Indiana Wants Me

Lord, I won't go back there.
Indiana went off The List almost a year to the day by going for Obama (the first time it went Dem since LBJ). Well, Indiana is back on the list! Before I paint too broadly, Bloomington is enchanting, Jeffersonville provides some picturesque dining options, and I have heard good things about Indianapolis (although one must wonder whether a city is major if a football stadium is part of its skyline).
Okay, so just past the exit to the Steve Alford Shrine and before you get to OH there is Exit 131. Did you ever ponder the metaphysics of what happens to a year once it ends and a new year begins? Well, 1987 is enjoying its retirement at Exit 131. The truck stop had that fake brick hard plastic floor that came standard in all 80s truck stops. It had a big section of state maps. I loved this feature, but let's be honest, the paper map is going the way of the newspaper delivery boy. Most importantly for the comfort of 1987, there was smoking EVERYWHERE. The ladies restroom stalls had ash trays. There was an ashtray for every 2 urinals. And the new addition to the old truck stop had a wide open doorinterior door between the part, making it as smokey as the 1987 part. I felt like burying an AL West Champions Homer Hankie on site.
Needless, to say we ate our Kentucky Fried Chicken in the car (they didn't abbreviate away the "fried" in the 80s). We didn't ever consider taking Anders in there. I think bringing someone who was not alive when smoking was pervasive into that time warp would cause a disruption in the space-time continuum.
Anders ate a little better on the road today than yesterday. Tonight, however, when he came home to a place he'd never been before he took 125 mils! That is a new record.
We had a perfect day for driving, not a cloud in the sky. There are still leaves on the trees down here! A couple of our hanging plants are still alive (the ones Brad picked out on Mom's Weekend).
Some parts of the house seem suspended in time, like the calendars. Marilee would not approve.
The house, however, is cleaner and better than when we left in July, thanks so much to our friends Bill and Anna for an amazing job house sitting! And thanks to Renee for coming all the way from Fairfax, VA to add her touches to our homecoming.
Trudy is taking Anders in stride for the moment. She sniffed his head a bit and they slept near each other on Anna as you saw in that picture. It will be interesting to see what Trudy does when Anders doesn't go away in a couple of days.
Greg also did a great job taking our stuff out here with us. I think his payment was getting to glimpse at Anders during our stops. He absent-mindedly says "Oh Buddy!" over and over again. Greg did not enjoy driving as much as Anders enjoyed riding. Fortunately, Greg is flying back to MSP tomorrow afternoon. Then he and Grandma Dorene are coming back here next Wednesday. I am presenting a paper at a conference in NYC next week, thus the need for days of babysitting.
We haven't really unpacked and I don't know where much stuff is, but it is good to be home. We have an appointment with Anders' new doctor in Athens tomorrow at 9 am sharp. Anna and Anders and Greg are sleeping. Trudy is wandering around. I'm listening to "Beds Are Burning" by Midnight Oil and about to turn in for a bit myself. I say a bit because of course Anders uses all 24 of his hours.
Thanks again to everyone for everything along the way. This process has been so much easier with all of your assistance.
PS. This piece should never be used as a template for using the English language. Sleep deprivation is no laughing matter for one's coherence. Anna and I now communicate with a lot of pointing and guessing. Being together for almost 10 years comes in handy now as our language skills are lost to Anders Time.