07-21-2016, 02:52 AM
What day is it? I think it is Thursday and we are bound for Pennsylvania.
It's just a lot of driving. My theory is get in the car, put your foot on the gas and get it over with it. My co-driver likes to see things. So, on Tuesday we stopped in the civil war site of Vicksburg. But to see Vicksburg, you really should do the driving tour around the site, which takes about 2 and a half hours. Well, we're not doing that. So, we pulled into the Visitor center. We looked at their exhibits. We saw their movie. We left. Good times? Not so much
Yesterday, we rolled through the traffic of Pigeon Forge. It was a three or four mile stretch of tourist traps leading up to Dollywood. HK was all for getting off the Highway and seeing the sites especially after talking to his wife who waxed rhapsodic about the beauty of Pigeon Forge. Yeah, not so much. If I was a teenager I would have killed to go on the go-cart rides, bungie jumps, and other various amusements. They had the upside down house next to half the Titanic. We were constantly being asked to come see the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner show. My favorite was the talking pig at the Comedy Barn. It was a weird nightmare stretch of road. All we eventually saw of Dollywood was their parking lot.
We stopped at the Jurassic Park ride so HK could take a picture. I took a picture of HK taking the picture. In the end, I would have skipped the whole endeavor and spent the time reading in my hotel room to prep for the upcoming interviews.
The last fifteen miles of our road into Troutville, VA, was slowed to a crawl by a multi car pile up. One trucker was so disgusted by the pace, he backed his truck up to the previous off ramp via the shoulder.
What should have been a six and a half hour drive turned into nine hours of driving.
We have stayed the last two nights at Quality Inns and they have been fine. The first night's hotel in Fort Payne wasn't as good as the one in Troutville. I thought I was in for a noisy night in Fort Payne, as I could hear every voice in the room next to mine. And I could hear the person above me clogging in his hobnail boots. But when it came time for bed time, all was calm. The only frightening noise was the long howl emanating from the toilet after I flushed it. It was especially eerie when I flushed it in the middle of the night. HK thinks he heard it from his room, since he was on the other side of me.
At breakfast, for free don't you know, in Fort Payne, we were joined by two shirtless and barefoot young men who looked like they just rolled in from a very hard night of drinking. They made their breakfasts and then proceeded to forget them on the counter as they went outside to the pool area for a smoke. One theory was they had been up all night and they stumbled from their room when they realize breakfast was being served.
Our Fort Payne hotel was down the street from a fast food place called Krystal. Their motto, painted on the door, was 'Get a sack full" We passed many Krystal purveyors urging us to get a sack full.
I continue to eat too much and exercise not at all. Big lunches and big dinners. More Mexican food than you can shake a stick at. The parade of BBQ was relieved somewhat in Fort Payne when we went to the Thai and Sushi restaurant, Toko. For Fort Payne Thai food, it was pretty good.
Last night, we ate at Angelle's which was back to the BBQ. Our main entertainment for the meal, since we were at the counter over the dish washing station, was watch the pretty waitress flirt non-stop to the oblivious dish washer, Ethan. Both HK and I almost went back to tell him that he needs to be more aware of the woman around him.
I did get Csaba Pallaghy on the phone to confirm our interview for Friday, which was a relief. Oddly enough, when I told him we would be staying at the Scottish Inn near his house, he mentioned that he had brokered the Real Estate deal for the place. He said we should mention his name when we check in and they would treat us right. Although how nice they could treat us at a 1950s style motor court hotel is something we'll have to see about.
It's just a lot of driving. My theory is get in the car, put your foot on the gas and get it over with it. My co-driver likes to see things. So, on Tuesday we stopped in the civil war site of Vicksburg. But to see Vicksburg, you really should do the driving tour around the site, which takes about 2 and a half hours. Well, we're not doing that. So, we pulled into the Visitor center. We looked at their exhibits. We saw their movie. We left. Good times? Not so much
Yesterday, we rolled through the traffic of Pigeon Forge. It was a three or four mile stretch of tourist traps leading up to Dollywood. HK was all for getting off the Highway and seeing the sites especially after talking to his wife who waxed rhapsodic about the beauty of Pigeon Forge. Yeah, not so much. If I was a teenager I would have killed to go on the go-cart rides, bungie jumps, and other various amusements. They had the upside down house next to half the Titanic. We were constantly being asked to come see the Hatfield and McCoy Dinner show. My favorite was the talking pig at the Comedy Barn. It was a weird nightmare stretch of road. All we eventually saw of Dollywood was their parking lot.
We stopped at the Jurassic Park ride so HK could take a picture. I took a picture of HK taking the picture. In the end, I would have skipped the whole endeavor and spent the time reading in my hotel room to prep for the upcoming interviews.
The last fifteen miles of our road into Troutville, VA, was slowed to a crawl by a multi car pile up. One trucker was so disgusted by the pace, he backed his truck up to the previous off ramp via the shoulder.
What should have been a six and a half hour drive turned into nine hours of driving.
We have stayed the last two nights at Quality Inns and they have been fine. The first night's hotel in Fort Payne wasn't as good as the one in Troutville. I thought I was in for a noisy night in Fort Payne, as I could hear every voice in the room next to mine. And I could hear the person above me clogging in his hobnail boots. But when it came time for bed time, all was calm. The only frightening noise was the long howl emanating from the toilet after I flushed it. It was especially eerie when I flushed it in the middle of the night. HK thinks he heard it from his room, since he was on the other side of me.
At breakfast, for free don't you know, in Fort Payne, we were joined by two shirtless and barefoot young men who looked like they just rolled in from a very hard night of drinking. They made their breakfasts and then proceeded to forget them on the counter as they went outside to the pool area for a smoke. One theory was they had been up all night and they stumbled from their room when they realize breakfast was being served.
Our Fort Payne hotel was down the street from a fast food place called Krystal. Their motto, painted on the door, was 'Get a sack full" We passed many Krystal purveyors urging us to get a sack full.
I continue to eat too much and exercise not at all. Big lunches and big dinners. More Mexican food than you can shake a stick at. The parade of BBQ was relieved somewhat in Fort Payne when we went to the Thai and Sushi restaurant, Toko. For Fort Payne Thai food, it was pretty good.
Last night, we ate at Angelle's which was back to the BBQ. Our main entertainment for the meal, since we were at the counter over the dish washing station, was watch the pretty waitress flirt non-stop to the oblivious dish washer, Ethan. Both HK and I almost went back to tell him that he needs to be more aware of the woman around him.
I did get Csaba Pallaghy on the phone to confirm our interview for Friday, which was a relief. Oddly enough, when I told him we would be staying at the Scottish Inn near his house, he mentioned that he had brokered the Real Estate deal for the place. He said we should mention his name when we check in and they would treat us right. Although how nice they could treat us at a 1950s style motor court hotel is something we'll have to see about.
As a matter of fact, my anger does keep me warm