Where the road takes me...

I heard a piece on NPR about the new iPhone. Apparently it talks to you... While I am a bit taken by the thought, I am also a bit appalled. I pictured myself driving down the road alone having conversations with my phone. Not someone on the other end of my phone, but the phone itself! Is that better or worse than having conversations with myself?

Then it occurred to me that my best blogging probably happens while I'm on the road (not that you would ever see it; it rarely makes it this far these days). If I were to join the cellular phone age, jumping all the way forward to the new iPhone, perhaps I could simply dictate my entries to the phone while driving and them have them emailed away to be posted.

I don't see that upgrade happening any time soon.

Anyway, I am on the road--for fun this time--and took a few hours to stretch my legs in Hannibal yesterday. Hannibal is a town where I always enjoy stopping and generally I threaten to come back and spend more time there.

Gratuitous self-portrait. That's me and Mark Twain, as well as my pumpkin pie latte from the first coffee shop west of the Mississippi. After walking the streets of historic downtown Hannibal, I settled on lunch at the Java Jive. The sandwiches were decent, the tomato-basil soup was wonderful.

Eight hours on the road yesterday with nothing more than a foldable map (no fancy talking devices for me, thanks) and I only missed my turn once. I figured it out right away and when I went back, I immediately figured out the reason. This pumpkin stand had distracted me from watching the road signs. It was directly across from the way I should have gone.

May Peace Prevail on Earth -- stick by the mighty Mississippi at Hannibal, Missouri.