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