Iced-in in Fayetteville

We left balmy Knoxville early Monday morning and drove determinedly west toward darkening skies and dropping temperatures, arriving at Tawana and Wes' house in Fayetteville just before the blizzard hit. Fortunately, Fayetteville was on the good side of the storm's track, and we saw little snow but much freezing rain, high wind, and frigid temperatures. Consequently, we are iced-in in Fayetteville, with little prospect of a thaw until Friday or even later. We are fortunate to have gotten here before the storm hit. And there are scarcely two better people to be stranded with than fellow world travelers Tawana and Wes, our Bliss Drive neighbors in Tallahassee in 1968. They have even consented to watch a few of our 135G of travel pix. Despite the ice everywhere, there is still electricity in Fayetteville. Dallas, where we are headed next, is currently on rolling black-outs, 12 minutes on, 48 minutes off. The only bad thing here is that Tawana is such a fantastic cook that Vicki and I will not be able to fit into any of our clothes by the time we get back on the road.

Iced-in

View from the deck

In Tawana's Sewing Cave

Stacey and the Boys

Eleven more hours of driving and we were in Knoxville--not exactly on the way west, but I had never seen niece Stacey's sons James and Jason, ages eight and four. We had a very good day together, doing weekend sorts of things. It's amazing how quickly little kids will warm up to you. I am not sure they really understand our exact familial relationship, but I am now known to them as Uncle Mark the Great. Stacey's a great mom.

James and his Tinker Toy edifice; we were

not sure how well he'd take to a non-electronic

toy, but he is really into building things

Jason on his Smart Cycle

An ingenious device...not only wears down a 4 year old's

abundant energy but teaches alphabet and reading skills....

James, Stacey and Jason

Tallahassee Memories

Our first stop was with college friends Ken and Susan, in Tallahassee, where we were undergraduates in the 60s. On the way to their beautiful home in the northeast of town, we spent an hour or so walking around the FSU campus, some of which we recognized, and visiting other "familiar" haunts. It was gratifying to find so many of the old places; gratifying that so many of them were still there. We see Ken and Susan every decade or so and always wish our visits were longer and more often.

The former Gold House, where Vicki and Susan were room-mates in 1967-68

The duplex I rented in 1967-68, on El Rancho (we called it El Kabong), now 
"Campus Drive"

The former Sweet Shop, a local near-campus eatery

The "new" Bill's Bookstore; my philosophy and religion book 
purchases in the late 60s probably provided much of the 
financing for the new building

The "new" Westcott Hall, FSU's Old Main; the original burned down in about 
1968, us watching from nearly this very spot

Longmire Hall, where I spent many hours as a student work/study assistant and 
religion minor (the philosophy department has moved, evidently)

153 Bliss Drive, Alumni Village (FSU's "married student housing" in the 60s); 
our first joint address (well, after 527 Whalley Ave., New Haven, the summer 
before; but that's another story)



Tallahassee Lassie; Vicki stands before our apartment, #9; it was thoroughly Spartan, 
and absolutely all we could afford...

Susan and Ken

Re-Positioning Road Trip

The Saturn we bought in Florida needs to be in California for use next April (we'll be in Europe in February and March) and in the following fall and winter. So...road trip!...again, we're moving a vehicle cross-country, visiting friends and family along the way, just like last year, but in reverse. Last year it was Menlo Park to Capitol Hill, via Fayetteville and Indianapolis, in late March. This year, it's St. Cloud to Menlo Park, via Tallahassee, Knoxville, Fayetteville, Dallas, and points south, in late January/early February. Just by way of explanation.

Adieu, St. Cloud; and Thanks, Marie and Norm!

On Friday the 28th, we bid adieu and many thanks to our hosts Marie and Norm, and to Bob and Beth, who also were visiting. Our weeks with Marie and Norm were pleasant and productive, as always, permitting us some R&R as well as opportunities to re-equip, repair, reorganize, etc. The weather was wonderful. The high point, for me anyway, was the Saturday Vicki, Marie, and I went to the annual Tampa RV show, to reconnoiter our next rig (for full-timing in North America after 2011). We saw quite a number of interesting RVs and RV products, but nothing that really appealed. At least we have another whole year to ponder and look.

At the Tampa RV show

Interesting, yes, but I don't think it meets our fuel efficiency, 
off-pavement, and boondocking requirements

"Scotland the Brave" Florida-style

Other divertissements

We're not quite ready for the survivalist rig; nor for the "mindset" underlying 
it ("ignorance-set"?)

Keeping Saturn in Saturnalia*

With the various changes in our family and travel plans--birth of a grand-daughter in April, a wedding in August, California grand-parenting in the fall and spring of 2011-2012 (and two more trips to Europe)--we decided it was time to invest in some inexpensive state-side transportation. So, when sister Carole mentioned she and Jim were thinking of a new car, I asked them to hang on to their low-mileage 1999 Saturn and to sell it to us when we returned to the States in December. We consummated the deal just before Christmas (thus keeping Saturn in Saturnalia) and are now again a two-car family, one per continent. Anyhow, thanks, Carole and Jim.

Our new wheels, after modest preventative repairs at the
estimable Joe's Auto Service of St. Cloud; already en route 
across the country

*look it up

Kennedy Space Center

Wednesday, while the girls went shopping, the guys toured the Kennedy Space Center, 90 minutes' drive away. I have visited the central Florida area at least 20 times before, but this was my first visit to the KSC. It was outstanding: part museum, part science, part history, part nostalgia (for us oldsters), part working-launch site. It is the one and only Florida attraction I have unqualifiedly enjoyed.  Alas, its future will include rather more of the past...

Grand entry



From the very historic Gantry 39, looking back to the colossal Vehicle Assembly 
Building, and, in the foreground, one of the huge portable launchpad "crawlers,"

manufactured in Marion, Ohio, where I briefly taught at the OSU campus there; 
Go Bucks! Beat Hogs!

Crawler track, forking between launch sites A and B

Seriously, this has got to be one of mankind's most historic 
places

Apollo launch control

Lunar lander

Apollo Saturn V, "disassembled"

Apollo XIII  ("Houston, we have a problem") crew module; imagine, Tom Hanks 
sat right there...

Jeremy and Will before a Space Shuttle we toured

In the "Rocket Garden" (no specimen of the hapless Vanguard)

"Fully-assembled" Saturn

Fun Old-Fashioned Family Christmas

It was our first Christmas "at home" since 2007, and we 
observed all the Sherouse Xmas traditions; here's Vicki 
putting the final touches to the dessert course of the

Christmas Eve Grand Fondue; between courses we did 
the ritual screening of FCV, and, earlier, even saw Bing 
Crosby tap-dancing with Danny, um, Kaye



Christmas tree and presents and the warm glow of a roaring virtual fire; 
thanks Norm and Marie (who were visiting Stacey and The Boys in 
Knoxville) for the use of their house

Jeremy displays one of many gifts of infant-wear

Rachel enjoys the antics of her new Turkish cat, Mehmet

Will and Rachel display hang-over cause and remedy gifts



Chef Vicki announces Christmas dinner

Rebecca and Jeremy, Vicki, Will and Rachel

Sunday afternoon: Rebecca and Jeremy have gone to stay with his dad, Robert, 
and brother Damien; Carole and Lexi have arrived from Weston, bringing gifts 
of Shorty's BBQ, re-supply of Farm Stores egg nog, and the best Key lime pie I 
have ever had; here, Vicki leads the group in virtual bridal gown shopping

Monday brunch at Kiki's, Will and Rachel, Lexi and Carole, Rebecca and Jeremy

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Thursday before Christmas we did our family tour of Universal Studios, focusing on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Embarrassingly, I am the only one of the party who is largely ignorant of Potter lore, despite being exposed to nearly all the movies--I do remember the quidditch battle scenes, where Harry blew up the Death Star, right?--so my captions may be a little vague, if not erroneous.

In Potter World

Signage



Rachel and Will preparing for blast-off

In Potter World



Luncheon at the Three Broomsticks; Rebecca, Jeremy, Rachel, Vicki, me, 
and Will

Dumbledor welcomes us into the castle

The Hat

Another view of the environs

Rebecca (with child) before the famous train

Intermission Again: Back in the States

We spent our last few days putting the Grey Wanderer into storage at a marina north of Athens, packing, and watching those old snowflakes fall. The weather Friday turned from balmy 70s to near-freezing, with gale winds off the bay and snow accumulating in the mountains. On Monday the 13th we flew from Athens to Ft. Lauderdale for two months in the States, beginning with a stay with sister Carole, and Jim and Lexi, and then moving up to St. Cloud, with Marie and Norm, and Christmas holidays with Rachel and Will and Rebecca and Jeremy. I'll post again when there's news.

View from the marina storage center, Sunday morning