Thursday, November 11, 2010

Whoa!!

So…some final thoughts of the trip since returning home.
  • I can't believe I drove from South Carolina home without stopping for sleep. I was ultimately awake for a total of 48+ hours without sleep.
Note the average speed…:-)
  • TOTALLY LOVED HAVING CASPER WITH ME!!
Backseat Bliss!
Shopping at LIFE IS GOOD, NC
    Silent Slumber at Days Inn




I I I    I I      







  • the stop I made just after leaving Troy and Julie's in South Carolina: Laurens, SC led me to the World Famous Red Neck Shop. 

Billed as the "KKK MUSEUM" in "Roadside America" road trip book.
  • Folks down south have great respect for property. Take this mural on the side of Lee Automotive in Monroeville. The mailbox, fountain and rope post are not part of the mural; rather freestanding pieces of the sidewalk. There is no destruction of this art, no graphity or "tagging" on the mural; it is left alone to mark perhaps the greatest component of the town's legacy and heritage.





Bottom line: i had a blast!!

Next stop: Key West…Hemingway's Home!!




Thursday, November 4, 2010

Reflections...

EEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA !! I've got spurs that gingle jangle gingle!!
Today's post is brought to you by LIFE IS GOOD license plate

I
9 miles to the Promised Land



I think i spelled gingle wrong, didn't I? DUH…it begins with a "J"!

My favorite picture of Nelle. I posed in the same spot for the same shot!
OK, I appreciate you who have made this journey with me.  However, I cannot figure out who is in Germany and who is in France!! Not that I mind, but when I am being "followed" anonymously, it is a bit perplexing!!  Here's what I mean:


United States
238
Germany
4
Chile
3
United Kingdom
3
France
2
Pageviews by Browsers
Internet Explorer
127 (51%)
Safari
99 (39%)
Firefox
18 (7%)
Mobile
5 (2%)



Let me tell you about the two Gremlins that appeared and woke me up at 6:00 am last Thursday morning!! Kyle, if you remember is 7.5, nearly 8 years old, while Lauren is a close second at 6. They thought it was really funny when I jumped about 10 feet off the bed in sheer fear! It was a blast!!
We then went out to see Casper. His bed, the LL BEAN Deluxe Orthopaedic pet couch cost more than my bed, but I digress…
Casper "christened" the 7th hole on the golf course where Julie and Troy live. GOOD BOY!!''' Troy and I drove the kids to school…i looked HOT in my electric blue jammie bottoms and a tshirt!! Eh, what did I care…it's South Carolina!!
Here are some reasons why you really need to pick your traveling companion wisely:
  1. Dogs never condemn you when you get lost. 
  2. Dogs never bug you to stop so they can tinkie, stinkie or want to buy something.
  3. Dogs sharing your bed think sleeping together is always fulfilling.
  4. Family will drive you crazy for periods of time greater than 20 minutes in the car.
  5. Your best friend will definitely get on your nerves, no matter how close you are.
  6. A husband will not see the importance of stopping to get a picture of a humungous peach watertower.
  7. Boyfriends..'nuff said! Hotel Sex…ugh!!
  8. Dogs will encourage you to eat fast food. 

Here are some key points: 
  • Total Mileage: 3,843 
  • Total Time Away from home: 162 hours
  • Total Sleep while away: 77 hours
  • Average MPH: 77
  • Average Temperature: 87
  • Total time behind the wheel: 88 hours (including stops)

Casper listening to story hour with Sam Clemens!


Walt, Walt…you are with me wherever I go!


Baby was tired when he got to Monroeville!


pop up out of the sunwoof


Stay tuned for my next post…curious…check out Laurens, SC...

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The Trip So Far...

Well…it has been a week since my last post. I will do my best to update you on the progress and past.

I finally hit bed at 4:30 am in Monroeville. At 6:30 am, I was awakened by the "hug" of a 104# Weimaraner!! The thunder outside was outrageous!! I have never heard thunder like that!! Come to find out, and the reason I did not post, all cable was knocked out due to the TORNADO that passed through this morning!! I was not prepared for that!! I mean, I knew we were not in Kansas, but in Alabama??

I haven't seen much of the deep south, but WHOA!! Guns in the back of the car….always a wonderful site to see a shotgun in the back window!!

Then there was the episode of walking into the HUDDLE HOUSE for lunch. Your typical greasy spoon, but when I walked in, not only did the restaurant go silent, a fork dropped in only what I can imagine was food falling from the mouth as a YANKEE walked in!! Needless to say, I took my food to go and left in a hurry!!

So, here are the pictures!!

Once I left Monroeville, I headed to Cousin Pat and Shirley's house in Macon. Not only did I get lost, I kept these Baby Boomers up past bedtime awaiting my arrival!! Needless to say, we chatted late, and although I was able to sleep in, I was far too groggy for Pat in the morning!! He cleared his schedule to go in late, and I was kind enough to sleep up until his departure, said goodbye and went back to bed for some additional shuteye!! Sorry Pat and Shirley!

Then on to Cousin Troy and Julie's house in South Carolina. I arrived just in time to receive a tour of the house from Kyle and Lauren. Kyle is "7 1/2, NEARLY 8" and Lauren is 6. I was shown their rooms, the kitty litter room, kitchen, living room, laundry room. Mom Julie LOVES the laundry chute AND the well appointed spice racks built into the cabinetry, but on either side of the stove. But, Mom, Dad, Kyle and Lauren could not wait to show me the BONUS ROOM!! A great room, with a mounted flat screen TV, wet bar, couch that is ordered, and plenty of room for adults and kids. In fact, the game tables from Troy's childhood were there. We played a great deal of games on those tables.  Yes we did…some good memories there!

The courthouse where Harper Lee's father tried cases. Made to scale for the
film adaptation of "To Kill A Mockingbird."

The Jury Bench

Below..the witness area; above the gallery for women and minorities.

The Judge's Bench

Standing where Atticus stood.
Note: the briefcase

The large caption quotes what Nelle Harper Lee wrote (bottom left piece of paper)
"This room was used as the model for the trial scene in the film: "To Kill A Mockingbird."
The set was designed by Henry Bumstead, Universal Studies. Nelle Harper Lee"
(Additional Note: the courtroom was made to scale of this, the Old Monroe County Courtroom.)


Explaining the friendship between Truman Capote and Nelle Harper Lee.

Dispelling the myth that Capote wrote "Mockingbird" as some urban legends proclaim.




Nelle Harper Lee's Father, A. C. Lee
Scout Finch's Father, Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck)



The exterior of the Old County Courthouse.

Mural of a scene from TKAM on Lee's Automotive,
across the street from the courthouse.
(The mailbox, fountain and pole are not in the mural; they are freestanding)

Monroeville brought to you by Life Is Good
"Chilly Dog"
Ironically, it was 91 degrees F.

Truman Capote's recognition of his time in Monroeville.

Atop the gallery looking down into the courtroom.

Monday, October 25, 2010

WE ARE HERE!!

I walked into the room at 2:26, CMT. 2/26 is my birthday!! Good vibes for a good start!!  We took a 3.5 hour nap in South Carolina, after Jamie couldn't get me up this morning for breakfast!!  Sorry, Jamie!!  I think it was worth the wait!!!  Catching up with and rekindling friendships is a wonderful thing!!

Casper has been loving vacation. He gets to sniff new places and leave his indelible "Manchester Mark" every stop we make. He even scared a cat from bushes today. I'd like to say he chased it, but I don't think he even knew it was in there…the fur wasn't standing up on his back!!

Some thoughts on the trip so far:


  • I've been through 10 states, plus the District of Columbia in 60 hours. That is 20% of the country!! 
  • Do not take a "photo opp" of a Hell's Angels biker. They think it neither cute or whimsy!
  • Remember NJ requires gas station attendants to pump your gas. Relax. Sit. Chill. 
  • "Sharting" is not fun when you have 400 more miles to go before you hit your destination. Be Prepared!!
  • If traveling through VA, make sure you have a speedpass for tolls. If you only use it once in a lifetime, you will need to use it in VA. There are tolls just about every .5 mile. I think that is why you do not have to slow down going through with a speedpass; you haven't accelerated enough from the last toll plaza.
  • If you are traveling with a dog, make sure he's big and willing to assume risk.
  • Intentions of stopping by random sites along the way are great on paper. When you are in the car looking at a 500+ mile drive, after doing 1000+ already, somehow, they lose their significance.
  • When a friend from an area tells you that a neighborhood is "sketchy", BELIEVE THEM!!
  • HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN IF YOUR ATTEMPT TO LOCATE YOUR SUBJECT IS CONDITIONAL UPON WEATHER. I don't think Miss Nelle and Miss Alice will be walking in the rain. Monroeville will have rain clear through until Friday.
Be back later…Casper's watching "Lucy"; I'm off to bed.

G'night from Monroeville!


Welcome...

In celebration of the 2010 "Big Read," I have decided to pursue the chance to meet the author of the "Big Read," Nelle Harper Lee. The Pulitzer Prize winning novel, "To Kill A Mockingbird" was Lee's first and only attempt at publishing a novel, yet it remains one of the world's most infamous piece of literary content. Translated into more than 40 languages, Lee's story of justice, family, ideology and humanity has transcended generations in the 50 years since it was first published.

I invite you to join my journey, combining a bit of Walt Whitman, John Steinbeck, my dog, Casper and myself as I set my sites on Monroeville, Alabama with copy in hand of "TKAM" in hopes I am privileged to meet Ms. Lee.

Along the way, this blog will be updated daily, filled with pictures and tales of family and friends I meet up with along the way. Casper, I'm hoping, will be a constant ice-breaker toward people I might not have ever uttered a word.

I have a listing of unique places to pop in: The Lunch Box Museum, walk the staircase from "The Exorcist" sit atop Einstein's lap, see the world's largest peanut, visit the Laurel and Hardy Museum, South of the Border, The Land of Oz, The Big Acorn, the giant ice cream bowl with spoon, the Shoeless Joe Jackson statue, the cancer survivors plaza and other places my ipod app directs me to!

Stay tuned...

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Manchester, Connecticut, United States
I am simple, fussy with food, with a twisted sense of humor.