I'm finally back to writing. I've decided to split my Chronicles into to 2 parts: "Musings from the Road" & "Mom & Pop" namely because I found myself going thru quite a bit to literally get to Mom and Pop but didn't want to continue to crowd my folks' chronicles with my journey to them. So those who want to read my musings can do so and those who want to skip to the chronicles can do so without hearing me babble about my experiences. I will also be on the road more regarding my business and I want to document my journey with the hopes of helping someone who may be on a similar path. With all that being said....here we go!
I decided early yesterday that I would not stress as usual the day before I head South to see my folks. As a matter of fact, I wasn't going to stress about anything. I was going to take my time yesterday and moving forward all of the days of life I'm blessed with. Not going to be easy, but this is something I must do for myself. My stress before the early morning of travel comes from a number of different places: Night driving becoming increasingly difficult namely because of the glaring lights, inclement weather (road work on Rt 64 has been a bear for the past couple of years) , work load that day, work schedule on the following day, yadda, yadda, yadda. Oh yeah, AND the impending fear of being on the road with those humanoids filled with hate. This is also the sad reason I no longer ride my bike - another story I'll share later.
So yesterday, I had all intentions of following my planned schedule of work, before driving Joie to her photoshoot in Bowie and then heading to one of my besties home about 3 miles away for creativity sharing and sisterly bonding at its best and a cocktail (she makes the best )! My home studio time didn't happen - life got in the way but I did get my workout in and a shower. Instead I sewed some patches on my jeans because I needed to do something for myself and wore them out. I ended up hanging out at my girlfriend's for 4 + hours while waiting for Joie to finish up and I got in some doggie play time with Marley the sweetest softest little pooh of a pooch ever. I was starving when I got to my girl's house and asked for a spoolful of peanut butter that I eyed sitting on one of her kitchen counters to quiet my stomach down. My second day of intermittent fasting and the cutoff time of 7pm was 15 minutes away. Instead I was given a mug of delicious coffee with vodka and seafood quiche! Whaaaaa????!! Yasssssss!!! My Soror is the best! I have many "best" Sorors and consider myself blessed beyond belief. Fast forward, Joie and I didn't get home until after midnight. I gassed up and put some fluids in Black Dahlia (ye ole road chariot) and tried to go to sleep. Still full of caffiene, I tried to go to sleep. Hmph. I got maybe an hour and some change before my growling stomach woke both Joie and I up at 3:15a. I actually layed down close to 2am. This whole intermittent fasting thing works for me when I get the proper rest. I'll eat from 11a - 7pm each day and fast the rest. No stress on my system, no hunger, easy peasy. Shit, I have never been so hungry at 3am, so I popped some popcorn and took it on the road with me and told myself that I would pretend the popcorn thing could be forgotten.
There was a dusting of snow on the road but no falling snow in sight when I pulled off. I was all too happy about that and started jamming popcorn in my face before I got to the corner of my street. Somethings don't change because as a child, I was the one who was asking for fried chicken, wonder bread and mom's sweet tea before we hit that same corner in our tan VW Beetle when headed to the Bronx for a family visit. The music was good, I was warm but kinda miffed that I had to actually alter my wardrobe as not be what I consider a target for mischief and mayhem whilst on the road by myself. I have a winter hat I have come to love that I was semi forced to buy as part of a set last year. I treated myself to a fur vest and that hat had to go with it or else I wasn't going to be sold the vest. The vest looks much better on my kid and I just wear the hat because my hair is extra short and the hat is extra warm and has pom-poms that dangle down. I had one of these hats as a kid. Anywho, my initial plan was to wear the hat and a poncho. I kept on the poncho and put on a knit black hat instead. I like to be totally non descript these days. No visible sorority paraphenalia, no HU 'nalia, no fur caps. You'd be suprised at the number of rednecks willing to drive extra close when passing, tailgate and other shit when I'm on the highway. Or, maybe you wouldn't. I didn't get into Northern VA good before the fog and sleet started. It kept on and got progressively worse the further south I drove. I thought my drive would be a breeze because it was 75 degrees in Va. Beach earlier in the day so I just knew I would have clear weather - nope. Because Black Dahlia has what I call ambient lighting, I normally drive with her high beams on when there's no highway lighting. Well, that just intensifies how much you can't see when you're driving into snow. I had too choose quickly. So me and the sexy lighting ate up some stressful miles. I cussed so much in my head that my brain started to burn like when you get that chlorine burn from a pool. Me sleepy? No. I gotta ask my girl what kinda coffee that was.... However, the gravelation (I made that word up) in my eye sockets was for real. I didn't rub my eyes for fear of getting mascara in them. No, I didn't wash my face because I didn't have an official night. An hour of sleep doesn't count in my book. I slept in my clothes, brushed my teeth and rolled out when it was time to leave. One thing about travelling from home to home, no one really cares what you smell like or look like when you arrive. The only thing that matters is that you are there. I had said my travel prayer before I left so I secretly knew that I would be okay but there were some moments that I though I would not reach my parents nor would I see my kids again. I prayed for daylight to come soon so I could unclench my butt cheeks and relax. I think I was in Hampton when the sun peeked thru the clouds so that was a good 3 hours of driving tight assed. No workout for me today - glute work done. Waze sent me on a route it had done only once before on my travels home. Over some bridge I drove into a super electrically charged spot but beautiful view at the top of the bridge. I saw some 4 teens sitting at the base of the bridge I had to cross. One had on a Santa hat, two had on red sweatshirts and one had on a blue jacket. Really strange placement I thought because of the weather and the fact that it was at the base of a bridge on the highway. I looked around to see if they belonged to a stranded vehicle but saw none of that. Then about 50ft ahead up the incline of the bridge I saw a cluster of teens with these same red sweatshirts on jogging/running toward the other 4 teens. Another 50 feet ahead and at the top of the incline, I saw the remaining cluster of them doing the same. Ahhhhh, probably a cross-country team getting in an early morning jaunt. A damn good hazing I'd call it. WTF kinda coach has kids running in the sleet on the walk path of a bridge????!!! Did I mention running is my least favorite sport? I will do most anything else athletically to avoid running. I don't do it. Hard on the joints. Every other appendage bounces like crazy and I always felt like my brain stem was going to separate from it's socket and cancel the rest of my productive life. Did I also mention that I was on the track team in Junior High? HA! I had extra long legs so the track coach thought that I would be perfect. The coach soon found out that I ran at an extra-medium speed so he stuck my gangly self with a shot put and discus after he also discovered that I also had the lung capacity of a full whoopie cushion. Yeah, me with the arm strength of a wet noodle throwing a shot put. I didn't do too bad though and got to wear the groovy too short track suit. All legs, short torso, afro combed to the front and Roj from "What's Happening" glasses and a retainer. Ummmm hmmmmm, akwardness at it's best....hahahahahahaha.
I pulled in the driveway maybe 20 minutes after the red dressed string of kids sighting and just sat in the car for a few moments to give my thanks to God and decompress. It was 7:42 I believe. I wake up to this exact time several times a week. It's my number I suppose. I looked up it's meaning....can't remember it right now because of my lack of sleep but it read well. I texted my kid a simple "made it". Suprisingly she answered right back with a heart. I jumped in the bed determined to get 30 minutes in....caffiene still working. Pop came in to talk for a minute. I will tank today, I know it, I don't know when it will hit like a ton of bricks because smart me drank cup of coffee with breakfast...UGH!