"YOU'RE GONNA NEED SOMEONE ON YOUR SIDE"

So, I drove from Middle of Nowhere, Louisiana today. I got a late start because I am defenseless against my grandmother's cooking. So, I stayed for lunch and got her to give me the scoop on a couple of her top secret dishes. As I was leaving, it was all hugs and smiles when she smiled and said you ought to clean up your language on your blog. I laughed, she laughed, my grandfather laughed, it was light and not a big deal, just funny. I've never seen her town as a hit on my blog, so I can only assume she read it once and was mortified by something I posted and has been waiting. I wonder which post she read. So funny.

Anyway.

My plan was to make it back to Chicago tonight, but this eyeball affliction is cramping my style. It's fine, in fact, it's feeling better tonight than it did today, but as oncoming headlights shine on me, it's waterworks. At least during the day I can do shades. Anyway, I said screw it and stopped for the night. Sleep never killed anyone. Neither did hotel towels and wi-fi.

Oh, and speaking of wi-fi. Now that I can get online with my laptop, I can post photos.

1. My grandmother circa 1944. Could she possibly be more adorable? No.


2. Me (obviously) in front of the farm I mentioned yesterday. About a minute later, my grandfather poked my typewriter tattoo and said, Uh, you look like you got hit with a typewriter, girl. My grandparents, ladies and gentlemen, so tolerant of my blog-swearing and tatoos. Haha.


3. Einstein with two new friends at Spiral Diner in Ft. Worth, TX. Feast your eyes on their menu, veg friends. I am already jonesing for the tofu club sandwich again. So delish.


4. Einstein and another friend.


5. Einstein having a rough night with margaritas.


6. Einstein with Elvis and the "butt plug lava lamp" at Sarah's Place. If you're in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and feel like a cocktail. Sarah's Place on Camp Bowie is a great time. Obviously. I mean, look! Einstein and Elvis can sing duets, for crying out loud. You just can't find that in any bar, folks.


That's it for now. I'm fading, so I'm going to zonk out and hit the road early in the morning.

"I WILL SEE YOU IN FAR OFF PLACES" VOL. II

Hey folks. I made it through Arkansas with the help of Jane's Addiction and Morrissey. I'm outside of Dallas now at another truckstop. This time, though, there is a television above my head instead of a speaker blaring country music, like the previous truckstop. Everyone sitting in the dining room is looking at the television, but it feels weird to see a bunch of strangers facing me as I sit below the television. Everyone is glued to the television to watch the really terrible weather coming through. Texas storms are incredible. Driving through storms is not my favorite. So, I'll check in with the blogosphere again once I get settled in my hotel in Austin. Close. Close. Close. If I can just outrun the storms a bit, all will be well.

I got a little shout-out on Austinist today about tomorrow's reading at Bookwoman. Really, if you are in Austin tomorrow, I'd love to see your smiling face. Really. Loooove it.

Anyway, I've taken some interesting photographs during my travels today. I made a stop in Hope, Arkansas (of course) because I tend to like my presidents a little bit wonky, I suppose.