Unexpected Easter
by Scott Hardie on April 12, 2009
This has been an unusual few days. Kelly's father had a stroke on Thursday, so we left town suddenly to see him, ultimately choosing to drive since we can't afford plane tickets on no notice. He's going to be fine; his vision was affected at first but he seems recovered now, pending another examination.
So here I am in Kelly's parents' kitchen in Princeton, Illinois, taking a break from working on a Sunday since I don't have any days off left for this trip. I tried to work in the car on Kelly's laptop, but lack of Internet access meant I could only get a few hours done writing old reports and spreadsheets instead of doing the real work that needs attention right now. On the other hand, working in the car while driving through the beautiful Tennessee mountains surrounded by fog and lakes was way better than any cubicle. On the other other hand, we drove right into the Murfreesboro tornado on Friday and had to wait it out at a Hardee's for 45 minutes, watching the wind throw debris against the windows and sipping our drinks. It was a long day of emotional highs and lows.
One of the most pleasant discoveries on the road came from 97.9 FM in Champaign-Urbana, which played nothing but non-stop "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen. There were no commercials, just occasional recorded station breaks that announced a new format coming on Tuesday. It sounds like the station got bought out and everyone got laid off and this is their revenge. Whatever happened, an hour of nothing but "Louie Louie" was still better than all of the other stations on the air. We wondered how many other people were listening.
I'm also taking advantage of the occasion to eat midwestern food that I miss in Florida. So far I've had a monte cristo sandwich and a whole fried catfish (bone in, head on), although I'd love to find a horseshoe sandwich. Kelly is cooking Easter brunch as I write this, marinated pork loin and lots of sides, and it looks delicious. I'm going to keep working this afternoon while Kelly visits friends in Springfield, but I'll be on the road again Monday and Tuesday so I won't be on the site much. That's why there's a sudden string of player-requested goos: We left in a hurry and it's not easy for me to create goos remotely from Illinois, so I relied on complete requests from players to fill the queue for a few days. Many thanks to the players who helped me out.
Happy Easter, friends.
Seven Replies to Unexpected Easter
Lori Lancaster | April 13, 2009
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Dave Stoppenhagen | April 13, 2009
Hope her father is doing better Scott.
Jackie Mason | April 14, 2009
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Kelly Lee | April 15, 2009
To be frank, you couldn't even tell he had one. Aside from some dizziness after prolonged walking. So, yeah, no worries there.
Scott Hardie | April 15, 2009
Thanks, everybody. Mr. Lee seems to have recovered. I spent the entire weekend working when I wasn't eating, sleeping, or driving, so I'm not super-thrilled to go back to the office tomorrow, but it is good to be home again. I hope to make a real visit to Illinois again soon to see friends and have fun.
Steve West | April 15, 2009
Glad things appear to be well. Welcome home.
Logical Operator
The creator of Funeratic, Scott Hardie, blogs about running this site, losing weight, and other passions including his wife Kelly, his friends, movies, gaming, and Florida. Read more »
Illinois, October 2012
Our road trip to see friends and family in Illinois was well worth it. The drive both ways was pleasant. I indulged in junk food like a man taking a break from six months of dieting (since my post-Atkins diet started in June, I've lost 50 pounds). Go »Day 86
The diet continues, but I haven't lost as much as I would like by now. Four pant sizes is something to be proud of, but three of them were lost in January, so you can understand my frustration. I've wound up taking a fourth meal most days, bringing me to ~1200 calories, and so far I've had a lot of trouble going back down to three. Go »More Nerd Humor
Thanks, Kelly. Go »Operation Chillax
Today begins a week-long vacation from work, my first break since GooCon last October. Well, not quite begins, since I still have more work to do tomorrow. But then I'm free! Go »A Pet Peeve That's Actually About My Pet
How come I can't get through the grocery checkout lane without the clerk or the bagger commenting about how many cans of cat food I buy, which inevitably leads to questions about how many cats I own, how much I feed them, and why I need so many cans? Has nobody in this state heard of stocking up? For their information, I have one cat who eats two 3-oz cans of food a day, which is more than a typical cat but not unheard-of. Go »
Amy Austin | April 12, 2009
Wow... that's some Easter!
I hope it will provide you with further memorable moments... of the good kind, of course. But then, on the other other other hand, you take the good, you take the bad, you take the both, and there you have...
a Happy Easter to you, too, Scott and Kelly! ;-)