Driving Ms. Butler

Whew! I drove down to Arkansas to spend a week running around with friends and family and I am happily exhausted! I swam in a saltwater pool, drank a heavenly peanut butter milkshake, watched an IMAX film, and drove all over the state of Arkansas. (I also ate from this bakery several days in a row!)
One of the most surreal moments was on the ride back to Tennessee when the road was suddenly overflowing with hurricane Gustav evacuees. I stopped for gasoline in Mississippi near the first main interstate where Louisiana folks come north, and the gas station resembled a refugee camp. Every pump was filled, children ran around in nightgowns, and family pets were being walked on every available inch of grass. I didn't get a sense of panic from anyone, just determination and and an electric feel of, "move 'em out," or "let's do this." It certainly made for an eventful drive home.
I got to see two of my closest high school friends on this visit. We piled into a car and drove to, The Purple Cow where we ate burgers, drank shakes, and talked until our jaws hurt. At moments, it was like no time had really passed. We were the same goofy kids from Parkers Chapel out on the town for a night. Then we'd take a picture and realize how much we all resemble our mothers and reality would return to make us laugh. Not bad.
I had a terrific time hanging out with my family. Dunking my brother in the pool, practising Spanish with my older sister on one of our many drives to Little Rock, viewing my little sister's apartment, eating Jorn's homemade bread, hugging my Mom ( world champion hugger!), and laughing with my Dad and stepmother about all sorts of things: These are the parts of the whole that made my visit so much fun. It will be a while before I stop dreaming of driving an endless highway, but it was totally worth it!