Stray Thoughts and Random Ramblings about Travel

I am on my back-up computer (i.e., oooolllld  laptop) instead of my regular one because the regular one stopped working. It is out for repairs. In the meantime, I am trying to use this old one, and I keep getting messages that my disk space is low, and no matter how much I uninstall, I keep getting that message. I’ve deleted everything not necessary for the running of the computer, and still it says it has low disk space. *sigh*

I am going to be in the South this week. Beginning Monday I’ll be in various locales including Charlotte, NC, and Columbia, SC. My son is graduating from the Army! Of course, I’m not looking forward to the predations of the TSA, or to the cramped coach seats the airlines give one. Airline travel sure has changed. They only offer meals if you pay for them now. Once I bought a happy meal on the concourse right before I got on the plane, and I wished I’d gotten a lot more french fries to hand to the people giving me evil looks. But honestly, a happy meal was much more tasty than the dry boxes of crackers and processed cheese and candy that the airlines offer.  And of course, one cannot just bring a PB&J from home anymore because the TSA assumes it’s something terrible rather than just lunch.

I’m looking forward to being in the south even though I know it will be dreadfully humid. I am hoping to put my toes in some salt water at some point. I hear Charleston is beautiful, so I was thinking about going there, and also, Savannah, because that is where Paula Deen’s restaurant is!! I would love to taste her food!!

Myrtle Beach

I have been looking at various attractions in the areas I know I’ll be in, and so far I’ve found an aviation museum, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and the Mint Museum (in Charlotte) and in Columbia, well, the Army base of course, for family day and for the actual graduation, and I read about a local canoe/kayak rental agency that offers tours of the rivers in Columbia. (Imagine, rivers with WATER in them!!!)*

If any of you’all have any suggestions, please comment and let me know them. I’ll have two “free” days, though the last free day will partly be traveling back to Charlotte to catch the plane home.

I will try to  post pictures, but that may have to wait until I have a better computer. (I know, first world problems, right?)  I’m taking this crap-top with me, so I will at least try to blog my adventures, and (of course) Wednesday Poetry!!

* We live in Arizona — rivers generally don’t have water in them here. Except for the Salt river where people go tubing and stuff, but other than that, no water.

Camp Meeting

Another try at yesterday’s prompt – “Camping.”

Camp Meeting

The summer I was twelve
I stayed with my father’s mother,
whose husband had recently
passed.

“Tent Cabin” (Which is wholly different than a cabin tent.)

She needed the company
and someone to take care of
and I needed to learn
compassion.

She was a lovely, dear woman,
Grandma Hart,
and she was a vegetarian,
so I became one, too,
all summer.

She would go to her church
revival “Camp Meetings”
every summer,
so this summer
I went too.

She rented a tent cabin,
which was a wooden frame
with a canvas roof.

Wow! I wonder if this is really what went on!

It was mostly fun,
but I discovered that
although I liked vegetables,
I loathed vegetarian food.

At camp meeting we sang songs
for hours it seemed,
and us youngsters
got to do craft after craft
while the adults prayed
and worshiped
in the revival tents.

And by the end of the summer,
she petitioned my mother
to let me stay full time
which was slightly
gratifying,
but also slightly
horrifying
because that meant I would
never get to have
a hamburger
or chicken
or corned beef and cabbage
or bacon
ever again.

My mother said “no.”
I talked grandma into getting
a dog
instead.

 

***

As an addendum, a question: Just what is the deal with fake meat that vegetarians are always eating. If they don’t want to eat meat, they why eat fake meat? This is something I have never figured out.

Travel

Today’s prompt is so apropos because it IS the busiest travel day of the year. And so I mulled and thought until I came up with this poem. An idea about travel and beginnings and endings.

EDIT: And another came to me sitting at work. ^_^ Don’t turn away the muse when she hollers, that’s one of my mottoes. The second is below, and yes, it IS a little gloaty. Get over it and move south. ^_^

Traveling

Before we’re born
we travel with our mums
everywhere they go.
We are carried
right beneath her heart.

And after birth, we are carried
for as long as we can’t walk
and before our
demand to
walk
all by ourself.

After that,
the trips begin
to get
longer.

Trips to the bathroom.
Alone, Mommy!!
Trips to a play date
and running across the park
and visiting neighbors
or grandma.

Before too long,
its off to school and
daily rides on the bus
or by bicycle.

And as we grow,
the trips get longer,
further away
from the beginning
until
we move away,
and our parents no longer
get to say
where we go
what we do
who we see.

But hopefully
we choose to visit
when we can
at the holidays
and make special trips
back in time
to visit with those
who started our feet
on our lives’ path.

And hopefully,
we will be there with them
when they make their
own last journey
onward.

###

Maybe a Road-Trip South is in Order?

Winter in the Southwest:
the weather is grand
yet we’re all too aware
of the vast snowy land
not too far to the north
where so many dwell.
But let me say this:
the weather here’s swell
this time of year and I
can’t help but boast
because while others freeze,
we can sit here and toast
our arms and our legs
in the warm winter sun.
It sounds like a lie but
it’s true and it’s fun.
We eat turkey outside
on the patio here
Family and friends
pie and cold beer.
So if you are weary of
rain, sleet and snow,
come visit Arizona
you’re welcome, you know!