Porn star highway

So we're driving up U.S. Highway 220 through the belly of the Carolina Piedmont and as when we pass an exit marked "STAR ROBBINS," Janet says: "You know, that sounds like a porn star name," which struck me as a funny, typically Janet thing to say right in the middle of talking about whatever she was talking about as we passed the exit.

When we passed the next exit and the sign read "TROY CARTHAGE," I piped up and said "And there's her co-star."

But the real payoff came about 15 miles later when we passed the exit that was clearly the title of Star and Troy's latest venture: "CLIMAX HIGH POINT."

Well, it was good for me. We're in Greensboro now at the Biltmore Hotel, this great old railroad hotel in the vastly improved downtown of the city where I grew up. The first ConvergeSouth event starts in less than an hour.

Schweet.

Comments

[VinylVenus]

Xarker: been up and down that road many times, picking up or delivering in Maxton, usually out of Napoleon Ohio.

I once started a novel whose characters were off exit signs in Louisiana: Eunice Crowley; Elton Jennings and his spinster aunt, Evangeline Jennings; Cecilia Henderson, Eunice's best friend; Griffin Jackson (actually in Georgia), Eunice's boyfriend; Scott Cankton, Eunice's ex-fiance who is still pursuing her. Her mother would run a B&B named, Butte LaRose, whose pregnant housekeeper was named Esther Wood and named her daughter Iota (Esther said if she had a son, she was naming him "Atom"). Except for Griff Jackson, all of the italicized are exits on I/10 in Louisiana!

There was to be a follow-up novel with Cecilia as the central character, with some exit juxtapositions from other states. For example: Cecilia's duplicitous boyfriend, Crane Andrews, who was being stalked by his ex-employee, LaMesa Rankin (two Texas exits). LaMesa's mother, Fithian Rankin (IL) was estranged from her crazy daughter, and engaged to Perry Grimes (IA).

Alas, I haven't finished either novel. And I never found a use for Geneva Lyons (NY), Florence Burlington (KY) or Douglas Gillette (WY).

Just as Janet found "porn" overtones to her names, I could conjure a fully fleshed-out character from just an exit sign...

Naomi (thanks for tickling my memories)

[Jean McGreggor]

The Climax High Point exit never fails to make me laugh. Did ya'll ever do the side trip to the Seagrove Pottery area? Well worth the time.