So, I'm back in Tampa . . .

. . . and after emptying out the car, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, and cooking dinner -I'm ready for a vacation! :)

It was time to come home, though. Patrick is getting ready for College and there is still a lot to do before he finally leaves the house! And after that there will be a time of adjustment. After all, he was the center of the universe (his humble opinion) for 18 years, I'm sure it'll take a while to deal with the empty nest syndrome. But life goes on - and there is always the next summer to look forward to.

Atlanta

I'm back in Atlanta. It still feels like coming home!

I came in to Georgia from the west side and stopped in Douglasville to have dinner with Sheila and Rose. We ate, we laughed and we talked for two hours!

I am not sure I could still live in Douglasville, it has changed so much. It had changed since the mall was build, but since then there is so much new construction, I would not be able to find my way around town anymore. Of course, had I stayed, I would not notice much change. But leaving, and then coming back gives a new perspective on the way things were and on what they are now.

Graceland

Today I went to Graceland. I am not a huge Elvis Fan but I thought since I'm in Memphis, I can do Graceland, and see where the King lived. So I paid $10 for parking, and $40 for a regular ticket go get in to Graceland. There were other tickets for $70 but I don't consider myself THAT big of a Fan. It seemed a bit much to spend, considering I can get into any one of the parks in Orlando for that amount of money. And what did I get for my $50? Well, not all that much, actually. I could see the first floor of Graceland, the second floor is off limits. I could see some of Elvis's costumes, the records that went gold, his backyard, his cars, and his gravesite. And lots and lots of gift shops! All in all, it was not worth spending all that money - but at the same time, it wasn't a big problem either. So, now I've seen Graceland, I don't ever have to go there again. It's one of those "live and learn" experiences. I did get some nice pictures and spent an afternoon in Memphis though.

Here is Graceland - not as big as I thought it would be.


The living room:

The dining room:

And here is the famous "Jungle Room":

Graceland and the back yard:

Priscilla's and Elvis' wedding clothes:

The Memorial Garden:

And of course, Elvis' Gravesite:

Memphis

Another day of driving. I don't know what it is about driving for hours and hours that calms me down. Seven hours of just driving on the Interstate should bother me, but it doesn't. I have been on the road for several thousand miles and I still want to drive more. Well, I also HAVE to drive more if I want to go home again.

As soon as I stopped at a gas station in Arkansas, I knew I was in the South again. The lady behind the counter had the big hair (blond with dark roots) and a disposition as sweet as molasses. Southern women are like a big hug - comforting and calming and sweet.

When I came to Memphis today, the first thing I had to do was find a good Barbeque place. I mean really, when you are in Memphis, you have to have Memphis Barbeque. I asked the receptionist at the hotel, and she recommended Corky's. It was REALLY good food and friendly service (cute, too!).

Oklahoma City

After getting to Oklahoma City I had dinner with Mike and Laura at an italian restaurant. We had so much fun and so much to talk about that the restaurant was almost empty when we left! Then we went to their place and talked some more. I decided it was late already and I should leave and then we talked some more in the parking lot! But by the time I finally made it back to the hotel I was wide awake and I just could not go to sleep. I finally had a restless 3 hours of sleep, which I decided was not enough considering that I would have to drive about 7 hours to my next stop in Memphis. So I stayed another night.

Laura had given me the name and address to her favorite yarn store in Oklahoma City, SWAK (Sealed With A Kiss) and I decided to check it out since I have an extra day. Laura also suggested I should go by the memorial for the Oklahoma City Bombing. I took my time in the morning to get ready, then spent a wonderful time at the knit shop, talking to the staff and the customers. Across from the knit shop is a funky little restaurant called "The Red Cup" where I had lunch before heading over to the Memorial.

When I went over to the Memorial I thought I just walk around a bit, it's a beautiful day and it'll give me something to do for an hour. Well, it just did not turn out as I had planned. I was there all afternoon, and left when the museum closed.

First I walked around the gates, one before the bombing at 9:01 and the other after the bombing at 9:03. There is a reflecting pool between the two gates, and on the other side there are the empty chairs. 168 empty chairs, one for each person that had died that day. It was a somber moment, looking at those empty chairs.



On the other side of the chairs and the reflecting pool is this tree. They call it the survivor tree. It is actually an American Elm Tree and the first pictures of this tree are from 1920 when the area was residential and this tree stood in front of a family home. Slowly the area turned into commercial and government buildings and the tree stood there still. It stood next to the Alfred P. Murrah building when the bomb went off on April 19. 1995, it stood there when cars underneath it burned right after the bombing and in photos from that day the tree can be seen, black, dead, broken. And one year after that in spring, the tree had bright green leaves again. And look at it now, it is healthy, lush and full of life! I think the term "survivor tree" is appropriate.

I walked through the museum for 2 hours, where the timeline of that day is explained. I sat in a room, listening to the live taping of that day of a Board Meeting for the Water Department, heard the sound when the bomb went off on that day, a day like any other.

Walking through the museum was very emotional, even though I did not know any of the people, and I had not even be to Oklahoma City before. I was not the only one who was overwhelmed by the Memorial, there were women crying in the rooms and in the elevator, men walked out of the room with all the photos and personal items of the vitims, everyone was quiet.

I think what bothered me most about the outside part of the Memorial were the 19 small chairs in the second row. Each row symbolizes the story of the building where these people died, each chair bears the name of a victim. The second story was where the daycare center was.

Walking through those rows of empty chairs I was trying to understand the "why" of the bombing. 168 people with families, friends, hobbies, lives. I could somewhat understand it if it was carried out by someone from a foreign country, from a country that raises their people in hatred against every western country - out of this hatred come extremists. I can somewhat understand if your mindset is such that you hate the people from a peticular country, a people you don't know and don't understand. I can understand that. What I can NOT understand however is the fact that these were not foreign extremists, they were homegrown, all-American boys with no prior criminal record. McVey was in the Military, Nichols lived with his wife and child in a neighborhood like any other. And they decide they want to change the way government works by blowing up a government building. They blow up their own people in their own country. WHY? I don't understand. How can you hate your own people so much that you think they are not worth anything, that they are just a means to an end - an end that in reality can not be achived by bombings but by changing the laws through peaceful activism. Their action that day changed a lot of things, but it did not do anything they expected it to do.

What I want to know is: Did they know there was a daycare center in the building? Did they know and didn't care? Nichols, a father - he did not care about the children?

168 empty chairs, 19 of those belong to children. WHY?

Kansas

The natives are getting restless and it's time for Mom to come home. I am slowly making my way back South, but have some little excursions planned to break up the monotony of the road.

After I left Denver the mountains slowly disappeared from my rear view mirror and I became very sad. It is always bad for me when I leave Colorado.

The scenery changed to fields of grain and corn and for 6 hours I was driving on an almost straight road with fields on both sides. Every once in a while I saw a house or some cows and horses. There is really nothing to say about driving through Kansas. I am greateful for all the farmers in Kansas, but I am also very happy when I can leave the State again.

Rocky Mountain National Park

Today was my "Rocky Mountain National Park" Day. I had planned to spend all day there and then spend the evening in Estes Park where I would have dinner. You know what they say about best laid plans! Today was free admission to the park and I and a Million other park visitors went there. There was no parking anywhere, except with luck, on the side of the road, there was massive traffic everywhere (even a traffic jam at 12.000 feet - who knew such a thing existed?), and no wildlife anywhere. The poor animals were probably in hiding so they didn't have to face those horrible tourists! I did take pictures in the park and if, after looking at them, you think that I must like the mountains, then well, you are absolutely right!

I decided to leave the park early but going to Estes Park was just as bad. No parking, and all the roads were blocked. So, I headed back to the hotel. The drive to and from Estes Park is really beautiful and I'm glad not many people went that way. I had a nice, leisurely drive once I left the town and all the crazy people behind. For dinner I went to the same Restaurant as yesterday - it is in walking distance, they have the sports channel on in the bar, the food is good and I had another cosmo. Life is good!

Longmont and Loveland

Drew left very early this morning to go back to Tampa. I left the hotel in Colorado Springs and drove north to Longmont. There I had ice cream for lunch. Yes, I know, that does not count as a balanced meal! I can explain though: In the town of Longmont there happens to be the best ice cream place anywhere in the world. So maybe I have not been to EVERY ice cream place in the world, but I must be close. I am a good judge of ice cream! Health food - not so much. But ask me where to find good ice cream and I'm your woman. After my lunch I drove to Loveland where I will stay for the next two nights. I had dinner at a Lone Star Steak House and because of the "Lone Star Cosmo" I had instead of dessert, I am ready to go to sleep.

Manitou Springs

Drew was done with work early and we decided to spend the day walking around the downtown area of Manitou Springs. I also found two yarn stores in Colorado Springs that absolutely needed to be checked out first. Both were really nice stores, The Knitting Kove was in a strip mall and was for yarn only. The second one was The Holly Berry in Old Colorado City and that store is for all needle crafts. There was a lot of yarn, but also embroidery, rug hooking, and anything that can be done with a needle and thread. I picked up some new projects (like I need any more!) and new crafts that I had not seen before. Drew and I had lunch in Old Colorado City and after walking around the town for a little while we went to Manitou Springs. There we walked around some more until we both had enough. After resting in the hotel for a while (after all, people our age need to rest in the afternoon :) ) we headed back out. We drove to downtown Colorado Springs, walked around some more and had dinner. Drew has to get up very early tomorrow morning to catch a flight back to Tampa. I am not sure where I'll go tomorrow morning, but I will leave Colorado Springs as well.

Pike's Peak

I went up to Pike's Peak today. Actually, I took the train up to the top because walking would take forever. Or, in my case, it would probably kill me. I would be bear food. Not a pretty picture (at least not for me). So, the train it was! It was a beautiful day in Colorado Springs, but that doesn't mean it is still beautiful at 14.110 feet. I took my chances because I really wanted to go to Pike's Peak. I am pretty sure my "real" altitute sickness starts at about 15.000 feet but I still was relieved to find out they have a EMT station on top. You never know!

The train ride up to the Peak takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes, but it didn't seem that long because the scenery was so beautiful.

When we arrived I had no problems with the oxygen (or lack thereof) and I walked around a little.

The view from the top of Pike's Peak is amazing and I am not surprised that the poem "America the Beautiful" was inspired by this view.

When we got to the top, it was sunny and windy, then it started to snow and after a few minutes the sun came out again. When the clouds lifted, the view was so amazing!

The end of the line on top of the Peak.

When Drew came back from work we went to Colorado Springs for a little while and then had dinner at the bavarian Restaurant where I was a couple of days ago. We had dessert, but I'm not sure I should have been driving after that "german" sundae: I could smell and taste the Kirschwasser right away and it was definately not a non-alcoholic dessert! But it was GOOD!!!

On the way back to the hotel we stopped at Garden of the Gods and walked around for a bit. It was raining just a little and there was thunder and lightning. But in the Garden of the Gods people are so small, I don't think lightning could have found us. And afterwards we got to see a rainbow.

7 Falls

Drew and I had breakfast this morning at a really un-godly hour - at least for someone on vacation. Of course, I couldn't do much sightseeing at 7 am after Drew had gone to work. I did laundry instead because, well, even on vacation stuff gets dirty. Around noon I drove to 7 Falls Waterfalls in Colorado Springs. It was a nice little place to see and to walk around in. The Falls are coming down a canon wall and I was surrounded by mountains on all sides.

I am claustrophobic, and being surrounded by anything with no clear way for me to get out - well, that's freaky even on a good day. Yet when I'm surrounded by huge mountains with no visible way out I feel comfortable and safe. Go figure!

The wildlife in the canon was fun to watch. The bluebirds are very friendly, and the chipmunks are always fun to watch.

I had lunch afterwards in a german restaurant and I have to go back with Drew. He likes german food and will love all the bavarian dishes at the Restaurant Edelweiss.

For dinner we went to a Korean place that Drew knew from one of his earlier trips to Colorado Springs. I'm not too crazy about korean food, but I actually liked it there. They had korean TV on while we were eating and I had fun watching the show and interpreting it (wrong, of course).

Happy in Colorado

When I left Amarillo this morning, I had about a 1/4 tank of gas left. I really didn't see a gas station and thought I'll get gas when I need it - there are gas stations on every corner, right? Well, at least in Tampa there are. But apparently not in North Texas! So, I'm driving and driving through the prairie and there is nothing. Not really "nothing" but no civilization and the gauge is getting kinda close to empty, when finally, I see a town. A real town with houses and everything! I am saved, I'll just find the gas station and fill up and I'm on my merry way, right? Wrong! I come into town and don't see a gas station. So I ask at the post office, where a very nice man tells me that if there is gas in town, the little shop at the end of the road has it. Wait, what? IF?? What do you mean, IF? Then he tells me, if I have an emergency and really need gas bad, I can stop by the courthouse and they'll give me enough there to get me to the next gas station. I try the little shop at the end of the road and yes, they have gas. So I get 10 gallons and yes, I feel bad about taking 10 gallons from the one gas tank in town. But the people were so friendly and so helpful, the whole experience was just "charming". And funny as hell.

At 10:30am this morning, I entered the State of Colorado and also a state of bliss. When I arrived it was 89 degrees, then it started raining and the temperatures fell to 70 degrees. The room we're staying in looks out at Pike's Peak and when the clouds lifted after the rain - wow, that was just a beautiful sight! Drew arrived around 3pm from the airport and we had dinner at an Italian Restaurant. We are both very tired - Drew from having to leave at 4:30am this morning to get to the airport and I from not sleeping right in . . . oh, forever. Maybe tonight I will sleep for more then 2 hours at a time. I usually sleep really well in Colorado (must be the above mentioned state of bliss) and I am hoping that tonight I will sleep blissfully. To sleep, and per chance to dream!

Amarillo, Texas

I am still in Texas, 'cause you know: That is one BIG State - really! I staying in Amarillo tonight and tomorrow I'll drive to Colorado Springs to meet with Drew. When I drove to the hotel in Amarillo I passed the sign for "The Big Texan" Restaurant and knew that I had to have dinner there. Who could resist a huge sign like that? Not I!

I did get a good parking space, right in front of the big bull. That is a lot of bull right there. But you know what they say: "Everything is bigger in Texas!" Even the bull :)

I took pictures inside the restaurant and when I took a photo of all the heads on the balcony, this guy walks through my shot. I have no idea who he is but I thought it was funny to have his head with all the other heads. He fits right in, don't you think?

The restaurant is interesting, they have a "72 oz Steak Eating Contest". You get a 72 oz steak and if you finish it within one hour, it's free. Of course it comes with 2 sides and a salad and rolls. I watched two guys trying to win against the steak, but neither one made it. And since they didn't finish it, they had to pay for it - $72 ! ! ! Of course, they can take home the leftovers and feed a small country for a week with all that meat.