Clay Myers-Bowman

On the bus.

Day 1, 10:00 a.m.
Becky plays a History Channel documentary (on the video monitors on the bus) about the death of Abraham Lincoln and the plot to steal his body. Fascinating really. The first stop on our tour is in Springfield, Illionois to visit Lincoln’s tomb. And yes, I know who’s buried there.

Day 1, noon
Lunch in Macon, Missouri. The four staff members decide to leave the residents to themselves and we head to a KFC. Which got me to wondering about why our KFC in Manhattan is closed. Wasn’t there a story in the Mercury about it being abandoned? In my book, there’s nothing better than KFC cole slaw and mashed potatoes. Comfort food. Maybe we could get the recipe and serve it out of Verna Belle’s? Can you work on that Matt?

Is his body here or not?

Day 1, 5:00 p.m.
Honestly, the visit to the Lincoln Tomb was kind of anti-climatic. I’m really glad we watched the documentary on the bus because there is nothing at the Tomb or surrounding area (except for the tour guides well-rehearsed bullet points) to give any relevance or context to Lincoln’s life and death. And despite all the assertions to the contrary, I can’t help but wonder if the tomb really contains his remains. Did you know that his body was taken out of the tomb by the caretaker and buried in the basement of the building next door for several years? To protect it from being stolen? Look for the History Channel doc if you’re interested. Or look it up on Wikipedia. I’m sure it’s there.

Interesting observation: not a single portrait, picture or photograph of Lincoln in the entire place. Only 3-D sculptures. Oh, and the bathroom closes at 4:00 p.m. Note time of this entry for relevant context.

Listening to our tour guide.

Day 1: 6:00 p.m.
Once we get to the hotel, we enjoy a nice beer, wine, cheese, and cracker reception in what is normally reserved for the morning continental breakfast. Despite serving only cheap wine and crappy macro-brewed lager, it was nice to sit with the group and talk about the day.

Everyone (well, almost everyone) enjoys a fine meal.

Day 1, 6:30 p.m.
Once again we load onto the bus and drive to the seafood restaurant for dinner. We pack in to empty tables waiting on us and enjoy a leisurely, multi-course meal. I get the rib-eye and it’s one of best I’ve ever had. Same for Willie. Bonus: I get to sit with Tamara and finally learn more about her life and work experience. Of course, that’s what this entire trip is about. Sharing ourselves with each other and building closer and stronger relationships.

Tomorrow: Interpretive stuff at the Lincoln Museum, lunch on the bus from Subway, and a long drive to Racine, Wisconsin.

Final interesting observation: I wonder if everyone will sit in the seats on the bus they sat in today? It’s almost as if they were assigned by the teacher.