Fully Alive…Ready to Smile

posted by erin on Jun 18

I made a decision just a few moments ago that I highly suspect will be trip/marriage saving…get a GPS unit!  I’m trying to wade through the large stack of maps, both the paper and internet variety to figure out what our best routes are and looking closely at turn-offs, merges, exits, turnpikes.  Zooming in closely on the large cities and feeling slightly nauseated at the thought of driving through them with all the big highways and traffic.  I’m a country girl.  This is big stuff, people.  My head is starting to spin and the rocking and humming may commence shortly.  I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach that I’m going to spend 1600 miles with my head buried in maps and watching all the signs with hawk eyes, thus not seeing any of the marvelous countryside we’ll be travelling through.  Not to mention the almost certain fighting that will ensue when directions are not followed or given quickly enough, thereby missing turns and wasting time, and very possibly getting lost.  I get all twitchy and tense just thinking about it.  So methinks that a GPS unit would be a God-send.  A life saver.  An investment well placed.  From the reviews I’ve read, it’s a no-brainer, really.  Heck, we’ll probably pay for it with the gas we’ll save by not taking wrong turns and avoiding construction (oh, yes, these babies give you alternate routes because they can get the most up to date road conditions!  How sweet is that?).

I did my shopping today and picked up a bunch of things for our trip.  For instance a hat.  Ick.  I do not do hats.  This one isn’t really nice, either, although it was the best option since I refuse to wear sun visors, or HUGE floppy straw hats, or even baseball caps.  Still (Shudders).  It does solve the problem I was having.  No electricity while camping equals no blow dryer or flat iron for my hair and four days of camping and outdoors is sure to have very dire effects on my coif.  Problem solved…I do my hair on Wednesday before leaving the hotel, day two I put it in cute little pigtails, day three and four…wear ugly hat.  It will make for some lovely blog pictures fo sho.

I also bought our Wal-mart completely out of ketchup chips today : )  I bought every last bag they had.  All of them.  Granted, there were only 5, so it’s not really a colossal event, but I thought it was funny.

Two more days until lift off.  Car went in for a tune-up yesterday.  Apparently you are supposed to replace your fuel filter more often than never.  Actually every 2 years is recommended.  We’ve had our car for 5.  You do the math.  Could explain a few funny little quirks our car has been manifesting lately.  The mechanic also suggested 4 new tires.  Ours are in less than recommended condition for driving to the store and back.  So tomorrow I’m getting 2 new ones put on.  Two’s better than none, right?  That’s what I thought.  I got CAA today so that I feel safe while driving in quirky car with 2 bad tires.  I’m thinking 3000 miles without the option of 24 hour road side assistance is just asking for trouble.  And they gave me a largeish stack of reading material in the form of tour guide books and maps.  Free.  I’m such a good mennonite.

Now I just have to pack.  I have 2 WHOLE days yet.  That’s lots of time.  You can do lots of things in two days…unless you’re me.  I’ll probably be down to T minus 2 hours and counting before I actually pack.  That’s how I roll.