road trip day 2

Favorite moments:

(no picture for this one, though I wish there was)

As Claire and I were eating breakfast outside our hotel this morning (there were no free tables in the dining area) this old man (who was wearing these fantastic knee socks) walked over to us and asked, "So, have I told you about my goldfish?" Claire and I looked at each other and were like, "Is he being creepy or being nice?" We couldn't decide, so we just said, "No." So he continued: "When my wife and I left Missouri this morning our goldfish was really happy. He was just swimming around in his bowl, around and around, happy as a lark—which for a goldfish is pretty impressive because he wasn't born with wings—but then all of a sudden he hit a wall. And do you know what he said?" And Claire, all excited like, goes, "DAM!" really loud. He smiled and said, "You've been around the block!" and gave Claire a high five with his car keys still in his hand. Then he got in his car and drove off without his wife. Claire felt slightly guilty about fake cursing but she was just really eager to impress our antedeluvian companion. I think it worked.

The second day in the car alone with Claire was just too much for me. Luckily we found some discarded liquor on the street to help dull the pain.


We stopped in Kansas City, Missouri (not confusing at all) to go to the Negro Baseball Hall of Fame. Instead we ended up making quilt squares for a quilt that will become a permanent part of the Jazz museum in Kansas City. True story.

(no picture for this one, sorry)

We asked this kid at Wendy's why Missouri is called the Show-Me-State and as he was walking backwards back into the Wendy's he said, "Cuz we ain't got nothin' ta show." We couldn't have asked for a better response.

There is a town called Effingham, Illinois. We stopped there to get gas and Claire opened the door and said, "It smells weird here." So I said, "It must be all of that effing ham." I was probably right.