We passed an awful lot of Civil War heritage sites and listened to an awful lot of country music, but the truth is, it was a really long drive. I was with L in the truck and trailer for the whole of it - we basically turned on the radio and left it there the whole way to keep us sane through flooding detours. It was a little exciting, but in a sad way - we had to take quite a few detours because the Missouri River had flooded so badly. So instead of driving along the highways staring at corn, we drove along country roads and stared at corn! The main highway was closed for over fifty miles, so it was a long detour.
We left the hotel at 10:30 in the morning - a really late start, for us - and drove as long as our log hours would let us. We stopped somewhere in Missouri for the night; my journal doesn't even have the city name because we weren't really sure where we were!
We found a hotel at 9:45 that night, pulled in, walked across the street to Denny's for dinner, and basically collapsed. The detours meant we were further behind than expected (again!), so we left early the next morning to finish out the drive. We reached Memphis around 4 in the afternoon - and wow, we were back in the heat again! It was the last day of July and really felt like those sultry southern days you always hear about in songs.... oppressively hot the instant you step outside.
Of course, being the bright girl I am, I decided to go for a walk and explore the mall near our hotel to do some grocery resupplying at Target and the dollar store there. I may have splurged on a slushie for the walk back, but I assure you it was for a good cause! I talked with a security guard in the parking lot on the way back - an older gentleman who seemed a bit bored and told me all about the printing company he ran back in the seventies and eighties "before computers and printers wrecked the business". Very southern, very friendly!
D, L and I found a Japanese buffet just across the parking lot for our hotel, and I have to say, it was the highlight of Memphis. Sushi and hot food and dessert and we went back there for I think every dinner we spent in town. Mmm, tasty!
We had one day off in Memphis - the first of August - and then it was event time! All of us used the day for laundry and lounging around; I did a lot of reading and catching up on emails. So we were somewhat rested for work. It was a later event for us - 5am - but by the time we reached the site it was already ridiculously hot (are you sensing a theme?). It wasn't as bad as Springfield, but it was definitely the second-hottest event we'd run, so we were really feeling it.
If there were any doubt that I'd end the summer with a spectacular farmer's tan it was dispelled!
Still, it was a great event - the local police came out with their anti-drunk-driving example car, and gave a great talk at the end of the event, and we managed to get everything packed up without collapsing. Then it was back to the hotel for packing up - the next day would be off to Pensacola, Florida, our last event of this run and our first event in August!
-Beth
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