Posts

Traveling I-65 South

First, the money:

First Leg Total: $216

In-Rensselaer Stay: $350

Second Leg Totals: Fuel $85, $59, Food $26, Total: $170

Total Trip Total: $736  

Yikes. There were some extras that I had to buy, like medicine and a CF card reader.

What's that on my car?

The weather was awful on Day 3. It wasn't the morning's snow that was the problem but the low visibility fog that consumed I-65 from Rensselaer to Lafayette. We arrived in Bardstown in the late evening but had a good, relaxing break with friends. I was able to make it to Cave City and, by choosing the Best Western, spent $30 less on a bigger, cleaner room, than previous accommodations on a previous trip.

Boys at I-65 Rest stop

I had promised the boys a Cracker Barrel breakfast so we had a great breakfast and then got moving. I was determined to get home so, at 2am on Tuesday, December 2nd, we pulled into the driveway. It was 64°F.

Small "park" for geocaching

I got my butt moving today and did something. I went out and found a geocache. I hunted two. The micro outsmarted me. I found the ammo box and got Paddy the Bear TB moving. I walked a little around north of downtown, taking pictures of the library, power plant and Hal Gray Park, which has a gazebo built in memorial to the original school house that stood on those grounds. I would've known this sooner had I thought to move the trash barrel to discover the dedication tablet before today!

Tomorrow I'll be able to get my boys back and get moving back down to Florida, starting in the afternoon. It's a long road but I'm looking forward to it! Time to go home!

The tracks through Rensselaer

Siiiiick. Yesterday was just full of sick and sleep.

I did venture out in the evening and I can tell you, without any doubt, that there is nothing Scenic At Night in Rensselaer. I am happy that I get to wear my red suede parka and my white suede boots.

On Day 4, I've had my caramel latte and I'm fixing to gather myself up to go photograph something. My fever will not have me attending the Lafayette event but I can still move around town and get some shots.

I am really looking forward to starting back home on Sunday!

Weston Cemetery - Anna Sears

I did not geocache today. I started, but my first stop was a "pile of sticks" micro and I lost interest in 30°F weather after two minutes at ground zero. So, let's save it for a day when my heart's in it. From that point, I crossed the Iroquois River into Weston Cemetery to seek out the two remaining zinc headstones for waymarking. I found them easily. Both are marked with Detroit Bronze Co. Detroit Mich. text in the rear righthand corner of the monument. The morning light was gorgeous in the cemetery!

Then I took a nap! This cold is still kicking my butt. I've stayed inside for the rest of the day, venturing out to get dinner. I'd like to be healthy for the drive home so if I don't get as much done during these days, it'll be fine as long as I'm good as new on Sunday.

My medicine

I'm writing Rensselaer Day 1 post this morning instead of last night because I went to bed early last night. I didn't do much yesterday. I'm still resting off this cold. I'm doing it with the help of all the OTC feel goods featured above, including some orajel to help with the tooth pain caused by the sinus pressure.

I had to go out in search of a CF card reader and when I did, I photographed the new historical marker downtown and took the shots I needed for the crap haunted story about the cemetery across from my hotel. The claim is that the statue moves. It obviously doesn't and there's a spotlight on it all night so you can see it doesn't move ever. What's more disturbing is that Shadowlands has this thing described as a statue of a saint when it's a statue of Jesus. Shadowlands never updates the website to remove places that aren't haunted and the stories are just bogus. I can't begin to tell you how many places have inaccurate or outdated information about their history and use. The statue was vandalised. The right hand was broken off and stolen. This just proves that the living are more dangerous than the dead.

Memory Gardens - Jesus

Most people are celebrating Thanksgiving today so, if you are, Happy Thanksgiving. My family celebrated last Sunday so today is just an odd day where barely anything is open. I think I'll go geocaching.

We arrived in Rensselaer at 4pm. I've got a room not too unlike the one that I had before, so I'll just repost that picture (Just imagine it smaller):

My room in Rensselaer, Indiana

Things look pretty much the same in the area. I went to the CVS in town and got some medicine so hopefully I'll be able to go around a bit while I'm here. It was quite a task getting here with this cold beating on me. Michael's got a nastier bug that includes a fever... but there's just no way that he can't show up for this visitation. It's a shame. I can't wait to get these kids back home.

Daily Costs: Fuel $26, Hotel $51, Food $9. Total: $86

Total Trip Leg Cost: $216

Rensselaer Days 1 - 5 Hotel Cost: $255

After taking Bailey to school, making sure there was milk at home, and delivering Mike's Social Studies project, we officially set off at 9am.

Travel was overall uneventful. I missed the Atlanta Bypass so we went through Atlanta, which was cool until a five-car accident happened right in front of me. In addition to praying for those poor people and their families who were involved in that accident, we also praised God for us being able to continue our trip. It was really remarkable that we weren't involved.

Michael is sick with Eddie and me. So we're all sick on this trip. Even sick, these kids are taking photos of everything. I haven't taken a single one. I've been focused on driving.

It took 4 hours to go from North Port to the Florida/Georgia border. It took 6 hours to get through Georgia. We're 30 miles south of Nashville, which is 2 hours into Tennessee. This means there's 6 hours of travel left to this thing.

Daily Costs: Fuel $53, Hotel $59, Food $18, Total: $130

Indiana

Indy will eat:
1. Anything that lands on the floor. There's a possibly that it could be food and he can't take the chance that it's not;
2. Anything that the kids like. It's obviously something fun and the best way to have fun with something is to chew it;
3. Whatever people are eating. Obviously good stuff;
4. Whatever smells like what people are eating. Same thing, amirite?;
5. Papers, magazines and books. The people like them and the best way to have fun with something is to chew it;
6. Dirty diapers. I don't know why and I don't want to know why;
7. Anything that makes a squeeky sound. That just kicks on his kill instincts and he must destroy.

Indy will not eat:
1. Dog food. Well, he does, but he's not happy about it.

My candidate won and delivered a beautiful acceptance speech.

The other guy gave a dignified and appropriate concession speech.

My red state went blue.

I can go to bed very, very happy now.