I am not schlepping my boots this time so it better not snow
I hate these rocket trips (usually) and I hate leaving for the Great White North after work. I hate when I am ready to go and somebody or other has to rummage around for something or starts watching news videos. I hate when I teeter on the edge the decision of which route to take. US23/I75, which can be a parking lot during rush hour? Or the Lansing route, which is a little longer and involves some two-lane roads. We gambled and took US23/I75 and I don’t know what gods were watching over us but there were no traffic backups. There was a little rain and a LOT OF WIND and a leeeeeetle weeeee beeeeeet of weeespy snow in the heights surrounding West Branch but it only swirled a bit around the road and didn’t hinder my driving at all. There was a little bit of grouchiness when an overly solicitous passenger asked me FOR THE SECOND TIME if I wanted a samosa. NO!!! thank you very much . I TOLD YOU BEFORE THAT I WANTED TO FOCUS ON DRIVING AND NOT EAT! And that was AFTER I had freaked out about how low the gas gauge was and I was told something like, “Well, you could *probably* make it to West Branch but I wouldn’t try it.” No. I wanted to get gas pronto. And do not even ask me why, despite the fact that I have been traveling the I75 SUV Speedway since forever, I couldn’t make my brain conjure up where the next acceptable gas station was. We stopped at one of those Mobil/Jerky Outlet places and the GG dern near froze filling the tank. I dunno, I always fill gas tanks in bitterly cold weather and I just put myself into the good old zen zone or whatever. Anyway, I wish we could stay here at the Group Home with the Beautiful Becky and the Beautiful Chelsea for the weekend but we’ll be getting up early enough tomorrow morning to get to the Yoop in time to take the Commander down to Clyde’s Drive-In. I *am* glad that there are people to talk to up here tonight who are not *us*.
Good night. Seeya on the other side. The other side of the Mackinac Bridge, that is.
April 8th, 2010 at 9:14 pm
I was an impressionable teenager during the gas shortage of the ’70s, so I am terrified when my tank gets below 1/4. I remember all those stations that said CLOSED or NO GAS. My mom and I would wait for hours sometimes to fill the tank. Ack. We’re having winds too and lots of snow in the mountains. (none down here at 500 ft though) Hope it’s a great time!!
April 8th, 2010 at 11:37 pm
Like Margaret, I have a phobia about letting my gas tank get below 1/4, mostly because my dad drilled it into my head about scum on the bottom of the tank dredging up through the engine. I really don’t know if that’s true or not, but I have never in my entire life EVER run out of gas. We’re making our drive to Harstine tomorrow morning for a 3-day weekend. Looking forward to getting outa Dodge! Have a fun time!
April 9th, 2010 at 6:15 am
Your trips sound so familiar to our weekend “rocket” trips from Toledo. Gas gauges and speculation of how far we could go before we were out of gas were often topics of conversation. There is that no-gas station zone on I-75 that would keep me in hopes that the auto engineers had planned an emergency 30 miles beyond empty! HAve a safe trip! Cold and windy here, with 5 inches or so of snow!
April 9th, 2010 at 7:51 am
oooh – Clyde’s. enjoy a cheeeeeezeburger for me. 😉
April 9th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Yeah, we remember the Mobil/Jerky Outlet station at 190, the Bermuda triangle. We had our car towed back to the Planet (more than a 100 miles). This was all a few years ago. The tow truck driver said that he tows cars from there all the time. We don’t stop there anymore. Glad the hear that you are safely in da yoop.
April 10th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Doug drove my car this week for out of town business and brought it home 3 times on “Will I Make It?” I had to stand out in that cold! Not fair! Crazy story on Friday. $2.93 for gas when I filled it. Pulled to the side to fill out a bank form, looked up at the sign, and gas had dropped to $2.84. I went inside and they did give me a credit. The price changed while the pump was running!