Driving – Day 2
Day 2 was about 3 hours shorter than day 1, but the banter was no less spirited and the insanity no less unbearable! My 2 ladies drove me nuts most of the day, but as you can see from the picture below, they seemed to enjoy the abuse they were so easily dishing out in complete collusion with each other:
After our ritualistic stop at Starbucks to kick off the Day 2 journey, my 14 year old started the day of fun out with, “let’s see who can last the longest before having to pee!” Since I have the bladder of an elephant, that wasn’t even a competition, and within 2 hours, we were stopping again as the elder of the two had to make the first pit stop.
After a couple more hours, my wife wanted to take a nap while I drove, and while I was keeping the car steady at 75 miles per hour, they, in one of those moves that only two petite women can do, switched their positions from front to back in the blink of an eye. In a matter of just a few seconds, I looked over and in the passenger seat, my wife of 26 years had turned into my 14 year old daughter. The 14 year old’s job was to keep me awake during this important part of the journey while my wife took that nap.
As we kept on rolling down the road, my daughter kept me mentally occupied by asking such mentally stimulating questions like, “Why is it called the Mississippi River if it runs through Baton Rouge, Louisiana?” I must admit, I am completely dumbfounded and baffled by that question. So I gave the answer than any good father gives, “just because.”
Shortly thereafter, my wife woke up from her nap and I quickly veered off into a gas station to fill up and also switch drivers. Now, it was her turn up front with the 14 year old and it was my time to focus on anything else but them in the back seat of the van. I chose to do something that I’ve sworn for years I’d never do – I decided to watch “Sleepless in Seattle” and find out what all the fuss was about regarding that movie. For the next couple of hours, I’m not ashamed to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I’m not sure if the enjoyment was from being able to isolate myself from my two traveling companions or from truly enjoying the movie – but probably more the latter than the former – and I’ll admit that even if it means I found amusement in a chick flick!
We’re now comfortably situated in a hotel in Gulfport, MS, and my two days of trauma have been replaced with an evening of relaxation. Although I make fun of the travels I share with the women in my life, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. There’s nothing like being confined together in a very small space for two straight days and trying to annoy the heck out of each other! And just for the record, the 14 year old won!