Off The Road

I left Thursday afternoon.
I was making good time until I got to my exit to enter the Turnpike.
I get off to get gas here and usually a coffee.
But while I could see the exit the traffic was at a standstill.
The semi-truck in front of me had a man jump out of the vehicle. (the driver)
He along with all of us were in park.
I had been sitting there for a full 10 minutes and prayed it would move soon because I had to pee.

This man was walking around his truck and I put down my window and asked if he knew what the issue was. He said there was an accident on the turnpike and it has us all backed up and there will be a detour. Wow, not even on the turnpike yet and it's this far back. 

I just wanted to pee.
I actually thought about leaving my car to go in the weeds but there were just too many people and nowhere to hide. So there I sat in my car wondering, is it better to pee your pants as a grown-up or pee in front of people? 
I decided to pee my pants if it came to that. I had clean clothes in my suitcase but dear God please don't let it get to that. I haven't done that since 1st grade. (Okay once when Rick made me laugh so damn hard but that's different and it was just a trickle)
Thankfully it didn't come to that. All in all, we sat for 35 minutes.

Finally got off the exit and stopped at Starbucks for a quick pee. 
There, of course, was a line. I had no pride I did the pee-pee dance.
Finally, I was up next. Whew.
Then I got a coffee and headed onto the entrance to the turnpike.
I was dreading a detour. Thankfully by the time I got to where the car accident happened I was able to not need that detour. YIPEE.
I continued to sing along to Sirius radio.

I got to my hotel around 7:30p. A quick check-in and I called a friend to say I'm in town. She came to the hotel and got me and we went to dinner. It was perfect. I was exhausted, hungry and seeing someone I love was just what the doctor ordered!

In the morning I got up as I do at 5:30am. I went to the bathroom, grabbed my toothbrush and thought, I don't need to be up, no dog, why not go back to bed. So I put my toothbrush down and crawled back into bed. I laid there thinking, I won't be able to go back to sleep. HA. I woke up 2 hrs later. It felt great!

I met my niece at my mom's house. We 3 went to view the venues chosen for her bridal shower that I am giving her. 
In between the 2nd and 3rd venue we had a couple of hours to waste so we went to a restaurant cafe and ate lunch outside with a cocktail and laughed and shared and it was so nice. It was perfect weather and they don't get a lot of perfect weather days so we 3 enjoyed the hell out of it. 

We then headed for the 3rd venue. 
That was the one she ultimately liked the best. So we booked it.
All done with the venue now on to the other work. It's in early July so I have time. I booked the caterer so I need to come up with money and a few loose items. Only money. :-)

It was nice to see my mom. I keep worrying about her being depressed. She puts on her show the world face so I am never sure. She won't share. She says she is not. I just know that she has taken care of people her whole life, kids, her mother, then her husband and now she is alone for the most part. She is enjoying doing nothing more than her work at the school as a cafeteria lady. She said she thinks this is her last year. I think that is a great idea. She will be 78 this March. I think it's time she takes the time for herself. She has put everyone else first it's her time now.

Saturday morning I had to drop off the deposit for the venue we finally chose. Then I hit the road. As I got onto the turnpike my belly began to rumble.  Now I have had 2 cups of coffee and 4 strawberries. That is it. But I needed a restroom STAT. Saw the exit on the turnpike and got off. Then about 15 miles down the road, it happened again. It said the next service area was 40 miles. I am praying I make it. 
I take 2 Imodium at that exit.
I get back on the road. Oh oh, I need to stop again but wait, the sign says 62 miles. Oh dear lord. 

On the way down I had to pee, this is far worse. Now what?
I couldn't drive fast enough. Upon getting to the next exit I barely stopped the car before getting out. I ran into the bathroom. Whew. 
Now that was 3 times at 3 rest areas. 
Do you know how thin and icky service area rest stop bathroom toilet paper is?
I now know. And yes, it is truly awful.
I leave the restroom and take 2 more Imodium and I had one Kaopectate tablet left in my purse and took that because at this point what the hell do I have to lose.  It did say no more than 4 imodiums in a 24 hr period. I hope that is all I need.

My stomach was rumbling so I sat in the rest area to be sure I could hit the road. Then I realized now my tummy is telling me I'm hungry but I don't wish to eat.
Oh no, not using a bathroom until I get home. I seemed fine with the exception of tummy pain. I felt like I had been glutened but I didn't eat anything bad.

I finally get home. I share all this lovely info with Rick and he says, You may not go to the bathroom for a few days Margaret after all those anti-diarrhea pills. 
Yes, he was laughing. He found this funny. Me, not so much. And honestly, I didn't care at that point one bit! 

So the drive up and the drive back were horrendous due to needing a bathroom.
Being there was fun. 
Seeing my niece and mom was fun. 
Seeing Katie was great fun. But the drive up and back not so much.
Not the story I wanted to bring you today but that is the story of my life.
Isn't traveling fun?