Chris came down and we had a HARRY POTTER weekend. I had a great time. I dressed up with Stacey and Heather, we didn’t win the contest though. I think that we were robbed! Harry Potter was good. Not one of the best, but all my questions were answered. Home until the 25^th.

Travel home was aweful, 6 states in  one day. Andy went one to Minneapolis, while I went To C’dale. Flight to Dallas was okay, but we got in late and I had to run to the next gate and would have missed my plane, however, that plane was delayed too. Flight from Dallas to St.L was fine. Took Bart home to C’dale and it was very nice. Would recommend and do again.

Today my 6 hour trip took me from Dekalb through to Carbondale, in the bottom of Illinois. I was able to take mostly state highways so I was able to see some of the smaller towns in the mostly rural middle of the state. I stopped in Clinton, IL, which is a tiny town with a downtown square that was totally untouched, and had a sort of post-apocalypse Mayberry feel, complete with several antique stores that I think are featured in teen horror movies as the place where the cursed item comes from. But everyone was nice, and I was directed to the local restaurant for lunch. The "Shack" restaurant (since 1920) was full, but only seats around 30 people. I also had the strange small town experience of having people look me over when I enter to figure out who I could be. I had a mediocre BLT and nice coffee at the counter, and couldn't help overhearing the guy next to me and the middle aged waitress talking about the neighborhood and using metal detectors. I could only follow about half of it, as there seems to be a middle-illinois accent, which sounds like mumbling. I made it all the way down to Carbondale, home to Southern Illinois University and a very nice Days Inn with internet access. I made a pit stop to take some photos in a mining town, where I also stepped on tar. Stepping on tar is the kind of anacronystic events that is both funny and annoying, especially when I had to put klenex on my shoes and the car floor to keep from sticking.