After a week of not eating very well, not sleeping very well, and putting up with some cool, rainy days, my week was over and it was time to head back to Texas. I enjoyed myself, mostly because my friends and I had some great times driving all over WV to look at scenery and pick up a geocache or two...or 41, which is about what I grabbed if my total is correct. It was fun to be on my own for a week. Any longer and it would have been boring, any less and it would not have been enough. Being back revived, if only for a week, my fantasies of moving back to "The Mountain State". I miss that place more than I had thought...maybe more than I miss North Carolina. I guess if I could merge parts of my past and my present together it would be something like my current job, in WV, with my current church, my childhood friends, and my NC house. Of course none of that is in my future but it is a nice little fantasy nonetheless.
I got up early and packed my gear while I waited on mom to get up. I had hoped to leave by 7:00 AM but the longer she slumbered, the less likely that scenario would unfold. I was completely packed and dressed by the time mom got up at 6:30 AM. When the coffee was done, I ate a couple of corn fritters left over from the night before while I sipped my overly creamy and a touch too sweet coffee. Flavored creamers rule.
Mom and I chatted and when I was finished I began loading the van. I said my good byes to her and left the house at 7:30 AM. Before I pulled out my wife called me (like she did so many times during the week) to make sure I was up. I chatted with her just as I hit the road.
My wife had a hard week while I was gone. After her thyroid surgery, her energy level has dropped drastically. She still has the same drive, but the energy just isn't there. With that in mind, she was not able to keep up with her own demands, let alone completing the tasks I normally do on a weekly basis. The anguish of not being able to keep up with the demands of the house while I was gone were evident in the tone of her voice.
I made pretty good time on the first day. While I could have made it to my destination a little sooner had I not been adamant about grabbing some geocaches along the way, I still made it to Memphis, TN by 8:00 PM. Far from impressive but not too bad overall.
I stopped off to spend Friday night in Memphis. Why Memphis? My friend Block lives there with his sister and since he and I have not seen each other in a year or so, he invited me to stay with him instead of the campground. He called me during the week I was in WV and I was not too sure I wanted to stay the night with him and his sister. I did not know her and I did not want to impose. When I finally arrived I noticed several cars in the driveway and soon found out that I was not the only guest that night. I was a bit ticked off but I bit down the anger and went inside. Soon my anger was gone and I had a nice chat with his sister and the other guests, who just happened to be former roommates. It was sort of a get together for them and I just happened to show up for it.
After getting some good quality sleep in less than perfect conditions (Block snores louder than I do) I got up and packed my gear. I cleaned up a bit and then said my good bye's to Block. No one else was up yet so I asked him to thank his sister for me.
Saturday was my last day of driving. It was the shortest of the 4 days and I did not start feeling the drive until I crossed the Texas state line. That point on the map (Texarkana) marks the three hour point in my trip...either I have three hours to go or I have been on the road three hours. In this case it was the former and the road began to take it's toll.
Feeling a little run down, I pulled off at a gas station and got an iced coffee drink and some gasoline. I took the time to drain the drink and tune the radio to an 80's station before I hit the road again. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Thankfully, I made it home in one piece about three and a half hours later. Coming home is such a sweet feeling.
After I got home I noticed my throat was sore and my sinuses were really painful. Over the next couple days it got worse but on Wednesday I started to feel better. I am not sure what it is but it is contageous because my wife is now feeling the same way. Ain't love grand?
Well, now that I am back and slowly getting back into the swing of things, updates should get back to regularity. Hopefully political, technical, and faith based posts will be included once I get used to working every day again.
No comments:
Post a Comment