Wed
Aug 20 2008
06:03 pm
Checking in from Prosperity Ave.
By: R. Neal

We've been in three states and in a couple of hours will be stopping for the night in a fourth. Right now we're somewhere near Marion Illinois at a McDonalds on Prosperity Ave. where we stopped to feed and walk pupster and stretch our legs and get some coffee (or another one of their new iced lattes).

Just crossed over the Ohio River and passed thru Metropolis IL, home of Superman. Says so right their on their water tower, with a giant mural of him and everything.

Had an overdose of XM talk radio today. Switched over to Hannity to see who they were hating on today (guess who? Obama!) and heard the strangest call. Some guy from NY called in and, I believe, was making the point that the health insurance crisis is a liberal myth. He said he just had knee replacement surgery on both knees, and with surgery, hospital, rehab, and everything his total out of pocket was $50, and that was for cable TV in his hospital room and at rehab. Oh, and he mentioned he worked for the school system for 21 years, and may have said he was a teacher. So, taxpayers pay his salary and provide him excellent benefits (and if he's a teacher those benefits were negotiated by his union). Apparently logic and reasoning aren't a prerequisite for listening to right wing talk radio.

Onward...

Topics:
bizgrrl's picture

Bizgrrl here. I believe the

Submitted by bizgrrl on Wed, 2008/08/20 - 6:19pm.

Bizgrrl here. I believe the GPS is confused, or something. We're in Johnston City, IL.

Hah, the McDonalds now has sweet tea! Not that we drink it.

Andy Axel's picture

>(or another one of their

Submitted by Andy Axel on Wed, 2008/08/20 - 6:38pm.

(or another one of their new iced lattes)

Latte-sippin' liberals crossing the country in their hybrid vehicle on the way to the DNCC to blog.

How contemporary!

____________________________

"It's gettin' so a businessman can't expect no return from a fixed fight. Now, if you can't trust a fix, what can you trust?"

Bizzy's picture

Boy

Submitted by Bizzy on Wed, 2008/08/20 - 9:09pm.

We let you out of East Tennessee for one day and what do you do? Embarrass us by drinking an iced latte. Suck it up, be a man and drink a coke in a bottle!

R. Neal's picture

Checking in after checking

Submitted by R. Neal on Wed, 2008/08/20 - 9:23pm.

Checking in after checking in at St. Peters, MO (just outside St. Louis). Sadly, we had to leave the Prius at home to accommodate the rolling veterinary clinic, outfits for all occasions, and the new media mobile production lab. But we still got about 27MPG without really trying.

WhitesCreek's picture

Godspeed, Bubba and Missus Bubba

Submitted by WhitesCreek on Wed, 2008/08/20 - 9:42pm.

I could show you some places...

Hey...As you get closer to Denver, watch the fields along side. You'll see antelope once you get into Colorado, but you have to be looking. You did bring the binocs?

fletch's picture

Notice as you drive across

Submitted by fletch on Wed, 2008/08/20 - 9:52pm.

Notice as you drive across Kansas, when it gets flat past Salinas, it appears as though you are always driving up a long slope as far as you can see. However, when you drive back home, it will also appear as though you are driving uphill as far as you can see. This is true, driving across Kansas is always an uphill climb no matter what direction you are going. Also notice when you pull off an exit ramp in western Kansas, in many cases the road you exited to turns into a hay field just past the gas station. Kansas, bloody Kansas.

R. Neal's picture

Fletch: Tomorrow we will be

Submitted by R. Neal on Wed, 2008/08/20 - 9:57pm.

Fletch: Tomorrow we will be driving across Kansas. Or at least most of it. I think the plan of the day does not even call for us to get all the way across. (We may need that ether Andy Axel mentioned earlier.) The Kansas plains are pretty, though, as I recall from the last time we drove across. For the first few hours, anyway. Not sure which is worse, I-70 across Kansas or I-10 across Texas. But at least you go through San Antonio on I-10.

WhitesCreek: Yes, we have binoculars and all manner of other Nikon optics. They said it snowed in the vicinity of the Eisenhower Tunnel last week. In August. Looking forward to that! (Had to pull off and spend the night there due to a June blizzard that closed I-70 last time we were thru there coming east.)

Andy Axel's picture

FYI - locals call it

Submitted by Andy Axel on Wed, 2008/08/20 - 11:10pm.

FYI - locals call it Sah-LIE-nuh.

One thing I kind of dig (as there are few things to keep the eye busy once you get west of Hays) is the post rocks delineating the fields. Out here in riparian climes, trees are plentiful, but out yonder if you wanted to keep a herd, you used limestone as fence-post stock. Some of those posts had to weigh a few hundred pounds.

It is a landscape that takes some getting used to, especially once you've lived in mountainous country. But you will pass by Lawrence & Manhattan, so you see at least a bit of the Flint Hills and the Konza Prairie (just south of Man-Happenin'). If big bluestem prairie grass is your thing, anyway. It is certainly not without its charms, but again - perhaps an acquired taste.

The real tease is that as you're heading west past Limon (LIE-mun, not lee-MOAN), you start seeing the Rockies on the horizon but it still takes a couple of hours before they come into any kind of sharp relief. Here's hoping you have some scattered clouds. A completely blue sky can make considerable ardor of boredom between Salina, KS & Arvada, CO - but then again, you might be able to almost glimpse Pikes Peak from I-70.

____________________________

"It's gettin' so a businessman can't expect no return from a fixed fight. Now, if you can't trust a fix, what can you trust?"

Concerned Citizen's picture

I enjoy sharing the journey with the 'folks'

Submitted by Concerned Citizen on Thu, 2008/08/21 - 12:31am.

Good to see that you are still on the road to discovery. Wish I was there!.....many here say ..... We are SO PROUD OF YOU BOTH!!!! and the pupster...give her a treat.

"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
– Pablo Picasso

SteveMule's picture

I with I had taken the time

Submitted by SteveMule on Thu, 2008/08/21 - 9:40am.

I with I had taken the time to jump into this before you hit the road in morning. There's a rest stop between Salina and K-14 (Ellsworth exit) that has on display a mushroom rock. What in geologiacal jargon is called a "Hoodoo." It's a hard sandstone concretion that been exposed by eropsion and supported by a pillar of the softer sandstone protected by the concretion. It's rather unique and you'd kick out of seeing it.
(link...)
and
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Anyway, Enjoy the Convention!

Take Care, Be Good and don't play in the street!

SteveMule

gttim's picture

Nikon

Submitted by gttim on Thu, 2008/08/21 - 11:41am.

I hope you have the Nikon optics out getting lots of good shots to send back. I always enjoy your travel photography!

bill young's picture

Destination.. History

Submitted by bill young on Thu, 2008/08/21 - 4:21pm.

You guys are on a road that's destination is history.A black man will be nominated by the Democratic Party for president.

I lived in Georgia in the mid 60's.

Saw all those "Forget..Hell!" plates on folk's cars & the Wallace bumper stickers.We sang Dixie in elementary school & heard it played with gusto @ the Georgia football games.

During that time King was laid to rest in Atlanta & Lester Maddox was elected governor.

My high shool erupted in a riot over intergration..The National Guard with tear gas & 75 people arrested mostly black according to AP.

At this Convention a black man will recieve the majority of the votes from the Georgia delegation.

When Barrick Obama is nominated we are taking another step toward Dr.King's dream.

I am proud of our Democratic Party.

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