Sharpwriters' Thoughts Blog Archives - Archives - July 2001 June 2002 July 2002 August 2002 September 2002 October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 June 2007 August 2007 September 2007 December 2007 March 2008 May 2008 July 2008 August 2008 April 2009 September 2009 October 2009 December 2009 January 2010 February 2010 June 2010 Current Posts Saturday, August 13, 2011 Grand Relaxation in Grand Rapids I didn't post yesterday. It certainly wasn't for lack of the time to do it, but I had better things to do – totally vegging out. I haven't slept so much during a day in modern memory. I was a poor guest, but certainly easy to entertain. It was marvelous. Seriously, it's the first time this summer I am not inclined to nod off when I get still without something in my lap needing done. Thursday I woke in St. Louis, coffee made and breakfast easy. I got the car loaded while I uploaded pictures to Picasa. It didn't get all the pictures, and I realized the camera had given up the ghost, running out of battery before pictures. So I took a while longer, giving the camera a little juice, and reading some of a book by a friend of Becky's, Bruce Ray Smith. Soon the urge to get on the road won out. I figured the camera in the phone would work, and I did have a little camera capacity. I set the GPS and blasted off. A Casino in Joliet I am humbled by my right to only a "C" on geography. And in the same breath, I'm annoyed at the states for not boasting my having entered them. After all, I'm Texan to the core, and Texas does a darned good job of announcing the fact, "This road has reached TEXAS!!" The only state I've encountered that would rival that is Indiana. But first there was a whole bunch of Illinois. Now, I think I would have figured out quicker I was IN Illinois but for a habit they have on their signage. An example, thought not the first one or two that confused me, was a sign saying, "Illinois 108" – then on the right, there was a distance, but my eyes didn't get to the distance. I was reading that as the Illinois border would be in 108 miles. And I couldn't figure out my current state – for good reason. After delaying so I'd have a camera, the only picture I took was a couple of chimneys with white smoke. But I didn't stop to take it and pretty much missed it. Anyway. I got off the highway in Springfield when the signage promised the Lincoln Presidential Library. Not finding that, I settled for coffee and got back on the road.  I have sat here trying to decipher a note scribbled on the tablet beside me. It was the name of a place of interest, not necessarily to stop but to scribble down: Funks Grove, Illinois. Another place of interest was Towanda, Illinois. So, here it is, a shout-out "To Wanda." At 11:48 that morning I passed the 800 mile mark on the trip. I passed 1000 miles about at a sign saying Lexington, Illinois, was 51 miles off on a county road. Seventy-five or eighty miles further on I saw signs about Joliet. While that makes me think of David, the greater interest was the presence of casinos there. I ventured off the highway, found one though not the sign I'd followed, and lost an hour and gained a quarter. But it was time to get on the road! The importance? That's where Jeffrey works! Soon I was announced into Indiana by a large sign crossing the freeway. Then about fifty miles later I was in Michigan! Then there were pictures I really wanted to take! But I took them with the phone rather than the camera... Jeffrey at the door of Jeffrey's house! Wednesday, I woke up, ate breakfast, figured out how to get my eyebrows done, ventured out for that, came back to the house, napped on the couch, went in and napped in bed, ate supper, napped on the couch, and went to bed.  I needed the rest, and I'm ready to go or stay, perfectly at peace. Sam's sister Rachel Fisk is here with Mike and Ben, and Ben's brothers Austin and Zack will be here today. It's good to be with them again. Actually, thinking further, yesterday wasn't totally without redeeming busy-ness. I read some of my new book A Cloud of Witnesses – Two Big Books and Us written with OAStepper. I found serious enough corrections to make, I did spend a couple hours last night on those – leading Rachel to ask how many computers I have here. Just three. Right now, though, I'm going out to the car to give a trip report on mileage and sign off here. 1278.8 miles. And tons of good memories. Labels: Austin Fisk, Becky Haigler, Ben Fisk, David Rollins, Grand Rapids, Jeffrey Scott Rollins, Joliet, Mike Fisk, Rachel Fisk, Samantha Rollins, Wanda Stayton, Zack Fisk Share | posted by Barbara Rollins @ 11:49 AM 0 Comments: Post a Comment Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom] << Home