What is it with Middle-America?
Thousands of square miles of non-descript towns serviced by off-highway rest stops and stamped as “America” by the varied conglomerations of fast-food chains, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Applebee’s, Subways, and Kentucky Fried Chicken that, huddled together in nowheresville, act as core-cities for the middle of our great country that reaches from sea to shining sea.

What is it with Middle-America that downtowns are prohibited. 
Always take the car to eat because the feeding stations are simply too far away for feet.
We designed the town like that.
And there is no public transportation.
Take the car, pull in, park, order at the counter to someone who doesn’t know us from Eve, pay, pour our drinks, get our trays of food, take them to a plastic table, and sit.
Stuff our bellies. 
Don’t ‘eat;’ hardly need to chew.
Certainly don’t dine, with a glass of wine in hand to enhance the moment.
Alcohol not allowed in this place, be it McDonald’s, Domino’s, Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, or Jimmy John’s.

What is it with Middle America that local restaurants can’t make it?
Try to find a legitimate made-on-premise food emporium.
What ever happened to Dick and Jane’s Homemade or to The Grist Mill?
To homemade apple pie, as American as?
To meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy?
Why must the food we eat be delivered on trays from a central kitchen a thousand miles away?
Ask Wendy’s, Chipotles, Chili’s, Denny’s, or Waffle House.
Any of them can answer that question:

What is it with Middle-America?

Behold Middle America!

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Wednesday’s posting. 
October 3, 2018 
My 176th consecutive daily posting. 
Time is  4.36.
Boston’s temperature will rise to 67*, will start rainy and stay cloudy.

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Love your notes.
Contact me @ domcapossela@hotmail.com

Continuing with the flurry of greetings at my return from the twenty-six day solo auto-trip to Jackson Hole, WY, a couple of samples:

From long-time supporter, David Mediano:

I have been overwhelmed with work but I am finally catching up in reading your blogs. They are very enjoyable and refreshing to read.
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From long-time supporter Cindy Oddi:

I liked waking up and finding your blog. I knew you were safe.
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And something more current, from Tommie Toner, re: the movie, “Under the Tuscan Sun”:

Dom, have you read the book, Under the Tuscan Sun? I thought it was much better than the movie - although I loved the scenery in the movie. Hope you have "rested up" after your adventure into the southwest. 

Love,
tommie

Web Meister Responds: I got this message today, Tuesday, and my library had a copy which I have taken out and have started. Liking it. Thank you.

Which brings up the subject of books.
On my auto-trip to Jackson Hole, I brought with me Adriana Trigiani’s “Big Stone Gap.” I found it easy to read, sweet, romantic. Excellent escape fare.
I discover a movie based on the book which I’ll watch when I get a chance.

I finished “Big Stone Gap” a week into the trip. At a “Lewis and Clark Visitor’s Center” in Nebraska, I bought Stephen Ambrose’s #1 NYT bestseller, “Undaunted Courage,” a detailed history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that opened the western United States. Excellent for history lovers.
My hand goes up for that, being a history-government major.

I finished “Undaunted Courage” today and, taking Tommie’s suggestion, have started “Under the Tuscan Sun,” a soft preparation for my trip to Tuscany in eighteen months.
Will report.

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Well I’ve finally got the blog going in the right direction.
Not fast enough.
Not fat enough.
But in the right direction.

To all my sweethearts who are staying with me through my gyrations:
I love you.

Dom