Graceland…So, I’m still in a reflective mode right now and feel like sharing another story. It’s celebration time, not mourning – so let the silly stories fly!

On our trip to Arkansas to see Patsy (mentioned in a previous post), Nick and Larry’s main purpose was to check on Patsy since some time had passed since she’d lost her husband to Cancer. Her husband was a mentor to Nick & Larry. His name was Bob from Billings Montana,man. Or, at least, that’s how they referred to him.
After surviving the tornado on the drive to her house, the guys sat up most of the night and talked to catch up with their dear friend. Coffee… we drank so much coffee that my eyes just wouldn’t close that night.
The next day, Patsy went to work, so Nick, Larry, and I went cruising around Jonesboro. There’s absolutely nothing in Jonesboro, AR. The land was flat. The city was not very citified either. After Patsy got home from work, we all went out. We stopped at a gas station to get cigarettes, pop, and other goodies. When we came back out of that store, Patsy’s car wouldn’t start. Patsy popped her hood and 2 guys that know nothing about cars started pushing and pulling on objects under the hood of Patsy’s Cadillac. (Elvis had a Cadillac) 🙂 Dumb luck prevailed, the car started, and we were mobile once more. By evening time, all were hungry and wanted to eat at “the best BBQ place around”. Uhm, I ate beans. They all appeared to love the BBQ meat though 🙂 Patsy smiled a lot that day and maybe even laughed harder than before too? One thing was for sure, Nick and Larry were hilarious together and they were good medicine for a good friend.

The next day, Patsy wanted to go to Graceland. Memphis? Did I hear Memphis? Elvis? Beale Street? Hell yeah!!
We hopped in Patsy’s car with Nick driving, and made Memphis in just a couple hours. We drove down Elvis Presley Blvd. We saw Graceland and I was in hunka hunka heaven! These guys didn’t know, but I had a major thing for Elvis and this trip meant the world to me! It was Oct 1995, and It could be yesterday in my mind all over again 🙂

First, we saw the Lisa Marie. This personal plane owned by Elvis was name after his daughter. Since we had the tour, I asked a billion questions, we took pictures, and I was flying high with thoughts of Elvis sitting in the seat I sat in on the plane.
We took the tour trolley across the street to Graceland, where we were wedged between several other out of town site seers. (Some of which forgot their deoderant.) Anyway, we finally made it inside. We saw the kitchen where the famous fried peanut butter & banana sandwiches were made, the jungle  room, several bedrooms, and guest area. Outside, the stables were lovely and full of Elvis’ collection of Guns and police badges. We stopped for a moment of silence at Elvis and his mother’s grave site (not really the actual graves), and waved goodbye to a legendary fairy tale.

Hoping back on the tour trolley, we came back across the street and checked out the Car Museum. Elvis had so many cars and motorcycles. I just had to touch one…so, Nick dared me to hop over the roped off area and lean on a Cadillac for a photo opp. I did. Alarms went off as soon as I touched it and I RAN!
Nick was busy pretending not to know me as I fled from the gaurds, ran inside the Lisa Marie and made like a tour guide 🙂 I don’t know if the security guards gave up or thought they’d lost me, but after I told those aboard the Lisa Marie what I could remember, I bowed out of the tour guide business and caught back up with Nick, Larry, and Patsy.

After we left Graceland, we went to Beale street. The music was so alluring. Blues blues blues…I desperately want to go back to Beale street!! (And that’s all I can share about that 😉

Graceland, Elvis, Memphis, and Beale Street Rocked!

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