2 posts tagged “weather”

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.

We arrived at the drop off in Rensselaen, IN a bit early, had some breakfast and waited for my mother to arrive. After placing many things that were in her car into my car, and many things that were in my car into her car, I said a tough goodbye to Michael and Eddie and we parted ways. My mother took them back to her house and I began the 1100-mile drive home.

These things are extraordinarily difficult for me emotionally. I can take the travel, the long driving, the weather changes, and the strain, but I really cannot stand telling my children goodbye and not seeing them for periods of time. Anything longer than a weekend is just too long. So, after I quit sobbing at 80mph and pulled myself together, I called a friend to let her know how close I was to being back in town.

Architecturally significant building

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Kevin and Tracey, once again, were gracious hosts. This time, they guided me around Bardstown, which is Tracey's hometown. We visited a few of the many historical places in the city, including their beautiful church, and had a yummy dinner at Chili's. I monopolised them for the entire afternoon and really had a lot of fun.

I made it to Franklin, TN, about 100 miles north of Chattanooga. When I get too tired to drive, my eyesight stops working long before my body or mind show any signs of fatigue. My vision gets blurry and I have trouble keeping my eyes focused, even with my glasses on, that's my signal to get off the road immediately. It's a peculiar way for my body to work, but at least I'll never fall asleep at the wheel. I'm in a Days Inn, which I rate with two thumbs up, four stars, or whathaveyou. It's clean, it's stocked, everything works, I have Comedy Central and HBO, a big desk, a big bed, a nice bathroom, a great view, etc etc etc. The price is $10 more than previous places. This is getting marked as a spot to stop at. 

I kept an average speed of 80mph, needing to bring myself down to 70mph when the winds were trying to push my car around the road. After leaving Indiana, the weather cleared back up. It was still cold but there's a big difference between having some wind and freezing cold and having heavy wind, freezing cold and large snowflakes pelted on you. I spent $80 in fuel and currently have a full tank. Traffic has been light.

I still anticipate arriving home tomorrow.

My mother took Michael and Eddie to a movie and then they shopped for my father since it's his birthday. My father had a birthday party, kid-style, and the boys had a great time with it. Their father should pick them up from my parents' house tomorrow evening, if they follow the instructed times in the letters sent to everyone from everyone about this visitation. My ex-husband is all about pulling stunts now that I've filed this Petition to Domesticate, but I'm hoping and praying that this visitation goes off without a hitch or stunt. December 24 - January 4... it doesn't have to be difficult.