FINAL THOUGHTS FROM THE ROAD

Sunrise reflected on a skyscraper in San Antonio
Out our hotel window

Once the “home bug” bites you, it’s hard to refuse its itch.  Today we’ve traveled across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and as I write this we are in Georgia, approaching Atlanta.  Dave is determined to get home tonight.  The rain may cure our itch, but I doubt it.

Yesterday we drove to Baton Rouge and Deb enjoyed a beer and appetizers with a colleague from Teaching Strategies, Cate Heroman.  We had retired at about the same time, and have grandchildren the same age, though she’s had two more!  Since Cate is one of TSI’s authors, she had kept up much better than Deb with news at the company and shared a little about who is still there and who isn’t.  We also exchanged travel adventures in retirement.  Right before she retired, Cate went to Saudi and Jordan for TSI and had interesting tidbits about how they handled multiculturalism and other curriculum quirks.  (They were not allowed to use any musical instruments except percussion ones without melodies.)

As we droves across the Gulf States we enjoyed the bayou, but did not enjoy the smell of the oil refineries.  They are SO ugly, but I assume the gas we are using starts there.  We’re listening to a Tom Clancy novel.   At breaks we “catch each other up” as he has so many threads going and we get distracted driving and writing blogs, etc., that it takes both of us to keep it all straight.  It should end about the time we get into North Carolina if our timing is right.

I think we are now experts on Holiday Inns and HI Expresses.  We have also become adept at what to take in, what to leave in Bert, and our checking in/getting the luggage trolley/ parking the car routine has become a practiced dance which we reverse in the morning.  I’m strongly considering writing a letter to Holiday Inn with praise and critique type feedback.  The trainer in me just can’t be cut off.  We’ve had more pleasant experiences than unpleasant, but of course we have a few suggestions… lol (If the maids can unplug the coffee pots and hairdryers, couldn’t they also take 10 seconds to see if the hair dryer is working!  And when you change the carpet, could you add a carpet change in the hall to help us find the turn for the elevator?....and if these are our “biggies” they are doing a pretty good job!)

A month for this trip was about 2-3 weeks too short:  Waaaaaay too many “stop and drops”!!  We’ve had several discussions about what we'll do when (and who knows when!!) we reconnect with Bessie.  We would like to take a much slower pace.  We would like to explore a place well rather than rush through on the Interstate.  I think we've said that about the last several trips! One prevailing thought (at least for now) is to sort of “walk” her back east over several trips, taking several weeks each time to explore whatever state we are in.  Whether we take Bert (or his successor) back, or fly out and rent a car has yet to be decided.  Flying out gives us an extra week to 10 days, but we would not be able to take our segways and towing a rental car would be expensive and complicated.  Another thought we’ve had is perhaps being a camp host at one of the parks at Morro Bay.  We would do it in a heartbeat if we thought we’d get SC and NC visitors. Any volunteers?  Morro Bay is in the middle of wine country! Decisions in retirement are sooo interesting. 

Bert continues to get a C-….We were without AC for about an hour today and it was HOT… We switched drivers and Dave was able to wiggle the right wire, unfortunately it is in a bundle and he doesn’t know which one it is!!  Before we go again, Bert will need to be re-pimped or we will get Bert 2.0.

Unless a miracle happens, I only got 47 license plates, and haven’t seen a new one since Arizona.  Alaska (that one is usually not that hard), Vermont, and North Dakota eluded me.

 As we approach SC (less than 100 miles), it is considerably cooler.  This morning in the Observer they were talking about the leaves peaking in the High Country and we looked at the weather and saw highs in the 70’s…. this sounds mighty good after being in the desert or Land of Perpetual Summer.