My youngest daughter, Mary, got married this past July 8th. She married her finacee' Richard. It was a gala event, and fun was had fun by all, well almost all, but I am not gonna waste this space on the 'ex', lol!
My oldest daughter, Shelley, and I drove down from Kansas to Corpus Christi, TX before the wedding to do last minute things (ie. bridal shower held at the coolest place, finding comfy shoes, rehearsal dinner, etc.) Once we got to CC, all went very well. It was the trip down there and back that was not so much fun : (
Roads are pretty bad in Kansas & Oklahoma. Even on the turnpikes, there are many potholes that need to be fixed. Damage to tires was a big concern of mine, yet, definitely not the concerns of the various state highway systems.
Restrooms were available along the way, just not always at the time convenient for me, lol. I was impressed, however, on the turnpike from Wichita, KS to the OK border as they had some really nice places for getting gas, food, and simply resting if need be, all without exiting the turnpike. And don't get me started on convenience items and their costs! Beef jerky was almost $30 for about a half pound. It was delicious though, with a bit of pepper on them. At first, after chewing on the jerky for about an hour, my teeth were quite sore. I had given them a good workout! It did keep us from having to stop and buy somewhat edible food that would have cost an arm and a leg, two toes each and not to mention appendages for tax! I tell ya, the cost of traveling in your own vehicle isn't as cheap as it used to be! We did, however, buy a container of some sort of fruity gum that I still have in the glove box of my car. When I last saw its contents, the gum pieces has not quite melted together...yet :/ (It's well over 100 degrees today again...heat index close to 110 degrees!)
Speed zone signs were few and far between. I kept asking Shelley (and Daryl on the way back home) what the speed limit was. None of us saw them! There were cars that were racing past us and yet, somehow, I didn't want to trust their speeds. My pocket book is not able to afford a speeding ticket! Nor is it able to afford increased insurance rates, lol! So, trying to stay within safe speed zones, I sometimes found myself going a bit slower than I used to go when I was younger. I have been accused of driving like a grandma lately. Who knew I was in training for the impending birth of my first grandchild, due April 2012! I feel well trained now!
Lets discuss blinkers, road construction, & speeders. Is it so hard to use the blinker when changing lanes? It isn't for me...but then, I drive responsibly, really I do :) There is nothing worse than driving down the left lane when all of a sudden, someone shoots into the left lane right in front of you as if you didn't exist. Stepping on my brake helped keep from ramming into that car/truck/motorcycle's rear end. *sigh* Road construction hinders the ability for a driver to drive anywhere on time. Inevitably, you are going to have to slow down and wait, even stop due to construction. Now, I saw many of the workers standing around, perhaps discussing how to slow traffic down even more, not sure exactly, but the looks in their eyes was suspicious!
Courteous drivers and A-holes can both be found on the road. Example, you are driving in the left lane because you are passing someone in the right lane of a two-lane highway. You are trying hard to pass them and then get back over. All of a sudden, you look in your rear view mirror, and there they are! It's the "I'm gonna stay on your a** until you get back over to the right so I can race past you cause I have to get to 'wherever' before you or anyone else does!" As you are trying to get over, this vehicular monster behind you isn't letting off of the gas, and as you move over, they are right on the tail of your vehicle! If for some reason you lost acceleration, you will get rammed! What an A-hole! (Them, not me, of course :) When you drive the speed limit, you are slowing people down! Where are the cops? Where is the radar? Helicopters? Is a citizen's arrest legal in all states?
If you are a courteous driver, you are easily taken advantage of and people still get mad at you...now that's a pity. Driving with plenty of room in front of you can be disastrous. Someone will inevitably jump right in front of you, just to get in front of you. Sad isn't it! What about, when driving on a two-lane highway, you pull over on the shoulder to let someone behind you pass? If you are fortunate, they will pass in a reasonable time. Others will hang back, taking their time. In the meantime you see a bridge coming up, the shoulder is ending, and you (a.) speed up to get past the bridge, or (b.) you have to stop cause the vehicle behind you decides to speed up to pass you. *sigh*
Driving back to Kansas, I drove until we reached the turnpike on interstate 44 going toward Joplin, MO. Daryl and I change seats after gassing up. He asked me why I never let him drive in TX the whole time he was there. LOL Now mind you, he only flew in on Thursday after 10pm...and we left two days later for the Conroe, TX area, then on towards home on Sunday. It had not come to mind that I had driven him everywhere in TX. I just never gave it a second thought. Not sure why, but he had made a valid point, lol! We arrived home after 1:30am and it was wonderful to be home in my own bed...I guess I am not much on traveling any more. Drivers have changed a lot...or is it me? Nawww, its them...they are younger and more eager to enter the rat race...me, I would rather be home, safe, and comfy.
[Picture of my daughter, Mary, in her wedding dress is shown at the top.]
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