Weird Kentucky

Perry and I were introduced to each other through Perry's cousin Diana who I worked with at Alliance Data Systems (years ago). She thought I was interested in all kinds of weird things and had labeled me as "off the beaten path". When Perry came to Columbus to work on his dissertation research he moved in with his Grandma and Grandpa Beck and Diana. After several months of living there with Perry, Diana came to the conclusion that Perry was also "off the beaten path".

She showed me a picture taken of Perry during his sister's wedding and asked if she could give him my number. Months later Perry called. We hit it off, first as friends and then as a couple. Now we're happily (most of the time) married. But as far as Diana is concerned we still are off the beaten path.

This has been a little of a joke between Perry and me. I even bought Perry a book that listed all the strange, off the beaten path, places to visit in the U.S. This year for Christmas Perry bested me. He bought me the book Weird Florida that has lots of strange places in Florida listed in it. He bought this when he went down to Florida this fall. He got back to our house and couldn't find the book. So off he went to Barnes and Nobles and bought me Weird Kentucky, since the Florida book isn't sold in Kentucky.

Come Christmas day, I opened one of the presents from Perry and it was Weird Florida. Now Perry was a little confused but didn't say anything. I later came across another package for me from Perry that was exactly the same shape and weight as the Weird Florida book. I opened it and out came Weird Kentucky. He had forgotten that he had already wrapped the first present and put it under the tree. When he couldn't find the first book he had gone and bought the second, thinking he had lost the first. This is very much a Perry thing to do.

This past week I finished reading Weird Kentucky. Some of the places I knew quite a lot about Waverly Sanatorium (from Ghost Hunters), the Louisville Slugger Museum, the Kentucky State Fair giant talking insurance sales man, and the Creation Museum (there was a big controversy when it opened). Others I didn't know as much about like the Fugate family that had blue skin because of a blood disorder and the vampire cult murders in Murray, Kentucky where Vincent at one point thought about going to college. All of it was weird, funny, and fascinating and sadly Diana is right. I am off the beaten path. I'm already thinking about how to visit the hotel that has themed rooms (like a pirate ship and a tree house) or a walk through Cave Hill Cemetery (closer to home).



--- Stephanie