What I did today

I did miles, about 570 of them, leaving downtown KC at 7 a.m. because the fitness center was in a different building, breakfast cost extra, and I decided to skip both. I arrived here about 6 p.m. including setting all my timepieces (watch, car clock, GPS, PC) ahead an hour for the change to Eastern time. Daylight savings time starts tonight so I already set most of them ahead two hours. I think I've got jet lag (smile).

"Here" is where I-70 crosses from Indiana into Ohio. The freeway exit actually straddles the state line. Alex and Jessie, my hotel is right behind the very same Cracker Barrel restaurant where we stopped on our way to St. Louis almost 20 years ago - the first one any of us had ever seen, I think.

Miles are the only thing I did. No photos or even thoughts of taking them - it was pouring for the first 150 miles east of Kansas City, and for just about the whole 160 miles of Indiana. That combined with road spray and intense traffic made it hard to see the scenery, let alone contemplate it. Fortunately there were no backups. In eastern Missouri the traffic was especially heavy and crazy, and there and throughout Illinois the rain gave way to intermittent drizzle. At least the temperatures climbed up into the 40s by midday and have stayed there since.

It's supposed to be raining hard again tomorrow, and I have 510 miles left to go. I'll be home by dinnertime, knock on wood. I have one final post planned for tomorrow night.

Oh yes, food. Breakfast was at a glossy place east of KC called something like "Country Kitchen" - just fine but not memorable, except for when I realized too late that the waitress was topping off my cup of tea - with coffee. Lunch was at a Quizno's Subs next to the Wal-Mart in Noplace, IL. (Not its real name but it's not worth looking up.) Dinner was at a place the desk clerk recommended, Galo's Italian Grill. Fancy Italian, pricey to match ($20 plus tip, and I had no appetizer and was drinking Coke). I ordered a special, penne puttanesca with peeled shrimp, very tasty.

Speaking of Noplace, coming out of Indianapolis (very heavy rain and aggressive drivers) I crossed a bridge labeled "Nameless Creek." Cracked me up. That was worth a search - is it a description or its real name? Here's a photo by another appreciative driver but it doesn't answer the question. The National Weather Service treats it like a real name (ignore the "site discontinued" message and scroll down or search the page).