Adventures while waiting

I have now been waiting six weeks for the next document that I need for my visa application, which is coming from the US State Department. According to their website, I'll need to wait at least another five. That's okay, though, because all this waiting is good practice for when I have to start dealing with the Spanish bureaucracy.

To fill my time during the wait, I decided to take a longish road trip. I'll be gone for about a month, but I won't be coveting that much territory. Long drives make my back hurt, so I'll do short drives, paired with long visits.

If I have planned this right, I'll greet every current member of the Star Trek group in person, visit with my undergrad physics mentor, and do a lot of bike rides. Oh, and take some photos of roadside attractions. After all, I have to fill the blog with something.

Yesterday's highlight was a decommissioned Titan nuclear missile. It was pouring rain, so I didn't even get out of the car to take the photo. I drove quite close to read the informational plaque and learned that the government has only *loaned* this missile to the local Rotary club. But there was no explanation of why the Rotary Club thought this was a good idea. Still, the existence of the missile meant I drove through Cordele, Georgia and bought a coffee, so I guess it worked to attract at least one tourist.

Today I did a traffic bike ride in Franklin Delano Roosevelt State Park, near were he vacationed in Warm Springs, GA. The 8C/46F weather was apparently too cold for Southerners because the entire path was deserted. I also spent the evening with my good friend T and his family. In-person visits are about to become much harder for me, so I'm really glad I can do them now.