The Memphis Burbs

I've made it to the South. After waking up at 3:30am Seattle time. I'm tired. So, so tired.

It's hot here, and humid, but it's not the kind of tropical heat and humidity where I sweat and curse my frizzy hair all day. No, this is a stifling blanket of hot, thick air that engulfs me and holds on until I slink back indoors. I just don't have the energy to be out in it tonight.

That being said, I already like the small amount of time I've spent here. The people so far have been genuine and friendly, even the ones whose accents I can't quite always understand, and I have to admit, I feel a bit like Liz Lemon in Cleveland.

"Why, no, I'm not a model!"

My hotel is on the outskirts of Memphis, because it's insanely cheap for a nice room out here, and I have a rental car anyway. Sure, it's a crappy Ford Fiesta with slightly less power than a kitchen aid, but it has a CD player and the AC works quite well, so it'll suit me fine for all the mileage I'll be clocking over the next few days. 

Once I got settled, I ventured out to explore the vicinity of my hotel, but found pretty much nothing. When I figured that being incessantly lost and/or falling asleep at the wheel were both possibilities, I decided I'd been beaten, and pulled into the nearest store that might sell me some sunglasses (since I managed to break my previous travel shades in Texas). It was Target. I shopped there anyway, not because I've forgiven them their politics, but because I didn't have the fight in me to look for anyplace else. It was a gigantic store, so I also picked up some breakfast, and a 6-pack of Yuengling lager, which I have loved since I first tried it on a trip Baltimore. It doesn't exactly fit my local beer rule that I normally have while traveling, but it's just so damn good on a hot day, and I can't get it on the West Coast.

Then, just as I turned back toward my night's lodging and began wondering what to get for dinner, there it was. I swear I heard a choir of angels.

Chick-Fil-A.

 A quick trip around the drive-thru, and I had the dinner of the gods in my possession.

So here I am, back in my room for the night, belly full of spicy chicken, absorbed in Google maps, planning tomorrow's road trip. I'll spend the next 2 days in Mississippi before returning to Memphis for the remainder of my trip. Until then, it's time for a beer or two, some free HBO, and a good night's sleep.