North America: Tennessee

Howdy!

Still traveling, but this time in the states. Yeah, I started out in Texarkana Texas on August 9th, picked up my mom, headed to Illinois to visit some relatives, then to Indiana to visit my sis and bro-in-law, and now we're in Memphis Tennessee.

What's in Memphis you ask? Graceland!!! That's right, a shrine to the King himself, and in all of its glory. Ok, I got to admit that I'm not a big fan of Elvis. Anytime I think of him evokes images of black velvet paintings depicting Mr. Presley crooning in a microphone while wearing one of those hideous gem studded white jump suits.

After visiting Graceland, I now have a better appreciation for this "King" that everyone worships (because hey, 50 million Elvis fans can't be wrong). He's had a career that most people in the entertainment industry now can't even come close to compare to. And not only was he a humble philanthropist, he was civic minded enough to serve his country for two years during the height of his early singing career. How many pop stars today would join the Army to serve in Iraq? Zilch!

So, tomorrow we visit the Clinton Library in Little Rock Arkanasas. That should be interesting. I wonder if it too will be a big shrine to the former President's career. I'll keep ya posted.

So until next time...

Good times!!!

North America: Texas

Howdy kids!

For those of you that don't know, I'm back in the good old United States of America! Although I had the time of my life in Europe, I'm so glad to be back on U.S. soil. Mainly, because I missed my friends, family, and meals that consist of at least 50% or more of animal protein. It's true. I've been exposed to some great cuisine, but nothing beats scrambled eggs for breakfast, fast food burger for lunch, and a Tex Mex beef burrito for dinner. Yeah, I've managed to put on a few pounds since I've been back. Also, free refills and ice cubes were a commodity and a rarity in most parts of Europe.

One thing I don't miss about being back: the heat. Humidity and 105 degree weather is not very enjoyable to me. But hey, you can't have everything. Also, finding a good cup of coffee is rather difficult, unless you make it at home. Starbucks is nice for when you want a double tall low fat decaf mocha latte or some other really complicated coffee drink, but nothing beats a fine espresso served to you by a sourly Italian for 80 cents.

As soon as I landed in Atlanta, I headed to a bar in one of the airport terminals for a good ol' American beer: Budweiser. It tasted awful, but for some reason I was glad to be drinking it. You see, beer and wine was usually cheaper than soda in most of Europe, and it tasted better. Also, it was nice to be in a public place listening to people and watching people on TV speak a language I can understand in an accent that's familiar to me.

Ok, for those of you that would like to see some pictures of this place I keep talking about, check out the link below:

View my photos.

So until next time...

Good times!