Lost in London! (from Jan 2011)

Today didn't turn out too good. Hollis asked me if I would be alright hanging out around the flat for a few hours while he and that girl went on a London walk. He said she had the day off and wanted to go on the Mrs. Dalloway walk. I kept wanting to call her Galloway because we got Galloways in Harper. Ain't never heard of no Dalloways. Anyway Hollis said she was a character in this book and the whole book was about one day in her life. Huh? 

So I told him I would be just fine, but it turned out I wouldn't. After Hollis left I went across the street to look at all the pretty food in that food court. I spent about a hour there and decided I would walk out the other side of the store. That's when I made a big mistake. I seen the entrance to the tube stop and figured I would ride it down one stop and walk back. I got to studying some of the peoples around me and forgot to get off. When I did get off I walked what I thought was up and over to the side going back, but I ended up on a different line somehow. When I  didn't see any signs for the stops that seemed right I finally decided to get off. And you know what I seen when I did get off? A lot of trees and no city buildings. Much as I hated it I had to ask for help. But here's the deal. Nobody could understand a word I was saying and I shore couldn't understand them. Lord help me.

Tomorrow: The Other Southerner in London

Stonehenge (from Jan 2011)

Me and Hollis took another train out to go see Stonehenge. Stonehenge is a bunch of rocks all set up in a circle by peoples long, long ago. They think it may have been used for religious services. We got there after taking a bus ride out of Salisbury. I guess that's the town where they invented that steak recipe that Dorothy does so good. Anyway we got there and it was a big bunch of rocks like they said. Once again the problem is ain't nobody figured out how these peoples so many years ago could move things what was so heavy. That's gonna give me a lot to figure on when me and Willie is fishing. Hollis knows a lot of stuff but he don't know for sure how they did it. He told me that a book he read had a girl named Tess what come here on her last day of life. She had murdered a bad man and was being looked for by the cops. While she was running she stopped to rest at Stonehenge. There, a angel come to her and she asked the angel to let her die there instead of getting executed. And in her mind she did. She died right there. But Hollis said he ain't too sure she didn't just dream it and was really sent to prison and was killed there. Something about a black flag flying over the prison to show she was put to death.

Tomorrow: Lost in London

A Trip to Oxford (from Jan 2011)

Me and Hollis took a train out of London today. He bought us a special pass what let's us jump on a train and go anywhere we want to. Today we went to Oxford. You know that town that was named after the town in Mississippi where Ole Miss is at. Ha Ha. You know I'm just funning y'all. It's the other way around of course. I reckon. Anyway I found out Oxford ain't just one college. It's a whole bunch, all called going to Oxford just to make it easier. Like when peoples out in the country say they're from Harper just to make it easy for others to know where they live. 

At Oxford we climbed up the tower and looked out over the whole setup. You want believe it but I saw sheeps right close to the campus. The students there looked real smart so I didn't try to talk with 'em or tell 'em any stories. Just about dark, me and Hollis caught another train and rode back to London. After we got off at the tube stop right next to that big store we went into that food court and got us some real nice food. I ain't going to try to tell you what it was cause I ain't never heard of it before. It was good though.

Tomorrow: Stonehenge 

Museums and Such (from Jan 2011)

Today we went to a bunch of museums and art places. We rode the underground trains to everyone of 'em. Hollis really knows how to get around. You'd think he'd been here before but he ain't. He said all you got to do is follow the little map and get on the right train. You see they got more than one train what comes through the stations and if you get on the wrong one you may end up in Scotland or some place like that. 

The museums was all good but you know how good I am at noticing things? Well the number one thing I noticed is when they carved them statues years and years ago nobody much wore any clothes. I didn't never think I would see so many nekked mens and womens in one building. I got real tired of looking at 'em. The thing I liked most was the Egypt stuff. Them peoples had quite a life back then. They buried their kings inside these big tombs called pyramids. The story I heard there is nobody can figure out how they was able to build anything that big and tall back then. How did they get them big rocks up to the top?

One thing I kept looking for in all them art places was welding art like I do. Since this stuff come from all over the world looks like somebody would do it. I would if they asked me.

Tomorrow: A Trip to Oxford

We Arrive in England (from Jan 2011)

We here. The plane ride was pretty good. That Hollis is something else. He got us the good seats up front. Said he didn't usually get those seats but he wanted me to be rested and not get what he called jet slag. I don't reckon I got it cause I feel pretty good. We had two real good meals on the plane and was waited on hand and foot. 

We come into a airport called Cat's Wick down south of the city. Hollis had a car waiting for us what took us right to our apartment (they calls it a flat.) I ain't figured that out. They do drive on the wrong side of the road just like I read about and the steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car too. The flat is right across the street from this big store called Herrods. I reckon it was named after that Jewish king what treated Jesus so mean. Don't know why. There are two bedrooms, a kitchen, two bathrooms, and a living room/dining room combination. From the living room you can look right across and see what they call the food court of that big store. I know I'm going over there and check that out. 

Hollis said it might be a good idea for me to rest up and we could get a good start tomorrow. I think we going to some museums and such. They got a bunch of 'em here. Hollis went to see his girlfriend. I hope that don't surprise none of y'all.

Tomorrow: Museums and Such

Atlanta Airport (from Jan 2011)

We on our way. Our cousin took us to a MARTA station called the Art Center Station. We got out with all our suitcases (we both had a little one and a big one) and made our way into the station. It was just like something you see in the movies or on TV. They was running a weekend schedule because of all the bad weather (a lot of peoples couldn't get to work) so we had to wait a while for a train. Then we had to stand up. I done pretty good. We was all underground and one of the stations looked like they had chipped it right out of solid rock. Right after the main downtown station we come up out of the ground and the rest of the trip was outside. I seen the airport way before we got there and whoo whee it was big. 

We got off the train and went right into the airport. It was built that way so you didn't have to walk outside or across any roads or nothing. We had to go through a inspection where we was made to take off our shoes and empty our pockets in to this little basket on a moving line. We got 'em all back though. I was beginning to be real sorry I gave in and decided to go on this trip. Now we is sitting here waiting for our plane to load. Hollis is typing away and I'm telling him a few more things like: when we gonna get there? (at 7 am their time) and will I be able to sleep on the plane? (Hollis says he is and I can too if I want to.) Y'all know I flew once on the way back from Korea, but that was different. I was a soldier then. Now I'm just a old man from Harper, Mississippi.

And I'm pretty nervous don't you know.

Tomorrow: We Arrive in England (I hope)

Getting a Airplane Out of Atlanta (from Jan 2011)

I can't believe it. Snow and ice still everywhere. No mail again today. I ain't expecting nothing. Just saying I can't believe it. Me and Hollis took a ride or maybe a slide out of the neighborhood. Hollis has a four wheel drive jeep and that makes it better. It was a adventure though. He taken me to this restaurant where I got a $14.00 hamburger. Huh? Dorothy can give you one just as good for $3.50 and the tea is free. All you can drink. 

If everything goes like Hollis hopes it does, we will be flying out of here tomorrow night. I said I didn't think we could get to the airport and Hollis says we gonna ride a MARTA train. Whatever that is. I've seen a whole bunch of things I ain't never seen before here in Atlanta. Don't know if my brain can stand much more. Anyway it looks like this time tomorrow me and Hollis will be heading for England. Pray for me.

Tomorrow: Atlanta Airport

More Pressure (from Jan 2011)

More Pressure

We still snowed in. No mail. Airport closed. But plenty of food. They sure was ready for this shut down.

Hollis don't know everything. He come to me and told me that they still use miles in England. Well, by dang that's different. I warn't about to go to no place where I couldn't find my way back to where I started. Then Hollis said he wasn't gonna beg me to go. But then he commenced to doing just that. He said I needed to start doing more stuff. He said the time over there will pass a lot faster than I can imagine and he has a real good place to stay. He swears I will have a good time. I reckon I ought to do this for him. I still can't figure out why it's so important to him. He's paying for everything and he's gone lots of other places by hisself. When I asked him why it was so important he said he just wanted me to get to see England before I really got settled at home. I reckon I'll go.

Tomorrow: Getting a Airplane Out of Atlanta

Me and Hollis Has a Serious Talk (from Jan 2011)

We snowed in. I mean big time. Can't even get out of the neighborhood. They say on the TV don't get out at all no matter what. And people still doing it. They got big trucks off the side of the big highways and all kind of peoples left their cars right on the road and got out and walked. They crazy over here. 

Now Hollis and me has had a lot of time to talk and he says he done bought my plane ticket to London and he got a place to stay with two bedrooms and a kitchen and everything. He really wants me to go with him. I said why go over there in the winter and he says it ain't as bad as it is here. But I says it's better in Harper than it is here. He says I need to start doing things so I can spend a little bit of the money I got saved up. I reckon that's right. Don't none of my kids need nothing except maybe Doreen, but she'd just waste it probably. 

Hollis showed me the temperature in London and it was 7 degrees. Just before I got real upset he said it wasn't all that bad they has a different way to tell temperature. And I said they do everything wrong like temperature and driving on the wrong side of the road. And he told me they ain't got miles either. They got kilometers. I ain't going.

Tomorrow: More Pressure

Two Posts from 2011

SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2011

Atlanta Tour

Like I said me and Hollis is in Atlanta. I got a lot to say about what I seen today, but I ain't gonna do it now. If you ain't heard they tell us we is in for a big snow/ice storm here. I ain't looking forward to it but it's coming anyway. We has a lot to do to get ready and I am trying to be of help. Tomorrow when things is more settled I will have a lot more to tell you.

More About My Visit to Atlanta

You'd think they was expecting a hurricane the way they running around getting ready for this snow and ice storm. Me and Hollis went to the grocery store for our cousins this morning. I ain't never seen so many peoples. They was everywhere. They must have had a hundred peoples working at this big store because they was restocking almost every aisle. We took the groceries back to their house and Hollis suggested we drive down to the Little White House to kinda get out of their way. I'm glad we did. The Little White House ain't much bigger than my fishing cabin. It's pretty cozy but I was surprised that the president lived in such a small place when he come to Georgia. Y'all probably know Roosevelt come to Warm Springs, Georgia because it was good treatment for his polio. When he was coming here nobody much had any idea he had polio. Of course that was before he was president, but even after that no reporters used pictures of him in a wheel chair or with crutches or nothing. Today they takes a close up of a pimple on the president's nose. All in all it was a great day in Georgia. Now we is back in Atlanta just waiting to see how bad the storm is gonna get.

Arrival in Atlanta (from Jan 2011)

We finally pulled in to Atlanta. I found out later that the railroad gives way to freight trains and passengers have to just wait till the freight is gone past. I had to climb a big stairway what come out in a pretty small station. I was surprised it wasn't big like the big city ones in movies. Hollis was waiting there and took me out of the station and right on to Peachtree Road. There was cars going ever which way. We went across this side street to  Hollis' car. It's kind of a sport car but I fit in pretty good. Hollis drove me all the way up Peachtree past all these tall buildings into what they call Buckhead. People was everywhere. We turned and headed west past the governor's house and then headed north across this river. My cousin's house is right across the river. I asked Hollis how he knew how to get around so good. He said because he had did it so much. The cousins was glad to see us and had some food ready for us. They had chili and a salad. They was both good. Hollis said that his girl was already in London and tomorrow he would give me a little trip around Atlanta. I reckon that was good, I didn't have nothing else to do.

Tomorrow: Atlanta Tour