6-5-06

Today's the time to head back home.

We managed to get up early and headed out pretty quick.

Saw Ariel and Lisa and bid them farewell. They were also headed back for Illinois, but they were headed straight back and we were going separate routes so didn't drive together.

So, before hitting the highway, we decided to stop off at the Banner Elk T-shirt Shop for some souvenirs and to see what all they had. The guy there was pretty cool and as we were browsing he pulled out of some ancient archives, some transfers for the Porsche logo, 928 and 944. They turned out to be transfers for coffee mugs not shirts, but we were willing to experiment with them. If he could find the transfer machine for mugs, which gets pulled out annually, and if he could find blank mugs, and if he could get a hold of his wife to refresh him on how to use the transfer machine... He eventually found both (only 2 blank cups) and learned how to use it and started making up some mugs. Too bad that the transfers bled a little. He kicked them in for free and said he'd be ready for next year. Oh and by the way, t-shirt shop dude, get some more grown up sizes.

With that we departed Banner Elk, next stop, Kokomo, Indiana. I took the first leg out. The weather was perfect for driving and we made some awesome time, especially through the mountains.

We stopped off at Smokey Mountain Knife Works and made sure I parked on a nice hill just in case we had any starting issues. We shopped for a while but I was bummed that the knife sharpener guy was all backed up so he couldn't put a new edge on my Kershaw. I managed to buy a little Gerber for my toolkit but that was about it.

We managed to stop for breakfast, around 2:30, back at the Waffle House we stopped at on the way down. Once again we parked as uphill as we could get, just in case. As we were pulling in we could see Kenny, the cook look out tell Star we were back. Too funny.

So, my eyes were bigger than my stomach as I managed to horse down a pound of chopped steak smothered in cheese and onions, hash browns, smothered and 'othered with all sorts of good stuff and toast. That surely was some awful good eating. Dan got the pecan pie and was just taunting me with it so I had to have some too. It was pretty good and I could hardly move getting out of there. Luckily Dan took the driving reins so I could go into a food coma.

See ya next time Kenny. Keep working on the jokes. Some of them need help. Star... good luck in life in Cinci.

We get in the car to leave and guess what... no start. ARGHHHH! Luckily Dan got her fired right back up after rolling back out of the parking place.

After that it was smooth sailing as he drove to the next stop across the KY/Ind border. I took over for the rest of the uneventful drive to Kokomo. Pretty cool though along the way on route 31 we came across another nice looking 928. We pulled along side and there was a guy with his kids, not one from SITM. It's funny after all those road miles to and from the event and that was the only 928 we came across.