Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Bob's Blah Blog:

Good morning from the banks of the mighty "Mississip" as I call it.Due to a computer crash, we have been out of service for awhile. Had to procure a new computer. But, like a bad penny, we're back!

Okay, its now Monday afternoon, we are in Galena, Il, the end of the stageline when stage coaches came this way. Also, home of US Grant before and after the Civil War. And, 8 other Civil War Generals from the winning side.

Corinne found my little red notebook which was mysteriously misplaced a couple of states or weeks back. She found it under the driver's seat in the big rig when we were washing and cleaning it before the big rain. (her idea to wash it when the rain was imminent.) So, I have to catch up on some of the stuff I forgot about. Let's see....

We saw a sign near the Racoon State Park campground outside of Piggsburgh that read: "Got Far Wood." That's a good thing, nobody wants to have a campfire or bonfire using "Near Wood" which would most likely be synthetic wood, not real wood, but as near to being wood as wood would be. Now, wasn't that worth waiting all this time for us to find the little red notebook? I thinks so.

Bob-servations...

Saw a roadsign advertising a business which read: "Krapohl's Auto," followed by another sign reading "Poopiecredit.com." Sounds like someplace I would like to buy a car and get my credit from.

Continuing on, we had lunch today in Savana, Illinoise at a place called "Poopy's Pub N Grub." The food was certainly Cheaper than S#*t, as advertised.

Then, heading into Galena, Illinose, we saw a business named "Poopsie's."

I am starting to get a whiff, so to speak, of how to best name for a thriving business. Give it a name having to do with excrement.

Read a sign for a business called "Ann's Snoop Sister's Inn" as we entered into Galena. What the heck is that all about? Snoop Sister's??

We stopped at a scenic overlook that had a tower (like the forest service uses to watch for forest fires). The sign at the entrance to the tower's parking lot read: "Trucks more than 8 tons prohibited in scenic tower." Well, duh. I guess someone must have tried to drive their 9 ton truck up the ladder into the scenic tower. How dumb can some people be. Anyone could plainly see the steps would not support that much weight.

Had to take a break in the action. Its now Tuesday night and we are back at the coach. We are staying in an Illinosey state park named Thomsom Causeway. It is about 9 miles northeast of Clinton, IA if that helps anyone. Its a very, and I stress very nice park with paved pads for RV's and vehicles. Level, too. We are camped about 100 feet to the east of the Mighty Mississippi River and have a great view of it when we go outside. Cost? Glad you asked. $18/day. Includes water and electric. Also showers if we want to take one. But, its been so great these past 100 days without having to get cleaned up to go to work or something, "why start now" is what our saying is every morning. Just kidding...we say that at night.

Lets see...where have we been? Seems to me my last blog was when we were in Piddleburgh, PA. We moved westward, yes, we are headed toward home, to Aunt Harriette's farm in Indiana. We parked the big rig and coach on the farm right next to the cattle pens. Don't worry, there were only 23 cows in the pen but lots more flys. Country fresh air is what Moe always sez. She would have liked this "fresh" air. I liked it, but then again, I worked in Bugeye, AZ for 5 years and got accustomed to odd smells, mostly. There are still some odors that make me gag, but...

I made friends with the cows, particularly a brown Swiss with big doey eyes. She just looked at me lovingly and all I wanted to do was make a hamburger or steak (Swiss steak, naturally) out of her. I told A. H. I put the brown Swiss into the cattle hauler (as she jokingly called our coach) when we were leaving and was taking it with us. She said ok.

The funnest part about the cows was the conversations I had with them. I would say "moo" and they all came over to the fence to listen to what I had to moo about. They kept pushing and shoving each other out of the way to get a better position near the front and to hear what all the mooing was about. Cows are easily entertained.

No cats or dogs on the farm. No more piggies, or chickens. All the tractors are gone, 'cept a little lawn tractor, but I got one of them so I didn't need to ride it.I would have liked to ride a pig, tho.

We had dinner one night at the "Chicken Shack" in Winchester, IN. Darn good broasted chicken. I think I am going to buy me one of them broasting machines when I get home. Used to operate one when I worked at the best job I ever had - at the chicken joint "Western Kitchens", formerly a Ladmo's Burger place on 7th Ave, north of Indian School. Buy 10 hamburgers and get a gallon of rootbeer free was his gimmick.

Anyway, we had a great time visiting with aunt Harriette and the cows. We all miss Uncle Bob who passed away 3 years ago, tho. He was quite the character. Farmer, accountant, bus driver, friend, neighbor, uncle, husband and dad. What a great sense of comedy he had and always had a laugh waiting to erupt.

Moving down the road, we next stopped in Michigan to visit Gayle, (the mom of Mark Dryer), and Bo, her husband. For those unfamiliar, Mark was a DPS Reserve Sgt. killed in the line of duty more than a decade ago. She and Bo live across the street from a Lake, where Bo was born and raised on a farm. We had a great time with them, going out for breakfast, lunch or dinner, or staying in and fixing meals in the house or coach. We toured the area, meeting friends, and once visited "Anderson and Girls" farm market where we ate apple donuts, blueberry donuts and apple donuts again because they were so good. Washed them down with apple cidie. It was wonderful to visit with the two of them. Bo liked to say he wouldn't trade Gayle for a billy goat. How charming and loving is that? I got to come up with some snappy saying to use when someone asks me how Corinne is doing. I know she would be flattered if I can just think up a really good one. Too bad the billy goat one is taken.

Moving on, we next went to Illinosebleed, to a place called Merseilles or something. Its along I80 about half way across the state for those of you keeping track at home. We stayed at another nice state campground named Illini State Park. $15 bucks a day, right on the river, although we weren't on the river actually. Pretty quiet except when they guy driving the muscle car came into the park and revved up his 6 million horsepower engine for everyone to hear. It was like being at NASCAR and having someone start up their race car right next to your campspot at 6 in the morning..hey wait, that actually happened to us. Anyway, it was a black GTO or something and made lots of noise for the entertainment of everyone in the surrounding 4 counties.

For those who care, I called Rick Shoe last weekend to see if he and Joyce were available to meet with us. Unfortunately, they had a wedding to attend in Milwaukee on Saturday, traveling there on Friday and home on Sunday. We may still get together if time permits. He is doing well, plans to retire in 2 years, all the kids are out of the house, graduated from college and have jobs. Julie is married to an animal doctor. Joyce is working fulltime, too. Will update more if we see each other. We are only about 60 - 100 miles apart right now.

By the way, we are nearing the 12,000 mile mark on our journey. Neither has killed or maimed the other, although I'm sure someone (and I mean Corinne) must have thought about doing me in a couple of times because she just can't stand having so much fun. Speaking of that, we celebrated our 22 year wedding anniversary on the 13th of October. Wow, 22 years with the same woman. 22 long years with the same stinkin' man. Corinne is just as beautiful as the day we got hitched and we took off for wonderfulland. Thanks, you're the BESTEST! (Well, thanks for saying so, Corinne!)

As I wrote above, we are near Clinton, IA on the river. We have been spending time at the historical museum and found some pretty good stuff, including photographs of one of her great, great, great, maybe even more greats, grandfather and grandmother. Corinne is pretty excited about this. Its like winning the lottery, although I can only make that assumption not actually having won a lottery. Its a dream come true, much like being married to me. (at least that's what I've been told, not actually having been married to myself.) Corinne had imagined the photo would show her g,g,g,g,etc. grandpa with a long beard. Not. He is clean shaven. And handsome with white hair. Unlike me, with flesh colored hair and a black and white beard and a little ponytail-thing going on behind me.

Corinne doesn't like me sporting a beard, so I don't get many kisses from her. I do get some discouraging looks when I try to fancy my beard up by teasing it, parting in in the middle of my chin, twisting the ends. I'm just trying to make myself more attractive to her, kind of like what the male birds do when they are courting the fine female feathered fowl. I think she is a-scaried some other hottie is going to try and steal me away by promising me an "all you want" everyday kiss-buffet.

Doing laundry the other night in Fulton, Illinope, we meet some crazy lady named Marge who wanted to know if I was the guy she met at the laurdromat before. I told her no, this was my first time in this burg and first time in this laundromat. She was missing her bottom front teeth, talked a mile a minute, had been to AZ in the summertime driving with only her brassier on, and her ex-husband had shot and killed someone in Apache Junction (justifiable according to her). She said it is too hot in AZ for her. I told her they couldn't make it hot enough for me and I usually ended up wearing a jacket most of the time. As I said, she was a bubble off level (or center, if looking left to right) which just made it easier for me to communicate with her. We talked about all kinds of stuff and I gave her all kinds of crap. She sometimes caught on but it was good fun for both of us. We ended up going to dinner with her and buying at the Paddlewheel Pizza place where we had tacos for dinner.

She filled Corinne in on the details of a couple of shootings (killings) her ex-husband was allegedly involved in when they had a tavern in Chicago 40+ years ago. We will have to do some snooping when we get back to Phoenix. Marge forgot she told me her name when I first met her, so when she was leaving the laundromat, I said "goodbye Marge." That freaked her out because she didn't know how I knew her name. I thought briefly about making up something but I was good and just told her the truth. Man, I could of really had some fun with that.

Bob-servations:
Went to a couple of cemeteries today and found some interesting headstones....
There is a lot of Anguish buried in one cemetery. It is a result of death? The thought of being buried? Where they are buried? Another stone listed the name as "Goer." They may have been a Goer before dying, but they are now a goner. Two other graves had markers side by side which listed the last names of the occupants as: Yahum and Yohum. Hmmmm.

At a Ford dealership I visited along the way, I read the available accessories wish-book. In it I found the following info referring to power mirrors: Power mirrors are for vehicles with power mirrors only. Well, no duh!

Along the roadways, I have read signs with the following message written on them: "Lots for sale." Lots of what? I ought to copy down the phone number listed and inquire what it is they have "lots of" for sale. Maybe Corinne doesn't have any and could use some.

Saw a restuarant in Thomson, IL which is located just outside of the Thomson Correctional Facility. The name of the restaurant is: "Work Release Restaurant." Now there's someplace I don't wanna eat, specially if the cook is a resident-worker, know what I mean?

Saw a Catholic Church near Galena, Il whose name is" "The Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist. Can you do that? Is that allowed? Name a church using another religion in the title? How does that work? Catholics dance and drink. Baptists don't, last time I checked. What about BINGO? Corinne saw an "Episcopal Methodist" congregation. What the heck is going on? I thought the US Constitution guaranteed the separation of Church and states it right in the wording.

Moving on...Found a road in Michigan named "Coe Road." Don't see no "Bob Road" or "Bob Blvd"; "Bob Byway"; Bob Business Route"; or "Bob-a-loop". Must have something against Bobs. I did see a "Bobo Cafe" but didn't get a picture. You can ask Corinne and she will back me up on this.

Hey, a big shout out to Courtney (Corinne and Maurine's daddy)for his 79th birthday on the 10th. Also, to Brandon and the little lady for their 2nd wedding anniversary. Oh, and not to forget, Bobo turned a big 53 on the 3rd. Many a trucking company are honoring Bobo's birthday by putting a big "53" on their larger trailers. Usually, the numbers are up near the front of the trailer on the sides. Sometimes on the back of the trailer, too. Check it out. When you see one, honk at the driver and wave (use all your fingers - please) so they will know you know Bobo, too. Thanks to my truckin' good-buddies! (Miss Lynda, thanks for remembering my b-day and sending an email card.)

Ate at Poopy's Tattoos restaurant in Savana, IL. Outside the doors, for a sitting area, they had what I refer to as "Weiner Pigs." They are concrete-casts of pigs that are elongated and flattened on the top for a sitting area. One of the weiner pigs had a Corona beer next to it. I hate drunk weiner pigs, don't you?

I will finish with quote I found when we were in Utah, but I lost until just recently when I found it at a library in Michigan. The quote is by Mr. Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894) and reads:

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go.I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."

My sentiments exactly!

Bobo