Monday Morning Musings
Posted on November 16, 2015 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet
Mt. Douglas, Victoria. A beautiful place to walk with friends
After 24 states, 3 provinces and 9785 kilometers, Peter and I touched down in Victoria on Saturday. Like our two previous trips, we saw a lot, ate a lot, laughed a lot and had a plenty of time to ponder our good fortune as we rolled on down the Interstates. There is nothing quite like travel and to be able to do it with one of your children is special.
There were many highlights and no low lights. Well, maybe the 30 minute raging snowstorm in Flagstaff, Arizona which caused some momentary angst but we drove out of it quickly. The week of sun and sand in Florida was very therapeutic and a pleasant ( and necessary ! ) respite from all the driving. The Grand Canyon was spectacular as advertised. As you get older, you don’t succumb to the hype so I was pleasantly surprised when the G.C exceeded my expectations. It only seemed fitting that I would write a piece about the experience but it was definitely not the story that I thought I would be writing. You can’t really describe the Grand Canyon. It has to be seen. But when I got disoriented ( lost! ) trying to find our accommodations on a very dark, cold and blustery night, I had to take a stab at one of my favorite targets and favorite subjects… me and the perils of growing old. I mean, I can understand getting lost in the Grand Canyon but on the property? Stay tuned for “A Grand Illusion” coming up later this week.
As mentioned in an earlier post, spending time in Dealey Plaza in Dallas was a profound and somewhat surreal experience. A whole generation of us were witness to the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Every year , on November 22, I think about this event and the memories of that day come rushing back. It is hard to put into words my feelings as I stood in the exact spot that JFK died. As a family member mentioned to me in an e-mail, “ America’s first and only Catholic President died. And with him, died a lot of hopes and dreams of a generation, however fanciful they may have been.” Peter took an amazing picture which captured the entire scene including the spot of the assassination, the “grassy knoll” and the Texas School Book Depository.” I’m still trying to find a suitable title but right now I’m going with this: “ My Dallas Addiction: How I Became a News Junkie.” Coming soon at Week45.
So, we’re driving through hundreds of miles of potato fields in Idaho. Endless fields of potatoes. After the stunning landscape of Utah, this was a bit of a comedown. We were low on gas and it was lunch time. Anyone who has driven in the U.S. knows that there are oodles of rest stops where travellers can quickly and easily exit the Interstate, grab some fuel for the body and the car and be on your way in no time at all. We were passing through Twin Falls, Idaho and decided to do something we never do: exit the highway and drive 4 miles into a town. It is not an efficient use of time. As we were approaching the town, we came to a bridge and below us was a canyon and river hundreds of feet below… and the view was simply stunning. It turned out to be the best pit stop of the entire trip and spawned a story. The river is the Snake River made famous years ago when Evel Knievel tried to cross the canyon on a rocket powered motorcycle. How did that go, Evel?! The story “Snake Bitten” is really a story about “the road not taken.” Sometimes you can get some pleasant surprise when you go off the beaten path.
And finally this little gem. KFC has reported that they will start delivering buckets of the Colonel’s best in selected cities in the U.S. Yes, you will be able to get artery clogging chicken delivered right to your door. You might even be able to get them to bring it right to your Lazyboy so that you don’t miss a single minute of the football game. Hell, you could get the delivery boy to grab a beer for you from the fridge while he’s there.
Have a great week.
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