I got a shower and then woke Michael up so we could catch some breakfast at a diner we found on Yelp. They were good of course but gave us huge portions as we both needed boxes so we could eat the rest for lunch.
I dropped him off and hit the road when something happened that I could never have guessed. I was in Arkansas when I saw the cop leave the shoulder and speed up so I got into the right lane behind a truck. the truck was going slow but I wanted to hang out there until the cop passed to wherever he was going. He pulled up next to me, looked in and then fell back to my blind spot and I know I was getting pulled over even though I was not doing anything wrong so I just hung out behind the truck until he flipped his lights on. When he got up to my passenger window he asked me how things were going and a few basic mental state evaluations questions which made me nervous but I must have answered them OK because after looking at my proof of insurance, license and registration, he said that I hit the white line a few times and that they were looking for drunk drivers. Drunk drivers, at 2 PM on a Saturday afternoon in a Prius with Virginia plates and a GPS in the windshield? I don't know how much more "just passing through" I could have looked unless he was expecting a "headed to Imaginaryville, aka DC" bumper sticker.
Anyway, the rest of the trip went smooth except for about 10 miles of traffic on 40 which cost me about 30-45 minutes because when I saw the traffic I was 1/4 of a mile past an exit I could have used to get around it. I finally pulled into the house at about 6:30 on Sunday and was glad to be off the road for a little while.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Day after buying the car
Michael had some AF stuff to take care of on Friday and since I brought my laptop, I was able to get a few hours of work in. When he got back, we went to a Hawaiian BBQ restaurant that was in the back of a Korean Grocery store we found on yelp. Yum, it was really good. Michael got Bulgogi again and I got a mixed platter. It was really good. After that we went to the commissary and got a couple of steaks and other stuff for dinner. and went back to his place to hang out for a bit.
About dinner time we the charcoal grill fired up and had a drink while sitting next to it and enjoying the weather. An MP stopped by for a smoke break and we talked and shared a few crazy stories. The steaks were good though while we were almost finished a few of Michael's friends showed up to chat as well as some flies so we did not get to sit out and take out time eating as long as I had hoped.
After we cleaned up we played a couple of games of pool (1-1) and then watched a little TV before heading back to his room when I crashed early so I could get going early the following morning.
About dinner time we the charcoal grill fired up and had a drink while sitting next to it and enjoying the weather. An MP stopped by for a smoke break and we talked and shared a few crazy stories. The steaks were good though while we were almost finished a few of Michael's friends showed up to chat as well as some flies so we did not get to sit out and take out time eating as long as I had hoped.
After we cleaned up we played a couple of games of pool (1-1) and then watched a little TV before heading back to his room when I crashed early so I could get going early the following morning.
Buying the car
I slept horrible last night. I stayed in Micheal's dorm and while that was great, my air mattress I bought 6 months ago and pump gave up the ghost. While I was inflating the mattress, the pump I was using quit. Not a battery dead kind of quit but a broken connection kind of quit. I inflated it the rest of the way by mouth and over the course of the night, I had to inflate it another 7 times.
After we got moving, my first stop was at Target to get a new mattress and pump. After looking at reviews, it looked like every mattress has durability issues so I settled on another Coleman because it was cheap and bought a really nice pump with a removable rechargeable battery you could put in a scooter.
After that we went to Panera to talk about cars and then went to the dealership. I let Michael do most everything and only interjected if I felt I needed to redirect, he asked for help or I just could not help myself. He did a good job and while it took hours, he got a good deal and made some sound financial decisions.
We went to dinner to celebrate after dropping my car back on base. We were both starved by that point and just ate at this nearby seafood place where we ate crabs and crayfish and fried oysters. They were OK but as good as fresh. After that we eventually made it downtown to see a movie, Gravity. It was an intense movie though I did not find the helpless girl who finds her inner strength role Sandra Bullock played especially compelling.
After we got moving, my first stop was at Target to get a new mattress and pump. After looking at reviews, it looked like every mattress has durability issues so I settled on another Coleman because it was cheap and bought a really nice pump with a removable rechargeable battery you could put in a scooter.
After that we went to Panera to talk about cars and then went to the dealership. I let Michael do most everything and only interjected if I felt I needed to redirect, he asked for help or I just could not help myself. He did a good job and while it took hours, he got a good deal and made some sound financial decisions.
We went to dinner to celebrate after dropping my car back on base. We were both starved by that point and just ate at this nearby seafood place where we ate crabs and crayfish and fried oysters. They were OK but as good as fresh. After that we eventually made it downtown to see a movie, Gravity. It was an intense movie though I did not find the helpless girl who finds her inner strength role Sandra Bullock played especially compelling.
Friday, October 18, 2013
Day 2
I woke up at about 7 and hit the road after taking care of a few necessities. I drove about half the day and then hit a point in Arkansas where traffic just stopped. It was construction though as near as I could tell, there was nothing going on. I had the good fortune of hitting the traffic about a mile before an exit where I felt I could get around everything. Most truckers who were going around were turning left so I turned right to a way that was a little longer but I did not think there would be any traffic. After about a mile, I figured out why no one was going that was, it is a gravel,dirt road. I bumped along for about 6 miles turned to parallel 40 and then went about 8 miles back to the road and it turns out I made the best choice because everyone who stayed on the road had to take a detour that went the way everyone else went, a two lane road. When I finally got back to 40, I hopped on and was the ONLY person on 40 for about 10-15 miles and was grateful I had taken the longer road because it saved me SO much time.
I finally arrived at Tinker AFB at about 6 or so and Michael met me at the visitor gate. It was good to see him. We walked inside and the person staffing the desk started to ask us questions. Michael was giving answers like he thought he wanted to drive but since he was not insured so being the busy body I am, I butted in and answered and then apologized later to him hoping I did not mess anything up. I did not want to have to get him insured and then wind up having to give my info anyway because at least part of the time I would have had to come and go on base without him in the car.
After I got a shower, we went to dinner at this Korean place Michael suggested and I had Bulgogi for the first time, I enjoyed it.
I finally arrived at Tinker AFB at about 6 or so and Michael met me at the visitor gate. It was good to see him. We walked inside and the person staffing the desk started to ask us questions. Michael was giving answers like he thought he wanted to drive but since he was not insured so being the busy body I am, I butted in and answered and then apologized later to him hoping I did not mess anything up. I did not want to have to get him insured and then wind up having to give my info anyway because at least part of the time I would have had to come and go on base without him in the car.
After I got a shower, we went to dinner at this Korean place Michael suggested and I had Bulgogi for the first time, I enjoyed it.
Trip to visit Michael
Michael asked me to come down and help him buy a car so I took some time off to make the trip. The first day was pretty uneventful except for the fact that when I got to Nashville, I felt I could not pass it without stopping for a beer and to listen to some live music. The first thing I noted was the coutry music hall of fame which was architecturally, very interesting. It looked like the whole building had a wave pool for its surface.
It was 4 PM on a Tuesday so I was not expecting much but when I got onto Broadway I was surprised. If you cannot throw a stone without hitting a musician on a Tuesday afternoon, how much more fun would it be on a Saturday night. I walked up and then back down the street and finally picked a bar and ordered a drink. All the musicians were talented and it was fun to see them casually switch instruments between songs. Like I said, talented. Anyway, I enjoyed them for about 30 minutes and then the leader handed his guitar to another member and then walked out into the bar to order a drink and glad hand and chat up the 20 or so folks who were listening.
I left after about an hour of goofing off, dropped a tip in their bucket and started looking for a camp site. My first choice was a KOA but when I got there I discovered I would have to camp less than 100 yards from route 40 and moved onto another one that was about 10 miles off the road and camped at a marina. it was quiet and nice enough though a little pricey for a campground.
It was 4 PM on a Tuesday so I was not expecting much but when I got onto Broadway I was surprised. If you cannot throw a stone without hitting a musician on a Tuesday afternoon, how much more fun would it be on a Saturday night. I walked up and then back down the street and finally picked a bar and ordered a drink. All the musicians were talented and it was fun to see them casually switch instruments between songs. Like I said, talented. Anyway, I enjoyed them for about 30 minutes and then the leader handed his guitar to another member and then walked out into the bar to order a drink and glad hand and chat up the 20 or so folks who were listening.
I left after about an hour of goofing off, dropped a tip in their bucket and started looking for a camp site. My first choice was a KOA but when I got there I discovered I would have to camp less than 100 yards from route 40 and moved onto another one that was about 10 miles off the road and camped at a marina. it was quiet and nice enough though a little pricey for a campground.
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