Emily's Excellent Adventure

I love a road trip. You know how some people hate being in a car or traveling of any sort? I'm not one of them. I could drive or ride around for hours and just look at stuff. I'm so exciting like that. :0) Well, this past week I got a road trip I hadn't bargained on. Since last March my dad had been diagnosed with a-fib. We knew that he was going to have to go in the hospital this past week so that he could take some medicine they hoped would get his heart back in rythym. I struggled with my decision not to go but Josh was starting back to school and Sarah had her first dance class. That was Monday. By Wednesday morning we had found out that the medicine wasn't working and they were going to do a cardioversion. I decided I really needed to be there. So I packed myself up and headed out. I left Josh to bravely man the homefront and headed to Panama City.

Thankfully the cardioversion worked for my dad and he was able to go home the same day. My sister and nephew came down and we got to have some family time. That kids loves me. :) They lived in Alaska when he was born and I did not get to meet him until he was 6 months old. I've had to do my best to bond now. He thinks I am hilarious! (Okay, maybe funny looking is a better way to put it). Anyway, by Friday I was torn between missing my babies and not wanting to leave Luke. And my parents and Jenny and Philip. :) Friday I fixed lunch for everyone, but in the middle of that process we had a plumbing issue. Standing water in the bathroom. Flash flood style. At first I didn't think much about it because I have 3 kids and everytime they bathe the entire bathroom finds itself covered in a small lake. But then I realized my kids weren't there and we had a problem. I did my best to provide my plumbing experience (which consisted of talking to Josh on the phone about what the plumbers had done at our house a couple of years ago and sticking some kind of tool down the bathtub drain). Finally we came to the conclusion that it was time to call the plumbers.

We finally got around to eating lunch and as we did my phone rang. It was my sis-in-law Leah calling to tell me that TJ Maxx had Lucky Jeans for $32!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For those of you who don't follow my blog regularly I recently set a goal and Lucky jeans were my prize. The truth is, I knew that even if by some amazing miracle I reached my goal I would never actually be able to let myself spend $90 on a pair of jeans. But here they were! On SALE! Score! Don't you love how I have an "emergency sale" network to notify me? :)

So, I am telling you all of this to say that with the excitement of the plumbing issue, the late lunch, not being able to tear myself away from my sweet nephew who randomly started kissing me on the mouth :), and $32 Lucky jeans at TJ Maxx, I was a little later getting on the road than I had planned. :)

I FINALLY got on the road and decided I would take a different exit that would mean less time on the interstate. I HATE the 3 hour stretch between P.C. and Pensacola. It's just boring to me. And it feels like it lasts FOREVER. I am fully intending to homeschool all 3 of my children through the 9th grade the next time we travel that way. :) Anway, you can probably see where this is going. I missed my turn and ended up taking the "scenic route". I really thought I was fine for awhile. I even entertained myself creating stories about people I saw in their cars. There was one military guy driving a camaro with New Mexico tags. I had a whole story about the airman who was missing his love back home. "His heart was as heavy as his foot on the pedal. His eyes were focused on the road, but his mind wandered in a million directions. As he drove along the coastal highway he couldn't help but think how the beauty of the ocean couldn't compare to her beauty." What do you think? Ha! The whole thing was made complete when Kenny Loggins came blaring on the radio. "I went to the danger zone/ Right into the danger zone." Well, as my mind was obviously in other places than paying attention to where I was going, I eventually followed that airman right onto the base!! I pulled up and the guard was standing there. I felt stupid. "Um, I think I'm lost. How do I get to I10?" He was very nice and pointed me back on my merry way.

I drove some more and encountered another fellow driver. This one was a grandma jamming to the radio. I saw myself 30 years down the road. She was full on dancing in her car. It was great. Yes, I am sure you would have never guessed I'm the type of person who sings and dances at red lights. :) I was enjoying the sights of my new route, but I was again beginning to feel that feeling. Not that lovin' feeling. The I don't know where the heck I am feeling. I am pretty sure I drove 4 or 5 circles around the Florida panhandle when I finally found my way to HWY 98 and luckily rembered the route my dad used to take through there. No sooner had I gotten my bearings when I entered "Fast and the Furious: Friday in Florida Style". I promise this car did a stunt in front of me. It came with inches of hitting a semi and then somehow inched it's way in between me and the car in front of me. She then passed the truck and took off going about 100mph. All I could think was that she must have the same thing on her mind as me: Arby's Beef 'n Cheddar. Seriously. I wasn't even hungry, but I had given up carbs for a week and it was time to cheat!!!

Josh had told me once I got to 98 to just stay on 98 and it would get me through Pensacola. Can I just tell you I didn't listen. I don't know why. It's not that I thought I knew better. Well, maybe I did. I just saw a sign for I-10 and reflexively turned as if my hands were saying "I don't care where your crazy mind wants to take you, your body is tired and we need to get home as soon as possible!!" So, I ended up on a bridge. Y'all it was the longest, scariest bridge I have ever been on. I'm not sure if it was scary b/c it was a. so long b. only 2 lanes c. it made me lean, I am not even lying or d. I had no idea where this bridge was taking me. I am going with all of the above. As I was on the bridge I could see the bridge I was SUPPOSED to be on going into Pensacola and it seemed soooo far away. I actually cosidered parking the jeep and swimming across to it. But...I couldn't figure out how to keep my Lucky Jeans dry. :)

I eventually made it off the bridge and came to a toll stop. Seriously, I have never in 20 years of traveling between P.C. and Mississippi had to pay a toll. I asked the toll man if I was headed the right way to get to the interstate. He told me I would be there in 5 miles. But his tone said "And this was the stupidest way to go".

I wanted to stop the jeep and get out and leap around in the grass when I saw the "Welcome to Alabama" sign. And that wasn't even my final destination. I just truly thought that I was going to spend the rest of my life driving around the Florida panhandle. I stopped outside of Mobile to get me some Arby's and there was a guy standing in line who called me ma'am. I just cannot get used to that! He looked like he was about 19 but he was dressed very nicely in dress slacks, a dress shirt, and tie. He told me his truck was messed up and he was waiting on his grandma. Have I ever told y'all that random strangers often tell me there life stories in public places? Well, they do. He then told me he was dealing with work stuff. He was supposed to have hired 100 people that day and it hadn't happened. He also told me he makes $3,000 a week and for a second I was tempted to see if he would hire me just so I could pay for the gas I had used wandering the scenic route. I told him I hoped it all worked out. Anybody need a job? :)

I made it home at 9:45, just a few hours later than my goal of 6:00. :) I was exhausted, but honestly, I still love a good road trip and having a story to tell! Sometimes it's fun to take the scenic route!!!