7-6-09 Monday (Just One of the Herd)

It’s 12:30pm and the day hasn’t went very well.  While in San Diego several months ago, we met up with fellow RVer Scott, and his 2 Italian Greyhounds, Meg & Molly.  Scott recently moved to a different RV park and was fearful of 2 pitbulls there.  The RV park says the owner “smuggled them” into the park.  Just days after blogging about how mean these dogs are, Scott and his 2 girls are attacked by them.  Molly didn’t make it.  I’m so sick over it.

 

Above: Molly, Dasher, Meg

Yesterday the Jeep was having extended crank issues.  Today we went to Walmart and bought a battery.

As I was taking a shower today, I noticed the ceiling around the skylight was wet.  It rained yesterday.  We resealed.

Jim went to an RV parts store to get sealer.  His Discover card was declined.  After an alternative payment method Discover called him to verify that his card wasn’t stolen.  They were being cautious because charges were in other states lately.  Lately?  Hello, we’ve been to 23 or so states within a year and you’re just now calling?  Duh.  Good work Discover, we now feel safe.

The wittle, itty bitty compressor we had to fill the tires has stopped working.  That’s probably a good thing since it took a millennia to fill them.  We have an RV tire low.  It’s a pain in the rump to take this beast to a gas station because of space constrictions and 90% of the time, their air doesn’t work either.

Jim and I have been noticing the decline in “nice” service lately.  Maybe it’s a state by state thing, maybe it’s something else.  People, we live in a country where MANY are unemployed.  If you have a job, be the best at it.  Be friendly, outgoing, and kind.  Otherwise, step aside and let someone else have a shot at it.  I’m absolutely stunned by the lack of enthusiasm, and kindness people have.  Employers, watch, and if necessary replace!  These people don’t want to work, and your business will suffer.  Make sure the wage is sufficient for their job.  There’s 100’s of people who will stand in line wanting their job, even if it’s flipping burgers.  Can anyone else relate to the puss-on-the-face service providers? 

But what about Elvis?  What about him?  Yes, we went to Graceland.  Overall, lots to see and hear.  Our platinum tickets WERE $33.00 each but thanks to Entertainment.com, we had a 2-fer.

Graceland Platinum Tour
Great way to see the full Graceland experience. The Graceland Platinum tour includes:

• an audio-guided tour of Graceland Mansion and grounds
• a self-guided tour of Elvis' two custom airplanes
• a self-guided tour of Elvis' Automobile Museum
• a self-guided tour of Elvis in Hollywood Exhibit
• a self-guided tour of Elvis Lives: The King and Pop Culture Exhibit
• a self-guided tour of Private Presley Exhibit
• a self-guided tour of '68 Special Exhibit

This all took over 3 hours.  I will say that the exhibits and audio guided tour were done very well.   I will also tell you that this was way more Elvis information than I really needed.  Elvis fans, you need to come here!

I took a lot of photos but no flash was permitted.  This made for many blurry photos.  They looked nice on a 3X2 screen but not so much on bigger scale.  So once I whittled down the photos, here’s what’s left that I thought was worthy enough for your eyes to see:

Above: 2 airplane tours were included.

 

Above: Honestly, we thought it was going to be a grander scale.  We thought it to be kinda small.

 

Above: Elvis’ parent’s room on the 1st floor.  The upstairs was sealed off from tours because “it was a private space and Elvis would have liked it to have stayed that way.”

 

Above: Right in the front door, I got a feeling of over crowded herding.  Moo.

  

Above: The basement as a TV room.

 

Above: Very colorful fabric EVERYWHERE.  OK, too colorful.

 

Above/Below: Jungle Room.

  

Above: Trophy room.  This building was huge!

 

Above: Racketball building now displaying more awards and such.

 

Above/Below: Elvis and family buried on the property.

 

The $60 compressor we bought didn’t work.  After many curse words, and slamming things about, we set off to Walmart again.  We purchased a $52.00 compressor that managed to burn out our 12V extension cord.  Oh, I hope the fun stops soon!

It’s now 8:15 pm and we’ve called the limo service for Marlowe’s.  It’s free, it’s only up the block but it’s a pink Cadillac limo.  We just had to do it.  Marlowe’s is a BBQ joint.  I hope it’s limo service worthy.

We’re back.  If you were thinking to hop on a plane, fly to Memphis and eat at Marlowe’s, don’t bother.  The limo picked us up. It was possibly older than many of you.  We arrived.  We decided to be daring and order fried pickles.  I ordered ribs, Jim ordered a combo plate.  While we awaited the pickles, the server, we’ll call her Sue Server, rushes over to me with menu in hand and states “we’re out of ribs, pick something else.”  I was kinda flabbergasted.  I think I blinked an SOS to Jim for his assistance.  Jim said “Wow, a BBQ place outta ribs.”  Sue told us of how busy blah blah busy they were today.  I reselected.  Pickles arrive.  How were they… well, I’m not sure yet, at this point in the story.  Sue rushes over to me, plops down a plate of ribs, pats herself on the back about how they were the last ones.  I blink as if to delicately say “What the fuck, where’s Jim’s meal, we haven’t even bit into the appetizer and my food is here.”  I’m pretty sure that was understood by my speechless blink.  Sue indicated the computers aren’t working and everything is a mess back there and Jim’s will be out shortly.  Wow, she must read blinks.  She walks away.  As I bite into a pickle, she rushes back to the table grabs the plate of ribs away from me.  It’s such a blur that Jim and I can’t remember what she blurted as she did this.  Something like they weren’t mine.  Pickle bite #2 was still being chewed.  I paused chewing.  Blinking took over.  Bite #3, she brings me the ribs back with something about them being mine afterall.  I believe she wanted me to sing “How Great Thou Art” in recognition of her fine server skills.  So, as I tried to sing, there we’re no sounds, just blinks.  It’s not like I could complain about the timing.  These were the last ribs; surely they’d get stuck under a heat lamp if I sent them back. 

We finished our meals, both feeling like it was all just OK.  I was surprised that this restaurant was the top in anything.  I came away thinking that only the tourists eat here.  Ugh.  I thought about Pearl, and our Lucky Chengs experience.  I laughed outloud. 

We took a limo back.  Picture us, in a pink stretch limo (older than you), cruising through the RV park (or for some of you rude people – trailer park).  Ain’t that a sight?