Tour de Midwest

I spent last weekend in Wisconsin with my dad’s side of the family and had a blast. Milwaukee is the home of Harley-Davidson, so I enjoyed a visit to their museum. Uncle Bob has been a motorcycle fanatic for years, so it was fun to hear what he had to say about the museum. We also had a chance to check out his personal collection, which includes old bikes and memorabilia. The official museum may have been more polished and crowded, but Bob’s collection has them beat for character.

Aunt Maureen’s hobby is quilting, and she is quite talented. She showed me some beautiful finished products, and some works in progress. While I was enjoying the quilt showcase, she told me to keep an eye out for my favorite, because she would let me take one home with me! I chose a large colorful quilt to replace my bedspread which is falling apart. St. Louis is far too hot and humid to sleep under a quilt right now, but as soon as it cools down my bed is going to be the talk of the town.

That night, my grandma took us all out to a Brazilian steakhouse for dinner. If you’ve never been, it is an experience. They encourage you to take advantage of the all-you-can-eat buffet, but I warned the group that it is a trap. The real treat is the meat. Servers are constantly circulating with giant skewers of hot beef, ready to cut some onto your plate at your request. I described various strategies for pacing, and got the group ready for the experience. Then, the waitress came over and almost ruined anything. She laid a basket of hot cheesy bread balls right in front of me. Most people tried one or two balls, but heeded my warnings and resisted the urge to eat more. I was not so lucky. She has found my weakness, and to be honest, I was lucky I stopped after finishing a basket.

The highlight of my weekend was definitely the driving. No, not the 7 hour trip across Illinois. Uncle Bob recently built a 1932 Ford hot rod convertible, and we took it for a spin up the shore of Lake Michigan for a day. It was a completely different driving experience for me without the power steering or braking. The rumble of the powerful engine made me tingle. I miss it already.

This weekend I went to Ohio to visit mom’s parents who recently moved to a retirement community there. It was almost like a college, with an office of admissions, cafeteria, athletic facility, and extensive event calendar. The only difference is that everything happens in slow motion. Despite the change in pace, I enjoyed watching TCM and spending quality time with my grandparents. Some of the conversations I overheard were straight out of a sitcom. One old person would yell a question across the table at another, who would yell a response to a completely different question because they couldn’t hear. The funniest part was when the questioner was satisfied by the random answer, and both parties believed they had successfully communicated.

One thing Wisconsin and Ohio had in common was their love for sweet corn, and I can’t get enough of the stuff. I am happy that every time I sink my teeth into an ear of sweet corn, I think of my grandparents on both sides of the family. My parents left the middle of the country years ago, but I have another year to savor my corn belt roots.

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