Hello, Stuttgart

The last home where I had a room in Mom and Dad's house.
Dad and Brian and I lived here alone for much of the spring semester before Mom and Lisa moved up (Mom was teaching in Odessa and hadn't yet lined up a job in Stuttgart). I watched a lot of VHS tapes in this house and played a lot of basketball in the driveway (the backboard is gone, but the post stands). I drove the Pontiac T-1000 home everyday for lunch during my senior year (I guess the car stayed in Odessa during the spring semester, but I don't remember ever eating in the cafeteria). I gave up boots and tennis shoes for boat shoes in Stuttgart. Someone threw a big rock through the plate glass window in the living room of this house one night. I saw The Razor's Edge at the cinema and resolved to take the road less traveled. At the time, I thought that meant I needed to go to the uncharted waters of Trinity University in San Antonio instead of the much more familiar TCU in Fort Worth. TCU was a better deal, though, so that's where I went. I came home to this house in the summer of 1988 after my junior year abroad in Spain and Austria.

On this field, I wore #44, started at cornerback, returned kickoffs, executed a fake punt 4th down conversion, got a few plays at fullback, sprained my ankle, and got my first pair of crutches. I had a few highlight days on the practice field, including my first day as fullback, but we lost as many games as we won. Meanwhile, my former teammates at Odessa Permian had an undefeated season and played their last game--the state championship--at Texas Stadium.

This sign was not here when I played at Ricebird Stadium. The 1984 season is not listed. The team before us and team after us did a lot better than we did.

After visiting Ricebird Stadium, we drove by the Lennox Plant where I worked on the maintenance crew during the summer of 1986. I did not comment on the driving lessons I gave Lisa on the backroads here. I did talk about working at the University of Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station during the summer of 1985.

When we got to Hot Springs, Emi dived in to his first Grisham book:
Jaime says there is an Arabic saying about not going back to places where you were unhappy. He doesn't want to go back to Ipiales, the town where he grew up and where he and Mari were born. I don't have many fond memories of Stuttgart, but in the name of focusing on the positive, here's a top ten eight: 1) Driving with John Miller to the horse races in Hot Springs and the dog races in Memphis; 2) Becoming Mrs. Tompkins' ally in Senior English after her mid-year return; 3) Driveway basketball with Harold, AT, Pedro, and others; 4) The Viking Helm of Intensity worn by friends from Texas--Terry, Glenn, Eric, and Jack--who came up to participate in the Quackman Duckathlon (Dad managed to get an article about this event printed in the local paper); 5) Going to the domed Cinema 150 in Little Rock. When it was built in 1970, it was among just six movie theatres in the country that had a curved 150-degree screen. I saw Platoon there. Turns out it was torn down earlier this year; 6) A surprise party for me held in the Fellowship Hall of the church the summer before I left for Spain. There was a money tree; 7) I learned to play the guitar here after receiving my first, and only guitar; 8) Mom and I got up at the crack and drove to Fayetteville on Saturday, October 6th, 1984 to see Jim Wacker's Horned Frogs upset the Razorbacks, 32-31.

Mud Island

Emilio: "We got to walk on a play Mississippi River. We had fun."

At the National Civil Rights Museum

Emilio: "At the Civil Rights Museum I learned that Martin Luther King Jr died in 1968. I learned that the 13th amendment abolished slavery, and the 15th amendment let black people vote. I learned that George Washington Carver joined Booker T. Washington at Tuskegee Institution and became an internationally famous inventor. I just saw a replica of the bus that Rosa Parks got arrested on. I also saw a replica of Rosa Parks. I got to see a replica of Birmingham Jail. I got to see where Martin Luther King Jr was killed. It was sad. Visiting the Civil Rights Museum was sad and fun."

Good Morning, Peabody Pool

Emilio: "Today I woke up and went to the pool and made a friend. In a little bit we are going to see ducks. I forgot that last night we listened to music. We listened to music about the Sound of Music. In the Peabody Lobby. It was played on the piano. We are going to the Civil Rights Museum today."

Tupelo and Oxford

Emilio: "We just woke up and got breakfast. Now we are going to Elvis Presley’s Birthplace.
"I am about to see a movie. It’s about Elvis in his young years. I’m all by myself.
"I learned that Elvis Presley was in a contest and the winner got 25$. I also learned that Elvis Presley liked movies."

Elvis was born here in 1935.

"I got to see a replica of Elvis Presley’s bed he was born in. I learned that Elvis Presley had a brother that was born stillborn.
"Visiting Elvis Presley’s birthplace was fun! Now we are going towards William Faulkner’s house."

William Faulkner moved here in 1930 and lived here until his death in 1962.

Emilio: "We made it. Fun Fact: William Faulkner loved snakes. Every snake he saw he named it Penelope. Story: One day his sister was going to get married and her boyfriend found a snake in his shoes. He told Faulkner and he said, Oh its Penelope she’s not harmful."

James Meredith made history here in 1962.

"We made it to the Peabody Hotel. It’s super fancy. We walked on Beale Street. We came back and had a Peabody Duck and a Lemon Merengue. Then we went back to our room."

On the Natchez Trace

"Mom and Dad’s anniversary. We woke up and had breakfast. Now we are going to Tupelo on the Natchez Trace.

"It was cool. Now we are in Tupelo. The pool is awesome."

Emi Meets El Mar

Emilio:"We just woke up in the hotel.
"Now we are going to the beach. Can’t wait.
"We stayed there for 4 and a half hours. Now we are going to the hotel.
"The pool was way too cold."