kitchtrips

It’s whispered from a tractor on a flat Midwestern plain
The fields are dry and dusty, there is no sign of rain
It floats out a kitchen window, somewhere in the south
If the river gets much higher, they’ll float away no doubt
You can almost feel it in the air, an American prayer

They’re gonna be alright, they’re gonna carry on
Help from above will come back strong
I got faith in us, I got faith in Him
The clouds will part and the sun will shine again, amen

It echoes through the factories up in Michigan
It bounces off the levees, and rides out on the wind
Clear out to California, and back on up to Maine
It don’t matter if you’re rich or poor, a sinner or a saint
Every night, everybody, everywhere
Is praying their American prayer

– Dustin Lynch

Tuesday 6 June 2023

D-Day in America, the annual commemoration of the beginning of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in World War Two. Imagine being an American infantryman coming ashore on the heavily-fortified Omaha Beach and looking up at the seemingly impregnable Axis positions, wondering if anyone will make it out alive. They call the young men who fought on World War Two ‘The Greatest Generation’ here, and it is an apt title.

A cloudy day with some rain threatening, though it was beautiful this morning before the clouds came across. Went out along the Prairie Path again, towards Glen Ellyn, then branched off into the streets. Day by day, year by year, I’m seeing more and more of this pretty part of the world.

Took a chance on getting a haircut in America, and it came out okay! Only kidding, the Great Clips people at Danada Mall do a wonderful job. I’ve been there a few times before, and I actually think their attention to detail is better than some of the barbers back home. I feel like a new man, or at least a little lighter up top!

After Danada, we drove out to the suburb of Aurora, where the Chicago Premium Outlets mall is. If you can picture DFO back home, CPO is probably about four times the size of that. Every brand you can imagine – Nike, Tommy Hilfiger, Forever 21, New Balance, Under Armour – and many that you’ve probably never heard of, have stores there and if you can get the right size in whatever you’re after (not always a guarantee) you can make huge savings.

I needed to buy a new suitcase. After Boise, I noticed that the frame of the bag is a little bent near the top and I had a struggle getting the zippers done up, and after Indianapolis, the stitching on the bag near the side handle has started to come loose. I’ve had these recurring worries that the baggage handlers – not exactly known for their tender care of luggage – would use the side handle and further wreck the back.

So I went to the Samsonite store and found a bag a little bigger than the one than my current bag to make sure I can fit everything in on the return journey. Turns out, it was on sale – the last day of the Memorial Day sale, which was more than a week ago now – for $160 and the sales rep there told me that tomorrow it would go back to the regular price of $470! Unbelievable. And even better, when I was paying, the guy told me that the “other bag” was inside. It didn’t really register at first what he was saying but when I left the store, it kind of dawned on me, so I stopped to open the suitcase. Sure enough, there is a carry-on size bag inside. Talk about insane value! No complaints here, just glad our schedule had us going there today not tomorrow or the next day.

Cracker Barrel for lunch, not far from the outlets, after Kat had finished her extended shopping expedition. The southern-style restaurant does nice ham, corn and baked sweet potatoes. It’s kind of a kitschy place, with lots of very American candy and other trinkets available to buy, but some of the food is okay. It’s become an annual stop.

Over to the Rovik’s in the afternoon. The rain went away and although the clouds lingered, it was a perfect night for sitting outside. Mackenzie cooked chicken, corn and potatoes – three of my favourite things – and it was washed down with Bud Light and High Noons. We took apple and pumpkin pie for dessert and it was a really awesome night. Once again, we solved most of the issues of the world.

Off to St Louis tomorrow!