Day 16, Feb. 5, p.m.

 

I came back to the hotel around 3:30 p.m. and settled in to import and edit pictures taken earlier. A little after 4 p.m., I headed out to find some dinner. The woman at the desk recommended Giovanni’s, an Italian restaurant. I was going to get my truck washed, but there was no one at the car wash and a meter thing asked for a security code. Maybe that meant I had to go to the gas station and pay. I chose to back away, but not before I saw someone pull away from the gas pumps and dent the passenger side of his van. A couple of guys sitting in a tow truck nearby laughed like crazy.

This was one of those deals where I had to pull out of the hotel going the opposite way and get over to the left to get into the U-turn lane further down. Both times I pulled out in front of someone I never saw coming. Gosh, that traffic was moving fast. I’m sorry, guys!

Giovanni’s was at the end of a little strip mall. I was hesitant, but went in. “Are you joining me to tonight?” a nice young man asked. “Are you joining me?” I asked in return. There wasn’t any other customers so after bringing me a salad, glass of white zinfandel, and water, he stayed and chatted. He made recommendations on dinner and I took his advice and ordered one of the house specials … oh no, I forgot what it was called. It was a chicken alfredo that also had tomatoes and bacon in the sauce on top of linguini. It was very good. I couldn’t eat it all and have leftovers to heat up later.

This was one of the first real conversations that I’ve had in days. It felt so good. That nice young man Sloan Blevins grew up on a farm in Tennessee, but is living here now and going to school in Jacksonville to be a welder. He already has a job lined up when he graduates. He and his fiancée are expecting their first child.

We had a great time talking about vacations, families, and farming. We commiserated on coming from a very small rural town and ending up in a city. I talked about N.H. and he talked about Tenn. He said his grandmother is an artist.

Too bad more young people weren’t like Sloan. Growing up on a big farm, he knows what it is to work hard. He’s also got a lot of courage to come to a school far from home and to an area so different from what he is used to. I wish him and his fiancée the best of luck.

It’s getting late now and my poor tired brain and body needs rest.