Jet Lag

Once we got to Lubbock, we were overcome with jet lag. Typically, we found the trip to the States much easier to adjust to than the return trip to Germany. However, this go around was backwards. We went to sleep between 8 and 8:30 PM the first several nights we were in Texas, and it didn’t help that it completely fit Grommie’s (John’s grandmother’s) schedule, which meant we had no incentive to try to better adjust to the time difference. Finally, we decided to go out one night and force ourselves to stay awake. We went down to the little area of bars and nightclubs in Lubbock (I forget, is it called the warehouse district?) and ended up walking into a bar that definitely catered to an older crowd — we were relieved to not be surrounded by 21 year old college students!

Unfortunately, they were out of Shiner Bock, so we settled for our usual: Coors Lite for me and Miller Lite for John. We grabbed a table outside (the whole bar is outdoors) and enjoyed the music. A band was setting up and was scheduled to go on around 10:30, and while they set up, they played great music from our junior high and high school days. Unfortunately, once the band came on stage (finally a little after 11, I believe), we were completely turned off and left. They lead singer was incredibly vulgar and offensive, and to make it worse, their music was terrible. We laughed it off and headed back to Grommie’s a little more adjusted to the time.

While at Grommie’s we spent time visiting with her, driving around Lubbock, touring the Llano Estacado winery, and visiting with John’s great aunts and a few of their friends. We even got to go to a tea with six 80+ year old women and John and myself. It was too fun! We thought it was especially great when one of the women said “he has five gandkids,” and another woman, who is hard of hearing, replied “what?! he has five ranches!?”

The only truly frustrating thing that I remember happening while we were in Lubbock happened in a grocery store parking lot. We had just dropped Grommie off at the door to the store and were pulling around to find a place to park and watch for her to come out. As we were pulling into a front spot, a huge truck nearly hit us (inches away…if not closer), jumped the curb, and stole our parking space that we were in the midst of pulling into. Really. The dude came from behind us and managed to steal it. John got out of the car and was exceptionally polite and calm about the whole ordeal (I was very proud of him!). The other driver, however, was immature and unclassy. He was rude and ended up shoulder checking John as he walked past. Later, I thought of what John should have said as the guy walked away: “your mother would be disappointed.” Too bad it takes me hours to think of decent responses.

More on our trip tomorrow — I finally get to talk about the San Antonio leg of our trip!