Day 25. Nov. 28 Driving to FL

Note-

I got a bit behind, so I am making 2 postings today. Scroll down to see yesterday's events that I posted about 2 hours ago.

I started the day today at a slow and steady pace. This is the first leg on the trip I didn't look at the map and see how many miles I had to travel. I thought it was around 350 and couldn't figure out why my aunt said it would take me 8 hours to get from north Georgia to just north of Orlando, FL. I figured she was working in "Dana time" and didn't think another thought about it.

I diddled my way out of Blue Ridge, GA and headed south. I was all bundled up in a nice shirt, turtle neck, fleece, and jacket since it was in the 30's.


Each day, I wear a nice shirt with some silly idea everyone will get to see it. BUT it has been so cold that I never end up peeling away the layers that cover it and my nice shirts never get seen by anyone but me.


Well, I have great news!! Today, I got about 50 miles south of Atlanta and stopped to use the restroom. When I opened the car door and stepped out it was like a wall of warmth. WOW!!! I had the car set at the temperature for what I was dressed in. I had no clue it was so warm out. Whoosh, off came all those layers and low and behold there was my nice shirt!! YEA!!


Now, the only thing I need to do to complete the outfit is do my way unattended nails and yank those old lady hairs off my face.


I have got to say, rest areas down here are TOTALLY different than up in the NW. Here, they are huge, really nice, beautifully landscaped, crowded, have a full staff working at them, and the bathrooms have 50 or more stalls. This makes for no lines in the ladies room!!


That 8 hours that my aunt said it would take me was used up rather quickly with the flowing ocean of red brake lights.


Traffic would get up to speed every now and then, but for the most part it was me and all the others singing to ourselves. My singing is improving greatly!! Well, either that or I just keep turning the radio up so I can hear the professionals more than myself. Have you ever sat in traffic and watched other people sing in their car? It is rather entertaining!!!


I think there is a contest down here as to who has the biggest billboard. They started out normal, but the further south I got the bigger the signs became. The companies must have thought, since we were getting closer to old people country, the signs needed to be bigger so they could read them. They are probably 4 times the size of a normal billboard. McDonalds has taken supersize to a new level!!


Anyway, these are the deep thoughts that went through my mind as I ventured south.


When I got to the Florida border, I so excitedly called my aunt in north Georgia to share with her how close I was to my other aunt's house. (Mind you, at this point, I had been driving for 7 hours straight. Not even stopping for lunch. I ate cold turkey in my lap) She said to me, "Well, you are about half way."


"EXCUSE ME!!! HUH?!? I have 7 more hours to go? Oh, that's just not possible!"


I then quickly called my other aunt to confirm the information and she said, "Oh, no. only 2 and a half hours left."


WOO HOO I'm getting close now, or so I thought...


The traffic that lay ahead made my first aunt a lot closer. It took me 5 hours to go those last 120 miles. I have the brake light of every make of car memorized. I would make a really good accident investigator because I would be able to identify all the cars based on tail light identification.


I got to play the alphabet game with myself. This is where you have to find each letter in the alphabet on billboards in order and the first person to get to "Z" wins. Naturally, I won!! :)


My rear is now shaped with a flat crease in the middle from where it was imbedded into the seat and became totally numb, my eyes can't see straight anymore, and my fingers have practically created indents in the steering wheel. AND take note, I stepped into very abnormal behavior today because I only took ONE picture all day!!!!!!!! You will get to see that with tomorrow's posting!!


For now, it's off to bed. Good night!!! :)