Drive Back Home

Yay! I made it home in one piece! It was a good experience. I checked out at 7AM, but I stopped at Walmart before I left to get snacks and gas, and didn't head off until 8AM. I ended up getting pulled over while I was still in Abilene, or close to it, for going 77 in a 70 zone and for driving in the left hand land without needing to pass. I had forgotten that the speed limit on the highway is always 70 (unless it turns to 65), and since I hadn't seen a speed sign the whole time I just figured I would go less than 80 and that would be ok. WRONG. Luckily the officer was nice and just gave me a warning, but that set me straight and I went the speed limit the whole rest of the time. I was so thankful for that, and I figure that was God telling me to go a safe speed.

Then at about 10AM I-20 split into I-20 and I-30, and I freaked out because when I saw the sign I thought it said the road was splitting into two different I-30s, and my brain just assumed I had been on I-30 the whole time, so I called mom and asked her which way to turn, but just as she said to stay on I-20 I had already turned onto I-30, so I had to turn around, which took about 10 minutes or so out of my time.

So I got back on I-20, then at exactly 11AM I turned onto I-45, and at 11:20 I stopped at a Shell station to go to the bathroom and have a small lunch. Then I started back driving at 11:35. I kept going until I got home at 2:15, without any trouble. The first thing I did was take in some things that I didn't want to leave in the car and then went straight to take a shower, because I was GROSS. Hot and sweaty, because for some reason my AC was not working. I was just getting a lot of warm air blowing on me. That would have killed dad if he had been in the car, lol.

But the weather was good for the drive because it was very very cloudy so it wasn't nearly as hot as it would have been if the sun had been beating down on me, and there was no sun in my eyes to blind me. AND, to top it all off, because I didn't have nearly as much of a load as I've had the last few times that I've driven to and from Abilene, there's still some gas in the tank! Usually the car is empty by the time the journey ends: it usually takes exactly one tank to get from one destination to the other, but that just goes to show that the weight of the load affects the gas milage. Who'd have thought? ^_^

I'm glad it was a safe trip. It didn't seem to last as long as it did, even though I was alone this time. Thank you, God! Thank you for keeping me safe and answering my prayers (and everyone else's who prayed for my safe return). I hope everyone else has a safe trip home, too.

Lorie, say hi to everyone for me! And give Bonnie my blog address!

Much love to all of you!!!!!!