Sue Tries Out One of Their
New Wave Runners
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Elkhart puts on a big 4th of July celebration every year. Up to fifty boats join the parade. Roger and Sue have often won a prize for their decorations. |
Sue Tries Out One of Their
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| 7/4/00 | Roger and Sue rode with their friends in the
4th of July flotilla on the St. Joseph River. We drove to a waterside
park to watch the decorated boats go by. The mayor rode on the fake
paddlewheeler tour boat, the Queen of Elkhart. The guy next to me
painted her name on her side.
We headed to South Bend for the night. Late that afternoon, we drove through St. Maryís and Notre Dame. Notre Dame reminded me of the University of Houston or Texas A and M. Its best monument was the gold dome that adorns its chapel and the heads of its football players. St. Maryís was different. The perfect rows of old trees, circles of old buildings, and park like grounds made it so peaceful and idyllic. I wanted to spend some time there, just thinking. We were supposed to watch the South Bend fireworks that night. We stayed in watching movies instead. Diann got excited when firecrakers started popping outside, but it was too late. |
Beh Wiggles Her Bare Feet
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| 7/5/00 | We left early with Diann driving. It
was easy all the way to Chicago. We were looking for the Quality
Inn. As we exited for the Eisenhower Expressway in the Loop about
10:30, the Quality Innís sign was right in front of us amid the tall buildings.
We took the next exit, and in a couple of blocks were entering the Innís
parking area.
An older man with bills in his hand and an East European accent was collecting seven dollars for ìall day.î We parked behind a car near the entry. Soon, the bell captain, also Eastern European, request we move the van. We called Paa Kwesi Adams, and as arranged, he grabbed a cab and came over to see us. I hadnít seen Paa Kwesi since he was President of the International Students who stood up for me at Atlanta University in 1980. He told us that he was still in advertising, with only one account, Bacardi Rum. For a time, he headed a marketing department at a university in his home country, Ghana, but he is glad to be back in Chicago with his Jamaican wife and two boys. We headed for Elgin, hoping to see my niece, Kelley. We stopped at a gas stop and called, but my phone number for Lin, Kelleyís mom, was old. We drove on to St. Charles, past Rogerís old condo, then out 64, probably right past Kelleyís new house. In Sycamore, 64 was detoured, and I thought we were lost. We asked a guy at a gas stop, and he gave us directions to Mahfoozís house in DeKalb. When we got there, only his daughter was home. She called Farkhunda for us. Farkunda gave us directions to her alterations shop, The Cotton Club, in a red caboose in a shopping center called The Junction. She pretended she didnít know where Mahfooz was. When we arrived, Mahfooz greeted us. He still has four houses he rents in Platteville. They came back to DeKalb when Farkhunda bought The Cotton Club. MahBoob has a website that sells Reggae CDs and is webmaster for one with 50,000 hits a day. Taking I-39 north, we checked into a Motel 6 on 151 in time to be at Timís for supper. He found and old door, and viola! I was in the house. The girls had cheese curds and Kris made a nice meal. Later, Jennifer treated us to songs she wrote for her keyboard. Beh and Diann really enjoyed hanginí with Mike and Jennifer. |
Diann at the Elkhart 4th Floatilla
Paa Kwesi Greets Us in Chicago
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Kelley's New Home in St. Charles |
Kelley and Her Girls |
By the Hot Tub at Tim's |
| 7/6/00 | We arrived in Waunakee
about 9 am. Pat Smith got me into the back yard where she and Roger
have added a patio, goldfish pool with waterfall, and many flowers and
fruit trees. Everything was in bloom or about to. Roger
arrived for a while, and it was time to move on--I drove.
I-39 made it easy to go to King, but I missed my turn at Plainfield. On 54, I made good time. A ferret crossed the road. Iíd never seen one before. We arrived at the Replogleís about noon. Jackie wanted us to go to the Kingís Table, but none of us were hungry. Albert was out golfing, but their daughter greeted us. I told them why Iíd used Albert and Aunt Nonaís names for my novel. On the way to Marshfield, I stopped at a dealership for Vantage Vans in Stevens Point. I decided not to try to get the ramp fixed since it was operating okay manually. When I got to Marshfield, I drove out past our old house on the Yellow River and into Judyís yard. No one greeted us, so we headed into town. We souvenir shopped at Figiís then checked into the Comfort Inn. That evening, everyone in Marshfield turned out to greet us. I didnít attempt to get into anyoneís houses. We had a good time catching up on what Judy and Tom hadnít told me in their emails. |
Tim Hull Family
With Brian and Angela |
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