"Oh, My!" Except, exchange the 'my' with something more appropriate and that is how I felt a couple days ago as I was packing for my flight to Taft, TN where Mimi Hughes resides, and the beginning point of our 60 day journey along the Ohio River.
In between the swift (and slightly chaotic) departure of my mother and sister to Nairobi and my Emma's college graduation, I was half-consciously organizing my belongings at such a sluggish rate that it's surprising anything was accomplished. Never having packed so light in my life, I weighed each sock with a seriousness that one should never do. 5 pairs of underwear. Oh, (My)!
But, I'm backwards, you don't worry about packing Tupperware with clothespins and string, you check your equipment list. So, like I had for the last few months, I took out my shiny toy--a Panasonic HMC-40 camcorder and turned the power on.
Then came the message:
"POWER TURNED OFF DUE TO FAN STOPPING"
Before I could comprehend, my camcorder shut off--never to turn on again. OH, MY MY MY!!!
My camera equipment, that I had accumulated over the last few months, and painstakingly researched for 6 more, was basically obsolete.
Well, this isn't the worst thing that's ever happened, but it's not looking too good I thought to myself. Wasn't it just last week that my laptop I was to bring on this trip decided to crap out? Hmm, if ever there was a sign to quit, this might be it.
But, I guess I'm not superstitious. Here I am in Taft, TN staying in a house among the Tree's and literally, "Tree's House"--Mimi's husband, Forrest, has the best nick-name ever!
After a morning of desperate calls to automated 1-800 numbers, I finally reached Panansonic, who in gently announced that my model is kinda a scam-cam-or a version illegally sold in America. Great! Kansas service center repairs at full cost, or nothing. Plan B--local repairs/av techs.
A kind gentleman was surprised by my ill luck and decided he would impart all that he knew...which was the number of another place--they too were sympathetic, but broke the news that they have never seen one of these models nor have the parts because it's too new! Plan B through out Bre's Plan C... short dresses in case we had to slut it up to get my camera repaired.
Bre's a married woman with a mischievous sense of humour and also happens to be Mimi's daughter. She's really the connection I have to all of this Ohio River amazingness. We met in 2005 when we worked and lived in China together teaching English, but by living in our city, Linyungang, we experienced so much more together than most friends do. So, it makes since that since it's been over 4 years since our last rendezvous, that we are still so connected.
So, it was an 'Oh, My' kinda day, but after resigning myself to the limitations of my over-the-phone negotiation powers and accepting the use of Tree's camcorder, I could just sip a beer with my friend, laugh and take in the surrounding splendor of Tennessee's lush greenery.
We visited Fayettville, TN and the kindness continued. Free marbles from the Magnolia Mall--they don't apparently have a price for 4 marbles, and we got a piece of carved cedar that the old bench dwellers make. Bre says that the old men sit on the same benches in the town square and whittle sticks day in and day out. One man, turns 92 on June 6th, the other, told me that if I kept travelling, my man may not want to marry me!--pretty wise.
When we returned to the house in the trees we set off to pick wild strawberries and cilantro (or coriander) for those English folks on a neighbors plot of land. A visit that might have been 20 minutes turned into a 2 hour exploration of their friend, Connie's life and land. We tasted wild vegetation, heard stories about how to grow your own mushrooms (first instruction a. cut down a tree). Connie shared her personal journey from Art to Alaska, electrical engineering to jewelry designer-- which is AMAZING -- http://www.connieulrich.com/
If these local encounters are any indication of some of the experiences to come on the Ohio River, glitch heaven and anxiety considered, I am all for it! ...and it never hurts to end your day in a dark open field, watching nature's brilliance unfold as the lightning bugs seek out their mates.
No comments:
Post a Comment