Hi everybody, and welcome to “Chapter Two” of Bruce’s Winter Getaway. Last winter, I wrote you all from Orlando for three months. This winter, I’ll be writing first from Orlando during December, and then from Fort Myers during January, February, and March. I’ll be revisiting some “old” adventures with the Disney Parks and some volunteer work with the Orange County Humane Society. And there will be some new adventures with my first ever trip to Southwest Florida. And there will be a Bahamas cruise in here, and a trade show in Daytona Beach. So let’s get started!
Nov. 29, let the adventure begin! On the road at 8:30 a.m., about an hour and a half later than I wanted, and that was due mostly to sleeping later than I thought I would (6:30) which is a good thing, because I wasn’t counting on a good night’s sleep. I finally hit the sack at about 11 p.m. Monday, so I got a good solid 7 hours sleep.
Everything fit nicely into the Prius, including two kitties in two duffle bags, the litter box, and all my “stuff.” I even have room to spare. I started the audio book “The Last Spymaster,” and got through three discs (out of five) by the time I got close to Clarksville, TN, and then needed to turn the audtio book off to concentrate on driving due to the darkness and the rain.
The kitties were unsettled for about the first 200 miles, and then mostly slept after that. I gave Phoebe half a tablet of “Valium” and Abby none. At Beloit, Phoebe threw up in the cat carrier, and at the Illinois border, as if to announce her disgust with the Land of Lincoln, emptied the contents of her bowel into the cat carrier. So that was a little adventure pulling off the side of I-90 after my nasal passages were assaulted with the smell of cat shit. I promptly disposed of the offending mess at the Illinois Welcome Center and washed the soft fuzzy bottom liner as best I could using a little soap and water, and the hand dryer in the Welcome Center men's room.
I brought along some leftovers in two coolers, and also some remaining stuff from the pantry, so I really didn’t have to make any meal stops. I gassed up once at a station in Illinois, and just made a couple of pee stops at the rest stations, using those opportunities to buy one cup of coffee (awful) and one juice drink. So travel costs to this first sleepover destination were minimal.
I arrived at the EconoLodge in Clarksville at 7:15, so it was just shy of 11 hours on the road for 530 miles. The Prius continues to average just shy of 50 mpg. My GPS unit (nicknamed “Gretchen P. Schwantislong” or “Gretchen” for short) seems to continue to have it out for me, because she took me on some back roads like she did last winter. Today’s odyssey included another trip through beautiful (not!) Grayville, IL, and a a 10-mile stretch of stop-n-go traffic along the main drag of Evansville, IN. Why she can’t just keep me on the Interstate the whole time is beyond me. There are certainly times when I want to take the “scenic route,” but today was not one of them, especially when I’ve got a Prius full of puss!
I made a quick call to Dawn to let her know I arrived OK, then reheated my leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner (including some lefse, Dawn) in the microwave in my room while watching “Biggest Loser.”
The kitties are checking out the room, and getting settled. There’s a “Waffle House” right next to me, so I went over there for a cup of decaf to go, and they brewed me a fresh pot. I love it when that happens!
It’s 39 degrees here tonight, and the rain has all but ended. I understand it’s in the 20s in the Madison area tonight, so things are already starting to warm up!
Expenses today: $30 gas, $88 motel room, $5 beverages. Total: $123.
Bruce
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