Memphis, Fried Pickles and Kudzoo

Well Jim and I are in Memphis, TN - former home of Elvis, if you are an Elvis fan. We are not but we are looking forward to a few days of sight seeing anyways. I am looking forward to seeing the "Peabody Hotel" ducks!! More on that after I see them.

Our last few days in Mississippi were wonderful. We had a traditional fried catfish meal and I got my "fried" dill pickles and ranch dressing - YUM! We also got home cooked meals all week from Jim's Mom and I think in spite of walking 2 miles every morning, we found a few pounds. No worries, it's vacation weight, we will loose it!! On vacations, Dessert has no calories!!

Yesterday we drove from Jackson, MS to Batesville, MS and Sardis Dam. I picked up my $45.00 Dragonfly triathlon t-shirt and got some great free stuff. A waterbottle, a free copy of "Triathlete" magazine, a tube of IRONMAN muscle creme (aka Ben-Gay) and a tub of foot cream. I guess they are big on the feet in Sardis, MS.

Jim and I went to the race this morning and while I was depressed for about 10 minutes not to be racing on what was a relatively mild morning by the time the race started; once I started cheering for the racer's coming out of the water, I was as happy as could be. I love cheering people on and most people will smile and thank you. Of course there are those triathletes who will look at you like you are an ass, I call them the "angry racers". You know the ones, who look at you as if to say "Shut up, I am DOING this, why don't you come out here and do it." To those people I want to yell, "I would if I could, DAMNIT! But I can't!!" but they wouldn't care, they are focused on their race and racing angry motivates them. That is fine, I say whatever gets you across the finish line. Just don't quit unless your in pain, broke your equipment or are in danger of dying.

I stayed down there and cheered people on until the last swimmer came out of the water. She was an "Athena", I could tell by the "A" on her calf and the body type. That is the race class that I planned to compete in and try to win this year. I cheered loudly for her and told her she looked great! She thanked me and smiled and continued onto her bike. That was not such a bad way to spend my morning after all. I will race again and we plan to come back to Sardis and do this next year if the schedule allows. So this year was a "scouting trip."

We then drove up to Oxford and visited the University of Mississippi, also known as "Ole Miss", Jim's alma-mater. "HOTTY TODDY - FLIM FLAM - BIM BAM - OLE MISS, BY DAMN." It was a beautiful campus and we came across a biology building with Jim's surname on it. Considering that both Jim, his father and his grandfather went to Ole Miss, we were curious. We think his Dad may be holding out on us with the story's... Hehehe.

All along the way to Memphis, we saw LOADS of Kudzoo. It is this plant that covers EVERYTHING it can get to and makes the trees and ground look like a "freakish" version of Disney topiarys. I swear that some of the Kudzoo trees that I saw looked like giraffes and one looked like a two-headed dog. Hmmm... perhaps too much time in hot car?

Living STRONG in Memphis .... near Elvis (who has left the building)