Lesson of the Night: Always stay healthy on the road

I intended to arrive in New Orleans tomorrow morning at 5:30, but circumstances changed.

It's interesting how sometimes our bodies don't tell us how tired they are until the last minute. There I was on the bus to Montgomery, Alabama, thinking about the Gulf Coast.

Then, whammo! Cold sweats. As I coaxed my body into making it to Montgomery, I realized I was incredibly dehydrated. It was a very gradual process. Whoops.

Lesson: Always eat well (check) and drink fluids (duly noted) on the road, or your body will get angry and demand rest immediately.

So: Staying in Montgomery at the cheapest Econolodge ever. They gave me the corporate rate, for whatever reason.

UPDATE: It's amazing what water does. Things should be rolling by morning.

VIDEO: Birmingham's Kelly Ingram Park

The Civil Rights Institute describes Kelly Ingram Park:

Birmingham's Kelly Ingram Park was the staging ground for Civil Rights rallies, demonstrations and marches during the tumultous years of the 1960s. It was in Kelly Ingram Park that Birmingham police and firemen turned attack dogs and high-powered hoses on participants rallying for human rights and simple decency. These images will forever be associated with Birmingham and Kelly Ingram Park.

And here is Thirty Days, standing near the park's northwest corner.

Only a few decades ago, everything was so much different...

This church, 16th Street Baptist, was something of a staging ground for Birmingham's civil-rights movement. It sits right across the street from what is now the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and kitty corner to Kelly Ingram Park, a square that pays tribute to those who fought (and gave their lives) fighting segregation.

Birmingham was one of the most segregated cities in the United States for a long time. White people and black people couldn't do anything together. They couldn't even play "an innocent game of dominoes", as the Institute puts it.

The Carver was one of the only theatres that permitted black patrons. It closed in the 80s but is back open now. One of many sites in the city that people who are just now middle-aged would remember as segregated.

Notes from Birmingham

I saw a sign for someone running to be the district judge. Fair enough, Americans elect judges. I disagree with that, but so it goes.

But now, wow. I just saw a sign for a candidate for none other than the prestigious position of Tax Assessor.

Americans elect everybody. They just elected a traffic light, in fact. It was the man (post?) for the job.

SACME, you've done it again

I picked the wrong profession. As it turns out, everyone who works for the Society of Academic Continuing Medical Education is incredibly nice. Well, two for two. The most recent example of this gallantry is Birmingham-based Jim Ranieri.

Jim rolled up to the Oxmoor Econolodge and we drove over to Five Points South, the historic-type neighbourhood in town, to grab a bite to eat.

Where did we go? Jim 'n Nick's, of course. We ate pulled pork sandwiches. I should note that mine was better than the one in Nashville -- everyone thinks they have the best BBQ, Jim says. Maybe I just didn't drown the Nashville sandwich in enough BBQ sauce.

All in all, a success. This morning was an early rise to write a post for MediaScout, so it was early to bed.

Thanks for everything, Jim!

Map update: 27 October

Distance covered so far. I think it has been 12 buses so far. There is still so far to go to get to California. Onward!