Wednesday July 27: The Second Elegant Leg
Our last day in the Gateway City was nice and cool. That figured. On the day we had to be in a car all day, the weather was finally tolerable and we could hold our sweat inside our bodies. After four days of comfortable living, we bid farewell to the Drury Inn and piled ourselves into the car for the second leg of our vacation, the one that would take us to Chicago, Illinois.
Big Gas Weenies Holding Hands--The Congestion Of I-55
First of all, you must understand our private joke. Around 2002, on a trip to Columbus, Ohio, I had remarked to Jennifer that those 18-wheel diesel trucks that haul gasoline look like big silver hotdogs. Thereafter, I spontaneously started calling them “big gas weenies.” If you’ve ever played one of those long road trip games, like trying to spot cars of a certain make or seeing who can see cars with missing headlights the fastest, you know where things went. From then on, any time we spotted one of those trucks on the road, Jennifer and I would begin shouting, “Big gas weenie!!”
Well, Interstate 55 was by far one of the most big gas weenie-laden roadways I had ever seen. The damn things were lined up bumper to bumper, in a big gas weenie mamba line that spanned miles. Even I-75 never made me feel so cloistered. Jennifer and I neither one enjoyed the six-hour drive to Woodbridge, Illinois, where we were greeted and hosted by our good friend, Dr. Paris W. Barnes and his significant other, Tracy Bolen.
Paris Barnes and Tracy Bolen show the Thornberries a good time. Meet Dante and Star Barnes
Paris and Tracy introduced us to Paris’ little darlings, Dante and Star Barnes, two adorable kitties who own and administrate the Barnes household. Dante was stand-offish and avoidant, though he proved to be the most photogenic kitty we’d seen since Floxy. He was jet black all over, including his pork-and-bean toes and footpads. Starrie was a pug-faced gray and orange-marbled sweetie who loved to wander around, meowing for attention before falling over to expose her tummy for stroking. Paris apparently believes in extending all freedoms to his kitties, for they were quite comfortable climbing on tables, countertops, counters themselves and probably even the refrigerator.
Dante Barnes (above) and Star Barnes (below) ensure the Thornberries know who runs the Barnes household.The Acetic Monks—Paris and Tracy’s Healthy Dinner
Paris and Tracy are now acolytes of the Weight Watchers lifestyle, which has been very successful in helping them achieve wellness. They both feel better and look better than ever before. Their lifestyle was quite different for us, even though we are, by and large, relatively healthy ourselves. They introduced us to a delicious beef and steamed veggie meal that went down great. At the end, we had to admit that through all of that wonderful flavor, the meal had left us every bit as hungry as we were when we first started. I can see why it works so well for them. ;)
I, Robot
We were tired by the end of that night, so all we did was buckle down and watch the Will Smith movie, I, Robot.
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