Leisure at the Lake Adventure: Arriving

When Ninja's alarm went off at 4:30 the next morning, i was tempted to turn it off for her and let us both sleep until my regular alarm went off at 5, as she showed no sign of waking.  But, "do unto others," and i wouldn't want that done to me, so i woke her and started writing my morning pages and reading my devotional and taking my thyroid meds and etc.  

Here in Florence was where i made a big booboo, also.  When my alarm went off at 5am, as it always does, i waited about 5 minutes and called Sweetie to see if he was up. He was, but he said his alarm hadn't worked that morning, so i told him to have Little Girl look at it later, she would be able to set it.  Then he called me back 20 minutes later to ask, "'Why did you call me just after 4am?"

Because by the time you get to Florence, Kentucky, you are in Eastern time, and they are back in Central time, and forgot, and my phone resets itself automatically.  Oops.  He went back to bed, and i called him around 6am, their time, to make sure everyone was up.

We had been so tired the night before we hadn't unpacked much, and we threw ourselves together and i went downstairs to search for a cup of coffee.  There wasn't any yet. but the wonderful front desk clerk told me the coffee pot and coffee in the room was included in the price (these days you never know), and she gave me an extra packet.  The coffee it made was what Sweetie would call "Yankee coffee," not very strong, but i drank it and we packed and headed out to pick up Cince.

Ninja had voiced her concerns about where we would stash another person and her stuff, but i told her not to worry.  My father, Dr. Born Organized Clean, is a master packer, and i think it's genetic., because i seem to be able to do it, too.  Fitting more in when something thinks something is full is one of my few talents.

On the way to get Cince in Cincinnati, Siri, our travel guide, finally hiccuped.  It really wasn't so much her fault, as there is more than one street by that name, but we couldn't get her to work at all after that for several miles.  Cince had to talk us to her place.

At Cince's house, we pulled our stuff out of the Cranberry, which i'd finally found out is a 1997 Toyota Rav 4, and folded down one of the back seats.  After all, there were only 3 of us.  Then i lifted and tusseled and plotted and we got everything in.  My plan had been to leave a few of my things behind if i had to (people are more important than things), but i didn't' have to.  Ninja and Cince fussed at me as i lifted stuff without waiting for their help, too, but i love a challenge and needed the weight workout, as i hadn't had one in a couple of days.

The Cranberry

The Cranberry, stuffed, inside view.

The Cranberry, stuffed, outside view.

Looking at that, i thought, we look like one of those clown cars, everyone else is going to wonder if we have more in there than can really fit!

The next stop was a Starbucks.  Yankee coffee wouldn't do it for me,  not if we were going to drive another 10-11 hours after a 14 hour drive the day before and only 4 hours of sleep.  Ninja wanted a sugary, frothy whatever, Cince got some juice, and i got some dried organic mango and a Red Eye.

It was good coffee, but that particular Starbucks had a non working soap dispenser in the women's room.  So, now i'm thinking, our GPS tour guide doesn't work, the coffee at hotels is weak, the soap dispenser here is broken so, now i can officially say, i've been to Cincinnati.  It doesn't work.  (Yes, that's a line from a sitcom that i can't remember the name of from many years ago, and i've been waiting forever to be able to use it.)

Siri was, in fact, still non responsive, but as i was driving i knew only one thing -- head toward Cleveland.  No matter what else, trucks cutting each other off, enough orange construction barrels to make me feel at home, whatever, just head to Cleveland.  That's what i did, and at one point, dodging cones and a particularly slow tanker truck, Cince told me i was a good driver.

What!?! i thought.  The person who learned in N'Awlins!?!  The compliment tickled me, though, and i appreciated it.

We headed down the highway, jamming to Motown and some 60's classics -- Ninja was in charge of the playlist, and she has great, eclectic taste.  Eventually she reprogrammed Siri, and the morning passed very quickly.

The one thing i did notice about the music, which as it was a new stereo system she was still learning the controls and what it can do, was that it was loud enough that i often didn't hear my phone go off.  That was another reason for some of the games of phone tag.  That was okay, i get enough calls anyway, despite it all.  Not being able to hear a few is a blessing.

As lunchtime neared, i really did want some veggies.  We got off at a likely looking exit, and went off the beaten track, hoping for something Oriental.   Ninja spotted it, a Thai restaurant, right in the middle of a small Ohio town.  We stopped and i got them to stir fry me some veggies in sesame oil and a bit of soy sauce.  While i should have asked for a bit of pepper, that's okay, it was good.  Ninja treated us to that lunch, which was very kind.  She said, since we had to liten to her music, and we weren't complaining, she owed us at least a meal.

Ninja drove after lunch, and i was more able to see the scenery.  When i'm driving, i'm too busy watching the road to see much.  Now i was able to see the leaves turning all the pretty colors they don't turn where i am.  Cince slept some, but when i'm on this trip each year, i'm too pumped on caffeine and adrenaline to sleep when there's something to do.  There was something to do, look at hills, look at rocks, look at gorges with wide rivers at the bottom.  Glimpses of Lake Erie and swallowing as we went down these hills so i could pop my ears.  And, when we could both hear it over the music, talk to Ninja.
 

Oh, then there was the fact that the weather was cool.  Gumbo weather, we would say back home.  Just the right temperature to make a pot.  Back home, i knew, it was still very hot.

All good things come to an end, including long treks to be with friends.  We finally arrived, weary and excited, to figure out that Siri's directions left a lot to be desired.  We did finally figure out that the wynnrock (at least, that's what we call it back home) road next to the railroad track lead through to it, and we pulled up weary but glad.






Today is:

Aloha Festivals Floral Parade -- Oahu, Hawai'i (part of the larger Aloha Festival celebrations this month and next on all the islands, celebrating native Hawai'ian culture)

Apple Saturday -- Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, New Gloucester, ME, US (tours of the Shaker orchard and exhibits, and bring your own apples to be pressed into cider with a hand press, or buy some grown there; also two Saturdays following)

Cabrillo Festival -- San Diego, CA, US (reenactment of Cabrillo's landing, a Spanish soldier and sailor encampment, Native Kumeyaay demonstrations, dances, crafts, and food; through tomorrow)

Czech Statehood Day -- Czech Republic

Davidson Fellowship Scholarship Award Reception -- Washington, D.C., US (students under 18 who have completed prodigious works in science, mathematics, technology, music, literature, philosophy, or "outside the box" are made Davidson Fellows and given large scholarships for college)

Drink Beer Day

Dyersville Festival of the Arts -- Dyersville, IA, US (the "Farm Toy Capital of the World" hosts a Quilt and Craft Show, entertainment, and food; through tomorrow)

Eldon Turkey Festival -- Eldon, MO, US (top producer of turkeys has the top turkey festival in the world)

Everybody's Day Festival -- Thomasville, NC, US (and they do mean there's fun for everybody)

Family Health and Fitness Day USA -- www.fitnessday.com/family/index.htm

Feast of Hapi and Creation of the Nile -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Fish Amnesty Day

Frances Willard Day -- Minnesota

Fukuro Matsuri -- Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan (a fun-for-tourists way to learn about Japanese culture, through tomorrow, and next weekend)

Geneva Area Grape Jamboree -- Geneva, OH, US (grapes, wine tasting, entertainment, rides, and food; through tomorrow)

Gettysburg Fall Antique Show -- Gettysburg, PA, US

International Rabbit Day -- to promote responsible rabbit ownershipwww.rabbit.org/international-rabbit-day/

Marion County Country Ham Days -- Marion, KY, US (for those who love ham, and a PIGasus parade, and a Pokey Pig 5k, among other events; through tomorrow)

Menkhet Festival -- Ancient Egyptian Calendar (date approximate)

Michaelmas Eve -- Celtic celebration, bake your bannock bread tonight for eating on St. Michael and All Angel's Day tomorrow; tonight, build a bonfire and dine on roast lamb, and make sure the menfolk protect the horses, for anyone is allowed to "borrow" one for the celebration tomorrow

National Day of Awareness and Unity against Child Pornography -- Philippines

National Good Neighbor Day -- US (begun when Mrs. Becky Mattson from Lakeside, Montana, began campaigning for this National Day in the 1970's; go greet the neighbors, and be a good neighbor yourself!)

National Hunting and Fishing Day -- US

National Public Lands Day -- US (Helping Hands for America's Lands -- a day to volunteer on America's Public Lands)

National Strawberry Cream Pie Day

Read a Child a Book You Like Day -- someone started this to get us to remember the books we loved as kids, and share them with children now

Runic Half Month Gyfu begins (gift)

St. Wenceslaus' Day (Patron of brewers; Bohemia; Czech Republic; Moravia; Prague, Czech Republic)

Tales of Kelp-Koli's Second Visit -- Fairy Calendar (through the 30th)

Taste of Morgan Hill -- Morgan Hill, CA, US (fine arts, entertainment, and plenty for the kids to do, too; through tomorrow)

Teacher's Day -- Taiwan (on the traditional Western date of Confucius' birthday, of course)

Tri-State Band Festival -- Luverne, MI, US (high school bands from Minnesota, South Dakota, and Iowa compete in four categories)

World Rabies Day -- www.worldrabiesday.org



Birthdays Today:

Hilary Duff, 1987
Naomi Watts, 1968
Mira Sorvino, 1967
Janeane Garofalo, 1964
Koko Taylor, 1935
Brigitte Bardot, 1934
Arnold Stang, 1925
Marcello Mastroianni, 1924
Al Capp, 1909
Ed Sullivan, 1901
Confucius, BC551


Today in History:

Pompey the Great, member of the Triumvirate, is assassinated by order of King Ptolemy of Egypt upon landing in that country, BC48
King/Saint Wenceslas murdered by his brother, 935
William the Conqueror invades England, 1066
Sinking of the Spanish fleet during a hurricane off the coast of Florida, 1528
Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo becomes the first European to reach San Diego Bay, 1542
Publication of "Pilgrim's Progress", 1678
Divorce is legalized in Maryland, 1701
American and French forces begin the siege of Yorktown, 1781
Napoleon Bonaparte, age 16, graduates from the Military Academy of Paris -- 42nd in a class of 51, 1785
Donati's comet becomes the first to be photographed, 1858
Toronto becomes the capital of Ontario, 1867
Sir Alexander Fleming notices a bacteria-killing mould growing in his laboratory, discovering what later became known as penicillin, 1928
Indonesia joins the United Nations, 1950
Mali and Senegal join the United Nations, 1960
SpaceX launches the first ever private spacecraft, the Falcon 1 into orbit, 2008