August 13, 2009 

Won't be writing to the site for a while, unless it is to this page.  Hopefully I can do this from the road. I know it will work.  Just don't know if I will have the inclination to write to this page.  Normally I would be writing to my writing journal page. I just stuck one last post on there and am sticking a couple of things on here.  I am preparing for the trip.

August 18, 2009 

Effingham, Illinois around 9:00 PM....

Earlier in the day, inside the car...

R:  You know, you go to a lot of places you wouldn't normally go because of me. 

D: Yes.

R: I mean, would you visit Illinois if it weren't for me?  D: No.  R: Would you visit Texas if it weren't for me?  D: Probably not...  etc.

R: What would you do without me?    D: Save on gas?   R: laughs

We ate at Niemerg's  http://www.niemergssteakhouse.com/ .  It is one of our favorite places.  This is the only one in the world.  Dg. happened to pick a good room this time.  The room we got last time was rather rough.  Had to turn the air off as soon as we arrived today.  They had it set on freezing of course.  We even managed to get the window to open a crack.  We are on the third floor.  http://www.comfortsuites.com/hotel-effingham-illinois-IL435/Hotel-Services  You can view the motel at the address before this sentence.

Isn't technology grand!!  I am able to connect to the net via the room here.  I think it is free but am not sure exactly.  I'll see tomorrow.  I had to "sign" an online licensing agreement. 

We go through St. Louis and Missouri tomorrow.  Yea!!!  It is always a special thing for me to cross the Mississippi at St. Louis.  I feel like I am really on the way "home".  I was born and grew up west of the Mississippi.  Michigan isn't too different really.  The summers aren't as summery (warm).  In some ways I feel like a fish out of water living there.  It is home now after nearly 20 years.  In December it will be 20 years in one house.  Can you believe it????  In Sept. it is 20 years of marriage.  AND we are alive to tell the tale.  Ha!!!! 

Mich. is home now after 20 years.  Yet there are some cultural differences. 

When we went through St. Louis and most of Missouri last year, I was trying to listen to a football (soccer) match via short-wave radio. (Hope you can view the text of that.  I have a very strong background behind the text.)

Will write more later if it is available.  If this session costs money, then maybe not.  I might be able to connect in at my sisters.  Not sure.

Oh! I have to eat the piece of pecan pie that I got at the restaurant.  Dg. got a piece of coconut cream. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecan_pie

Dg. is watching the History Channel about alien life on Mars.  I am listening to some Tchaikovsky I had on the hard drive from a slide show I did.  (By the way, the DVD maker on the MacBook will make DVDs in PAL format.  I'll have to make a couple of the slide show disks for my English pen pals.)  I don't think the Tchaikovsky made it onto that disk though.

Was picking up Germany? on a small pocket short-wave radio that I have.  The frequency was 9820 or 9825.  The radio is about 5 MHZ off.  The time I heard them was about 7:50 local time.  They went off air at 8:00. At least I could no longer pick them up when I tried in the restaurant.  I'm listening to a track from the Vaughn Williams CD I have.  It is on here for the slide show too.  This made it to the disk. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Vaughan_Williams

R in Ill.

Photos of August 18 room added August 19/20.  Click on any photos on this page to enlarge them.  Sorry the photos are so huge.  Having to learn how to make them smaller on the MacBook.

 

 

 

August 19, 2009 

Joplin, Missouri

Staying at a decent room tonight.  http://www.comfortinn.com/hotel-joplin-missouri-MO087  Had a good drive here.  Douglas was having his usual difficulty staying awake.  That's why I sit by him.  He wasn't tired.  He probably got enough sleep.  He gets bored and he wants to fall asleep. 

Took some interesting photos.  Was uploading some photos.  It was taking too long.  We are near Kansas.  You can look up our location on the map.  There are heavy storms coming.  I'm listening to a local radio station.  Douglas is watching television.  They are warning people in Kansas to take shelter.  There is red on the weather map coming this way.  Gotta turn this off now.  Will try and upload the other photos etc. soon.

R in Mo.

August 20, 2009 

Joplin, Missouri--- early in the morning. (7:13)

The weather was horrible.  The power must have gone out at some point.  The digital clock in the room is flashing.  Don't know what kind of damage was done in the area.  I know the thunder sounded very loud.  Maybe the walls of the motel are on the thin side? 

Going to get the photos uploaded hopefully.  Hope to leave the room at 9:30 or maybe a little before.  That is to go get breakfast and gas.  Breakfast should not cause the gas.  Ha!  By the way, the Internet connection was free the first night.  It is free now as well.  Still had to click on a licensing agreement.  

There is a tourist attraction called, Meramec Caverns. I remember seeing signs for it in Michigan years ago. They used to pay people to have their barns painted with their advertisements.  I looked and looked for the sign that said "You missed the exit.  Turn back.  You can still make it".  (paraphrased)  Didn't see that sign this time.  Maybe it is on the other side of the road.  That's why you see so many signs for it. I picked out 32 photos but it is taking too long to get them uploaded.  Hence the blank spaces below.

This is one we took on the way out of Michigan.

Trying to get a photo of St. Louis and the famous "arch". Instead got a photo of a "Meramec Caverns" sign.

Trying to get a good photo of the Mississippi river.

      

One of the great symbols of St. Louis.

This is always an exciting sign. The Mississippi is the border I think. I used to live in Missouri.

Yea!!!!

            
       

This is the exit for the capital city.  This is where we used to live back in the 70's.

      
     

Of course we drove near Branson.  That is a town with theatres and shows. A lot of it is "family entertainment" type things. Bus loads of gray haired people go there.  And conservative families go there I guess.