Driving lessons

We passed a student driver on the way back from dropping our friends off at their apartment this past Sunday. The first thing I noticed was the nice spacious vehicle they had. I learned to drive in a Dodge Neon. Do you know how to cram four high school kids and a driving instructor into a two door car? Very carefully.

As I passed the kid going the speed limit (lame) I glanced over and saw the typical ten and two hands on the wheel. The only time I really have two hands on the wheel is during the two snow storms that occur each year or when I am making a turn (and that isn't always the case). Hell, I once drove fifty miles on the highway just using my knees in my Cavalier.

The kid was also up on the steering wheel. As close as you can get without actually removing the steering wheel and holding onto the steering column. I remember being that kid. I can remember driving south on the highway back home for fifteen minutes and getting off the highway and turning around and going back. It was exhilarating. Now....not so much. And then I thought about it, I have been driving for thirteen years. People that are taking drivers ed. in high school right now either were not born or just born as I was getting my learner's permit.

A picture and a dream

As I was looking through my pictures of Wilson's Creek yesterday I came across this one and realized how much I did enjoy it. Of the one hundred some pictures that I took, this one is my favorite.

I had a strange dream this morning and I know that if I don't write it down now, I won't remember it. I traveled back in time and somehow met up with my younger self. Not two or three years younger, I'm talking riding around on a bike in the fourth grade younger. There was no great revelation when I met younger self, the world did not implode, and the space time continuum did not get all funked up. It was just something random.

The reason I bring this up is I thought about something after I got out of bed, because you can sleep after meeting their younger persona? So, the thought I had is if you can go back in time and change your future, would you? I'm not talking about going back to 1933 and killing Adolph Hitler, or telling Amelia Earhart not to take that last flight. I'm talking about talking to yourself and letting them know about your current life. Would that change your younger mind? This is something that can keep people up at night (or wake them up an hour early). And what would change?



I don't know if I would want anything to change.

Comedians and water

Why do comedians have water or another drink on stage? They never drink it. We just finished watching Patton Oswalt, who is hilarious, and he took only a few sips. The typical comedian stage contains the following: bottle of water (one), bar stool (one), random background, microphone (with stand). But why the water if it is not used?

The only comedians I have ever seen drink the drink that they have on stage with them is Ron White and Mitch Hedberg. Ron White is an alcoholic and Mitch Hedberg was high and needed something to take care of the cotton in his mouth.

So depressing....

I heard one of the most depressing things on the radio today. The backroom at work has a small radio that they turn on every once in a while to make the day go by quickly. Anyway, they had it on a random station that was playing a top twenty show. Apparently one of the songs was Miley Cyrus and I walked by at the end of the songs and the dj came on the radio and said the following...

"That was Miley Cyrus. And oh, she is just so so so hot."

I hate the radio.

Even steven

The second day of my trip to Wilson's Creek was not as extensive as the first because of the weather. Rain came through the area, but I was up early and had a chance to check out the rest of the site.

The most exciting part of it was the Ray house, which is the only original building left. And judging by the size, they were fairly well off. There was not much to read or learn about the family, just that their house was used as a field hospital. And they hid in the cellar during the fighting.

Stations four and six were more of just stopping off points to show battlefield positioning by the Union Army. There wasn't at either site other than a map and a plaque.

Station eight gave a great overview of the entire battlefield. It was on the ridge that the Union Army entered, and later exited, the battlefield. It gave great closure to the entire experience.

I did have a chance to walk through the museum after leaving the park. It was well done, and should most likely be walked through before going to the battlefield. After going through it, you have a better understanding of why the battle was fought there, the positioning of the armies, and overall outcome and consequences, actions, and reactions by the warring factions.

In retrospect, the park can be visited in just one day. I feel that I made the right decision to break up the visit into two days. With all the walking, and the four hour drive from Wichita, it would have been a little too much to take in.