So, back on Thursday, we hung around the house waiting for the end of the morning rush before we left Newton. We did miss it, basically because we were going against traffic to get outta town. But we hit Providence traffic, then Bridgewater traffic and New Haven traffic and on and one, and this is before even seeing New York State. We arrived at the Tappan Zee bridge and I discovered my battery was out of my camera- and you know how I like taking pictures of bridges. So, I had to steal this one from Mickey, hope he won't mind. We didn't have rain, seems Mickey had worse weather than I did.
We got into another Jam in Jersey, like I would expect anything else. At one point we saw a big black lab stuck in the median strip so called the state police to go fetch him before he tried to cross four lanes of traffic. They were already on their way. The only redeeming fact was that we missed the whole Ford funeral series- I think Thursday was the California episode, but wait wait- the next episode was Washington and guess where we were headed! Of course we hit the greater DC area about an hour before peak rush hour so another Jam held back TY from going his preferred 85mph. Hours later we exited and fled into Virginia where we were headed for Richmond for our doggie hotel reservation. Wouldn't you know that the hotel was on the far side of Richmond so we didn't get in until after 9PM, a 12 hour trip counting the several hours of standing dead still. TY went out and got a pizza and a stiff drink and I babysat Molly the escape artist while clicking through the thousands of channels until I fell into a stupor.
TY is ---ummm---an early riser so we were in the car and on the road before 7AM. At a decent hour we found a Waffle House and got Molly her fried egg and us our coffee, but by the time we got back on 95 we were in another gridlock. And then another one. Then we hit North Carolina where the road narrowed to two lanes and everything came to a standstill. We went 20 mph for three hours. I started to smell myself fro lack of morning shower combined with driving and riding stress. We went through all the Harry and David's popcorn and nuts and the dog treats were going to go next. We had planned on stopping in Charleston again but it was too early to just sit around a motel so decided to press on to Savannah to spend the night. Gridlock again. It took hours to Savannah, we were fed up and decided to just go on to Florida in spite of the distance.
So, we stopped for gas and somethng to eat at a Cracker Barrel. I had been to a C-B once before and had iced tea with my southern buddy. it was perfectly fine in spite of the giftte-shoppe waiting thing. i had told TY about this and he really wanted the 'experience' so in we went. First of all, we are *large* people but in that place I felt a little like Cindy Crawford must when she enters a restaurant, slim and tall and elegant. Everything is relative, right? Well since this is so, I recommend hanging out at C-Bs whenever you are having a fat day. And the best part is that the food is so hideous that indeed you can go there and actually LOSE weight. TY had a plate o' goo they called chicken n' dumplins (sic) but the two of us plowed through the sticky white stuff with out forks and think they forgot the chicken part. It was accompanied by canned green beans that had been cooked until they turned gray. You get a choice of 3 vegetable 'sides' with your meal and one I ordered was a fried apple. I had fond memories of my mom frying up battered apple slices when I was a kid, a special treat always with pork chops. But what I got was a bowl of (gag me here) apple pie filling, canned. Oh, the other 'vegetable' offerings were mashed potatos with a choice of white or brown gravy or mac n' cheese (!). TY got brown rice with his dinner and that was a revelation- it was a combo of practically UNcooked white and wild rice with Worcestershire sauce making it the promised brown.
Sorry to say we didn't stay around for dessert. Or make a reservation at the next C-B down the road. Back in the car and I was driving now. I went like a bat outta hell for about 6 minutes until I hit a 3 hour bumper to bumper stretch. And we hadn't even gotten to the Florida line. Once we finally did, we had much smoother sailing for the last 5 hours. Rolled into Jupiter at almost midnight after SEVENTEEN friggin hours on the road. My own bed. And never again.
So, tonight is New Years Eve and up until a few hours ago we had no plans, but old friends called and apparently no one has plans so we are getting together for an early dinner and then home by probably 9. Fine with me.
At least I know I will get a good meal tonight.
And we are still not by the Ford funeral extravaganza in spite of the fact that no one has much to say. Thankfully we aren't seeing James Brown in his box, but Saddam's head keeps poking it's way onto the newspaper front page. What is wrong with the media? What is wrong with the public?? What is wrong with this world???
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