Day Twenty-one

I was awakened last night at 11:30 by someone pounding on my motel room door. Since I had a few drinks last night, I was not happy about it. But it turns out it’s a good thing it happened, since I had gone to sleep with my contacts in! Anyway, I won’t keep you in suspense: it was Chuck! He drove non-stop from Vermont to Indiana to get to me. I’d say that’s gotta be true love! I couldn’t believe he was really there. We went downtown to see if anyplace was open, and we found a bar (I had water). We played a game of pool (I won) and went back to the motel.

I was pretty tired in the morning. We went looking for a breakfast place and found a good one called “Gramma’s House of Pancakes.” (There’s a lot Houses of Pancakes around here). One of the locals told us about it and he said, “If you leave hungry, it’s your own fault!” The menu was similar to Stephanie’s House of Pancakes, only they had skillets too (I love skillets). Chuck ordered much more wisely than I. I had a skillet which ended up having 4 eggs (that’s 4 eggs) on top of it. Just an enormous amount of food for one person. Chuck ordered a bowl of oatmeal with a banana, and it was yummy. Next time! That would have been a smart choice for me (and cheaper).

We took apart the trailer (YAY) got everything in the car, and I headed west, towards South Bend. Chuck was delayed in Elkhart running some errands, so I got there before he did. I found a place to stop for a quick lunch, and it turned out to be really nice. The iced tea was fresh, and we had a little pizza margherita. Very tasty. I headed back on Route 20, but again, it was a very hot day and I was feeling it. Chuck waited for me in New Carlisle, and I decided that was it for me. It was a good time to stop, anyway, since getting to Wheaton would have been tricky. Driving down the interstate was pretty scary with all the truck traffic, but I cranked up the 80’s tunes and boogied in my seat. It was fun, and so great to be with Chuck again. He was amused by my antics….

We found his brother's house, and it was really nice. Built in the 30s with lots of character. I love the creaky floors and all the little nooks and crannies. Jerry’s wife, Mary, has a beautiful flower garden behind the house. I like this town. It’s really nice. We went for a walk last night to get ice cream after dinner, and the library is very impressive. I have to tell you about the dinner Mary prepared for us. There were deviled eggs, steamed green beans, cheese quesadillas, poached salmon, brown rice, salad with avocado and a fabulous German white wine. We both cleaned our plates! It’s really cool to see Chuck with his brother. It’s been 20 years since he’s been out here, but they visited Vermont a few years ago, and we were able to spend some time together.

Tomorrow is a day off for me, and it sounds like I get to see Chicago. I’m very excited, since I’ve never been there, and I love seeing new cities. I really liked South Bend. It looks like there’s a lot going on there, culturally. Art and music are very important there, I think. We’re sitting in a funky little coffeeshop, catching up on our internet business (although I’m having problems connecting). It’s a nice way to start the day with my sweetie.

My next stop will be Beloit, Wisconsin. It’s the town I was born in and the town where my parents went to college, met and fell in love. I can’t wait to see it again. I don’t remember much about it, since I was an infant when I left.