Posts from — May 2008

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Peace,
Bob

Editor, 123Greetings

FREE GREETINGS FOR THE PLANET

We came out of Joplin and headed for Albuquerque, NM–well we were supposed to reach there by nightfall but there were other things that happened so we ended up in Amarillo, TX. When we woke up this morning, we were all glad to be out of alien territory. At least we didn’t get abducted, right?

Megan drove the rest of the way from Joplin to Oklahoma City. She decided to go off the Interstate highway and follow historic Route 66. It was a nice change for us. It was also her favorite part of the drive. Rick was shotgun-navigator again. I really liked the scenery that the country side had to offer. It wasn’t the usual high traffic.

Rick suggested that we go for steaks (of course!) when we got to Oklahoma City. Megan and I were tired of diner food. She wanted some fresh veggies. I just wanted something different and from what Adrian told me, Oklahoma City has the best Vietnamese food. Oklahoma has a big Vietnamese population because many refugees from the Vietnam War ended up there. I thought of Fred who was in Vietnam during that time. I thought of how this city had changed so much. I mean, it started off as a town for people who wanted land for themselves and then there was an influx of Vietnamese who built a better life. Other Asian immigrants came after that… I think Oklahoma City will always have new people chasing the American dream.

We decided to split up and meet at the Oklahoma City National Memorial in two hours. Rick and Kaitlin went to a steak house after they dropped us off at a Vietnamese restaurant. I had a stir fried Vermicelli dish, Megan ordered rice, fish and stir fried water spinach–you know Megan, she had to order that because we haven’t tried it. The food was really tasty and I was glad we were eating something different. “I’m really glad I came on this trip,” said Megan while we were finishing up. “It’s clearing my mind a lot.” “Well, good,” I told her. I really was glad for her because she seemed to be feeling a lot better. We walked to the Oklahoma City National Memorial, which wasn’t a short walk, but I didn’t mind because I needed to stretch my legs anyway.

We were early when we got to the National Memorial, so we took a tour. I listened to the tale of what happened that morning. The outdoor exhibition was really breath taking. I think my favorite part of the exhibition was the Field of Empty Chairs. Each chair represents a victim who lost their life on that day. The symbolism behind the empty chairs really struck me. All those families have a person missing from the dinner table. It made me think about the victims of 9/11. It made me think about the war and how much we’ve lost so far. Over 4,000 families with someone missing…

Right before we left, I got myself two large root beers for the road from a root beer stand. They’re fantastic, why won’t they open up root beer stands in New York? When Rick and Kaitlin showed up, they didn’t look like they were in a good mood. Kaitlin was behind the wheel and Rick was shotgun. Megan and I looked at each other quietly. sat in the back and we took off headed towards what we had hoped was Albuquerque. The ride was so quiet Rick fell asleep. So did Megan. She cuddled up, laid her head on my shoulder with her back to me and fell asleep. I was engrossed in my novel, secure in Kaitlin’s capable hands.

Around about sunset Rick woke up. He looked around and said, “Something’s wrong. We’ve been here before,” Kaitlin looked annoyed, “Don’t start that thing again. Just because I’m from New York doesn’t mean I can’t drive,” Kaitlin retorted. Rick turned his PDA on that has GPRS and sure enough, we had been traveling in the wrong direction for the past three hours. Kaitlin couldn’t say anything, but she was really mad and her eyes were as red as her hair. We took the next exit to a gas station, we had a quick pit stop and Rick took the helm. Everyone was awake by then. We finally managed to cross the state border into Texas and Rick suggested that we stay in Amarillo for the night.

After all, it’s his territory, so we agreed to stay there for the night. We decided to get into the Big Texan Steak Ranch for a meal. Well, we didn’t really decide, Rick just drove there straight and we got in. We had a sensory overload when we saw the place and got in. I think that’s the thing about Texas that I like: everything is extravagant and no expenses are spared. When people are mad they get really mad, when they’re happy they’re jumping up and down, like Rick does. He’s a real true blue Texan boy, I can tell ya that. He loves simple things, an uncomplicated life–what more can a man ask for, right?

We had a very filling meal of steak and potatoes, and some veggies on the side, but no one was really interested in the veggies. We were really amazed at the size of their steaks. But for Rick it was like heaven. He went outside to smoke after dinner and he met one of the locals. He was told to watch the local news if he was gonna be staying in Amarillo for a while. The guy said there was some special election going on about an ordinance banning smoking in public areas.

We checked into our motel and Rick told us that we had five minutes to freshen up. “We’re going square dancin’–yee hah!” yelled out Rick, throwing his hat in the air. Kaitlin had a look of disapproval but she didn’t say anything. Once we got to the dance hall, Kaitlin really didn’t want to dance. Rick was nice about it though, it’s surprising that he’s in a good mood considering that we lost a couple of hours driving in the wrong direction. Love does strange things to people, I guess.

“Kaitlin, I haven’t scolded you or said nothin’ about your drivin’,” said Rick to Kaitlin, “I told ya I wouldn’t when we were in Oklahoma–but you gotta pay up for drivin’ in the wrong direction. Besides, I know you’ll like the dancin’. Heck, it’s the closest thing to them Irish dances you like. Think of it as the American West version.” Kaitlin gave up and joined Rick reluctantly. Megan and I watched from our table. Watching Rick trying to reach Kaitlin how to square dance was hilarious.

At first they bumped into each other a lot. Kaitlin stepped on a couple of toes. I’m glad people had a good sense of humor–if it were in New York, we’d be in a bar fight already. After a while Kaitlin got the steps and seemed to be enjoying it. Rick and Kaitlin really did look romantic together in a very cowboy-dixie-ish sort of way…

Well, tonight I’ll leave you with this Zen quote from Louis L’Amour–“Too often I could hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen.” We covered a lot of miles alright and seeing the sight of Rick and Kaitlin in love was priceless–I am really happy for him.

Peace,
Bob

Editor, 123Greetings

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We started off a lot calmer today. Perhaps people were still thinking about the old couple. Rick and Kaitlin seemed to have made peace with each other, so that was a good sign. It was Kaitlin’s turn to drive and ya know what, she’s not a bad driver. At first I was kinda nervous because she’s the only driver that I’d not ridden with. I pretty much know how Rick and Megan drive. And I’m a very fussy passenger, I like being behind the wheel or having someone I trust behind it.

With my iPod gone, there wasn’t much to do for me, so I picked up a trash novel from a shop at the gas station. We decided to head to St. Louis for lunch. So far Kaitlin’s driving was going rather well. Rick was riding shotgun and navigating. He made sure we were on the right route. When we approached St. Louis, I kept staring at the Arch. I thought about the writers before me who lived in St. Louis like Tennessee Williams, William Burroughs, and T.S. Eliot. I thought about Lewis and Clark and how they explored the west. I mean, that was their idea of a “road trip” even though it wasn’t as convenient or as easy as we’re doing now.

We talked mostly about the elections at lunch, we spoke about the primary in Indiana and North Carolina. Rick still thinks that McCain is going to win. He said, “The Democrats are busy with their in-fighting. Obama is an elitist, so even if he wins the nomination, he’ll probably lose the general election.” Megan smiled and said, “Rick, a month ago, you didn’t even know what ‘elitist’ meant. You just want to jump on the election band wagon because you know people who are supporting other candidates.” “Well, it’s better than being on the side lines doing nothin’. We need a man with experience in war and all that to see this Iraqi thing through.” retorted Rick. I didn’t want the the discussion to go all haywire so I tried changing the subject, I said, “So what do you guys want to do after lunch? I think we’re a bit ahead of schedule, and I’m bored sitting in the car all day.”

Kaitlin’s eyes sparkled and she jumped right on cue, “Ya, I saw the bulletin board by the door there, there was a flyer about some flea market we can go to. Why don’t we head there?” She was looking at Rick like a kid was asking for permission. Rick looked her in the eyes and said, “Ya, I guess we can do that. I reckon maybe we can pick up some gifts for your mom.” We paid the check and left for the flea market right outside St. Louis.

When we got there we parked the car in any spot we wanted to–there were plenty of open spots. (I like that about other cities–they have ample parking space. In New York, it’s a big dog fight.) When we were going around the stalls, no one asked us if we were from around there–they didn’t have to. I think we had “New York” written all over us–we walked fast, talked fast and Kaitlin was wearing the unofficial New York uniform–all black–plus, we all wore shades.

The people we met were interesting and friendly, some were farmers from nearby towns. They told us to drive carefully and to pay attention to weather reports. They told us about tornadoes. We talked about everyday things like gas prices, the economy, and of course the Yankees and Cardinals. I loved the fact that strangers can connect instantly by talking about simple things like baseball. Megan spoke to a middle aged couple about how she lost her job, they explained that things have been tough for people in St. Louis, too. Kaitlin and Rick went off to buy some souvenirs and jewelry.

We all came back refreshed–Megan and I met new people, which always makes us happy, Kaitlin had her shopping therapy, and Rick, well, Rick got to follow Kaitlin around. It was my turn to drive and we headed towards Springfield, MO for our next stop. It was a pleasant drive, I love long drives and I haven’t really been on the road for a while. It was almost like a mini vacation. When we got to Springfield, I decided to stop before we head over to Joplin, MO. Rick and Kaitlin were napping in the back seat, Kaitlin had her head on Rick’s shoulder and Rick had his on her head. They really looked cute together… maybe Rick finally found his match. Maybe this guy can settle down. Maybe we’ll have little Kaitlins and Ricks running around… oh, no. That’s gonna kill Uncle Bob! Imagine little Ricks and Kaitlins!

Our Springfield pit stop was a short one. We wanted to head to Joplin right away and have proper dinner. If we only knew what was waiting in Joplin! We went to the most bizarre diner I’ve ever been to. On the outside, the diner looked like any normal classic diner. Inside the decor looked a bit like that diner from Pulp Fiction. It even had those juke boxes you can play from your seat. I love them! Once we were inside everyone was so hungry we didn’t talk at all. We were looking over the menu, and overheard a conversation.

There was some sort of a trucker sitting on the counter who was recounting his tales of travel. He was a heavy set man, probably in his early 40s. At first I thought he was just a regular customer who was catching up with the people at the diner. Then I heard him say, “…and then there was my cousin Jimmy who was abducted when he was cow tippin’…” I looked up and Rick stared at me, I guessed he heard it too. “He disappeared for two days in the ranch,” the trucker continued, “ain’t nobody could find him. Then, he finally showed up at his house, just like that.”

I signaled for the waitress so we could order. “Well, at least he returned,” reassured the lady behind the counter. She was pouring coffee for the trucker. An elderly man left his seat and sat next to the trucker and said, “I was abducted by aliens, too. It was right after the war,” he didn’t have many teeth left. “They did all sorts of experiments on me and I can’t remember much. All I remembered was them bright lights and their BIG alien eyes…” the elderly man trailed off. By this point the whole diner was listening to the conversation. I had an uncanny feeling that we were the only outsiders there. The conversation went on and the four of us concentrated on finishing dinner.

Rick gulped down his steak and mashed potatoes as fast as he could. I saw that Kaitlin and Megan were doing the same. It’s a good thing that we were all hungry. A lady came by the cashier to pay her check and she joined in, “Oh ya, I was abducted too. And right after that, a month later, I found out that I was pregnant. I mean, what are the odds of that? My baby boy Billy is ’bout to go to school. He’s real smart, like ‘em Einstein types, ya know?” Everyone in the diner leaned in, wanting to hear more of her story.

“Check please!” Rick yelled out. It startled us, but hey, we didn’t argue with him because we were ready to leave, too. I didn’t even finish my root beer! We got to the motel as fast as we could and locked the door. We decided to share a common room, just in case. Isn’t it funny how strange things bond us all together?

I miss Steve, he would’ve joined in on the conversation. But then again, it’s a good thing that he wasn’t with us–who knows how long we’d have been stuck in Joplin if he came. Anyway, I have to head to bed, tonight’s Zen quote also comes from Louis L’Amour he said, “To disbelieve is easy; to scoff is simple; to have faith is harder.” Maybe those people were really abducted by aliens, maybe the truth is out there, who knows. What’s your take on this?

Peace,
Bob

Editor, 123Greetings

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Hey folks, thanks for joining me on the road!

We started off this morning with, well, a bit of drama–what do you expect, we have Rick and Kaitlin with us! Right after I sent Steve the newsletter to send to you guys, Rick and I left to pick up Megan. We picked up Kaitlin last, thinking that she might need more time than the rest. When we got to her place, she still wasn’t ready, and was still packing her suitcases. “Suitcases!” Rick yelled after he saw what Kaitlin was going to bring. “Look, you have room enough for a bag in the trunk,” Rick explained. We told her the same thing in advance too. They went back and forth arguing about the car, the trunk, the suitcases, etc., until Megan came in and asked, “Hey what’s taking you guys so long?”

After seeing the situation, she played the diplomatic trump card–Kaitlin and Megan looked for a bag that’s better suited (no pun intended) for the trip and repacked Kaitlin’s stuff. She wasn’t happy but Megan told her that they got the essentials so she was satisfied enough to leave. All this time, I was thinking maybe I should’ve flown…

Once we hit the highway, I was relieved to be on the road. I think it’s going to be a pleasant surprise for my mom, and I really like road trips; who doesn’t when you’re cooped up in the city for a long time? I got to thank my friends for coming with me though–without them, I don’t think I could’ve made it. I mean, with the gas prices the way they are, I don’t think I could have afforded it by myself.

We stopped somewhere in West Virginia at a Piggly Wiggly to pick up what I like to call, “the necessities of road trips”–chips, beef jerky, and soda. It was an out-of-this-world experience because as soon as we drove in, people stared at us. It was like going into an old frontier town, in those cowboy movies. I felt all their eyeballs following us into the store. We went around the market picking up things that we wanted. People followed us through the aisles–they didn’t even pretend to be shopping!

Megan bought whatever she needed and headed to the car, and I followed her. Kaitlin looked really bothered by the stares. When Kaitlin came out, she started approaching the people who were staring at us by our car. Rick grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her towards the car. I saw the people from the store come out to watch us, too. It was getting really creepy. “Ya’ll aren’t from around here, are ya?” said a creepy middle aged man. Good thing, Kaitlin was already in the car. “No sir we ain’t,” replied Rick in a thick Texan accent. He jumped into the car and yelled out, “We’re from The Big Apple!” and he drove the car out of that town as fast as the speed limit permitted. We were all quiet in the car, not knowing whether we should be crying or laughing. Then, Rick started laughing and we all joined in. “Dude, that was creepy,” I told them. “Ya, you can say that again,” reckoned Kaitlin.

We stopped at a diner for lunch a couple hours later. We were almost done eating and Rick and Kaitlin started arguing about the West Virginia incident. The argument heated up and Kaitlin started yelling, Rick at that point stood up and left. “Where are you going? I’m talking to you, cowboy!” yelled Kaitlin, and started following him. Now, I know when Rick gets mad, he won’t really think and just take off. I motioned Megan to get to the car as fast as she could. I cleared the bill and rushed out. As soon as I got into the car, Rick started driving. My door wasn’t even closed properly. Kaitlin was next to him, shotgun, still yelling at him. “I mean what’s up with all those people? We’re no different than them,” Kaitlin said, “And you should’ve just let me be.”

Rick’s driving was dangerously fast. He gets speed crazy when he’s mad. We were passing by cars at a very, very fast rate. Kaitlin realized what was happening, she got quiet and said, “Slow down, Rick,” under her breath. “Rick, calm down man,” I told him, trying not to fuel his anger. “Slow down, Rick,” Megan joined in, “Rick, slow down,” she repeated, she repeated again, and finally the quiet Megan yelled, “RICK SLOW DOWN!!!” I don’t think I’ve heard Megan ever yell. Rick calmed down after that, his driving became steady and we were in normal cruising limits. The rest of the ride was really quiet–it was so quiet that it became boring and I needed a musical distraction–I looked for my iPod but I couldn’t find it anywhere… then i realized that I must’ve left it at the diner as I was rushing out. I told Megan about it and she looked for the menu that she collected. She’s doing a scrapbook of the whole road trip, so she’s collecting things from everywhere… “Oh, there’s a phone number on this. Maybe you can call the diner and ask them?” Thank goodness. Megan’s such a life saver.

When we got into Columbus, OH we decided to call it a night, have dinner and turn in. I guess Rick’s reckless driving made up for our late start in the beginning with Kaitlin’s packing fiasco. I’m still mad about my iPod but we called the diner and they said they’ll mail it to me. I guess I’m going to have to rely on the kindness of strangers.

There was a diner near the motel where we were staying for the night–we decided to go there for dinner. I like going to diners, they all seem to have that “all American” feel to them. There was an old couple that welcomed people and showed them where to sit. It was kind of unusual but later we learned that they had been hosting the diner for a long time. Our weary traveler spirits were lifted when we entered and saw their smiling faces.

After we sat down, I couldn’t help but ask, “There must be an interesting story behind this diner, do you own it?” The old lady smiled again and said, “Why, yes. Hank, my husband and I have been running this diner for ages. Then, we started greeting people after our son, Mike, took over. We couldn’t stay in retirement for long, you see.” She told us that they got married after the war and decided to open up a diner there. Well folks, it hasn’t changed much since that time, I can tell you that. I thought it was a really sweet way to end our first day.

Well, I’ll leave you with this Zen quote tonight, (did you think the blog wouldn’t have quotes?) Louis L’Amour said, “A good beginning makes a good end.” I think we started off pretty well, albeit drama here and there. But that’s all a part of life isn’t it?

Peace,
Bob

Editor, 123Greetings

FREE GREETINGS FOR THE PLANET

P.S. Don’t forget you can schedule your Mother’s Day ecards so they arrive on that day!