Post Easter Post

Things get weird in south Florida the day after Easter. For one thing the car carriers clog the roads, all about half full and running from gated community to gated community picking up their charges to haul them back up north. It's a great service, though expensive. Seems there are certain forms one must know about to make it a successful trip too. Who knew... First of all you always ask for a top position on the truck. If you get in on the bottom rack you could get oil all dripped on you from the car overhead, or worse, have it fall through on you. ('You' being the car). Second, it isn't all that convenient if you don't live near a parking lot that the carriers use. If you have to drive 50 miles to meet your car, it kinda takea the convenience away. Third, you can't load the car up with your stuff because they won't guarantee it won't be stolen. Huh? One would think it would be pretty secure sitting up there in the sky, locked and immobile and all. Anyway, anything you pack in the trunk isn't insured and they suggest you don't send a thing. Anything in the back seat is apparently fair game for anybody. So much for car carriers. Oh yeah, the rate is upwards of $1000 now for the trip.

The alternative is to set your Florida dog free in the swamps and run like hell assuming he will win out over the alligators and pythons and not be able to catch your car as you speed away. You can always pick up another dog next season. The otehr alternative is to drive your own damn car three days, stay in two flea motels (if it's dog freindly, it is also flea friendly), eat at road stands along the turnpike for three days, and hope to hell your driving foot doesn't atrophy on the trip. The road stands are good in the south- there's always a Waffle House where you can meet and greet every southern states' most recent toothless parolees slamming eggs on the griddle. But darn, the food is good. Once you hit that Mason Dixon line though, all bets are off and the Waffle House is disappeared. There are roadside stands you can buy a Smithfield Ham whether you are in Smithfield or not- seems everything that is hamish is labled Smithfield whether it is ot not. Do not buy a Smithfield Ham other than from the real company. In Smithfield.

From Richmond on, there is gridlock traffic all the way through to Boston. you think and plan on skirting around Washington on a Saturday morning, skidding by NYC in the middle of the night, but you get to both and find that you cannot go more than 15 mph for hours on end no matter what the day or time. There is also no 'skirting around' either city. It's 1500 miles of straight driving, no short cuts, lots of cruise control, and thousands of truckers moving stuff up and down the coast, bless their hearts. Usually they are off the roads on Sundays so that morning is like a free pass. I know they aren't all in church.

Today is about over and I am headed to the airport to pick up TY for our last month here. Well, HIS last month because I will be pulled kicking and screaming if I have to leave before June.

Secret Tip: Its lovely here now, the people are exiting and leaving just the folks who stick around to do things like raise kids and work at jobs. The restaurants welcome you, the beaches are simply lovely. I love it here now.