Cairo’s Nap Auto Store

Old Napa Auto sign 08-10-2014Having to watch Brother David do yard work Sunday tuckered me out something awful. Then, on Monday, I had to do a quick up ‘n’ back to St. Louis, leaving me seriously nap deprived.

That’s when I remembered this store I spotted on the north end of Cairo on the way to Cape.

I should have stopped in to get a gross of those Nap Autos the sign promised. The only reason I didn’t was that I wasn’t sure how long they’d stay good. I’ll pull in to check their expiration date on my next pass through the town.

I wonder if they come in different sizes? Are they sprayed to kill nightmares? Does the nap start automatically as soon as you open the package? There are just so many questions ….

Anne Day 1: Clermont

Anne Rodgers in CLermont FL 06-25-2012Bike partner Anne Rodgers heard how much fun Jan Norris had on her winter road trip with me that she wanted a piece of the action. The first thing that happened was that my cruise control stopped working. That means I’m either 10 mph under the speed limit or 20 mph over it, depending on flow of traffic.

We had hoped to make it to a place on the Gulf coast for seafood, but it became clear that they’d be closed. That gave us an excuse to take the scenic route Mother and I drove in 2011.

Anne, a Texas innocent, had never been to the Florida Citrus Tower in Clermont.

No, you can’t sit on his lap

Anne Rodgers in CLermont FL 06-25-2012

While I was taking the shot of Anne and the tower, a nice man came out of the Presidents Hall of Fame. He told us the place was closed, but gave us a two-for-one ticket for our next trip. (Like Anne would sign up for another one.)

Oh, yes, he also said, “No, you can’t sit on his lap.”

She settled for second best, muttering, “Your loss, Abe.”

You should have been here yesterday

Anne Rodgers in CLermont FL 06-25-2012The nice man said if we had been there yesterday, we’d have been able to see him put Abe back together. A microburst in a storm tore Mt. Rushmore apart.

We’re newlyweds

Anne Rodgers in CLermont FL 06-25-2012We fought rain for about an hour before pulling into the Comfort Suites in Lake City, FL. I like the place. It’s clean, convenient (there’s a Waffle House across the street) and the staff is friendly.

I tried every trick I’ve earned from years on the road to get the best price. Finally I said, “Look, we’re newlyweds and we’ve had a spat. If we want this marriage to survive, we need separate rooms tonight. Will that qualify for a better rate?” We got another $10 knocked off, probably because that was one they’d never heard before.

“Do you want adjoining rooms?” the clerk asked?

“No,” I replied.” I think we’ve had all the adjoining we can handle for the day.

Stay tuned for more adventures on the way to Cape.

Bill Hopkins Gets Steamed Up

OverheatedI sent a copy of this photo to Bill Hopkins for interpretation. Bill has had a hard time holding a job: he’s been a lawyer, a judge, a goat roper and a far from adequate student body presidential campaign manager. Right now he’s an author, just like Wife Sharon.

Anyway, Friend Bill said, ” I don’t recognize the car but it looks like me under the hood.”

I’m pretty sure the other guys are John Hodges, Kenny Fischer and John Mueller. You can click on the picture to make it large enough to confirm my IDs.

That’s about the right ratio of folks: three people to watch another guy stare at a motor. I have to give Bill credit. Based on my long relationship with him, I would have thought he would have opened the trunk and not the hood to look for the reason the car wouldn’t run.

Putting on the Dog (and Cat)

Dog and Cat 01-23-1970I was working on a post when I encountered a technical glitch. Instead of giving up, I explored everything I could think of, then I went over it one more time with feline. Still broken.

Kind of reminded me of the old story about the man who thought Fifi the poodle was off her feed.

The Doc said he didn’t think there was anything seriously wrong with the poodle, but the man INSISTED that he conduct every possible test. Rather than subjecting the animal to pokes, prods and other indignities, the doc went into the back room and came back with a cat on a leash. He led the cat around the ailing pet for a couple of circles without saying anything.

He then went into the back room and came back with a DOG on a leash. The dog gave one sniff, then turned and walked away.

What was THAT all about?

“What was THAT all about? the concerned pet owner asked.

“Take Fifi home. The cat scan and the lab report came back negative.”

The wall of desperation

Pomeroy Frog Jumping Contest 06-23-1968This is what journalists do when faced with a deadline and nothing to fill the space. I’ve been there before. Remember the Pomeroy Frog Jumping contestant and Nellie Vess?