Twenty years or so after the first visit ...

... I went back to Pocohantas IL.

My first visit was to promote an "Ugly Bartender" competition in the late 1980's, in which one or more of the Powhatan Restaurant's employees were involved. Lotsa shaking hands and baby-kissing, schmoozing and so on. Mrs. A went along then and she went along today.

And ya know what? That little Illinois town still has the same good people. We met up with a guy who's retired and starting a new business and careeer, we ate at the same place (but considerably remodeled and redecorated) we ate at before, and we spent some time with a genuinely nice family, the Pirtles.

Met Jimi's wife and kids and dogs and knocked around their property for a bit. I've known the guy online for a few years but had never actually shaken his hand until today.

I feel I'm a better man for having gotten back to that little town and touched base with reality once more.

Sheesh. If only Illinois didn't have such stupid firearms laws...