Jim Granter

Some notes             [Photographs by hyperlinks to Flickr set]

Saturday 3 June 1.20 La Quinta

Days Inn Charlotte last 2 nights. Load of crap after 2 hours trying to find the dump. Noisy A/C until I found the controls. “Complimentary” breakfast greatly depleted Sat a.m. No batteries in remote and none at Reception.

Superb library in Charlotte. Bought Trotsky’s My Life for 50 cents. Instant e-mailing home and Liz and Ed and Mick (who?). Great Irish Pub with Coventry fan barman. Told him about McAllister who’s finished playing to coach. Chicken salad and French bread very good, good Irish music including Furies. Jameson’s on the rocks.

Slept 5 hours in the evening, 2 before 6.a.m. Left Days Inn 7.30 to I-85 then 49/64 to Cary, next to Raleigh. Drove straight to Blockbuster Video ‘phoned Jimmy [Harken] – left ansaphone message.

Got instructions to La Quinta from pharmacist. Checked in. Slightly better! Pool, fitness centre continental breakfast, slick reception. Don’t ask how much – if you do , you won’t want to afford it.

Bought clip-on shades on the way, near Ashboro, just right for my specs.

Public radio station is good, also World Service, Country Highway 49 is the ‘Scenic Route’ between Charlotte and Raleigh – very nice terrain, typical rural NC.

Rainstorms and thunder forecast for NC area over this weekend. Bob Hope, 97, in the news with intestinal bleeding. He had orange juice and oatmeal for breakfast – quote from CNN!

Wal-Mart in same complex as La Quinta. Sport shorts and trainers – $15 total.

Half an hour on the walking machine – very good. Trainers excellent. Saw last 30 minutes of Mississippi set movie with Ed Harris, about KKK, cotton, etc.

Loud claps of thunder overhead. Am on Level 5. Coffee should be ready, to World Service BBC News at 4 p.m. Chucking it down, to loud thunder looking out over car park, one block of buildings and then forest. A/C off now, cool enough. High 70s forecast for Sunday. Fell asleep around 5.30, awake at 12.30- didn’t ring the Harkens