Birmingham

  The trip to Birmingham should have taken two and a half hours -- but it took more.  Seventy miles North of the city, the skies opened up, and it poured.  I mean, two days later, and my riding coat still hasn't dried out.  The rain was bouncing so high off the pavement it could wash the belly of a cow.  So I stopped for a bit in a rest area to check the weather.

  The weather maps showed the rain being worse right over Birmingham, so I stuck around the rest area. I had retreated into a picnic area shelter, but the bike was in the rain.  It was raining so hard that water got through the  zipper area on my Northface "waterproof" bag, and things were damp inside.  I must re-think that bag. Turns out the bag is water resistant, not waterproof.  But the rain didn't know the difference and continued to pour.

  After 30 - 45 minutes of checking the weather, I thought maybe the storm had moved a little,so I would give it a try.  Soon aftergetting back on the Interstate, I concluded I had erred, as I didn't feel safe driving as fast as the big trucks, and everytime one passed me I was buffetted badly. I started looking for signs for Highway 31 South, which I knew would take me to within a few blocks of the Kellums.  I found  a sign soon after, and left the interstate for the relative peace and slowness of the highway.  It kept raining, but riding at 55 in the rain feels better than riding 65 in the rain, particularly since I didn't have to contend with 18-wheelers.

  About 35 miles later, I saw the street sign for Hollywood Blvd., and I knew I had made it.  But I was soaked.  My clothes were soaked.  I had put my rain liners in my riding clothes before I left Duck River, but I took them out when I stopped just after entering Alabama, as I was slowly steaming with them in. My bad.  So I was wet.  Mike and Kay got me into a hot shower and dry clothing, for which I am very thankful.

  We went to Nabeel's, a Greek restaurant for dinner, and then to babysit Louis, one of the three cutest grandkids in Birmingham, AL.  While Louis slept, we watched show after show of Alaska State Troopers, and I was able to give a running commentary on some of the Troopers and APD officers, Trooper Vic Aye and Sgt. K. Lacey among them, which Mike and Kay found to be hilarious. 

  A word about Mike and Kay.  They are the parents of Amy Kellum, the wonderful young woman who married my older son, Matt.  While I don't think that Mike and Kay have forgiven Matt for taking Amy and their to children to Alaska, nor will they ever, Mike and Kay seem to like me well enough, and treat me like visiting royalty.  Being in the South is nice.  Mike and Kay seem to know everyone, and everyone is so kind to each other.  It's a place I could live . . .