4 Out of 5

Happy holidays from St. Louis.  We've now made it to four of our five overnight stops on this year's whirlwind tour (Murfreesboro, TN; Athens, AL; Olathe, KS; Maryland Heights, MO).  So far the only weather-related issues we've faced in our travels was a 2-3 inch snowfall in Kansas City, so we've been pretty lucky on that front.  A few notes about the trip thus far:

1.  Seeing the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman was a lot of fun.  The demographics of the crowd were Prairie Home Companionish, though unlike PHC, whose crowd more resembled an ALA conference, the Opry's crowd seemed more like a gathering of the Southern Baptist Convention.  Not that I know a lick about the SBC.

2.  My folks gave me (among other things) this - and I cannot remember enjoying a book as much.  I especially loved the part about Bama Bangs.  I've often intuited that men from Alabama tend to look the same, and Clay Travis has given me the words with which to articulate this opinion.

3.   There is no more chaotic scene in the United States than a Build-A-Bear Workshop in a suburban Midwestern mall after Christmas.  Even my mother-in-law got in on the action, giving birth to a bear turtle named Dorothy Anne (in honor of Dorothy Day and Anne Lamott).

4.  In my last post I incorrectly stated that we are headed to Iowa City on Monday to see (merely) C's good friend who teaches at the U of Iowa.  We are also looking forward to seeing Hermit Greg, who seems to get his feelings hurt rather easily when he's not mentioned online.  There, Hermit Greg.  I thought you enjoyed being more anonymous and hermit-ly.

5.  Speaking of the Iowa Caucuses, I'd most like to see/hear/meet Obama or McCain.  C wants Ron Paul.  Her libertarian streak scares me.

6.  On to Iowa on Monday!  Indiana basketball on Wednesday night and the caucuses (and a party with the U of Iowa political scientists) on Thursday - vacations don't get better than this, giggle-giggle-snort-giggle.