Day: May 14, 2006

The wedding was the only real obligation of our big summer roadtrip. While I am really enjoying the time with my folks, my little hometown of McGraw New York doesn’t have much to offer in terms of excitement. Check that map, it’s a tiny village, people!

Now, our only time constraint is to leave Monday and arrive in Las Vegas on Friday to start the weekend with friends. My parents have always planned months in advance for trips and are befuddled that we haven’t yet chosen our route out west yet. It mainly comes down to me picking a couple of places to visit while on the road.

My choices are the Recreational Vehicle Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana and the Ames Brothers Pyramid near Laramie, Wyoming. Both are off the I-80.

The RV Hall of Fame is a large collection of travel trailers, and since I love such things a large collection of travel trailers will make me very happy.

Further west is the Ames Pyramid. “Oliver and Oakes Ames were 19th century industrialists (Oakes was known as the “King of Frauds”) who, when they weren’t producing shovels, were bribing Congress to finance the Union Pacific Railroad.”* And so a pyramid was built in their honor near the railroad track. Now the trains and track are gone, the pyramid stands alone in a field, and few people know or care about the corrupt brothers.

Thanks to the Google Earth program and the people who post the locations of various attractions, no mater where I am I know that something strange and unusual is just a short drive away. Makes me wish I had unlimited funds, all the time in the world and a silver 16′ Bambi of my very own.

Yesterday, after the wedding rehearsal, the groom’s parents had everyone over for some food. A big ole spread was set up: pizza, lasagna, salad, beer, etc. The groom’s mom worked for the priest that was going to preside over the wedding, and so it was in her kitchen that I had my first and last conversation with him…

“Nancy says that you’ve even had wedding rehearsals without the bride.”

“Yes, she was in the hospital having a D & C. I don’t even know if the marriage was valid she was so hopped up on meds from the operation the night before.”

And then John’s dad handed him a big cocktail with 3 cherries and he was off.

… wow!