The Pets

Our pets love Summers of Jay. They get so much more attention than when school is in. Last year, The Summer of Home Projects, was their favorite. Except for the fleas. The fleas were very bad for everyone. But there was lots of attention.
The first picture is Milford. He used to be very aloof, but now he is Mr. Snuggly, and can be quite impatient about getting his needs met. He loves to sit at the window, watch the world go by, and plan his next great escape out the back door. This picture took several tries, because when I would get his attention, he would jump down, hoping I was offering to pet him at the bathroom sink. He hates it when school starts back up.
The next picture is Sydney, aka The Princess. All of our pets have a long list of nicknames, which I think is normal, but may not be true. Sydney is less than half Milford's size, but she can more than hold her own against her brother. They are about 13-years-old. Sydney's loyal subjects try to keep her happy, but it is rarely enough.
Our dog is Beau, also 13-years-old. She is the cutest dog in the world, and the smartest dog in our house. She is the sweetest, unless you are under the age of 8, try to come on our porch, are the mailman, or try to give her a bath, etc. As she ages and slows down, we spoil her more and more. I can't type any more about her without starting to cry.
Our pets keep us grounded. If not for them, I would want to quit our jobs, buy a big van, and travel 8 months out of every year. I would not trade them for anything.

Peace,

js4

M&M Bad

Easily the most disappointing in-store of the summer was yesterday, when Mickey and the Motorcars phoned one in at Waterloo. I expected way more out of this band, consisting of younger brothers of the main guys from Reckless Kelly. Even if they had been "Reckless Kelly-lite" it would have been better. The vocals had the same Steve Earle-ish sound, but the music was just weak. They had three guys with accoustic guitars, doing the job of one and a half players. They weren't into it, the small crowd wasn't into it, and it was a thankfully short performance. Family connections may open some doors, but if this show was any indication, The Motorcars need a major overhaul.

Peace,

js4

Running Story

On my long run on Saturday, I kept mostly to the trail around the lake. I left the house early to beat the heat, as if that were possible. Around 7:00, I was on a quiet stretch, east of the interstate, as the sun was coming up over the trees. About 60 yards ahead of me on the trail, I see this man on a bicycle, stopped, and talking on his cell phone. As I get closer, I see that he has his son with him, sitting in a seat on the back of the bike. The kid is maybe two-years-old, and he is watching me closely as I approach. Then the little guy leans out from his seat as far as he can reach, and raises his open hand to me. I know the international sign for "High Five" when I see it. We make eye contact, so there is no way that I can just leave this kid hanging. As I pass, I slide my hand against his little hand, and keep going. After about 10 yards, I turn to look back, and he is twisted around in his seat, looking back at me with a big smile on his face, and waving. That one moment made my whole run. I'm pretty sure that cell phone dad was clueless about the whole event.

The marathon training plan that I am following this time is big on longer mid-week runs. That meant a 13 miler yesterday. I had run just a 2 mile recovery on Sunday, because I was a little worried about how 13 would go, so soon after the 17 miles on Sat. I kept the pace easy, about 20 seconds per mile slower than I had run on Saturday. I felt good the whole way, and did 6 miles today, in the 8:40 range. Some speed work is on tap for tomorrow.

Peace,

js4

No Title

I had this post all finished, then lost my internet connection. Damn. Now I have to retype it.
Carrie and I had lunch at Las Manitas on Sunday. Old favorites: Migas for me and the Chorizo Plate for her. Never gets old. The giant, shiny buildings in the background remind me that Las Manitas will have to relocate to make room for another new, giant, shiny building. Progress, brought to you by the Marriott Corporation.
Love going to Arkie's, way out at the end of Cesar Chavez, probably the most blue-collar diner in Austin. They are closed on the weekends, so summertime is my only opportunity to eat here. I went early enough today to get a late breakfast of pancakes and eggs. The $5.50 breakfast special includes juice, which is a rarity. (Note that, Mr. Toland.) The last time I ate at Arkie's, I was too late to be served breakfast, (They don't cater to slacker teachers.) and had a good BLT. Nothing fancy here, just real food.
This sign caught my eye as I drove home today. The lack of detail made me wonder if we were talking about a missing dog, or the name of a band. I'd go see a group called "Lost Chihuahua," wouldn't you?
Grupo Fantasma played at Waterloo on Friday. They are to Latin Funk, what
Nomo was to Afro-beat. Three piece horns, more guitar driven, and more steel in the drums. They know what they are doing, and it was worth fighting the Friday traffic. There was more, but I'll put it in another post later.

Peace,

js4

Flippin' for Crepes

Flip Happy Crepes on Jessie St. just north of Barton Springs Road has been featured on The Food Network (must be on cable), and has gotten other good press locally. Scott D. in Garland forwarded us some information, and requested a review. Today is also Scott's birhday, so Happy Birthday to him!
See that trailer? That's the place. Actually, it is just the place they make the crepes. You eat outside, at mostly shaded picnic or patio tables. It would be a more relaxed environment if not for the noise from the condos going up in the background. Anyone want a condo? 'Cause we got 'em.
The line was short, but the wait was long for my chicken and goat cheese crepe. I was grateful for the shade and something to read while I waited nearly 40 minutes for my simple order. I'm serious when I say they must be cooking these babies one at a time. It was good, with most of the flavor coming from the goat cheese. For $7.00 and that kind of wait time, I was hoping for a sublime experience, but it fell short of that. The dessert crepes looked quite good, though. I hope they find a storefront, or a bigger trailer, or something so they can accommodate the demand for their wares.

Remember Jack Handey?
Deep Thoughts:

Before you criticize people, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them...you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.

Peace,

js4

Smoothies

"They" tell us that we should eat like seven servings of vegetables and fruits every day. How is this possible when french fries don't even count? In my regular, non-summer life, three to four a day is pretty standard for me. Summertime and the blender have really helped me eat more healthy food. It also helps balance the non-healthy "Summer of Jay" indulgences of eating out nearly every day. The list of possible combinations is endless, but if you want to get the veggies in, I recommend carrots and tomatoes. Some leafy greens work on occasion, too. Fruits have included the traditional bananas, and all kinds of berries, usually frozen. Mangoes, peaches, apples go pretty well, too. Some apple juice and yogurt make a good base. Put in enough berries and bananas, and it tastes sweet enough offset the harsher flavors. I usually have a huge one of these every day. It is several hundred calories, I'm sure, but it gets me through the afternoon without too many cravings for Amy's ice cream. Don't know how I'll manage this once school starts again.

Not feeling too adventurous at lunch today, I opted for a Hyde Park turkey burger and fries. As good as the other 50 times I've had that. Old favorites are old favorites for a reason.

I worked a 4 mile tempo run into an 8 miler today. I was nervous about picking up the speed, especially with the humidity, but it went really well.
Splits were: 7:16 (a little fast) 7:26 (compensating) 7:21, 7:19 (just about right.)
I ran 6 with hills and a few hill repeats yesterday, but I did not feel any lingering effects. Happy about that. Plan to 17 miles on Saturday, the farthest I'll have run since Houston in January.

We are finally catching some rain from H'cane Dolly. It'll feel nice getting wet as I walk to the car.

Peace,

js4

Bumpkins and World Music

After being thwarted from having dinner at Manuel's downtown last night, Carrie and I went to a new place on 6th Street called Parkside. At this point, the story becomes "The Rubes Go to Dinner," because we were completely out of our element. Not because Parkside is overly fancy, but because they specialize in raw seafood, and the volume of raw seafood that we have consumed in our lives would fit on a plate or two. The waitress was on to me early, warning me off the amberjack I tried to order, and steering toward the salmon off the grill. Bless her. Carrie's Caesar Salad came with a four inch slice of anchovy laid on the top of it. Easily picked off, but I exposed my rubosity by comparing the lingering flavor (which was good) to that when you take the pickle off your Chick-fil-A sandwich, leaving the nice essence of pickle flavor. Carried loved the gnocchi, and we will go back there, but we still won't try any of the 12 different kinds of raw oysters.

Michigan-based Nomo played at Waterloo yesterday. Horns, drums, and two guitars, creating an infectious world music/Afro-beat sound that was quite good. Not normally my kind of music, but if I was hosting a party, and I wanted grown-ups to dance a little, I'd want to put their CD on. Most of the band members looked like band dorks from Ann Arbor, who got together and said, "Hey, let's be in a cool-sounding band." It worked.

Watching these two drummers bang in unison made me glad I'd moved to the side of the stage. Looked as cool as it sounded.
Carrie and I were watching some political coverage the other night when George Stephanopoulos came on to do some analysis. Carrie posed the question if anybody came out of the Clinton Presidency any better than the boy wonder. I couldn't think of anyone. He left the Clintons early enough, got his gig with ABC, then inherited the David Brinkley show. He seems to have played his cards just right.

Despite Dave and his poor-mouthing, doing a fine Lou Holtz by the way, here come the Yankees.

TTFN

Peace,

js4

Tuesday P.M.

From a few days ago, this picture is from an in-store with Brothers and Sisters. Their sound was good, and Steve B. said they reminded him of Gram Parsons/ The Byrds/Burrito Brothers. Lots of pedal steel, which I liked, and they played a solid 45 minute set. The music (six piece band) was so much louder the vocals, I could not hear much of the lyrics. That's too bad beacause the songs might have been good, but I coud not tell.

Recent lunch at El Sol Y La Luna, a very unpretentious place in the heart of oh-so-trendy South Congress. Doesn't calling it SoCo sound stupid? The chorizo migas were a big winner. If I lived anywhere nearby, I could see becoming a regular here. Slightly bigger and fancier than Hyde Park's Julio's, but a similar welcoming, laid back feel. I thnk this was only my second lunch south of the river. I guess I'm a provincial type, who remembers when South Austin was just Bubba Land. I know there are good eats down there.

Went to Nau's Enfield Drug for a dull club sandwich and an out-of this-world chocolate shake today. I got there just as the undermanned waitstaff was getting slammed by the lunch crowd. I thought I might be invisible because it took maybe 20 minutes for someone to finally say, "You've already ordered, right?" "Um, no, actually I haven't." Oh well, the old-style soda fountain makes it a cool place, and they've only been in business since 1951, so you gotta figure they'll work the kinks out with the service any day now. Nau's Trivia: Hollywood Henderson bought his winning Lotto ticket here.

So are we really attempting to try Osama Bin Laden's driver for war crimes? His driver? Did we go after the guy who did Hitler's laundry in WWII? This guy has been tortured - yes the U.S. does this now - and held for seven years without charge. Perhaps something will emerge in this case that will make it clear why he is such a high value target, but I remain skeptical. He was arrested in Nov. 2001, and I don't think Osama is still at the last place he was dropped off by this driver.

Peace,

js4

The Spoke and Running Shoes

While Carrie was doing the difficult and heroic work of looking after her grandpa in Arkansas, I stayed home to keep things on track in Austin.
Last Thursday was a farewell gathering for the Bell/White Family, hosted generously by Pat and Pam. Many of us then proceeded to the Broken Spoke, which may be the most "Texas" place in Austin.

The sign below says it all, in that the Broken Spoke is all about the dancing. They let us in, even though we surely brought down the dance quality quotient for the night.
Carrie and I once stood in the Spoke's parking lot for two hot hours for the chance to see Willie play a free show that CMT was taping. We were the last ones admitted, and it was awesome.
The Bell/Whites and Tara K. are pictured below. We are sure going to miss Steve and Wendi.

The first week of marathon training ended well, with a 15 miler with Dave on Saturday. 15 wasn't enough for Dave, who did 16. Back to 48 miles for the week for me. After waiting nearly 3 weeks for Runtex to deliver on my new shoes, I gave up and went to the Rogue store today. They had my shoes in inventory, and I left happy. For a number of reasons, I would rather buy at Runtex, but they have real inventory/customer service issues.

I'm keeping my mileage steady for the next few weeks, but some of the runs will be longer: 12 tomorrow (Tues.) and 17 on Saturday. At least that means that some of the runs will, in fact, be shorter. Every marathon training cycle is like a little experiment, and the basic hypothesis for this one is that increased mileage will result in a faster time. Let's find out.

Peace,

js4

Change Can Be Good. Just Food Today.

Bob Bullock was reportedly a regular at the G/M Steakhouse at 7th and Lamar. All those cigarettes and kerosene he inhaled must have killed his taste buds before he ever set foot in that place. I tried it once, and that was once too many, and I'm pretty tolerant of a bad burger. Austin lost nothing when that "icon" was lost. Now the place is the Counter Cafe, one of our regular late breakfast stops. I went yesterday because I was craving their steak and eggs, which are always good when Carrie orders them. The Counter Cafe is so small that they have trouble seating parties larger than two. If you sit at the counter you can watch the guys cook, and eavesdrop on their conversation. Something about organic chicken farming yesterday. Everything is fresh, local, perfectly cooked, and pricey. It is always worth it, with the exception of the pancakes, which don't outdo Kerby, Magnolia, or the Omlettry. The service is great, and I have a crush on the waitress with the cool bicycle tattoo above her ankle. Sadly she was not working yesterday. When they put the plate of food in front of me, I'm thinking, "No way I finish this; some of it is going home." (Do I really think in semicolons?) It was too good not to eat it all. With coffee, tax and tip, this was a budget busting $20 breakfast, which could only have been better if the cute waitress had been there.

Other places I can recommend:

Shoal Creek Saloon, on Lamar. Great Cajun gumbo, good fried seafood, and a super back patio on the creek. Even better when it rains while you are there.

Tacodeli, on Spyglass, I think, by the entrance to the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Bustling lunch crowd (Where do they all come from?), fresh-tasting tacos, and nice outdoor seating when it's not too hot. The al pastor was very good, but I should not have tried to find a substitute for Taco Sabrosa.

Blue Dahlia Bistro, on E. 11th (used to be the Dandelion Cafe). Went there with Missy B. one day when she was working on the east side. We had something called tartines, which may or may not be French for "really good open-faced sandwiches." From the bread up, these were excellent, with stuff like capers on mine, and raspberry chutney on Missy's to add to the taste. It looked like they had a nice area out back that could be a good place for a glass of wine. They are ready for when more giant condos open on the east side.

Peace,

js4

Dehydrated? Blame Baseball

As a native-born citizen in this Nation of Whiners, I feel fully entitled to say that Major League Baseball ruined my run today. Inexplicably, I stayed up to watch the All-Star Game until the very end last night. I would never do something that uselessly stupid if I had a real year-round job. Maybe I can blame the teacher's union for this one, too. Teachers know all about whining.
Anyway, extra innings naturally led to that extra glass of wine (whine?). It all added up to what turned out to be the hardest run I've had in about eight months. The thing about hydration issues is that by the time you realize the problem, it's too late. I was about five miles from home when I could tell this was not going to end well. Maybe I need a button to wear around my neck that will call Carrie and say, "I'm an idiot, and I need a ride home." The neighborhood swimming pool provided some relief when I got back near the house.

Back to baseball: The Rays' seven game skid allowed the Sox to enter the break in first place. Maybe that home-field advantage the AL won last night will come in handy after all.
Just before the 4th of July, my brother-in-law Bill took Zach to a game at Yankee Stadium. Last season for the old relic/icon, and all that. I asked Zach what the best part of the trip was, and he said, "When the Rangers scored all those runs." Never mind that the Yanks crushed the Rangers something like 19 - 7, the boy's got his heart in the right place. I gotta admit that a part of me would really like to go there before they tear it down. The reverence for the place last night was interesting to watch. They called it a museum. That's a bit much. They are tearing it down by choice, right? I guess I could have made a trip up there this summer, but then why should I care more about the Yankees' history than they do? I can be smug about that until the powers that be take down Fenway Park.

Peace,

js4

New, and About Time

Carrie and I headed to Arlington/Ft. Worth for a day, and Longview for this past weekend. On the drive up, we were reminded that you don't have to travel all the way to the Ozarks to find comedic religious marketing. Near a McDonald's in Waco (surprise!), we saw this bench. Bonus points for anyone who calls the number and reports back.

Before our trip to Silver Dollar City in June, it had been 15 years since Carrie and I had been to an amusement park. Now it feels like this is "Thrill Ride Summer." We took My sister's kids, Courtney and Zach, to Six Flags on Friday. They were great fun, and we had ice cream, just $7.00 ice cream, for lunch. Zach wasn't sure about bigger roller coasters early on, but Courtney and Carrie really worked on him. He rode The Shockwave for the first time ever. Then he rode it for the 2nd and 3rd time, declaring it his favorite. The picture was taken just before that 3rd ride. He angled for a 4th trip, but settled for the traditional Pink Thing on the way out of the park.
The last time Jo Carolyn took them to 6 Flags, she did not ride any rides, which is the norm for her. She instead completed several hours of CPA continuing education while the kids did their thing. How's that for time management? Classic.

In Ft. Worth we went to the Bass Concert Hall for the first time. Terrific building, but it is worthy of some open space in front, rather than facing a restaurant and a Barnes & Nobles across the street. We saw "Avenue Q," a musical with puppets. Think Sesame Street with an "R" rating. If you think puppets that end at the torso can't do explcit things that make you blush, think again. It was a good show, and obviously there was more to it than puppet sex. We will be imitating the "Bad Idea Bears," (cute, fuzzy things that encourage reckless behavior) for weeks. Being in downtown Ft Worth, I was struck by how much it feels like a small town. Some good and bad in that, I guess.

We had a relaxing couple of days in Longview with Mom an Jim. Too hot to do much outdoors, but we swam a bit, and Carrie went with Mom to help feed the horses. There is a pretty high quality Shakespeare Festival in nearby Kilgore every summer. We were in town for the "Non-Bard" portion, but went anyway, to see "1776." It was a musical history lesson for me, full of good performances, and more comedy than you might expect from the Founding Fathers.

So the best way to not go for a run when your body says it needs rest? Go out of town for several days and leave the shoes at home. Removes the compulsive temptation. I ran 5 miles very slowly on Sunday night, took yesterday off, and did 10 today without any trouble from my leg/hip. I've been doing a lot of stretching, which I had neglected for the most part. This is week 1 of training for San Antonio, so I'd better be ready to go.

Good to be back home.

Peace,

js4

Lunch Reviews and a Bad Run

Yesterday, Dave (dpl) and I were going to try locally famous burger place Casino el Camino, which doubles as a bar on 6th street. Turns out it is more of a bar than a burger place, because they don't even open until 4:00 in the afternoon. I say the best bars are open by 11:00 anyway, so C. el C. may not make the summer list of lunches. We scrambled to decide on another place, and did not want to get back in the car, so we walked to Moonshine, near the Convention Center. I would describe the food at Moonshine as "safe." They have to please downtowners and conventioneers, so the food lacks a sense of adventure. Already in the mood for a burger, I stuck with that, while Dave had a chicken sandwich of some sort. For the price, these should have been better than they were. The burger was dry and overcooked. When asked about the quality of his meal, Dave replied, "The steak fries were great." They were, but a ringing endorsement for the sandwich it is not. Dave looked smashing, by the way, in his crisp white shirt, suit pants and tie. So that Dave would outdress me by only several degrees, I found a shirt with a collar to go with my shorts. We both fit in at Moonshine.

Today I went to Astor's Ethiopian Restaurant, around 28th and I-35. I took a chance on the #1 (I couldn't pronounce it, and I can't spell it now), which was described as "spicy." Sort of a stewed meat with sauce that compares texturally with carne guisada. Flavorful mixes of vegetables come with it, served atop a flat piece of bread, that if you chose, you could pick it all up wrapped like a burrito. I accepted the offer of silverware. The first bite or two, the spices got my attention, but after that, with the help of the veggies, it was all just good complex flavors. I did not care at all for the bread, which was like a big, spongy, bland pancake. Emphasis on the spongy. At $6.50, it was a bargain, and the service was first-rate. All Ethiopians should eat so well. Worth a return visit.

The Austin Chronicle, in their critic's picks, recommended the Tuesday Turkey and Dressing lunch special at the Stallion Grill on Airport. I don't know why. The dressing was good, but the rest of the meal I had there last week was an epic battle between the forces of bland and salt. Other people's burgers looked pretty good, but there are burger places I haven't been to yet this summer. Time is getting short in the Summer of Jay 4.

Bad run yesterday. I set out to do 10 miles, and finished nine. Early on, I felt a twinge in my upper left leg, around the hip flexor. It came and went several times, and I could tell that I was adjusting my stride because of it. Any number of things might have led to this happening. I need new shoes. (Hurry up, Runtex, with my on order Mizunos.) I ran some hill repeats last week. I've had fewer days off since we returned from Arkansas. I have not been doing much stretching. Some combination of these, and other mystery factors, have led to what feels like a relatively minor injury. Now I have to follow the simple yet almost impossible, best advice, "Listen to your body." My body says, "Don't run today, and probably not for a few days." So far, I'm listening. It is better today. I went to the gym, did some upper body stuff with the weights, and stretched a lot.
This is particularly frustrating timing, because next week, I am set to start my 18 week training plan for San Antonio in November. I've been able to get my mileage up to a good level in recent months, and I've felt really healthy the whole time. Now this. I don't think it is a big deal, and I won't lose any fitness by taking a week off, but I would have preferred to start my official training plan in a better state of mind and body.

Peace,

js4

BBQ and Music

Carrie and I had the best lunch of the summer at Iron Works BBQ late last week. Without having to drive to another county, or out to Driftwood, this is the best BBQ in the city. We had a hunk of brisket and pork ribs, their two best meat options, I think. Tender, with just enough fat for good flavor, and sides (beans and potato) that I actually like. While we were sitting on the patio overlooking Waller Creek, clouds blew in, the temps dropped (maybe even into the 80s), and it rained really hard for 25 minutes. Savoring the food, the Shiner Bock and the sudden change in weather felt like a little vacation right there in downtown Austin.

Two more Waterloo in-stores last week. First was Chip Taylor, and old guy still writing songs because he can do anything he wants. He can do anything he wants beacause way back in 1965 he wrote "Wild Thing," and those royalty checks keep rolling in. He did some pretty basic folkie stuff with a good band, and yes, they played "Wild Thing" at the end. Chip Taylor changed his name from Voigt, and is John Voigt's brother. Maybe you see a resemblance.
Los Lonely Boys played Thursday to a nearly packed room at the record store on Thursday. I expected a bigger crowd, and possibly not getting in because I arrived pretty late. They do rock when they play live, and they sounded great. I have their first CD, but don't feel compelled to buy another until they do something that breaks the mold of the SRV/Santana pop sound they stick so closely to. They are opening on an upcoming tour for Los Lobos, and could learn something from their elders about how to mix things up to sustain a career. That kind of talent should not be thought of as a one hit wonder.
After the Waterloo show, I immediately drove to Shady Grove, where James McMurtry was playing later that night. Gotta get there early if you want to get a seat because people start saving rows as soon as they can. We bring reading material and pass the time waiting with the best "plastic cup margaritas" in town. Different catagory , but very good nonetheless.
McMurtry did not play a lot of old stuff (really just Leveland and Too Long in the Wasteland), but even new stuff that I am unfamiliar with sounded good. He has so many good songs, and performs with such intensity, even at a laid back venue like this, that I cannot remember ever thinking he was not worth seeing.

See you back here tomorrow.

Peace,

js4

Chicken On The Run

Okay, here is the picture of Nancy, aka Nancois, a regular reader and leaver of comments on the ol' blog. If you leave comments and want me to make you famous, let me know. Nancois is seen here spicing up the lunch plate at the family reunion. It was a catered affair, if you count KFC, and their plate o' brown food as catering.

Fast food driving tips:
To top off the hotel Taco Bell, Carrie and I stopped for "food" at Burger King, Wendy's, and McDonalds along the way. I generally chose my meal by guessing what would be easy to eat while driving. Standards go out the window. I gotta say that the chicken wrap at Wendy's is better than the chicken wrap at McDonalds.Fried over grilled for flavor, of course. This is not so much a recommendation, as it is a "if you have to choose."

Carrie and I had the best lunch of the summer yesterday. Try to guess where. I will write it up next time, along with some more music stuff.

Hottest June ever is the record books. Bad month for running, but plenty of people still out there with us. Hoping for a july 4th slog with Tara tomorrow.

Peace,

js4

Catching Up Part 3

I got more pictures loaded from the Silver Dollar City festivities. Above: Cousin Zephan, Miranda, Carrie and I on the the teacup ride. Z was way energetic in spinning the teacup, and it became a thrill ride beyond my expectations.

This sensation was outdone only by the ride pictured below. The Powder Keg was the scariest roller coaster I have ever been on. As you can see, Carrie and I had no idea what we were in for.

Leslie and Deanna were all smiles before their ride. Actually Deanna, who is not even 7-years-old, rode this thing half a dozen times in two days. Props to her parents too, because they never said, "No sweetie, I'll puke my funnel cake if you drag me on that ride again." Vacationing with children = Courage.
The Powder Keg did make me feel old. The other time I felt my age was when I lost 2 of 3 Air Hockey games to Cousin Z in the hotel game room. During the tie break game, I could actually feel my shoulder tighten up from, what, overuse? The kid could play, I tell ya.

By far, the best part of our time in Corning, Ark. was the fact that Carrie's Grandpa was able to make it to lunch at the community center to see everybody. He had recently been in the hospital, and at 92, he sucked it up and made more than a cameo. Pictured below are (in no paricular order) : Marquette Laughlin, his son Terry, married to Jo Marie, their girls Catherine and Carrie, the girls' respective husbands, Keith and Jay, and Elijah and Isaac, the sons of Catherine and Keith. After lunch,the boys learned a thing or two about wiffle ball from the kids in the next picture.

Mark Elliot(12) and Elizabeth(7) are patient and well behaved, whether they are interacting with a 92-year-old, or a 3-year-old unfamiliar with wiffle ball. Their mother assures us that at home, with fewer witnesses, they are less angelic than they appear. Maybe so, but Carrie and I adore them and their parents, Mark, pictured below and Nancy, who may get her own blog post if I can get the picture I took to upload tomorrow.

For those keeping track, I did manage two runs while we were gone. I drove into Branson and ran 7-8 miles along the strip where all the theaters and cheap hotels with parking lot pools are. Seeing other runners doing the same thing made me feel less crazy for being out there at 7:00 A.M. If I'm not the only one, then I must be okay, right?

Tried to run one day in Poplar Bluff, where we stayed for the family reunion, but it was raining. Hard. When I went to the fitness room at the hotel, someone was already using the treadmill. Running freaks are everywhere. I went back to the hotel room and caught a nap.

I got up early the next day and ran 12-13 miles along the highway in and out of town. Not too much traffic, so it was really pleasant. For runs like this, the two things I really need are ways to get fluids (water and Gatorade) and the mp3 player. I could not have gone for two hours without the music.

Oh, and the Corolla averaged about 36 miles per gallon on the trip. Not hybrid mileage, but not bad.

Peace,

js4

Part 2 Catching Up

How did we pass the 9 hour and 36 minutes it takes to drive from Austin to Branson, MO? First you try to get there as quickly as possible, so that it only takes 9:36. Packing snacks to eat while driving, and tending toward dehydration minimizes the need for stops. I forced Carrie to track our hourly progress (it was like a really long run), collect info on our gas mileage, and change CDs about a dozen times.
Nothing notable to see until we got to Oklahoma, which triggered some PTSD-like flashbacks for Carrie as she recalled family travels as a kid to their farm in Kansas. Native American casinos dot the landscape along the way. We did not stop. The luckiest thing that could happen for us would be to get out of Oklahoma ASAP. The worst thing about leaving Oklahoma was that the next state was Arkansas. Getting into the Ozarks was at least pretty from a scenery standpoint. Everything else about the region just screamed, "Hillbilly Redneck Evangelical Biker." Now any one of those words on its own I can usually roll with. In combination, it was more than just a little creepy.
As we got closer to Branson, there was less of the biker influence, but more of the evangelical message - more of a marketing slogan, as hotels and eateries tried to "outbless" the others, or at least keep up with the Joneses, or the Swaggarts, if you will.
Honestly, I can see some of the appeal of a vacation to this area for some people. It is the kind of place you can take the kids and the grandparents for a few days, and everyone can find something fun to do.
We stayed in Branson West, away from the main tourist area of Branson. We were there for the sole purpose of visiting Mark and Leslie, and their lovely daughters. Along for the multi-generational fun were a nephew (14 yrs) and Leslie's dad.
Given the girls' squirming resistance to pictures being taken, this one turned out remarkably well. I deleted the one that resembled a mass restraint.

All were delightful, as we spent a full day at Silver Dollar City amusement park, swam at the hotel, ate Taco Bell in the room while the girls watched Spongebob, etc. The Taco Bell was a highlight of the fast food consumed on this trip. Had not had a 7 layer burrito in a while. Mmmm.
There would be more pictures from this part of the trip if I could figure out how to upload or download, or whatever the shots that Mark sent to my email. That, alas, is still beyond my skill level.
We picked up Carrie's parents in Little Rock on Friday, after driving down from the hills. There were signs which made us laugh, glad to be leaving the area where attractions like "Moonshine Beach" and "Toad Suck Park" (I'm not kidding) are on the state highway signs.
After a quick tour of the river front of Little Rock (not much to see really, and we did not have time for the Clinton Museum), it was on to the airport. Hey, more live music!
There is supposed to be a picture here of the airport jazz band, but it won't upload. Okay, I got it to appear on the right side, next to the family pic.

Done for now. Part 3 next time.

Peace,

js4