"Driftin Ol Miss Journal by Wali-G"

Sep 1-15   Sep 16-30   Oct 1-15   Oct 16-31   Nov 1-15   Nov 16-30   Dec 1-15   Dec 16-31  
   Nov 1, 2009 Sun

   All Saints Day. Pheng and I went to church with Frank Burgess (I've never been to a Southern Baptist mass before). The crew ate burgers and chilli with the Burgess family back at the farm. Watched Brett Favre and the Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers (again). Finished the day sitiing around a campfire. River is flooded and predicted to rise till Thursday....raft is just about parked under the Red Park pavilion.



   Nov 2, 2009 Mon

   River still rising. Had to readjust raft moorings. Did interview with local news channel 12 in Cape Girardeau. Frank gives us a tour and sets us loose on Cape G....foosball table is found at the Breakaway.



   Nov 3, 2009 tues

   Cape G, house of Burgess...Frankie J represents for family and community. Start the day with a newspaper interview (Frank set up), takes us to Aldi's and Walmart to hook us up with food, water, and propane, off to 18 holes of golf (a first for us in November), takes us to a 6lb burrito eating food challenge, introduces us to the live music scene at Stooges bar, and leaves us with his son (who busts out an original Nintendo Entertainment System.... Classic.



   Nov 4, 2009 wed

   Bad news strikes the crew; Pheng must head back to Wisconsin for a family emergency. //Wednesday wingding....Frank takes us to Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch.



   November 5, 2009 Thur

   Cape Girardeau, MO - went to breakfast at the Huddle House (much like a Waffle House). Cruised around town and the country; got some good pictures of a covered bridge and mill. Water level is starting to recede. Need to fix engine mount and get rolling no later than Sunday.///// Last day with Pheng on the crew; will probably shed a tear over a beer about losing my drinking buddy.



   November 6, 2009 Fri

   Pheng is back in Minnesota today... Took him 6 hours. New speed record for the Don Quixote crew. Unfortunately Pheng missed the rodeo, the dancing bikini chicks, the cow on the roof, Eric climbing a flagpole, Frank hitting a hole in one, Big Shane coming off the wagon to work at Platinum Disk, Wali-G renouncing foosball....missed a big day, Pheng./// Started boat upgrade....adding an old barn 2x6 as our new engine mount tmr.... That should hold it..dotcomathon continues.



   November 7, 2009 Sat

   Found boat beached...manpower prevails with seven guys lifting and shifting the raft into the water. Thank You community of Cape Girardeau for the help......engine mount repaired, unemployment insurance document faxed...headed to Cairo, Illinois, the tail end of the upper Mississippi. ///....fought wind and debris and a rooted tree...and what became of the Don Quixote? It got blown off the river, fish that made its timbers shiver, and a plant that made a forced entry...nearly shoved me in a stream.



   Nov 8, 2009 sun

   New Record Miles per Gallon- made it 50 miles on one 6 gallon tank! Made it to Cairo, Illinois...last city in Illinois...Kentucky tmr. Went into town to have one beverage for NFL Sunday and to checkout a town the upper-river has been talking negative about....it looks like a minor warzone in the old historic district.... I don't know what happened here (gangs, loss of a major employer or shipping industry, plague...?), but this 3600 person town needs some work and funds.



   Nov 9, 2009 mon

   Been two months since the 9-9-09 launch....made it to Hickman, KY, after a gas stop in Columbus, KY. Liking the hospitality and the general representation of helping persons in need (thanks Roger for the ride and buying us gas)...we really like this state.... That's fn awesome! Where I come from the pre-80's generation, even if they are your family, want you to beg before they help...even if you tell them you are in need....I guess the average citizen's mission of peace is not to par with Cheney's war machine...sorry I thought I was doing something good for a moment. My bad.



   Nov 10, 2009 tues

   Edmund Fitzgerald sank 34 years ago. Why are we still fighting each other when humanity can't even save the working man from mother nature?



   Nov 11, 2009 wed

   Veterans Day. New Madrid, Missouri. One of the biggest earthquakes on record happened here in 1811; made the river flow backwards....was also one if the first whiteman cities in Missouri.



   Nov 12, 2009 Thurs

   After missing reasonable parking to see the city, we opted to take some backwater slough parking, that has put us in wild kingdoms southern way.....3000 birds that rained poo on us, monster giant fish, and most recently the rocking of the boat like something pulled itself up on our side runner. Good thing we invested in a new, state of the art security sytem called scrapwooden latch with nail pivot.



   Nov 13, Fri

   Hello Arkansas. Somewhere we passed the half-way point distance wise....700 some miles to go. Time wise, barring corruption in Memphis, Vicksburg,..,, we are two thirds finished with this goal. Currently baskin in the glow of a bomb fire, smilin about Arkansas representing with a goodwill ride to the gas station 12 miles away... And a trip to a general store for vittles...



   Nov 14, 2009 Sat

   Tried to drift at night...wouldn't recommend it.. Log monsters, no idea where the channel is at,...buoys.. Headed to Memphis for Sunday.



   Nov 15, 2009 Sun

   Made it to Memphis, Tennessee. Watched the Vikings win....pretty wasted... Tennessee bourbons...ready to fight anyone at Hooters.... haven't looked around for minute...probably should go home.