It’s the day after the fourth and all
through the camp, not a creature is stirring not even a Klingon Glugerzamp. Really, the Shoemaker RV Park not far
from Macon, Missouri is eerily quiet this afternoon. I spoke with a fisherman
down by the lake who told me this place was packed yesterday and there were
fireworks set off on the other side of the lake. Today, it was hard to find
anyone to pay our fee to.
I took the
dogs and walked all the way around the lake and discovered a full-sized outdoor
stage in front of a huge grassy area. High up another grassy hill I noticed a
sign on a small building indicating Event Parking with an arrow pointing out
into another big field.
The lake has
a sandy beach and above it a makeshift black plastic-tarp slide for the kids
complete with PVC-piped-in-water that extends down a hill into the lake. Plus,
the guy fishing had about six or seven nice looking bass he just pulled out of
the lake. All in all, it looks like this was a hoppin’ place for the holiday.
Now it’s just peaceful under the tall trees on the hill where we’re parked.
Nice.
We chose a
secondary road, Rt 36 to cross the state of Missouri and the surface of the
road was much smoother than on the major highways. There’s so much green here
along the highway and so many lush impenetrable forests that we’re watching out
for exotic birds and lions. This is such a dramatic change from the wide open
spaces of the West.
We’re camped
next to a large cemetery with lots of large marble markers adorned with fresh
flower bouquets. Evidently holidays here are the perfect time to honor the
dead. I can easily see the tombstones out of our rig’s rear-facing slide
window. I hope the spirits aren’t restless tonight while we’re sleeping!
Tomorrow
will be a 276-mile day to Benton, Illinois.
End Captain’s Log
First Officer’s Log:
The
breakfast I cooked this morning was pancakes and fresh coffee at an I-29 rest
area. I’m really enjoying this new routine. Drive to the first rest stop, cook
breakfast, and we save the $8 or $10 we’d waste at McD’s.
News
Bulletin! Siri’s got snark! Seriously! The other day I asked Siri for the
distance from where we were to Onawa. She came back with the distance to the
Onawa Social Club in Saudi Arabia or something like that. I was tired and
frustrated so I said something very nasty to her. She immediately came back
with “Hey, I don’t deserve that!”
I was so
taken aback, I simply pushed the big button on the iPhone to escape. Now I’m
worried that she’ll remember me, and I’m afraid to use her anymore. I can just
imagine me triggering the big button and her saying, “I remember you,” and me
having to apologize for my snarky behavior and beg her to accept my request.
It also
worries me that the next time I ask her for directions, she may steer me off a
cliff or down a long, winding dead-end road.
I used to be
afraid of my government, now I’m afraid of my iPhone. I wonder if Apple knows
about this? Did they program in this new snarkiness or has Siri become
self-aware? Is Siri becoming HAL? The mind boggles and the soul trembles.
End First Officer’s Log
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