Our newest little “chick” (aka girl grand) is about 3 1/2 hours away.  She is the fifth and we have a bit of an age gap between her and the other 4 who are between 18-24 years older than she is.  When her cousins were young, we made an 1 1/2 trip to see them all about once a month in the first year.  We are trying to repeat the tradition mostly because we know how much kiddos change change in a short time that first year.  Also, I don’t what chickee to be sitting around with the others in 20 years comparing!  (we have the pleasure of spending some quality time the the older (now adult grands) and know they talk a lot about their times with us!)

Thus we have gotten pretty good at making the drive time part of the total experience. 

Everyone who knows us will tell you we can not stay in the car for any longer than 2 hours at a time.  We’ve had to leave 2 days early to meet friends 6 hours away.  We just can’t stay on task and get bored easily on the expressway system.  Once we took what we thought was a 30 min detour to buy boiled peanuts for one of our friends week long trip. Turned out to be 2 hours and we all learned we didn’t like boiled peanuts at all. Another trip, we stopped exactly one turn off from the beautiful mountain cabin we’d all rented, and stayed the night in a crappy motel because we had just had it with the drive.  This was before GPS for any of you who may be thinking we are not smart about traveling.  However, now our GPS gal does help us find the way back to the path now after a few small diversions.

Back to the new chick travel.  Just about at half way point there is what others will call a modern truck stop.  It’s one of those with all kinds of way to spend money from the $4 bottled water, or $10 if you need to take a shower, and is the home to a number of eateries. One is a healthy option cafe. Isn’t that an oxymoron for a truck stop?

The mega super stop is in the middle of the Everglades so we call it the reservation.  There is no way we can not stop at the reservation both when we pass it.  It’s like a beacon and fit’s our rule that whatever we eat in the car is a splurge that tastes good…not good for us.  (we eat good for us at home!)

Today the Rooster had a craving for DD.  We don’t eat donuts often and I must say the car ride is going much better after this little treat.

Here is another he said/she said minute we welcomely accept and enjoy.  At Dunkin I usually get the sour creme mulberry cake donut.  Alas, the reservation was out of these today, so the backup is the vanilla glazed donut.  The Rooster’s choice of “just a little something sweet” is the glazed chocolate cake donut. We’ve having an ebony and ivory moment. I confess, he always stops one bite from finishing his and passes the donut hole size bite along…true love. Mine is gone without an offer to share. He has his own donut and his is more calories and solid. I’ve done the research while waiting in the line 10 deep.

Oldies (us) and Technology Rock

We keep it a secrete from our kids that we really are pros at music and playlists.  I’ll have to write another post about our love of music.  We have mastered technology and have had one of the best, yet inexpensive sound systems in our homes for years.  Our friends, especially the younger ones, always ask us where do we get our music!?  

During road trips we take our music with us in the car and feel almost like we are in our own living room as we watch the mile makers float by.  However, just as I am dancing in my seat, the Rooster will give the tune a thumbs down and we are onto the next.  What is it about guys and “the remote” control!!

 Last thought from one who can write an entire post about 2 donuts, when I looked over I noticed this…The Rooster looks pretty good with the DD bag.

Life is short…don’t waste a minute of it!