Leave parents home at 7:30 am to pick up partner. See how much more to be packed in car. Cry a little.
Arrive at the blessed Wawa. (Wawa is the one (non-people) thing I truly miss about the Delaware valley. In the morning, they have something like fifteen different coffee pots set up and attended by two nice ladies. Every type of coffee you can imagine. Pour it yourself, add what you need (and there are plenty of things to add) and pay. Out the door in a matter of minutes. It’s good. Really good. And they have an excellent deli too. Wawa, I miss you!).
Drive to Wilmington, NC to see Donovan, his mama and his daddy.
Arrive in Wilmington. Get lost. Call for directions. Get lost. Am directed turn by turn on the phone until…YAY!
Arrive at casa de Donovan.
Dinner at brew pub. Drink beer. Contemplate drinking more beer. (Vanilla stout=yum). Eat half a hamburger.
Sleep. Finally.
Day two:
Contemplate wandering around Wilmington.
Sit in sunroom and watch documentary shows that Donovan’s daddy made.
Contemplate being more productive, seeing sites, shopping…
Eat chips and salsa
Informed by Donvan (age 2.5) that it is “a beautiful day outside” and that “we should all go to the playground!”
Go to playground.
Eat ribs for dinner. Watch in awe as Donovan (age 2.5) eats a half rack of ribs, two chicken wings and some “git ‘er dononions”.
Drink port.
Sleep.
Day three (New Year’s Eve):
Leave Wilmington.
Drive until dusk when partner points out that headlights appear not to be working.
Change fuse.
Headlights still don’t work.
Cry a little.
Drive with brights until terror alone makes me pull over. Positive we will be killed by a blinded and enraged trucker.
Eat chicken soup and salad at “Steak and Shake”. Endure mockery for having neither steak nor shake.
Break down and have a yogurt shake.
Sleep.
Day four:
Awake early hoping that the headlight fairy has arrived during the night.
Cry a little when the headlights remain burnt out.
Realize that cannot change headlights (easily) on own.
Drive through Tennesee, Arkansas and part of Oklahoma worried about dusk.
Drive with brights, blinding all oncoming traffic and causing searing pain of worry in own head and back.
Cry a little.
Sleep.
Day five:
Awake early, have partner find a Hyundai dealership off the 40 along route.
Sit in shock when he does.
Drive to dealership, explain problem and gaze pleadingly at tall, handsome mechanic.
Sit in waiting room worrying about what else could be found wrong with car.
Nearly kiss tall, handsome mechanic when he says lights are fixed, all is well, good luck.
Head for Texas
Lunch at The Big Texan. Watch man finish 72 oz. steak in one hour. Swear I see him cry a little.
Leave The Big Texan. Man with steak still there, looking…unwell.
Drive to Gallup. Gallup is cold. And snowy. Long for home. Cry a little. Eat a taco. Feel better.
Sleep.
Day four:
Drive.
Arrive in California and drive into…traffic.
Accident cleared after 45 minutes of swearing.
Continue on just in time to hit…rush hour.
Cry a little.
Arrive home around 6pm.
Contemplate unpacking car.
Cry a little.
So there it is in too much detail (even I am bored with it). No one was left behind (ad far as you know) and so far the car continues to run. I am glad we did it. I am happy to have seen a little more of the U.S.
I never need to do it again.
3 comments:
Even I miss Wawa and I'm not that attached to the Delaware Valley since I didn't live there that long. I'm assuming you got Tastykakes® to go with your coffee.
um, i am 2 1/4 yeard old. and i loooove me some dinosaur bones. i miss you auntie karen
Hmmm. I am not sure about a trip where "Cry a litte" plays such a prominent role. Am very glad you made it home. Did you get your package?
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