On the Road ... Seeing Old Friends

sunset at Jeff and Laura's place

Monday I headed to Milledgeville, GA via the interstate. And I was reminded why I have become a two lane back road princess. Traversing through Birmingham, Alabama on the interstate and, later in the day, Atlanta, Georgia, on a motorcycle, was intense. The best way to describe the experience was feeling like I was smack dab in the middle of a Mad Max movie! I am pretty sure I wore down several layers of enamel on my teeth grinding them all the way through both cities. 

I was pleasantly surprised when I finally hit Georgia route 16 on my way to see Jeff Nichols and

found in Huntsville, AL

his beautiful wife Laura. Jeff and I went to high school together and probably saw each other last around 1976, when we graduated. Jeff rode his 2004 FLH up to an adjacent town with a little town square to meet me. Jeff and Laura have a beautiful home on a lake in Milledgeville. Home to three colleges, the town I had never heard of was actually a bustling community full of antebellum homes of civil war era and some beautiful old Victorians as well. After a great dinner at a local Mexican restaurant, Laura and Jeff gave me a driving tour of the city, filling me in on it's rich history. We drove back to their place and spent a late evening chatting and catching up with where life has taken all of us over the past forty plus years. Funny how time goes so quickly and the teenage boy becomes a grandfather in the blink of an eye. And all the challenges life throws your way become badges of honor as you deal with them and move on to the next phase of your life. Jeff and Laura are so blessed to have each other and have found their own piece of paradise and I am so glad they shared their home and hospitality with me on this journey. Running the gauntlet of Birmingham and Alabama to get there was worth the visit.

sunrise at Jeff and Laura's place

I said goodbye to them on Tuesday morning and headed north on US 441 towards Ashville, NC to visit with Connie Parker. Connie is the wife of a construction superintendent for Brasfield & Gorrie, a Birmingham based general contractor that RJ Martin Electrical has been lucky enough to work with on two projects in the Cleveland, OH metro area. Danny brought Connie to the open house of one of these projects and she and I hit if off immediately. I promised if I headed south again, I would stop by to visit, and so I did.

Connie made me feel right at home in the Parker's Porch Pub as we sat and chatted until late in the

Connie and I .... kindred spirits

evening. She finally shuffled me off to bed and this morning has served me coffee as I did my latest updates. 

Today I hit the road to parts unknown. I will pull out the Rand McNally and pick a road and ride on. I thank you all for traveling with me via this blog and will update again soon!

Peace all and enjoy life's blessings.

Danny Parker didn't warn me about this driveway!

     

Parker's Porch Pub