(It should be noted that nearly every day so far we have come up with - or had bestowed upon us - a different title for this adventure. Thus the changing notation).
Ground Covered: Indianapolis, IN -> KY -> TN -> AL -> MS -> New Orleans, LA
Word(s) of the Day:
Adaptive learning: (n) a style of learning that focuses on prior successes and the use of these as the basis for developing future strategies and successes.
Detritius (n): disintegrated material; debris.
Senescence (n): the process of growing old; aging.
Quotes of the Day:
"People with bad taste need love too, Marissa." -Katie, on the ubiquity of ugly wedding dresses in dress shops
"Oh..right side of car." - Anyone in the front seat, explaining to the person in the back why they have no idea what's being discussed - namely because the right side of the car is invisible from the tightly-packed back seat.
"No! No giant fleas! They won't fit! Not even small fleas!" - Julie, in reference to a GIANT FLEA MARKET sign
"I feel like all these billboards are from the past, like their graphic design is slightly behind."
"It's like from the time before Helvetica!" - Marissa and Julie on the advertising in Kentucky
"FUCKING ALABAMA." - collective sentiments on the State of Alabama's seemingly overwhelming desire to sabotage us
Listening To:
CAKE
Ben Folds
Amber Rubarth/The Paper Raincoat
Band of Heathens (courtesy of Stephanie)
90's mix!
Eating:
biscuits and gravy
pecan waffles
hash browns smothered, covered, sliced and diced (Waffle House lingo for cheese, onions, jalapenos and tomatoes)
Signs of the Day:
Lincoln Never Slept Here, but YOU Can! (hotel in Bardstown, KY)
Prepare to poop your decks! (...unclear what this was actually advertising. We were too busy doing a double-take making sure we read this part right)
Jailer Inn Bed&Breakfast: Enjoy a Captivating Experience
Noteable Events:
1. An hour into Kentucky, realized the Creationist Museum was 100 miles out of the way. Mourned significantly.
2. Impetuous and fantastic impromptu adventures in the great state of Kentucky, home of the Bourbon Trail, Stephen Foster: the Musical, My Old Kentucky Home State Park (which in reality is actually a golf course), the Jack Daniels Distillery, and many other fine attractions for intrepid travelers. Good times, much time wasting, odd photo poses and near-drunkenness from bourbon fumes were had by all.
3. Julie and Marissa's first Waffle House trip!! Bowling Green, KY. They gave us DINER HATS! The large, smoking head cook (not smoking while cooking, but before and after) heard that we were from MA, CA and OR and proceeded to make fun of Boston accents ("Pahk the cah in Hahvahd Yahd!") and Californian people ("A bunch of fruits and nuts!") but couldn't muster any ribbing for Oregon ("....Pretty state."). This reminded Marissa of a woman in CT who had informed her that "Over here we call people from the West Coast a bunch of fruits, nuts and berries!" We decided that if we were a representative cross section of this demographic (with Julie as a West Coast-ian in spirit), Katie was the fruit, Marissa the nut, and Julie the berry. So I guess the woman in CT - and the Kentuckian cook - were right.
4. Waterfall-like rainstorms in Alabama. We thought we were experiencing a large-scale natural catastrophe, but apparently -as we were later informed- these are normal. Celebrated our continued survival at the Tuscaloosa Travel Center.
Haiku of the Day:
Lush vegetation
Old people golf in knee socks.
Kentucky: who knew?
