Corky's BBQ

The lovely Robin and I try to observe a rule when we travel: no restaurants we can eat at when we're home.


When I told some of the conferees at today's Memphis writer's conference at which I'm teaching, they took me to Corky's.


Corky's is a barbecue place, terrifically decorated with vintage posters and photos of visiting celebrities.


We ordered takeout, which was ready in short order.


My lunch was a pulled pork salad--or pig salad--which was delicious.


I'm not sure I can forgive myself for having a salad instead of ribs or a pulled pork sandwich. But I'll try.

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Hampton Inn, Collierville

I checked in last night for a two-night stay at the Hampton Inn in Collierville, Tennessee (near Memphis).


It's quite nice, comfortable and clean. But most importantly, just outside my room, are machines offering free candy.


The breakfast room is spacious, and the breakfast bar has a great variety.


The fitness room, unfortunately, is small. And its location (entry on the far side of the lobby from guest rooms) seems odd.


But it's a lovely place to stay overall, just off the busy Poplar Ave. not far from I-240.

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Thing #64 I Like About Living Where I Do

I had some errands to run on Tuesday, which reminded me of one of the reasons I like where I live.

After leaving some outgoing mail to be picked up from our mailbox, I dropped off a FedEx package at the pickup spot in Staples...

Deposit a couple checks at the bank...

And fill up with gas at Meijer's gas station (I also bought a bottle of Diet Mountain Dew. And maybe or maybe not a Reese's Cup).

From beginning to end, it took less than ten minutes to do it all. THAT's why I like where I live.

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Pinch Me Places: Jerusalem

The lovely Robin and I have been so blessed to visit Jerusalem four times (in 1988, 2000, 2005, and 2010), and I still can't believe it. We plan to return again in 2014 (see here), and I still can't believe it. And I can't believe that I've been there with my children, Aubrey and Aaron, as well as my niece Elissa (far left, above) and father-in-law Dick (far right, above). And to have shared the experience with so many other dear ones, Bill and Marty Francis and Susan and Billy, the Kellys, the Sellerses, Debbie, Willa, Carol, Barb, Betty, Dave and Millie, Susan and Brian and Ellen and David, and more. Oh, there's nothing better.

There is nothing like the sight of the Old CIty coming into view as we crest the Mount of Olives, and read aloud Psalm 48: "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, in the mountain of our God, in the city of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, the city of the Great King."

There is no city like it on earth. And the sacred spaces and history are literally stacked upon each other, one next to the other, one after another. Calvary. The Temple Mount. Bethesda. The Pool of Siloam. The teaching steps of the Temple (excavated in the 1960s by a team that included another fellow-traveler, Dr. Ed Yamauchi). The Kotel (Western Wall). The streets of the Old City. The Garden Tomb. Gethsemani. Caiaphas's house. The Via Dolorosa. And so much more. It's mind-boggling. The person who's never been cannot possibly imagine it. And this person who's been there four times can only shake my head. It's a pinch me place.

Starbucks's Cheeriest Barista

At the time I took this picture at the Starbucks I stopped at this morning on W. Paces Ferry Road NW in Atlanta, I didn't know I was about to meet Starbucks's Cheeriest Barista. But I was.


That's her, in the cap, the barista closest to the camera. I wish I'd caught her name, but I didn't. Still, nice job, Starbucks's Cheeriest Barista. I salute you.

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Atlanta Cumberland Center Courtyard Marriott

Here in Atlanta for my brother-in-law's wedding celebration, we're staying at the Atlanta Cumberland Center Courtyard Marriott:


It's a very nice hotel in a very nice area.


The lobby and other ground floor areas are quite modern, among my least favorite styles of decor, but otherwise appealing and inviting.


Our room is comfortable and spacious. Though, like many other upscale hotels of this kind, free wireless Internet is available only in the lobby. I continue to be befuddled and flummoxed by such inexplicable lack of service at otherwise quality hotels (there IS free Ethernet in the rooms, however, so they've got 1994-era guest services down pat). And just don't ask me about the hotel parking garage.

However, having said all that, the staff has been helpful and our stay has been enjoyable. And, thanks to our hosts, we couldn't be staying at a better price!

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Location:E Pine Valley Rd NW,Atlanta,United States

A Weather Channel

The lovely Robin, Aubrey, and I drove to Atlanta last night, through a lane of memorable weather: tornadoes, thunderstorms, hailstorms...and a rainbow.


Around Crittenden, Kentucky, we apparently missed a tornado (or it missed us) by mere minutes. It had cut a visible swath through trees, and deposited one in the right lane of I-75 South.


A semi had been turned on its side, which with the tree in the roadway slowed traffic to a stop.

The rain at times was torrential, and gave us no more than a few minutes of rainless driving. A tense 9-hour trip (instead of the usual 7.5 hrs), but we arrived safe and sound. That's what counts.

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