MARCH 24 Wed. 1:15 p.m.-ish Left 8 hours late from our planned a.m. time because I just kept finding stuff to do around the house and make sure my betta Midas was going to be okay in my sons' care. Felt as if I'd see Midas for the last time. Finally hit the highway --around 1:30 p.m.-ish. ~~~ 3:30 p.m.-ish Went shopping at the outlet mall in Edinburgh IN; bought his and hers Haggar jeans for the heck of it. Had a fish sandwich, 2 go from McD's. ~~~ 6:30 p.m.-ish Ate at Aunt Bee's Greek and Country Restaurant off of Exit 58 near Cave City, KY. I had Souvlaki, Kenny had pinto beans . . .and onions. (No kissing that night.) ~~~ 7:30 p.m.-ish Kenny and I disagreeing about which Mammoth Park Hotel signs to follow; it was dark, VERY VERY dark. Passed more cemetaries than road signs, almost hit Rakki Raccoon-- (those wildlife critters own the road in National Parks. We're on their turf.) ~~~ 10 p.m.-ish Staring at the cresent moon and the north star in the dark. Greeted by a deer and two fawns, UP CLOSE! We froze. They figured "damn humans" and just turned and walked the other way. Kenny and I run back into the hotel at breakneck speed (at least breakneck for midlife). We realize now that in Mammoth Cave KY, all two legged life ceases to roam at 8 p.m. It's dark at 6:30 p.m.(7:30 EST) ~ ~ ~ MARCH 25 Kenny rises early. I sleep--he drags me out of bed for the breakfast buffet bar. (Don't ask what time it was, I was still sleepin'). ~ ~ ~ 11:30 a.m.-ish We agree that the gift shop is best suited for people with high six figure incomes. We also agree that I'm not going to let my fear of deep dark tight places make me chicken out before going into a cave with crickets, bats and rodents. I take my glucosamine to prepare my knees. ~~~ 12:30 p.m.ish (We're IN! and it's gorgeous. The lights go out twice. I say to myself "God, is that you? It's too cool in here to be hell.") Then the lights come back on. (It's a signal that another tour is coming thru). I actually see a part of the cave I dreamed about three days before our trip. The water falling out of the "ceiling" of this part of the cave, the drop where there was a subterranean lake, a ledge that was EXACTLY as I saw it, never having been there ever before. ~~~ 2:00 p.m.-ish. I want to hike all over the park after this experience. Saw those three darlin' deer again that almost jacked us the night before in the meadow. I got down into the natural entrance of the cave. It's closed off, about 200 feet in, but I go down stairs anyway. It too has water running down from the top of it. The vaccuum breeze coming out of it's mouth is so calming. It feels like heaven but deeper inside it looked like it could be hell so I turned around. Then went up the side of a mountain trail about 400 feet up. Kenny doesn't like heights--weird, neither do I but I felt that I was been "called." (Stop laughing, those of you who think I wanted to be like "Moses" on Mt. Sinai.) Then I remembered about the non public caves like Dixon Cave that was at the top of the hill around the corner of the trail where I couldn't see around. I slowed my steps, thought about my left brain logic, and decided to turn around and do the valley hike by Green River instead. And Kenny started up the hill when he lost sight of me. As for me? Hey, ya' only live once. Found an underground river cave. If I had a paddle boat, I probably would shimmy in their too. It was called "River Styx"; & I think that one really did lead to hell. ~~~ 3:00 p.m. We find the ferry. Kenny doesn't want to go across with the van. I get upset, want to see what's on the other side. Kenny "caves" to my pouty lips. We go across where the road disappears to Stevie Wonder's "Jungle Fever" CD. It's blasting urban beats thru the woods from our van as we have our windows down. (All we needed was hydralics and spinners.) I feel like time has just stopped for us to enjoy this experience. Stevie's song "Fun Day" was on the speaker box and that's exactly what I was feeling. Kenny was just wondering "where the heck is this woman taking me now?" I didn't know, shoot, we had all day. ~~~ 6:00 p.m.ish Just took off drivin' down SR 70 toward Cave City again. Went up a really steep hill where Crystal Cave was. Looked like something from an 1800s mining camp. There was a rusted gas can on top of the Coke machine and a rusted partial screen on the door and a bunch of other unidentifiable mayhem called "collectibles." We walked into the rickety little gift shop and were greeted by the lady who lived in the trailer next to it. She was Chinese. (Wow, an Asian Hillbilly. With a cell phone). The store reminded me of going back in time when I was a kid. Lots of polished rocks (even pet rocks with hot-glued felt fabric eyes). Rabbit and squirrel pelts, chimes, pickle barrels, beaded necklaces and bracelets, pinky rings, a few "antiques", were all part of this mode-o-fare Too much in the store to mention, but I did purchase a pair of cloissone baoding balls with a hand painted elephant (i.e. for "Mammoth"). A bit of history: Baoding ball usage dates back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and is called one of the famed "three treasures" of Baoding, China. According to Chinese theory, manipulating the iron balls with the fingers will stimulate the various acupressure points on the hand resulting in an improved flow of vital energy within the body. When moved, the balls emit a light tone that is delicate and pleasing, much like that of a harmony ball. (They also make great foreplay toys). After leaving the shop, we stop at "Save A Lot" just to check out the local folk. Mannerisms appeared no different than the folks in Muncie, except they say "Howdy!" as opposed to "Hi!" We got some "peeches" in a pop top can and some Lay's 'tata' chips. ~~~ DINNERTIME: around 6-ish. All you can eat buffet at Hickory Villas BBQ family restaurant, hidden is a mass of corporate chain food factories. We purchased, and we were stuffed. Then found out the owners last name was Reed--and yes, he was black. Bunch of white folks ate there though. (Cut'n Derreck? Possibly!) Oh, I learned a real buffet has four kinds of meat (Country, I mean "Cone-Tray") Ham, Ribs, Cheecken, and Poke Chops, all BBQ of course. Mashed taters, flat fried "conebread", baked beans, and something that looks like beefaroni with stewed 'maters" (that's tomatoes to the down-south, culinary-challenged.) And Kentucky Wonder Green String Beans, seasoned with, what else) "Cone-tray Ham." "Beeskits" (bisquits) an' fried apples. Everything from scratch or fixed up so good you'd swear it was homemade. Did I mention the "dee-serts for the day?" Butterscotch Pye, Coc'nut Cream Pye, Coak'Cola Cake, Suga' Creem Pye, an' Paeech Cobblah. All recipes created by Cutn' Derricks Momma who moved to St. Louis and left the restaruant to him and his wife, Dara. (And I thought all the black people in KY were in Lexington or Louisville?) Seriously, south central KY has a great African American Heritage and the people there are more respected than us civilized folk up north are as blacks. (Sho nuff rocked my educational boat. That, and the Chinese Hill Lady). ~~~ 9 p.m.-ish We turned on the tv with only 6 cable channels: Cartoon Network, CNN, ESPN, TBS, The Weather Channel, and a channel so fuzzy not even Hubble could pick it up in those woods.) We opted for CNN and the Cartoon Network. (Then I unwrapped the little indigo baoding balls. . . chime, chime away!) ~ ~ ~ MARCH 26 3:15 a.m.-ish I take a bath and wash my hair, and write about memories. ~ ~ ~ 8:15 a.m. I'm so energized from all-night ball action that Kenny and I eat early (again) and go up the mountain hiking. Up hills, down to sinkholes, discovering little waterfalls of fresh water coming out of rocks, having a blast. We end up at the edge of a lofty bluff and realize we up and have absolutely no idea where we are. Thank NPS for signage. So we go back up the hill (I'm outrunning him and he's huffing and puffing) and I'm just all giddy about nature and stuff. I don't want to leave this place!!!! ~ ~ ~ 11 p.m. sharp. We check out, head to Lexington, KY just because "it's there" and stay two days listening to people say "there's nothing to do in Lexington!" But the horse farms and homes, OH! those homes back in the pre Civil War days, and that Henry Clay estate . . . ala grandeur. We ate at Sir Pizza, got a case a Zima, and ate a whole cheesecake. Lit a candle to watch Larry King Live. Sorry to say this but "the King" really looked like an idiot in front of Richard Clarke. After the interview we couldn't sleep right away,thanks to the energetic couple next door. So we decided to make more noise than the couple next door. And my baoding balls will forever be in my purse! All of this to return and find out my beautiful betta, Midas, suffocated because my sons didn't ventilate my office when they left and the weather got up to 80 degrees. They thought he'd stay cool because he was in water. (85 degree water!!!) So I took him out of his little home, and sent him via Muncie Waterways to his own little home down under. I really miss him, no joke I'm tearing up right now. But life goes on. . . Now, to lighten the grief I feel from looking at an empty fishbowl with a silk flower where Midas used to hide and nuzzle,we must keep smiling--here's what my sister sent me. * * * * * * * * * * * Now, if y'all have wondered why, but couldn't figure out what the Bustline Alphabet stood for, it is about time we became informed! {A} Almost Boobs... {B} Barely there. {C} Can't Complain! {D} Dang! {DD} Double dang! {E} Enormous! {F} Fake. {G} Get a Reduction. {H} Help me, I've fallen and I can't get up! Glad to be back, cynth'ya