour, when the sun is low enough on the horizon to bring out the richest colors in anything. Grey highway, green vegetation and dark blue sky may be the most aesthetically pleasing color combination I've ever seen. Someday I'll have a house painted those colors.

Like Steinbeck, I’ve been doing laundry in the back of my car. Because my friends Katie and Rob packed my car for me, I don’t know where anything is. That includes my clothes. I could find them, but that would involve unpacking and re-packing. So, I’m resigned to traveling with one shirt, one pair of pants, two pairs of underwear and two undershirts. Fortunately, I can wash my underthings in the sink and allow them to dry in the sun while I drive. I’m sure that all the truckers I pass are enjoying the view of my unds sunning themselves in the back window.

Hopefully Steinbeck's ghost will forgive me for choosing interstates, traveling with a wimpy dog and drinking too many horrible energy drinks.

Open Letter to the State of Georgia

Dear Georgia,

The 150 miles of construction cones were not necessary. I understand that keeping highway workers safe is a priority, but as far as I could tell, the 80 miles of large shiny orange barrels blocking off two whole lanes of traffic were serving no purpose but to slow me down. I did see about a work zone, about a quarter mile long. My flagging spirits were somewhat lifted, I thought perhaps the nonsense with the restricted lanes would be over. It was not, those orange barrels persisted.

I wonder, how much does one of those shiny, distracting, headache inducing barrels cost? I suppose they must cost a few hundred dollars apiece, probably more because there's got to be some government supply to jack up the price. I think that it would be more cost effective to mark off only the areas of highway you're actually working on, with a reasonable buffer--say a few miles? Then, Georgia, when you finish what you're doing in one area, you can clean up your mess and move on. Didn't your mother teach you this?

If you were worried that I would have a hard time finding the edges of the road in the dark, you shouldn't have. I've been doing this for years, go ahead and put those things away next time. Seriously, they slowed me down. I was making good time, I was going to make it all the way to Atlanta. But here I am in Macon, and I blame your cone-nonsense.

Sincerely,
Kat

Agitated Driver

Last day at work

11:00

I cleaned out the junk-drawer in my desk.  I cancelled my home internet service (45 minutes on the phone, Thanks ATT.)  I have completed my Clearance form (with the exception of turning in my gate card as I'll need that to do laundry on Sunday), and my Leave of Absence form.  And now, I'm studying, clearly.  

I was worried that my lab-mates would ask me a thousand questions about where I'm going, and what I'm doing.  But they haven't.  What a relief!   Doug broke the news to  Cinda by crossing my name off the summer package pick up schedule.  So, when I told Meredith right after that, she took the news so nonchalantly that I could have been asking her to hand me a pen.

Cinda hasn't said a word to me since yesterday morning--which were the first words we'd exchanged since the big Telephone Use and Don't-Force-Me-to-Go-Out-With-YOU-People debacle of mid-March.  So, she must be furious that I didn't tell her first and privately of my plans to leave Miami.

Of course she's upset, I should ask her advice, I should go to her with all my personal questions... because she knows Everything.  Last week I offended her by NOT asking her for quarters.  I didn't know she had them.  One of my personal failings is that I cannot read minds.  Alas, it is a handicap in this world but somehow I soldier on...

1:45 PM

I was walking to the commons to buy myself a turkey sandwich. (Non-vegetarian living sure seems easy) and I ran into Katie.  Luckily she had some extra food and fed me chicken with delicious peanut sauce and rice.  Just a note about the peanut sauce: it contained tomatoes. Tomatoes and peanuts are delicious together, thus, tomato-peanut butter loaf is an acceptable meal. QED.  

I've been trying to study but it's not working out:  it's hard to care about a grade that won't matter for anything.  Even if I was enrolled for fall classes, and not leaving, I still wouldn't care. Grad School Grades count for naught.  And I hear that credits don't transfer.  I could be wrong, but ... it's database systems management--not exactly what I want to do with my life, not even close.

Lucky for me it's a Matinee day for baseball. The Dodgers and the Marlins are tied at 3 in the top of the 7th and the Orioles and the Rays are tied at the bottom of the fifth.  Upton just threw out his shoulder and is out.  Ahh, MLB TV may be the greatest internet service ever.  The calming nature of that tiny screen showing live games and line-scores is unbelievable.  It's therapeutic.  Not as therapeutic as sitting along the third baseline in the upper deck while the sun sets and a gentle breeze brings the smell of freshly cut grass up from the outfield, but pretty close.  

4:52 PM

The Marlins lost, they're now 15  and 13, which puts them 1/2 game behind the Mets! Drat!  Glad I wasn't there at least.  If I didn't have to wait 6 more hours to pick Anna up at the airport I'd just go home and call it a night.  Problem is that there's tons of work to do at home, and I'd rather not do it.  I'm just not sure how much longer I can take it Here though.  Actually, I think I'm done.  I don't care much about my database test.  Certainly not enough to study through all the nervousness in my over-excited state.  

So, goodbye palm trees.  And here's a Scott-The-Dog chaser.  Isn't he pretty?