April 19, 2005

Currently PlayingA Change of SeasonsBy Dream TheaterA Change of Seasonssee related
Alright!! Now that the photo's are all posted, I can finally jump in here and tell you the story!
So the whole deal about going to Quincy (my home town) was to surprise my friend Drew. He has been one of my best friends and one of my favorite people for as long as I can remember. He came down here last year and stayed the week with my roommates and I. They instantly fell in love with each other. It's amazing the imprint we make on peoples lives and don't even know it. So anyway, the day came when I needed Drew and he needed me. I think each of us was missing something that we could only find in each other. I sat and cried to my roommates Matt & Christen for what felt like forever. They knew how much I needed to go home. Matt said, "Okay...let's go." The next day I got home from work to find that ALL of my roomates, Matt, Christen, Edwin and Caitlin were planning on making the trip with me. I have always known that we were great friends and we always called ourselves family, but it was at that moment that I knew I am more blessed then I ever imagined. They all agreed to go on one condition, that it were a surprise for Drew. I had to tell him I was coming in order to get a ticket for his show. (His last performance at Quincy University- Jekyll & Hyde). I then called his mom to request more tickets for the roomies. (Drew, you underestimate my sneakiness.) Momma got us great seats! Come to find out, Christen was unable to make the trip so it was just the Fab Four en route to Illinois.
We left here on Friday afternoon at 3:30pm. And the story begins...We loaded the car with junk food, bottled water and our little selves. We decided half way to the turnpike that we missed Heautiful the cross eyed cat. Matt and I claimed she had stowed away in the luggage and began "meowing" at each other. From that point on, Caitlin and I decided we needed to document the family vacation by keeping a journal. Most of the stories on here...are actually documented. Sad, I know! haha!
The trip started with a pit stop. ha! We stopped at the McDonald's on the turnpike and met the BIGGEST "oklahoma horse fly" which Caitlin and I gathered was on vacation. From that point on we looked for flies in all the McDonald's we visited. Back en route, we began to do what Poke fans do best, bash OU. We laughed at how goofy the Boomer Sooner song is and how damn often it is played at their games. This became a running inside joke that would randomly spark Matt and Edwin to burst out into song. BOOMER SOONER!! BOOMER SOONER!! At one point, we passed a large horse trailer and Matt felt it necessary to make the noise of a horse. Might I add, that the noise was accompanied by spit. I yelled, "Matt!! You spit on me!" "That's not spit", he replied. "That's my happy...fragrance...juice?" NO one...has any idea where this phrase came from or what in the word it meant, but it definately made us laugh very, very hard. Another key phrase by Matt was, "Put the floor to the pedal!" (He wanted us to pass the horse trailer.) I'm not real sure when we hit the point of no return, but when it hit it, we hit it hard. We went a little delirious for awhile which we blamed on lack of sleep. At one point, I said, "I used to know this song called 'Nobody knows.' You know it?" Matt just looks at me and goes.."No?" haha! We then all started singing the song "How do I live?" for some unknown reason and it was coined "Siamese Memory".
As the road rolled on, we needed a game to play. We began a game of Truck Driver Tag where we would try to get as many truckers to honk at us as possible. These boys were called "Hooters". When this began to get a little old, we started irritating regular drivers. These guys were called "Honkers". I will tell you, that we achieved 50 Hooters and 14 Honkers. Not to mention the 193 Chugs (Trains) we counted. The Hooters were accumulated by Caitlin hanging out of the sunroof (on a bet for a DOLLAR I might add) and all four of us waving like idiots out of Dory's (the escape) windows. Said by Matt to a non-honker, "You're a cocky son of a monkey!" Multiple things along the road sparked many converstations, but one of my favorites was upon entrance to the great state of Misery (Missouri). A large sign for 'FAG Interprises' greeted us along with multiple fireworks stands and smut shops. "Fags, pyros's and porno's...OH MY!" shouted Edwin. A few more choice phrases were..."A candy factory. Sweet."- Edwin"We should....?...?....Oh nevermind, that was stupid."- Liz"Can we have a moment of silence please?"- Matt (Moment of silence included the humming of both Liz & Caitlin. Why? We have no idea.)"Laughing helps! It's like jogging on the inside."- A sign between Rolla & Cuba, Missouri"Yeah!? Well...you try being 6'1" in a 5'11" sleeping bag!"- Said while STUCK in a sleeping bag...making him the first human burrito.The drive itself was fairly uneventful until we reached th center of Missouri. Here, we found an overturned semi as well as multiple varieties of road kill. We found ourselves on the lovely Highway 19 which consisted of a two lane highway with no shoulder whatsoever, steep drop offs into an oblivioin of nothingness and trees that would make the Blair Witch pee a little. Driving into West Quincy, Missouri, you can see the blinking red lights of the Bayview Bridge (see photos). I proceed to tell Matt how you used to be able to see the water THROUGH the bridge as you were driving over it, but not to worry because you don't drive over that one anymore, in fact, it might already be imploded. Yeah...so as we get closer, I realize we ARE going over the old bridge. "Don't worry Matt. Look, see, it looks like they repaired it some." Matt didn't find this comforting, nor did Edwin who had overheard the story from the backseat. He woke Caitlin to tell her he loved her before we all plummeted to our death. I think Matt was most upset because we didn't die on the curvy roads, we waited until we had actually reached our destination to bite it. haha! We pulled up to my uncles house at 1:30 Saturday morning. He greeted us...drunk. Haha! He showed us that he had a thermostat, how to flip the light switch and that he had no food in the fridge. (Seriously, it was beer, mustard, Nyquil™ and a bagel.) We finally get to sleep and wake to a GLORIOUS morning! I have not seen such a beautiful morning in all my life! We drove through down town Quincy (see photos) and went to Clat Adams Park at the Quincy Riverfront. We drove through the parks and saw my old house which looks exactly the same! We then went to Drew's apartment and SURPRISED THE CRAP OUT OF HIM! He called his mom and said, "Lying is wroooong." haha! Thank you Kathy! We went to lunch at Krieger's Sports Bar and then drove to Hannibal, Missouri where we played to best game of PutPut ever! Sawyers Creek was a blast! There, we saw the hottest pink Chrysler Sebring ever made and Caitlin hit a golf ball into the "water hazard" (a large pond with fish and bumper boats...not INTENDED to be a water hazard!) on her first shot! After that, we drove back to Quincy and dropped Drew off to get ready for his show. We went to my uncle's girlfriends house for dinner and learned that my uncles only love is their dog Teddy. I'm not kidding, I have never seen a man so obsessed with an animal in all my life. Matt asked him what he would do if anything ever happened to Teddy, and I swear on my life that the man teared up.
Drew's show was that night and it was FANTASTIC! I have never seen Drew in such a dramatic role before...he pulled off Jekyll & Hyde better than anyone I could have imagined. He stared us down during the show too which was creepy! "Stop it, Drew!" As soon as the show was over...the fun didn't end. We went to Casino Lanes and bowled a game. I won! 111 baby...my best ever. haha! Matt and I dropped Caitlin & Ewin off at the house to get some sleep while he and I went to the bar! We met my dear friend Clint there. He is one of my favorites too! Matt and I found my uncle there...drunk. Imagine that? He kept trying to get Matt to "show us your guns!" He asked him about 100 times..."Can you beat up that guy?" Paul then announced to the bar that I have big boobs. Did I mention that he is my uncle? I told him that was twisted on so many levels and he just laughed. "What? It's not like they haven't noticed?!" We got him home and attempted to keep him quite so not to wake the kids. Yeah, that didn't happen. He told Matt and I some of the weirdest stories I have ever heard. All I can say is, "Bad Sandwich" and "Carb Wells". If you want me to tell you these stories, you'll just have to call me. They're insane.
Bright and early the next morning we got up to yet another BEAUTIFUL Illinois day. Paul took us to breakfast at Sprout's and we sat on the patio, drinking coffee and talking. What a way to start the day, am I right? We left from there and headed home. We took a different route this time, as to bypass the frightening roads of Highway 19. We made it home by sunset and pulled into the driveway at 8:02pm. What a weekend!! There is no way I will ever be able to express my gratitude to the Three Amigos. (Matt- "Shouldn't it be the Tres Amigos?") Friends are an amazing luxury. Thank you so much guys for a fabulous, exciting, fulfilling and much needed vacation. I told Matt this, and I'll tell you all now, this was the very first time I have EVER left Quincy without crying and feeling like I was missing something. Drew is moving to Oklahoma whether I have to drag him here or not, and when he does...my heart will truly be in Stillwater. I'll have you all in one place! The Hartman House together again! You guys have helped to make this house a home and these friends a true family. God bless you.
Love always, Liz