Nobletucky

Sue’s job took us to Memphis, and in 2001, it was responsible for us leaving Memphis. By then we had both left the company where we worked together. She left in early 1998 and I left in November 1998. Her new employer closed their Memphis office in 2001 and offered her a chance to move to either Wichita, KS or Indianapolis, IN. Now, I have nothing against Wichita, other than it was a bit odiferous on one of our trips through there, but Indianapolis would be closer to family and friends, so it was really an easy choice to make.


We moved ourselves (that’s the last time I will do that), and were really looking forward to living someplace new, but I almost turned around as soon as I entered the state. The truck we had was a large U-Haul filled to the brim with all our household furniture. We used an auto dolly to pull our car behind the truck while Sue and Sarah followed behind in our van. When I rented the truck and dolly the last thing the guy told me was, “Under no condition should you try to back this truck with a car on the dolly. You might be able to, but most likely you’ll just damage the car.” His point was that there is a pivot where the trailer connects to the truck and a second pivot where the car wheels attach to the dolly. So to back it up you have the car, the dolly and the truck all going in different directions.

Anyway, so we no sooner get into Indiana when I had to get some gas. The gas station was one of those stop and go places with a café attached to it. I had almost finished filling the tank when this older couple pulled up in a car and parked in front of the café. They were not in a proper parking space and were right in my way. I asked Christopher to go ask the guy to give me a second to move and his smart ass remark was something like, “If he don’t know how to drive, he shouldn’t be out on the road,” and went on in and sat down. He had a point of course, but I couldn’t back up. So I go to talk to him and these 3 or 4 bikers came walking out. They told me not to worry about it, they would move their motorcycles and I could swing wide around him. You don’t know how badly I wanted to clip his fender or something as I went around him, but I didn’t. But it goes to show you something; the old couple, who you would expect to be nice; weren’t, and the bikers who have a questionable reputation with some people, were.

Anyway, Indiana has been great and it will soon be 10 years here. We settled in a little town north of Indianapolis called Noblesville. Yes, it can get cold in the winter and it does snow frequently, but they do a great job in clearing the roads and the cold only makes the spring time that much nicer. In fact, all four seasons here are distinct and enjoyable.

The people are also great. They sometimes change the last name of some cities to “tucky” to account for southerners who moved north in search of jobs, but there are times you would think you were right back in the south from the way a lot of people talk. Some of the area around the University of Indiana looks like someone scooped up a big chunk of Loudon County and dropped it in Indiana. It’s hilly and green and a lot of folks have a twang.

Come up and see us sometime!