Coastal Confessions.....

Cheers from the sunny Keys. As predicted, I am on my deck (tan lines optional!), enjoying an afternoon recovery cocktail. The ride was not too bad--I don't want to do it again soon, but not too bad. We all survived nicely--even Lola.

I remember road trips growing up. My grandparents lived in Detroit, so every so often, we would pile into the station wagon and hit the road. Efficiency was the name of the game. My Dad would announce, "if ya have to go to the bathroom, go now, cuz we are NOT stopping!" Us three kids would answer in unison, "WE KNOW!" The speed limit was 70 and we were probably going 85 in order to 'make good time'. Off we would go till we hit Standish, where we would would stop for gas and a very quick bathroom break before getting on the expressway. You can bet the clock was running. At last we were officially 'down below'. I75, now this was really something. Growing up in Ossineke, there was not a four lane, a one way, or an exit, so we were really excited for this action.

All three of us were prone to car sickness, so my Mother would make a giant bag of dry popcorn in hopes of quelling our stomach acid. Sometimes it would even work, but we didn't care--we were off to the city. We played the licence plate game, the alphabet game and slug bug, and had to avoid reading or checking a map lest the 'queasies' set in. Somehow we survived without a G.P.S. or a television playing movies or an ipod with earphones in our ears! Quelle horreur! And don't even ask the dreaded 'how much longer, and are we there yet?' questions. A mere 3 and a half hours and we were there, enveloped in Grand-parental love. My Grampa's first question would be, "didja make good time?"

Due to my Dunkin' Donuts fetish, bathroom stops are quite a frequent necessity. And if I see a store that looks interesting, we will stop. I had my first Dairy Queen since about 1994, at a truck stop along the way--and it was luscious!

I don't mind taking it a little more slowly these days. We made terrible 'time' and I'm okay with that. What's that they say about enjoying the journey as well as the destination? I can honestly say that I did.

Take the time to smell coffee and look around, maybe get a Dairy Queen. Life's too short not to enjoy every moment--if ya gotta stop, it's all right. And that's my words of wisdom on this hot, steamy Keys night. xoxo