Monday, March 16, 2009

Phew!!

Just let me say right up front- anyone who drives an 18-wheeler through the Smokey Mountains on Rt 40, especially when it is pouring rain and you can't see squat, is crazy. And not paid nearly enough.

Let me back up a day. I made it to my friend's house in the late afternoon in NC. It poured the entire way. Which made crossing that huge bridge interesting. When I first caught sight of it, I almost turned back and found a different way to go. Not only was it scary, it was covered in fog and rain. NOT a fun thing to do when you don't like heights. Thankfully there was not a lot of traffic on it. I even made it through the tunnels without going nuts. Did I mention I hate heights and closed in places? I pulled off at the rest stop that they have part way across just to check it out and sit and eat some lunch.

I was sitting in my car, looking out over the water (what little I could see anyway), when I noticed something moving through the windshield. I turned on my wipers and there was a submarine heading into Norfolk, with it's conning tower out of the water. I tried to take a picture through the window and the was waiting for it to get closer to get a better one. When it finally did, it was raining so hard I couldn't get anything. The pictures are on my camera, but not on the disk, and I don't have the cord to download them. Sorry about all that work last night Judy!

Judy warned me that there was another bridge to go across. I was ready to swim across the river at that point, or turn the car into a boat.

But I made it across all of them and finally to Judy and Roger's new house. Now, Judy and I met in 1991 or so, on an AOL Anne McCaffrey board. We have not lost touch in all those years, but never got a chance to meet, so I was happy to be able to spend time with her and Roger. (She met him later on the board, married him and moved from TX. Now that's a love story.) He's a big teddy bear too, but don't tell him I said that.

They have 4 of the cutest kitties (almost as cute as mine-lol) and I had a great time visiting and playing with them and getting to talk to Judy, finaly face to face. I wish I could have stayed longer. I told her to tell Roger next time I was.

It wasn't raining, finally, when I left, but a few hours later it started all over again. I am glad that I didn't wait any longer to leave than I did though. Going through those mountains was bad enough, I would not have wanted to do it in the dark. About the time I arrived here in Knoxville, the sun finally broke out of the clouds and it quit. The desk clerk told me it was the first time they had seen the sun since Wednesday.

I have only seen one other NY state car and they were borrowing it from someone else. I am all alone out here!! LOL

Tomorrow I am heading to Little Rock. I need to download another book, as I have about finished Butcher's Storm Front and I want number 2. I think I can manage to put it on the hd and listen to it through the computer and car stereo. At least I will give it a shot.

Off to find some well deserved dinner that isn't fast food. Although I haven't really bought anything except my one dinner and some V8. Everything else has either been at the hotel, in the car or Judy's White Chicken Chili, which was really good.

Steak sounds nice right about now!!

3 comments:

  1. Glad you made it over the bridge, well done. How cool to see the submarine during your lunch.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Would have rather seen the sailors!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Excuse me.. but my car. MY. CAR. Not your car, not Jim's car... MY CAR. Jack belongs to me!

    ReplyDelete