If its 6/16 this must be Pittsburgh

6-16-12 0605 Northwest of Columbus OH. The answer the pop-quiz is….well, not quinoa. Chenopodium quinoa is actually green and leafy, and perhaps blows in the wind, but it’s not a member of the grass family, and therefore, poor little goosefoot..not a REAL cereal. Amazing where an innocent little question about corn can getcha to. So yesterday, 4 states; starting West of Ms Miss, and transiting Illinois, Indiana, and now along into Ohio. I know, I’m ‘State’s dropping’; bad form in travel writing, but hey, when its miles and miles of that epidemic generating edible oil, fermentation base, and ubiquitous sweetener that is the single largest factor in our obesity problem, ya gotta resort to something other than jaw dropping yawns. Yesterday, raw from the attack on our little Prius (I agree, Paul, what IS it about our Priuses?) and ready for displacement activities, we followed a red with white italic script sign off I 70 and into a little residential nook with two antique stores. ‘Lets go to that one first’ says Sala, ‘its got more junk out in front’. This turned out to be Winter Wheat ( http://www.facebook.com/pages/Winter-Wheat-Antiques/126770104043086 ), which has 4 plus Yelp stars, and in my humble opinion is the best stocked single owner antique store west of Maine. Like Liberty Tool (http://www.libertytoolco.com/ ) its arranged in categories, but unlike Liberty that really is about tools (except for that upstairs…) Winter Wheat is the result of over 40 years of a couple of teachers antiquing. It’s a little hard to find counter space to stack up your finds (certainly not the front counter, where he was involved in a refinishing project), or the middle section of the first room (there are three, somewhat like Russian dolls) where she and a friend were scrubbing small things clean). I got into the baskets (BUSHEL baskets) of costume jewelry pins (have been trying to make silver pins, and thus engaged in the humbling process of actually making a catch that works) and that alone would have taken hours to really accomplish. And there were mountains beyond mountains of dolls and knives and tools and yes, green jars as well. But Fuji was baking in the Hoosier sun, and besides we gotta get to Woods Hole. We did go to the other place in the same neighborhood, which is the more conventional ‘barn’ of 30 small booths, and where the bronze plaque of Goethe was not half price (‘ those folks have some confusing signage’) but a bargain at full price of $4, but the genuine original Bear brand ‘Panda’ model compound bow intended for boy scouts was. Bye bye Amalia and Joaquin, hello Diana and Cupid! It was a longish day, but pleasant. We are all kind of settled into traveling. Fugi likes her head on the broken but usable console, lying on top of the rummage of sweaters jackets and pillows. We generally remember in time to replenish the ice chest. Picnic lunches look good enough to have passer by’s making comments about wanting to join us. Actually moving along through ‘A Farewell to Arms’, and Bergers ideas on passion. Call it dotage or call it wisdom, I am finding Sala’s always well intended comments helpful instead of nettling. Driving, for example. I asked her to back off on my driving technique, and so when she does comment on my driving 45 in a 60 mph zone, she’s right, and I am happy to accept it in the helpful intent category. And she seems able to see my suggestions about making fewer corrective movements of the wheel as reasonable rather than domineering. Yes, and the issue of choosing a motel has been finessed by the growth of the dog friendly La Quinta chain of motels. There is pretty much one in every town, and neither of us has ever much enjoyed the process of finding and choosing. If you are into that process, write and tell me how you handle the conflict side of it, I’d like to learn against a time of no La Quintas. Well, time to fire up the La Pavoni and take the hound for a run walk. Today its on to Pittsburgh and a visit with my brilliant student Bimla on Squirrel Hill. Nenda Salaama, Alan