Monday, October 31, 2011

STATS

Departure: 11:48 am
Arrival: 5:00 pm CDT, Memphis KOA, West Memphis, AK
Distance: 234 miles
Comments:
By Monday, I was feeling fine, so we decided to drive into Nashville and have breakfast at the Pancake Pantry. Barbara had pancakes, and I had pigs-in-a-blanket. Very tasty.

After breakfast, we went to the new headquarters of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS) or, for us old-timers, the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barbershop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA), Inc. (They changed the name a few years ago, and some of us are still not happy about it.)

Anyway, we went in the front door and asked the man at the reception counter where the Hall of Fame is. This year, my friend (and Bass in my quartet Mixed Bag) Jerry Orloff was inducted into the Barbershop Hall of Fame—a very high honor. I wanted to see the display and take a picture of his plaque that would be displayed proudly on the wall. I explained all this to the man.

He didn’t have a clue as to what I was talking about. He said that he’s not a barbershopper, as though that explained it. Then he called for someone from upstairs to come down and give us a tour. Melanie showed up a few minutes later (dressed as Mother Nature—it was Halloween day), and she had no clue about a Hall of Fame. In fact, as we took the tour, which was through offices, cubicles, and conference rooms, we asked people about a Hall of Fame, and no one knew anything about it.

Another interesting thing about the headquarters: I didn’t hear one note of barbershop harmony during the entire hour we were in the headquarters building. Not one.

Sorry Jerry. I don’t know what to say.

We drove back to the RV, hooked up the car, and started driving southwest. We’re trying to stay ahead of the snow.

So we pulled in to Texarkana on Halloween. This one was particularly good, because we bought a bag of candy, turned on “Hocus Pocus”, and pigged out. Didn’t have to share with anyone.