En Route

Folks . . I'm on dial-up. Last time I checked, it was 2006 . .??. . then again, I am staying with most frugal, yet wonderful, people I know . .

Ah well . . .

The first day of driving went well. The night before, I got less than 4 hours of sleep, because loading my car proved to be a greater feat than I'd imagined. Can anyone say 'unorganized'? But seriously, it's hard to know until you're actually leaving what you need to take and how the heck to best fit it in your car. I crammed the car full that night, and the following morning had Grandma, my traveling buddy, show up with not just one suitcase like she promised the night before, but also a sack of clothes for my cousins and a big bag of snacks and, lest we forget, the audio novel and some sermons on tape. I was a bit frustrated by this, especially when she made comments like, "MY, this car is full!" as if surprised that someone moving their entire life could possibly fill up a car with belongings. To put it in perspective, when we stopped for breakfast and I opened my car door, a bag fell out.

I drove the first 9 hours. We stopped at a restaurant in Iowa that we both love called "The Machine Shed" for breakfast . . we listened to a sermon (which I didn't mind; it was really good!) . . we ate popcorn . . and wheat thin chips . . and Dots. After the first 9, though, I was drifting off and having trouble staying on the road, so I reluctantly pulled over and let her drive the remaining 2 hours. (It's sometimes hard to let other people drive . . ie: my mother and my grandmother . . . I just got new brakes and was cringing at how late she decided to use them at the stoplights.)

Seeing my cousins has been great! I have 7 cousins and an aunt and uncle who live in a town south of Indianapolis. They are the most wonderful family to spend time with. They are an amazing example of a godly family and when you visit their home you'll have delicious meals, lots of laughs, and a fun, yet peace-filled, restful time.

Today we went shopping, which is something that is bound to happen when traveling with Grandma. We went to one of my favorite dept. stores, Von Maur, and yes, I bought somethinggg . . s. Then, we stopped at another store on the way home and I knew I should've left my purse in the car . . but I would've just run out in the parking lot to get it, because I found the cutest seersucker jacket and flowy, brown capris, and blue skirt, and brown shirt . . . and my mother is now breaking into a sweat, because now her daughter is going to be far, far away and she can't scold her when she brings home unnecessary packages and remind her to budget. Oh, but Mom, if only you knew how much I *saved*.

Tonight, we sat around looking at pictures on my computer and theirs. It's early to bed around here, which certainly hasn't been my motto for the last few weeks, er, months. Tomorrow I'll spend another day here and then it's off to D.C. I'm ready . . but trying not to think about it, because, really, I haven't much of an idea what to expect. My biggest concern at this point is, of course, what I'll wear the first day. I'll let you know what I decide. . .