Seven Traveling Takes

I should be leaping up and running around packing us up for the last leg of wending our way south. Today isn't very long, three hours, four if we have feel like taking it slower. I guess? Like driving way out of our way for no reason? So far we have already had a marvelous time and, from the weeping and sobbing of the little girls late last night when they remembered our dog, and wondered if they would ever see him again ever, I suppose we could turn around and go home. Except that it's really Only Just The Beginning. They may be sad but I am not, not at all.

One

Here is just one of many cats we've stopped to talk to. Southern cats are so friendly. Had to restrain several children from trying to bring this one along with us into the car. Later, several states over, stopped to pet a cat and was forced to pick it up (see, gender totally doesn't matter) and hold it for what seemed like hours, before the cat itself decided to go on about its life.

Two

In Alabama we stayed with friends who are in possession of a flock of sheep. From what I hear, all these sheep are delicious, as well as being picturesque. It's a win all the way around. I stopped rearranging all the stuff in the car, as I am wont to do, to stare in wonder at these fine creatures. They lifted up their big eyes and stared back at me and then, in all serious displeasure, got up and ran away from me as fast as they could, eating grass along the way.

When we drove away at 5 the next morning I risked their abundant displeasure to take another picture. Once again, the opened wide their eyes and paddington stared me while I snapped away in the dark.

Three

So that was quite a long day, twelve hours in the car. It could have been eleven hours but Matt, who drove the whole way, kept insisting on stopping. Somehow, as soon as all the children had stopped crying and gone to sleep, he would have come to the end of a liter of something or other to keep himself awake and would have to stop, lest he perish. And so he would stop and then the children would all waken in a whining sob and insist that they also needed the loo and so everyone would have to get out all over again. Who am I to complain, though, really, since I slept through most of Louisiana and didn't even try to attend to the many cries for drinks and chocolate pancakes. That's right, for something like six hours, I toasted small pancakes on the dash and lathered them in Nutella and handed them back. Why didn't I take a picture? Who even knows. All my hands were busy and my mind was utterly blank.

Four

One long day in a car means the next day not being in the car barely at all, except just to have a little historical tour of Matt's glorious past and then, when the outdoors became too hot, to go into a fancy mall and eat ice cream. And then go into a store that only sells Legos. I believe the name of the store, in fact, was The Lego Store.

Romulus had money to spend and couldn't cope with the idea of not spending it. Everyone else had money to spend as well but thought they wouldn't spend it there, they would play while Romulus considered all the options.

Five

This being the Age of the Internet, the nice time of ice cream and Legos was followed up with a lovely evening with, and this is her appellation of herself, Geek Lady, who blogs here, and who is very funny and interesting besides being the most gorgeous cook in the manner of enchiladas and Mexican rice and beans. Her children and mine ran around and around in a loud and crazy circle and a good time was had by all. Oh, and there was the margarita, which, in a way I had not anticipated, made me understand in a deeper more profound way that I really am on holiday.

Six

There they are, the peonies. I have drug them inside this time, because of the heat. Even the little buds, which I felt sure would peter out and not bloom, are, in fact, blooming. Matt thought we looked ridiculous, coming into this nice hotel, which was really cheep, because of the Internet, but it's objectively too fancy for us, hauling all our junk, because we're so afraid of being uncomfortable, that we have a hot pot and a coffee bean grinder, and Matt has a bunch of workout stuff, and then the flowers on top of everything. I mean, we're not breezing in with a suitcase and a watch and an air of breezy cosmopolitan ease. We are heavy laden, bringing everything we think will make life just a little more convenient and pleasant. Even though lugging it all around is neither convenient nor pleasant. On the other hand, at least we're all wearing plenty of clothes. Keep running into young ladies in the elevator and lobby who seem to be missing parts of their costume, as it were. Wish I had some covering to offer them. Here, have a shall, the front of your dress is missing, I say in my mind. Though not out loud, because I'm hauling a long a vase of flowers and six children and hefty hiking boots. In the modern scheme of things, she is not the odd one. I am. So I just smile, as breezily as I can, and try to pretend That Everything Is Awesome.

Seven

This morning, after we have wedged ourselves and all our comforts back into the car, we will go to the Cracker Barrel to meet up with more beloved friends. I have never been to the Cracker Barrel before. We drive by them, and I always think we should stop and go in, the way that I longed so so so so so much to go in to The Golden Something other, oh man, what was it called, in Portland, Oregon. We drove by it all those years and then finally my mother and I went in and had lunch, and it was all I had ever imagined it to be. I hope for a similar thrilling moment today. I hope it is all I have ever imagined.

I just leap up and make the children cry by making them get dressed. Go read other people's takes! And have a lovely day!