Lame Blogger

That's me. I thought I would be back in the swing of things after the 4th of July, but apparently not. I'd love to say I'm too busy, but no. I'm just lame.

Here is a pretty picture to distract you from my lameness:

So, what is going on that I haven't been posting?

I just started the fifth book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. Um. This is embarrassing, I'm addicted. They are stupid, but funny (mostly intentionally). Once you get beyond the awful of the first couple of books (which I did, because I was promised semi-incestous werepanthers, it turns out there is nothing "semi" about the incestuousness), her storytelling is really quite. You know. Good. There, I said it. If you want something fun and won't tax you too much while you nurse your sunburn, you could do worse.

I also finished Rethinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss---and the Myths and Realities of Dieting by Gina Kolata. Kolata, a health journalist for the New York Times, compiles the history and research of dieting and obesity and reaches the conclusion that weight has far more to do with genetics than willpower. It's so well written, so readable, I had a hard time putting it down (even for Sookie).

It was Art Fair last week.

I ate a lot of very bad food.

I bought a piece of pottery (which I failed to take a picture of), I didn't realize until I was leaving the booth that it was by my old housemate (she wasn't in the booth, I'm not that lame). Kind of a coincidence, but I have always liked her stuff.

In other news, the dog got skunked Thursday night at bedtime. That's a smell that will bring tears to your eyes! Len gave her a bath before I got home on Friday evening. It didn't work. My brother and sister-in-law had looked up a natural de-skunking recipe, which mostly did (hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and a bit of dish soap). Then on Saturday evening she went out happy and came back broken. Her tail was between her legs and she was very very sad. We took her for a very expensive vet visit on Sunday, it seems she strained her back. She's on some anti-inflammatory and she should be better by tomorrow. At which time she will get another peroxide-soda bath, 'cos, seriously. She stinks.

Book Binge

I've been on a bit of a book buying binge. I think this is an attempt to keep at least some of my brain cells around during the the Great Stackhouse Massacre*.

The Home Creamery. I think I saw this on Angry Chicken -- the possibility of making our own sour cream, cottage cheese and butter proved too irresistible. 'Cos, you know, I need to fill all that free time I have. The book also has a couple of mozzarella recipes, which I have failed at in the past. A friend of ours makes cheese (of all kinds), her feeling is that my failure has to do with the rennet or citric acid I have, so I ordered from her supply house, Leeners (I placed the order on Wednesday and got it yesterday).

Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don't Know About Them. I had heard the author on Fresh Air many months ago and thought this sounded fascinating. I have fairly complex ideas and beliefs about religion in general and Christianity in particular, which I would expand on if this were a different sort of blog, but my interest in this book is more about being a bit of a history geek.

Rethinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss -- and the myths and realities of dieting. I had heard an interview with this author over a year ago and promptly forgot the title and author. I would occasionally think I wanted to read the book but had no idea how to go about finding it (bad librarian!), then last week Sharon left a comment on Valerie's blog with the title. I bought it immediately.

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto. This is one of those books that keeps popping up on my radar and I finally broke down and bought it. Essays on pop culture from my generation.

Dead Star Twilight. This is only available as a download and the only time I've bought this kind of book (aside from a weaving booklet). I've been reading Chez Pazienza's blog for awhile and really like his writing, which is often brutally honest and wickedly funny. Here is a review from Pajiba.

*There is some sort of weird psychological effect going on with these books. I'm almost done with the second one and I'm starting to find her terrible writing kind of endearing. I just thought of another advantage of reading these: one of Len's sisters keeps trying to convince to read the Twilight books -- I will be able to tell her that I have had quite enough of vampire fiction for the foreseeable future (rather than coming off as the snob I really am).

Two Books

I don't have much to report. Knitting is chugging along and isn't very photographable. The quilt is, too. I am sewing on the binding which isn't as tedious as I imagined it would be. At my current rate I should be done this evening. The garden is going in very slowly. I haven't been able to get excited about it, the seeds I started in March came up but didn't go any further (they barely have secondary leaves) which has been a bummer.

So. Books instead. I am actively reading two (and have two on inactive status, which I think means I will get back to them. Or not).

The first is Honky, by Dalton Conley. Conley is a sociologist who studies race, class and inequality (and is kind of famous in my little professional world). Honky is his memoir of growing up white in a prominently black and Hispanic New York housing project. One the one hand, he brings a very personal voice to what can sometimes be a very academic field of study, and on the other hand a fairly dispassionate view of the forces that propel some people out of poverty while trapping others.

The other book is actually a series. The Sookie Stackhouse books. They are the literary equivalent of speed (not that I'd know): terrible, not that great of a high, and very addictive. Perfect for summer and I fully expect my brain to be rotted out by the end of them. There are nine, god help me, I've committed to the first seven. The HBO show is just as bad and just as addictive (with the added pleasure of Anna Paquin's awful accent).

National Poetry Month

Valerie's recent post reminds me that it is National Poetry Month. My intention is to commemorate the month by posting poems by some of my favorite poets, not every day, but I will try for at least once a week.

This first one is by Hayden Carruth, a poet who I was a little obsessed with in the mid-1980s. This is from Doctor Jazz.

THE HERON

Let me tell you, my dear, about the heron I saw

by the edge of Dave Haflett's lovely little pond.

A great blue heron, standing perfectly still, where it had been

studying Dave's rainbows and brookies beneath the surface.

And I too stood perfectly still—as perfectly as I could—

not twenty feet away, each of us contemplative and quiet.

Communication occurred. I felt it. Not just simple

wonder and apprehension, but curiosity and concern.

It was evident. The great bird in its heraldic presence,

so beautifully marked, so poised against the dark green water.

I in my raggedness, with my cigarette smoldering, my eyes

squinting, my cap titlted back. Two invisibly beating hearts.

Then the impetus lapsed. The heron nodded and flew away.

I turned back into Dave's workshop and picked up a wrench.

If goodness exists in the world—and it does—then this moment

was the paradigm of it, a recognition, a life in conjunction with a life.

But why am I compelled to tell you about it? It was wordless.

And why, over and over again, must I write this poem?

Long Overdue Book Post

I read every night before turning out the light, even if it is just a couple of pages or flipping through a magazine, which means I usually finish books. Not always, but most of the time.

When last I posted about books, I was just starting Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner. It is a beautiful, sweeping novel about the nature and the cost of marriage, about the making of the American West. As I was beginning the book, I read several of the comments on Amazon, one of which struck me in particular: the commenter did not like the book, because she (or he) found the main character, Susan, unsympathetic and narcissistic. At one level, it is true, Susan is rather a snob (a trait upon which the narrator comments a few times) and sometimes very unlikeable. But that reading of Susan, of the novel, seems shallow. The characters are so completely human, and thus deeply flawed, it can be like looking in a mirror. I could go on and on.

Reading Stegner's very Western novel put me in mind of Willa Cather. I read her a lot when I was a teenager, and adored the books. Reading My Antonia again reminds me of why. Cather is something of an impressionistic writer, by which I mean although her stories take place over the course of time, they don't really have an overarching storyline. My Antonia is the narrator's memory of his childhood friend, Antonia, whose family are immigrants to Nebraska from Bohemia. Through Jim's memories, a picture of a particular place and time emerges. It is a lovely gem of a book. I also really love Death Comes for the Archbishop, by the way.

Now I am reading, in honor of his untimely death, David Foster Wallace's collection of essays, Consider the Lobster. I haven't read anything by DFW before, but Len has -- I had gotten him the book for Christmas, or his birthday, and many of the essays had been published in Harpers or the Atlantic to which Len was a longtime subscriber. Liberal elistest that he is. Wallace's writing is extremely intelligent, often funny, and very very dense (many footnotes, and footnotes of footnotes). He can seem offputting, but his writing is very rewarding.

I'm also re-reading Sarah Vowell's Partly Cloudy Patriot, because it seems appropriate for election season.

And a picture. Just because.

You Got Questions

I got answers. Ok, two questions.

Barb asked what kind of seed pod this is. It is a leek, I stuck a few in my flower garden late last summer for lack of a better place. They didn't really do anything and, because I am lazy, I left them there. This spring they sort of woke up and started growing. I think this might actually be a flower bud, rather than a seed pod; I'm going to leave them to see what happens.

Sharon asked what I am reading now. First, I finished The Great Gatsby. I have to say, if you haven't read it since high school, you really must read it again. It's place in the American Literature Canon (whatever that may be) is well deserved. Fitzgerald's story of the soured American dream isn't hard, but it is complex, sad, and ultimately tragic. I only remembered a little of the book, and I don't remember disliking it as a teenager (the teacher who assigned it was very good at conveying her love for particular books and for reading in general). While I don't think the book is inappropriate for teenagers, it certainly takes on a different resonance as an adult.

Now I am halfway through Angle of Repose, by Wallace Stegner (totally because both Sharon and Valerie have mentioned it as one of their favorite books). I had read (and loved) it a few years ago as part of a book club. It is every bit as American as Gatsby, but couldn't be more different. It is big, rich and utterly human. I don't want it to end and I imagine I will be lost when I finish.

Books and a New CD

My plan was to show you a project Stef (over to Distracted Muse) and I did together. But I didn't manage to get pictures of one of the pieces, so instead I will give you a tiny taste:

Obviously, it involved sewing. Also some swearing (though not nearly as much as my buttonhole adventure, but that is also a tale for another day).

I finished Animal, Vegetable, Miracle some time ago. I enjoyed most of it (especially the tomato and turkey sections), but felt it got a bit preachy in the end. I suppose that was to be expected, since it was a summation of the arguments she had been making throughout. I do think it is very worth reading, especially if you like food and are interested in where it comes from.

Once I finished, I was onto Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. I love Austen and have read most of her books at least twice, but hadn't gotten to this one. Northanger was her first completed novel, but was published posthumously (it had been bought by a publisher but allowed to languish for many years). What an adorable book! Her voice was still very young, but she was already playing around with her major themes (class, marriage, stupid people). It is very funny, though not as biting a satire as Pride and Prejudice, and very exuberant.

Now I'm onto The Great Gatsby, which I haven't read since high school. I remember that my teacher loved this book -- which goes a long way to making required reading a better experience -- but I'm not sure I really understood it, and I've been wanting to read it again for a while.

A new CD. If you are a pop culture nerd, as Len and I are, you may know who Zooey Deschanel is. If not, she is Will Ferrell's love interest in Elf? No? Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy? Trust me, she is adorable and in Len-Lee speak, she is also known as "That google-eyed girl". Anyway, the point is that she put out an album recently with M. Ward (who I've never heard of) under the name of "She & Him". Unlike some other actor-"singer" projects (i. e. Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, Don Johnson), this one is really quite good. She has a quirky voice and a vintage 1960's girl-pop sensibility. It is such a sweet album: download "Sentimental Heart" and "I Should Have Known Better" (a goofy, hula version of the Beatles song) to see what I mean.

I just got a 40% off of CDs coupon and will use it to check out the Wailin' Jennies. Sharon has recommended them a few times so I think I better give them a listen. Plus, what a great name! I am a linear notes junkie -- I like to see who plays with who, who's producing, and even geekier, who the band thanks -- so I tend to buy albums rather than downloading (unless I own the LP already).

On My Nightstand

No, the pants aren't done yet. The knitting is, but there is still a bit of finishing. I don't do Christmas knitting because the deadlines and the need to concentrate on one thing (that I don't even keep to keep!) make me crazy.

I haven't been reading as much as usual, but I did finish Anne Tyler's Amateur Marriage a little while ago. Sharon wasn't kidding when she said it is a bleak book. It struck me that these could have been my parents, had they stayed together -- while my mother was not nearly as nutty as Pauline, she is emotional and vivacious. My dad, on the other hand, was very much like Michael, stoic, not as expressive (I think this has changed some in the last few years). They weren't very well suited to each other and had they stayed together their marriage could well have become just as damaging. Not that divorce is a barrel of laughs.

After that most cheerful book, I started (and am currently reading) Bill Bryson's The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America. I've read many of his very funny books, and I am pleased to see that I have not exhausted his catalog. My favorite, so far, is A Walk in the Woods, his account of hiking the Appalachian Trail.

I am also still reading Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-1963. It is very interesting and well written, but because it is so dense it's been slow going for me. I've just finished the section on the Kennedy-Nixon presidential race which is especially relevant. It's very interesting to see that race from a civil rights perspective: their civil rights planks were very similar and blacks were quite divided on who to support. It is a very complicated story, but because John F. Kennedy telephoned Coretta Scott King while MLK was in prison and Robert Kennedy called the judge in the case, the black vote swung to JFK, and may have been the deciding factor in the race. It was all kept hush-hush, the phone calls were publicized by pamphlets handed out at churches, since the Kennedy campaign didn't want to upset Southern whites. What was so interesting to me about this section of the book was how packaged the candidates were, that just as happens now, everything Kennedy and Nixon said and did or didn't say or do, was calculated to maximize public opinion. So little was genuine. True then, true now, sad to say.

Sarah's Book Meme

It seems that the love of books is genetic, 'cos if this isn't proof that Sarah and I are related, I don't know what is:

1. Hardcover or paperback, and why?

I’m definitely a paperback person: 1) they are much lighter; 2) they are much cheaper; 3) when I read in bed my arms don’t get tired (goes along with reason #1, I guess).

2. If I were to own a book shop, I would call it…

Ye Olde Book Shoppe. Just kidding—my favorite bookstore is Kramer’s in Washington D.C., so instead of owning a bookstore, I’d probably just go live in that one.

3. My favorite quote from a book (mention the title) is…

Wow, this is a tough one. I’m very frequently struck by language in books*, but I can never, ever remember the quotes exactly or even where they come from. I guess I’m more of a nuance gal. I’m better at remembering poignant song lyrics, such as "Rollin’ On" by Emmylou Harris and Mark Knopfler:

It’s hard sometimes
but pretty much it’s alright

And of course, Paul Simon’s "Graceland":

And losing love is like a window to your heart;
Everybody sees you’re blown apart, everybody feels the wind blow

*especially in The Country Life by Rachel Cusk (I’m taking this asterisking thing directly from Lee…)

4. The author (alive or deceased) I would love to have lunch with would be…

Charles Baxter is near the top, along with Madeleine St. John, aforementioned Rachel Cusk, Nick Hornby, Mark Haddon…can I have a luncheon party vs. one-on-one?

6. I would love someone to invent a bookish gadget that…

I need something that will make my husband understand the amount of money I spend on books. There is something completely satisfying in the ownership of books vs. getting them out of the library. I’ve just reread a couple of my favorites and I didn’t even have to leave the comfort of my own home to obtain them.

7. The smell of an old book reminds me of…

An old boyfriend of mine had something about rifling through the pages of books and smelling them; when we were together I started doing it too. He’s long gone, but the practice lives on and I still think of him once in a while when I smell books.

8. If I could be the lead character in a book (mention the title), it would be:

Nicola Barker from The Essence of the Thing by Madeleine St.John. I read this book when I was going through a break-up (hmmm, seems like old boyfriends and books are becoming a common theme to this meme…) and I really and honestly took a lot of strength from the character of Nicola.

9. The most overestimated book of all times is…

The Poisonwood Bible. With.Out.A.Doubt.

10. I hate it when a book…

I hate it when a book starts out making you think it’s good, but then devolves into boring mash (Possesion, A.S. Byatt comes to mind.

10a. I love it when a book…

I LOVE it when a book puts me through the emotional paces, whether it be crying or laughing out loud. Not that I love crying, and it doesn’t happen that often, but when it does, it’s great. Also pertinent to movies: like at the end of The Pursuit of Happyness when Will Smith is told he’s got the job, his reaction is what I’m talking about. Laughing out loud is just as great—make sure you read Motherless Brooklyn for this!

I used to belong to a book club several years back and got to trust the leader implicitly in her suggestions, which invariably turned out well (we actually did read The Interpreter of Maladies before it won the Pulitzer). After I moved away, I was at sea, so I started reading award winners. I figured that people much smarter than I have their heads on straight. I really like this method of guiding my reading, especially since I read equally from smaller awards as from larger ones (to be fair, however, I find myself drawn most to Booker Prize finalists/winners). If anyone thinks there’s a book I should be reading, please let me know! sarahpieh@yahoo.com

Thanks, Lee, for the forum of discussion!

Princess Bride Correction

It was not, in fact, Buttercup's mother who said, "Life is pain. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something." It was Fezzik's mother.

Book MeMe

I was tagged for the first time ever with a meme by Valerie. And seeing as it's about books, how can I resist?

1. Hardcover or paperback, and why?

With some notable exceptions, paperback. I'm trying to collect all of the Jane Austens in hardcover, because they seem more like heirlooms (under the dustcover of the Everyman edition is a lovely green cover, and the pages are a nice cream). All of the Harry Potters are hardback, since I bought them as they were released. And sometimes, I just can't wait for a paperback.

But the cost of hardbacks is senselessly prohibitive. The cost of production isn't much more for a hardback, so the cost difference has to do with publishing houses trying to recoup their costs and reap as much profit as quickly as possible. Understandable, but I'm not a business person, I'm a reader, who likes to buy books (as a librarian, you'd think I would be passionate about using libraries, but no, I'm building my own). Don't even get me started on the cost of CDs.

2. If I were to own a book shop, I would call it…

I have no idea. I would probably be uncreative enough to name it after myself, a relative, or worse yet, one of my cats. I would, however, have shop cat. It seems so necessary.

3. My favorite quote from a book (mention the title) is…

I am so bad at remembering quotes (my pathetic memory is why I can read books over and over and always be surprised by the ending). So a couple I remember: "Life IS pain. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something" (Princess Bride, said by Buttercup's mother in the most excellent book); "I had a farm in Africa" (Out of Africa. It's such a musical opener); and of course "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." (Pride and Prejudice, obviously. It sets the tone so perfectly).

I also went and searched for a quote which gets to what drew me to Grapes of Wrath. I remember being completely taken by Jim Casey, the (ex-)preacher. That character had a huge effect on my budding, teenaged spirituality. This sums it up nicely: "Why do we got to hang it all on God or Jesus? Maybe,' I figgered, 'maybe it's all men an' all women we love: maybe that's the Holy Sperit- the human sperit- the whole shebang. Maybe all men got one big soul ever'body's a part of". Then he went out and lived it and died for it.

4. The author (alive or deceased) I would love to have lunch with would be…

I'm such a geek that I'd probably spend the whole time drooling and saying inanely stupid things, so lunch with someone I admire might not a good idea. The other problem is, what if an author I admire greatly turns out to be an asshole? I might never be able to read his or her books again! However, with sufficient drugs (for myself), I'd say Anna Quindlen would probably be a very interesting conversationalist. Molly Ivins would be a scream. Ooo! Jonathan Kozol, he's so passionate, pissed off and funny.

5. If I was going to a deserted island and could only bring one book, except for the SAS survival guide, it would be…

The collected works of Shakespeare. If people can devote entire careers to Shakespeare, he's probably good for a long stint on a deserted island.

And what is a SAS survival guide? In my wee corner of the world, SAS is a statistics software. I don't see that being very useful on a deserted island.

6. I would love someone to invent a bookish gadget that…

Isn't the book a perfect gadget?

7. The smell of an old book reminds me of…

The University of Michigan Graduate Library. I suppose I don't really need to be reminded, since I go there often enough, but it's more the experience of the place when I was an undergrad. I loved that place. Stuffed full of the most arcane stuff (it seemed to me), it seems so subterranean (it isn't). And it smells like knowledge.

8. If I could be the lead character in a book (mention the title), it would be:

Oh geez. How cliched can I be? Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. Who else?

9. The most overestimated book of all times is…

John Irving.

10. I hate it when a book…

I hate it when an ending fails to live up to the rest of the book. I can't think of a specific example, but there are usually some convoluted coincidences and a sappy reunion. I also hate dialog which in attempt to be "real", rings false. The Time Traveler's Wife comes to mind. That book has such a great story and structure, but the dialog was tinny and it drove me crazy.

10a. I love it when a book..

So as not to end on a totally negative note. I love it when a book is headed toward a train wreck and the author is brave enough to let it happen. Amsterdam and Bel Canto spring to mind. I also love it when a book is so well written I can forgive any flaw, Rise and Shine sometimes had tinny dialog, it tended to cliche and a sappy ending. I'm still sad that I've finished it.

So. Who to tag? Stef, of course (you can punch me in the eye when you see me next). The gals over at Two Sharp Sticks. And my sister, Sarah. She doesn't have a blog but could do this in the comments or e-mail me and I could post it?

You Must Read This

I'm back from, what can only be described as, The Best Vacation Ever. For many of you, great vacations may be about travel, beaches, sun, or some sort of water or snow based activity. For me, it's all about sitting around on my rear end, watching bad television, and doing little else. I was so relaxed by the end of the week, I practically floated to work yesterday.

Last year, NPR started a series called "You Must Read This" as part of their summer reading programming in which writers discuss their favorite books. I love the series. I love knowing what people are passionate about, especially when it involves books, and I wish they would ask me about my favorite book. Because, while I don't have a favorite color, and I'd be hard pressed to tell you what my favorite singer or movie is, I do have a favorite book. One that you should read.

I was 16 when I first read Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. I think I picked it off of a reading list, so it wasn't required reading for me. If this book got shoved down your throat as part of High School American Lit (or whatever other class you had), I'm very sorry. You deserved better and so did this book. It's so grand and angry, but full of grace and love. Over the dozen or so times I've read it (including once in French), Grapes of Wrath has given me insight into some big truths: compassion, fear, love, humanity, generosity, selfishness, justice, and injustice. And so on. Steinbeck's story of the Joad family's migration west to pursue a better life in California rings true now, as we try to deal with today's migration issues. To me, the most universal message we take from Grapes of Wrath is the danger in losing sight of the humanity of the dispossessed. Society at all levels, rich to poor, becomes uncivil, fearful and violent. If you haven't read this since high school, do try again.

In other reading news, the other night I finished Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. The plot itself is simple: an international group of party-goers are taken hostage in some unnamed South American country. But it isn't what you'd think. Patchett digs deep into the nature of love, relationships and beauty. It's a gorgeous book and I was heartbroken when it ended. I've already passed it on.

I'm also reading Parting the Waters: America in the King Years, 1954-1963, the first in Taylor Branch's compelling history of the Civil Rights Movement. Richly detailed -- Branch does not merely tell us why King's father changed his son's and his own name from Michael to Martin, but also discusses the importance of names in the Black community, both of themselves individually and as a group -- but never didactic, this book is Important and utterly readable.

What are your favorite books?

Books!

It's been a while since I posted about anything I've read. Frankly, I've been in a bit of a slump. I've been reading, but slowly.

In the last couple of months, I have finished "Home Cooking" and "More Home Cooking" by the late, very-missed Laurie Colwin. I've probably read these books 20 times by now. They are collections of essays Colwin wrote for Gourmet Magazine (mostly), and if you love food you must have them. They are gems.

I've also been reading "Ascending Peculiarity: Edward Gorey on Edward Gorey". I didn't know anything about Gorey, so it's a bit of a revelation. I really had no idea that he died in 2000, I honestly thought he was a Victorian era illustrator. Yes. I am a dope in most aspects of my life!

I'm also reading the new edition of Janet Szabo's "Aran Sweater Design". Yes. I am a geek. I lie in bed and read about cable crossings and gauge. Don't you?

And last night I finished "Cross Country: Fifteen Years and Ninety Thousand Miles on the Roads and Interstates of America with Lewis and Clark, a Lot of Bad Motels, a Moving Van, Emily Post, Jack Kerouac, My Wife, My Mother-in-Law, Two Kids, and Enough Coffee to Kill an Elephant" by Robert Sullivan. What a great book! It's about pretty much what the title says: driving across the country with family, odd details about Lewis and Clark, the history of the U.S. interstate system and the coffee cup lid, a bad luck story about a moving van, and more obsessions than should really be crammed into a 256 page book. It's funny, smart, and incredibly interesting.

When my brother Ken and I were 9 or 10, my dad drove us from Michigan to Montana to visit his parents. In a pickup truck. One of us sat up front, one of us rolled around the back (yes, at least there was a cap). We had a two person tent (which my dad made, from a kit, himself!) which my dad and I slept in, and Ken slept in the truck (his choice). I remember fried spam, crummy campgrounds, and severe boredom. Good times! Seriously. I would totally subject small children to the experience and I would willingly sleep in a tent again to do so (I wouldn't otherwise). I remember that KOA campgrounds were the worst (they put us next to the trash dump) and National Parks were the cleanest, even if you had to pee in an outhouse. According to my dad, one night we were surrounded by the KKK (my brother is black): he described it as a bunch of headlights in the night and the park ranger apologizing in the morning. They weren't exactly menacing. I remember looking up one night and understanding why it's called The Milky Way.

We went across the country again when we were about 13, this time with my stepmother, Linda and a pop up. I don't remember what they were driving, I can't imagine it was the pickup again. Maybe they had the mini-van by then. I don't have as much nostalgia for that trip, mainly because Ken was in a bad way.

I drove to Seattle with my cat in a Drive Away. And not much money. I drove through the Badlands screaming Pearl Jam. Nope. I wasn't cool enough for Nirvana. I drove home again, with the same cat, a couple of years later when my life fell apart. I think it was on that trip that I went into Walmart for the first time.

I wouldn't trade those trips for anything. This country is huge. "Cross Country" is an approximation of the experience, but only a slight one.