The Move: Drive Day 2

My alarm went off at 6:15.

Mick, who'd been up and watching tv at some point during the night, was sleeping soundly and our conversation went something like this:

Mick:  gl;kfn;boisfh bek jvqeflivhef'qogy mmmmm
Me:  You know, I can turn it off.  Yesterday we had to get up to pack, but today we don't have to pack.  (pause)
Me:  We can set the alarm for 7:30 and still be on the road by 8.
Mick:  YES!!!  dfgjdlfo ihuef ;voifb;obinsv,,,,mmmmmmzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

So, that's what we did.

We got up at 7:30, showered, woke the kids and packed our room and then decided that instead of getting right on the road, we would actually eat a nice breakfast at the hotel.  Instead of wolfing down McAwful McDonald's or something, we'd sit, let the kids eat at a normal table, and go from there.

It was wonderful.

From the hotel we stopped at a gas station, where I bought this little beauty:

*The photos are merely mugshots.  Remember, people are innocent until proven (or pleaded) otherwise. 

Oh, yes.  For $1, I could have a newspaper with mugshots from every arrest that week.  Seriously, who thinks this stuff up? I had to have it.  (Lord, may I never be in one of these.  How awful.  I mean, yes, it was funny that it existed at all and I had to have it -- but some of those people probably had the worst night of their lives and were mortified and embarrassed, and now it's out there for people to laugh at them.  The idea's funny in the abstract -- or even for idiots who deserve it -- but for some folks, I am quite positive it's just awful.  On the other hand, the girl on the bottom left seems okay with it ... )

I also bought (sorry, no photo): the Sunday Washington Post (I needed my coupons!  It was Proctor and Gamble week!), three Nerds ropes, two small bags of Combos, one giant bag of Combos, one pack of giant chewy SweetTarts, two kids' drinks, and a "sweet tea."  I put "sweet tea" in quotes because, c'mon.  It wasn't fresh brewed.  But it would have to do.

Anyway, it was 10:00 before we really got on the road. (And I still didn't see Jill! I found out after the fact that she'd sent a message saying she'd come meet us for breakfast.  Grrrr.)

The drive was once again pretty easy, and the scenery -- as always -- was gorgeous.  We really do live in a beautiful country.

To recap:  On Drive Day 1, we traveled through Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia.

Today our goal was to get to Maine, which  meant:

Virginia

West Virginia

Maryland

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

New York -- no, wait, still Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

New York

and then, depending on how we went, either Massachusetts, or Connecticut and then Massachusetts

New Hampshire

Maine

To quote CAM, "thatsalotta states!"

We stopped at a Cracker Barrel in Scranton, Pennsylvania, for a late lunch.  Another nice, relaxing meal. (Well, minus the potty mouth New Jerseyites who were at a table next to ours and way too close.  I mean, I have a potty mouth, but c'mon lady.  You're in CRACKER BARREL.  Next to a table with two PRESCHOOLERS.  Check your language, please.  On the other hand, she cracked me up because she was about as dumb as a box of rocks, and perhaps even worse than that when it came to being informed about the nation's current events. Hearing her try to discuss news issues with her husband was entertaining.)

The kids and I enjoyed the views and took time to listen to a little "storytime" on cd.

I love Peter and the Wolf, but I really love that you have to LISTEN to the story.  No pictures, no dvds.

Then we got snarled in some traffic coming into New York.  There had been signs warning us of delays at the border, but it turned out that the delay that really got us for a while was an ugly accident.  The construction was easy-peasy.

My view as we sat in almost-in-park on the Interstate.  Aside from the traffic, it sure is pretty!

My other view.  I had a lot of this view on the drive, of course.

We crossed the Hudson ...

And took a break at a rest stop in upstate New York somewhere near Albany.  It was funny to me that the rest stop was actually closer to Montreal than it was to Buffalo.  I know, that's not exactly rocket science, but it still reminded me exactly where we were -- which was to say, NORTH.

Note the flashlight.  He was "helping Daddy."  (Helping him do what, I don't quite know.)

And then, my friends, the fatigue started to set in.  We were hoping to steamroll on through to Maine, but we realized that with our late start, our generous stops, and then the traffic snarls, we'd be getting in pretty late.  We decided that were going to meet Gram and Grampa Bob for dinner when we got near Boston as a last hurrah for our final leg -- and then we got snarled in traffic again.   So, we changed that to meeting for dinner followed by spending the night at their condo.  And then Gram upgraded that to putting us up at a hotel for the night. 

This pic is from the next morning.  You know, since we got there after dark and all!

 That was sooo much better than getting to Maine at midnight.  The next day we'd have a little over two hours' drive, we could sleep in, arrive in daylight, unpack at our leisure, and generally not sweat it.  (Funny, I just typed "swear it," and I corrected that -- but I think it's actually quite fitting!)

So, that's what we did.  We finally got to the hotel around 9, checked in, stretched our legs, and headed for a nice dinner and an adult beverage.  (Thanks, Gram and Grampa Bob, for helping us preserve some semblance of sanity.)

We needed it, and we really enjoyed it!

--Jen

(Oh yeah.  WHM was asleep for the night by the time we got to the hotel.  He slept until we all loaded up to go to dinner, and then slept through dinner after he lost his mind -- lost. his. mind. -- when I'd mistakenly put his sandal on wrong.  I ate and drank one-handed (even had to ask for a soda cup with a straw to drink my margarita!) and had to have Mick cut my food into tiny bites that I could scoop and eat with one motion, because WHM was curled up on me, and every time I tried to set him down, he woke up.  Then we left the restaurant and my sleeping WHM tooted and let out a HUGE belch -- woke himself up -- and was happy as a pig in mud.  And wide awake.  Figures!)

Pin It