Not Dead Yet

Greetings!

This blog’s not dead yet although it is going through a bit of a re-evaluation as to focus. I’ve been snugly, and quite warmly, entrenched in Sugar Land TX for about a week now. The road trip, mile-wise, seems to have reached a hiatus but something tells me it’s not over yet. Texas may not even be the final stop but it certainly is a great place for recuperating from the road weariness of a week ago.

Houston deserves its own selection of photos and I’ll be about that later this week. The weather is a steady 98-100 degrees and a shade cooler than St. Louis. No rain for a week. The last showers here greeted my arrival on the Katy Freeway. This is something of a quandry to the locals as the rain load this year, especially during the last three months, has been extraordinary. Daily deluges followed by swimming humidity. The master of the house here had to turn on the watering system this morning to compensate. This should all change as soon as the mistress of the house returns in a week or so. She seems to bring the weather with her.

No arrangements yet for my back surgery. I need to attend to that on Monday. Am a bit reluctant to finally accept that reality. Easier to think about getting a job (not) than planning for the knife. Looks like it will be into September before I can get either the back or the job finalized. Maybe this is the time when I should start that novel I’ve always thought was in the cards for me. Probably not. I need to go now and make the weighty decision of the day…beef and broccoli or cashew chicken for dinner.

Slouching Toward…Sugar Land

This is a really short update. Made it to Texas via West Memphis, AR and Texarkana, TX/AR (not quite sure which side of the tracks I was on but the hotel was the low point of the housing accommodations for this voyage ;-(

I’m swamped with details of both medical and financial concerns that will take a few days of actually paying attention to adult things to clear up. New wrinkle in the mix of things is the need to have back surgery sometime in the next 30-60 days. I may try to return to St. Louis for that “minor” procedure.

I have pictures to post and will get to those later today. This week I also hope to do a review of Houston for all who have not had the pleasure of meeting the Lone State State.

Hope everyone is staying cool and comfortable. Make like a dog and hang out on the porch in the shade! Mint julips optional.

How’d He Get There?

Sorry for the brief absence. Last I wrote I promised to make good on the title of the last post on colonialism in America. Well, that’s needs to wait as I catch everyone up on my whereabouts and destinations (as of 12:16 PM on Thursday, August 2, 2007).

I’m in a Starbucks in Little Rock, Arkansas (9th and Broadwa) after spending a night in a surprisingly quiet Best Western in West Memphis, AR. I’ll be spending tonight in Texarkana (TX/AK/LA) on pace for arriving in Sugar Land, TX before nightfall Friday. It’s been quite a run. Unlike the leisurely travels of the past two months I now find myself in need of dry land and safe harbor in order to get in with the job search and scheduling of some much needed (non-emergency) medical procedures. Since June 1 when I left St. Louis I’ve put over 5,000 miles on my car, been in 22 cities in 12 states and the District of Columbia. Along the way I’ve seen every member of my immediate family in less than 60 days (quite an accomplishment as I normally see my sibs on a bi-annual or “big” event basis (wedding, funeral, trials and sentencing..), rekindled my love for real pizza and Philly Cheese Steaks (‘wit onions and sweet peppers) while still losing 15 pounds, and said farewell to my favorite doc (Micki Klearman) who is headed off to discover the cure for arthritis and other ailments. Lots of pictures, some charming people, some jerks, many bad drivers, long stretchs of road, a night in a tent in a raging thunderstorm, a rainbow, more history than I can digest, and the smiles of half a dozen beautiful children (saving the best for last).

I do promise to fill in the gap as soon as possible. I’m charging the camera as I write so I can get a few good pictures of Little Rock. So many important places. Not sure where to start. Then a brief stop in Hope, AR to see the home of our last properly elected and competent President. There’s a bed in a Motel 6 with my name, hopefully, on it in Texarkana. I’ll probably not sleep well as I’m anxious to get to Texas so I can start my next life. I do suspect, however, that I’ll take just a bit more play time before I let my tires cool, post off dozens of resumes, and submit to the surgeon’s knife (back problem that has exhausted both my options and patience). I’m hoping for one more run with my Texas Dude adopted nephew. Maybe Brownsville, possibly San Antonio. It’s going to be a challenge to sit still for awhile.

More soon. My thanks to Don, Marilyn, and Tiny for lunch on Tuesday in St. Louis. And major gratitude to my pesonnal hero, Larry, for the couch and the calm.