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Read carefully and hear about how I tried to destroy/forget my camera twice today!
Leaving the hotel this morning I suddenly lost all the habits I had built over the trip. I have a bad memory, so I have to pay extra attention while traveling. I had done well so far, always rechecking the room to make sure nothing was left. Not so today! Right as we were getting ready to leave, I realized my camera and camera bag were not in the car. I went and got a key again, and was very thankful to find it hanging out underneath a pesky blanket. Close call!!
Yet again, the rain was with us today. Not a constant rain, unless you count constantly waiting to rain. Just hanging out and waiting rain. Today we were going to meet my friend Brian, and his girlfriend Rachel. I've known Brian online since about 2001, when we met on a Dream Theater forum that is now gone. We share a LOT of similar musical tastes as well as drumming styles and influences, so we've had plenty to talk about over the years. I met him when Dena and me went to Nashville in 2005, so he was actually one friend I wasn't meeting for the first time. He was also kind enough to let us use his old apartment as lodging for the night, so we save some money for a change!
Driving through Missourri was much like driving through Kansas; there's not much to see! The highest point in Kansas was a little over 4000 feet, not sure what it is here. As we neared St. Louis however, things became much busier. Buildings and civilization were everywhere! It had been awhile. Even having grown up in semi-rural Virginia, I can't hold a candle to some of the emptiness in the middle states.
Thankfully there was no huge downpour on the end of our trip today, and we got to Brian and Rachel in the early afternoon. After catching our breath and hanging out a little, we decided to go see the Arch. As we got close, the rain started to come back, so Brian took us to Union Station to wait it out and get some dinner. Or was it lunch?
Turning back to the Arch, the weather held finally, and we went in after getting some pictures on the way in. I would've liked it more with blue skies, but I settled for no rain. The ride to the top was fun! The tram works on a gimbal, so they correct their angle as they go up. The pods are pretty cool to see too. Very retro! The view from the top is crazy, especially seeing the feet of the arch as you look down. So very tall! The ride down is a little faster, but not quite amusement park material. even though it goes much higher than any ride I've ever seen!
Back at Brian's place, he and I jammed on the drums for a little bit while Dena and Rachel rolled their eyes. It was pretty late by this point though, so we didn't stay too long as Dena and I had to get going to the apartment to get some sleep for the next day. We didn't get lost on the way there, but we did have one of those "have we gone to far?" moments. As we left to go though, I had more than few items to put in the car, so I put my camera in its bag on top of the car (no good ever comes from putting stuff there). About a mile down the road, it hits me, and I check inside and around the car, seeing that there is no camera. I'm positive it rolled off back at Brian's, but Dena is sure it's still on the car. We come to a stop and sure enough, there it is, right where I left it. How it hung on, I will never know. But I'm so glad it did!
Hope I'm nicer to it tomorrow.
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