First Day

I woke up Thursday morning ready to finish packing and get going.

All the stars in their courses were set against me, as usual.

Overnight the kitchen had exploded and #1 Son's room had barfed all of his dirty laundry into the laundry room.

I knew I could have simply packed and left, but the mommy in me could not get away with that.

I started a load of laundry, got the dishwasher going and kitchen tidied and got packed, even cleared out the email.

By that time, Sweetie was up, so I fixed his breakfast and unloaded the dishwasher and he helped me put some stuff in the van before he left.

Bigger Girl and I got the clothes on the line, and I told her to take it all off before she left for school so that it wouldn't get rained on in the afternoon. I also told her that anything still damp at that time would need to be hung over chairs or on the rigged hanging areas of the laundry room, and tossed in the dryer to totally finish after she got home.

Then I went in and kissed my sleepyheads -- I knew better than to wake #1 Son and told him goodbye the night before -- and got out of town.

Was it 6AM? Of course not, it was almost 7:30AM. I guess I was lucky.

The traffic was actually not too bad getting out of town, I have seen it much, much worse. Crossing the bridge I was going the opposite way of everyone else, so that worked out easily. I didn't get far before I realized two things.

First, the folly of my usual ways hit me and the regular coffee I had saved in the fridge to have as my morning portion had run through me already, along with the water I had consumed. The fact that while consuming that coffee I had failed to fully secure the lid of my travel cup and was wearing a portion did not help my mood -- I want to make a nice impression on the people I will be meeting at the other end of this trip, and I am not even out of West Baton Rouge Parish without being a mess. (They will easily understand why I am "messy" mimi, I guess.)

Second, Sweetie had run a couple of places in the van I didn't expect, and I was starting this trip with less than a quarter tank of gas.

So, I stopped, paid for some gas (tightwad that I am, I plan to buy only as needed, in spurts), and used the rest room, used the paper towels and some water to get the coffee out of my shirt, and went on my way.

The gray skies lowered and there were wisps of fog on the Atchafalaya bridge, but it ran quick with little traffic.

I got as far as East Crowley before the urge hit me again.

At this rate, I knew I wouldn't make it to San Antonio before dark, but I stopped. And since by this time I realized I had forgotten to bring my apples, and since my bananas that I had bought from Sam's had already gone bad and I had to toss them before beginning the trip -- remind me to write a complaining post about the bananas at Sam's Club some time -- I stopped at the Wal-Mart in East Crowley to buy both and use the can.

In the Wal-Mart, my phone started ringing. Yes, already. It was Sweetie wanting to reassure me that he had gotten some items signed for the cat rescue fundraiser, and was getting them back to the lady who needed them. I praised him to the skies, made him hold on while I spoke to the cashier (the person in your presence is the more important!), and reassured him that I would be careful, etc.

Then I washed the whole bag of apples I had just purchased, used the restroom myself again, and got back on the road.


Today is:

All Angels Day

Confucius Day (Old China)

Constitution Day, Brunei

Festival of Tezcatzonctl, Mexico (chief god of intoxication)

Goose Day, Germany

Gwynn ap Nudd -- Celtic Calendar (god of the underworld)

International Whistle Off

Leif Ericson Day

National Mocha Day

Payment of Quit Rent by London Royal Courts of Justice

Sts. Gabriel and Raphael's Day

St. Michael's Day (Michaelmas) (patron of bankers, the Basques, Brussels, Germany, grocers, Papua New Guinea, radiologists, paratroopers, policemen)

Xenophobe Understanding Day


Birthdays Today:

Bryant Gumbel, 1948
Lech Walesa, 1943
Madeline, Kahn, 1942
Jerry Lee Lewis, 1935
Anita Ekberg, 1931
Lizabeth Scott, 1922
Stanley Kramer, 1913
Greer Garson, 1908
Gene Autry, 1907
Enrico Fermi, 1901
Miguel de Cervantes, 1547
Pompey the Great, BC106


Today in History:

Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumata, securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire, BC522
Battle of Salamis, at which the Greek fleet under Themistocles defeats the Persian fleet under Xerxes I, BC480
Pompey the Great Celebrates ending the Mithridatic Wars on his 45th birthday, BC61
Saladin's army marches into Jerusalem, 1187
The First Congress of the US adjourns, 1789
"Scotland Yard", London's Metropolitan Police Force, goes on duty, 1829
The first practical public electric tramway ever opens in Blackpool, England, 1885