Last weekend I visited a friend in Iowa. It was a FABULOUS time, with the exception of the drive there, and the drive back. It seems like any drives I make out of state are fraught with disasters galore.
I set out Friday morning – and was soon hit by torrential rains. It was POURING rain, visibility was poor, and every time I tried to change lanes my car started to hydroplane. It was all the more exciting as it’s summer in the Midwest so there’s lots and lots of construction. Lanes closed and reroutes and all the fun that comes with it. Fantastic. I wasn’t sure I’d make it there at all, but I did.
The visit with my friend was great. We went out to dinner, we painted veils for her dance costumes, and we went shopping (of course!)
Then it was time to go home – and the trip back managed to be worse than the trip there. Again, I was hit with torrential rains. It seemed to start right as I walked out the door. The rains finally let up, and at some point, I needed to make a “pit stop”. As usual, I let this go until the need was rather great – as we all know, less frequent stops make for a speedier journey, right? I finally pulled off the interstate on an exit that boasted a little gas station/sandwich shop. Walking into the station, I noticed a distinct odor. Not a nice odor – a very bad odor. Making my way to the restrooms, I noticed the floor was damp and getting wetter the closer I got to the restrooms. It wasn’t a nice, clean, “freshly mopped” kind of wet. It was a stinky, dirty, yellow-brown kind of wet. Did I say STINKY?
Unfortunately, since I’d put off my little stop, going back to the car and traveling miles to the next exit wasn’t really an option – so I tried to tiptoe (like that helps) through the nastiness to the restroom, held my breath, took care of business, and got out. I’m disgusted, though. I bought a package of baby wipes and tried to clean off my shoes a bit before getting back into the car – then my hands – then the steering wheel – then anything else I may have touched or looked at.
I’m back on my way when I hit construction. Not the minor construction I hit going to Iowa. No, I‘m driving along when they announce that interstate 80 eastbound is CLOSED. CLOSED. Closed completely. The detour is a highway going south. How is a highway going SOUTH going to get me home, which is EAST? Well, it’s NOT, that’s how. I drive about 50 miles out of my way SOUTH to catch another highway east which eventually got me back to I80 going BACK west, which I could use to catch interstate 88 east, which is what I needed.
I did finally make it back home… and have a whole other adventure to look forward to when I drive all the way to Nebraska next month. I’m bringing baby wipes.
Submitted for publication in The Greeley Citizen.
Life of the Lintee Bean 
Ugh, I hate having to make pit stops. I usually only stop at McDonald’s – and even then they can be disgusting too.
As a newer reader, apologies if you covered this previously. When you travel I assume you leave the cats at home? Since you do not use dry food, how do your cats get fed if no one is around to care for them in your absence? I am VERY frustrated with the horrible quality of dry food options but I am usually traveling one weekend a month and don’t have anyone who can come over and feed my cats the preferred wet food. Just curious what you do in this situation. Resort to boarding them?
Hi Jeff,
No apologies necessary! I hire a pet-sitting service to come in twice a day and feed the cats, scoop the litter boxes, and in my case, give them their medications. Even when I free-fed dry food (gasp! yes, there was a time – until my cats became ill from it) – I had a pet-sitting service come in. My cats deserve a clean place to “do their business” and someone to just check in on them.
Lynette