Sweet Home Carbondale

12 December 2009

As said, David went to eighth grade and high school in a town in Southern Illinois called Carbondale. We're here for the first time in about 7 years, to see what's what and catch up with old friends. Troy was best man in our wedding, and Andrea decorated our toasting glasses, David was in their wedding, and last time we were here they'd just built themselves a new house on a road called the Ava Blacktop. The house is now a family home, with two little boys to complete the picture, and we stayed with all these Demings for the weekend.

Having watched the Browns win on the TV in Troy's lush Man Cave, and having wrestled a bit with some energetic little boys, and eaten one of their cows (post-crock pot, obviously) and Andrea's chocolate mint brownies, and slept very well indeed, we spent Friday catching up with David's brother. Steven lives in Carbondale too, and since we haven't seen him in ages either, we hung out doing what you do in Carbondale...Walmart, Buffalo Wild Wings, etc.

When David's dad retired as school superintendent, he got a gymnasium named for him. This is funny, because his name is Jim. See? Jim's Gym? We finally got to see the famous building, and there it is, in big shiny letters, with loads of middle schoolers playing basketball inside. Drove round to the old house, now home to some people called Bobo and a newly paved driveway to the pole barn, but otherwise the same.

For dinner, with Andrea & Troy we went to the culinary gem that is Walt's, in the nearby town of Marion. This is home to a double-decker thin-crust pizza that is just gorgeous. Followed this with a marathon session at Target, as Andrea is a teacher who's "adopted" five kids for Christmas through her school, and had a wad of cash to spend on an assortment of Nerf, pyjamas, Hot Wheels, underwear, and Easy Bake refills. And that girl can shop. While the boys wandered through the mall to ogle tigers and monkeys, Andrea flew through Target like the spirit of Christmas Quickly. Impressive.

Next day being Saturday, we wrapped gifts and hung out with the little boys, Lex and Tucker, discussing the merits of security blankets (Tucker has an impressive array) and Lex taking pictures with my camera. The big boys suited up in manly outdoorsy gear and went out in the cold to ride four-wheelers on the acres of land they have. Troy and David went into Carbondale to watch Southern Illinois University's basketball team beat Alabama State, while Andrea and I took the boys to see Santa. All very maternal. Tucker demurred in a rather high-pitched tone, while Lex manned up and wore the shark's tooth we'd brought him from Fiji while chatting with Santa about a pogo stick. A very enjoyable day, all in all. Somewhat different to the last time we were so chilly, which as I recall was in Tibet and involved yak butter.

Alas, all good things must end. Now we're back on the road, down through Tennessee again, this time to Nashville. Yee haw.