I figured leaving 3 hours for the 90 minute trip would be enough. Gassed up the car, got a bottle of cold water and hit the
I hate the NJ Turnpike. It is an homage to pollution and filthy sprawl and it forces one to make terrible choices. Do I take 'cars only' and get stuck with all the folks who can't merge or decide to create an extra exit lane; or do I hit the 'diversity' side and take my chances with exhausted truckers missing their homes for the holiday and feeling they have little left to lose.
I went with the truckers. I identify.
With the windows wide open and the radio blasting I felt like ...
ahhhh embracing my white trash roots.
It wasn't long before I began to feel queasy and feverish. Could I be making myself carsick?
It is really hard to drive from this position.
I tried to push on for a few more miles but the feeling was getting worse and I saw that the traffic ahead was getting thicker.
I decided to turn back to home.
It's so simple to find the Turnpike South when exiting from the North side ...
I was near some industrial something, nothing but iron gates and beware signs and rough road and lots of these ...
It had rained for days so the shoulder was nothing more that deep ruts full of water. I wanted to pull over and hit 'Home' on my GPS so that the bitch would stop screaming 'recalculating'
After what seemed like an eternity I found South and made my way home. Traffic was a horror and I finally got home nearly 4 hours after I had left. I felt like death by this point.
I had some leftover turkey and fixins from the meal I had made for the VFW guys but just looking at it made me heave so I shredded some turkey for the kitties and watched them feast while I laid on the sofa wrapped in a blanket sipping ginger ale and munching dry toast. I did get kitty kisses which made me smile - turkey breath and all.
My son explained my absence by telling everyone I must have caught the bug that Hope had earlier in the week. Hearing her name and my name and the word 'sick' put together has caused Hope to ask.
"I make you sick Nana?"
She knows she doesn't.
I had some leftover turkey and fixins from the meal I had made for the VFW guys but just looking at it made me heave so I shredded some turkey for the kitties and watched them feast while I laid on the sofa wrapped in a blanket sipping ginger ale and munching dry toast. I did get kitty kisses which made me smile - turkey breath and all.
My son explained my absence by telling everyone I must have caught the bug that Hope had earlier in the week. Hearing her name and my name and the word 'sick' put together has caused Hope to ask.
"I make you sick Nana?"
She knows she doesn't.
29 comments:
4 hours is a long time to be driving in a car and feeling sick! No fun at all. I'm glad you made it home safely. I bet you were glad to get on the sofa with a blanket!
I'm so sorry to hear you were sick but even sorrier you were driving in misery all that time!
Awwww....Hope you feeling better. I was there just past weekend and I would not drive. No, no, no. It's crazy out there. Subway will always have to do :)
Does make you wonder just what you have to be so thankful for -- aside from Hope and the kitties, doesn't it? A ride like that is bad enough!! My kids couldn't get up until Friday night as Adam had a project going that he couldn't leave. But we had a great visit once they got here! I didn't have much more to eat than you did simply because I didn't want to fight the crowds in the stores!! Hope you're feeling better now!! Take care! Hugs to Hope!
Sylvia
Traffic is one of my button issues. I feel your pain. I'm sorry that your day was so unpleasant. But kitty kisses, esp when they know that you're not feeling quite right, are esp sweet. Hope you have recovered from your trauma. :)
Stellar pictorial narrative, Dianne!
This is one of the reasons why I so enjoy not driving a car anymore - especially during the holidays - it's murder.
I kinda had the same Thanksgiving Day as you did. I stayed inside and watched old movies, while eating an ENTIRE pumpkin pie - I kid you not!
Hope you're feeling better soon, dear lady!
(((((( Dianne ))))))
X to you and the gang!
That's like one's woest nightmare---Feeling ill and stuck in a car forever...!
So sorry you had to go through that, my dear...Hope you are feeling better Very Very Soon....!
Kitty kisses---Soooo very healing!
Awww poor you. So sorry to hear that you lost your stuffing. I hope you're feeling better by now. Hugs to you.
Oh, so sorry. glad you got home OK.
Sorry to hear you're sick Dianne. Those roads would make me sick too!
What a miserable way to spend any day, let alone Thanksgiving. :( Well, at least you had leftovers from the meal you fixed for the vets for when you were up for it.
How sweet of Hope to be concerned that she had made you sick.
Oh, ick. Driving when ill is never fun, much less on a holiday, much less on the Turnpike. So glad you got home safely, and received kitty kisses (they cure nearly everything). Hope you're feeling better now.
Oh yuck....Having just gotten over something evil in my stomach, I can relate...so glad that you were able to get home first.. My GPS doesn't like me..it yells at me and leads me off the roads that make sense...
Four hours? Yikes! And feeling like that, too. I am so sorry you had a non-thanksgiving like that. You deserved much better.
Awww poor Hope. Thinking she made Nana sick.
Hope you're feeling better babe!
Jay
Well all I can say is, thank heavens that you got home safely. Yikes what a not so fun day. Hope you are feeling better now. Take care.
It seems I get lost while driving when I:
- am on the way to an interview
- am late for a date with the wife
- leaving the driveway
But hey, as long as we're greeted with enthusiastic "meows!" when we get home, it's all good. :-)
Aw, that's too bad. I'm glad the kitties were there to comfort you.
Ohhhh... our whole family was down the week before Thanksgiving. It hits you all of a sudden, doesn't it? I hope you are well at least now. :)
Surprisingly, traffic here (South Jersey, not too far from Philly) wasn't too crazy for the holiday weekend. My son said a few stores and the Mall was pretty busy after midnight but I was in bed so not a problem.
So sorry you got sick and had to be on the roads so long. Glad you got home safely and rested. Kitty love definitely helps. We've all had a touch of something here lately too.
Hope you are feeling better!
Nothing worse than being sick a long way from home...unless it is driving a long way from home. So sorry...but glad you did not lose your sense of humor.
I suspect that even tho those cats adore you, the turkey was why they kissed you .. at least my two would have
Diane -- I hope you're feeling better by now. That was a weird TG, but there will be other better ones!
Thank you for your heartfelt posts earlier -- we're on the road and I'm catching up. I (as always i think) share your feelings about recent scandals, but do not have the ability to write as well (nor the personal connections) I apprecate very much your sharing.
Brutal!
I must say that I admire you for even attempting the trip. Yikes! Know you are thankful for the safe return to home and hearth.
You had to have been truly sick to turn around and go back and miss seeing your beautiful Hope.
Sending love and light,
Gina
I hope you are feeling better. It must have been so frustrating to have a voice nagging at you while trying to navigate through traffic hell, feeling like that.
Oh how awful! Sick on a holiday and in holiday traffic. Yech. Hope you feel better and that the cats are playing "nurse".
I know I'm here about a week after the fact but I just had to leave a comment after reading about the joys you experienced on the NJ Turnpike being that it is probably THE most hated highway for me on the entire East Coast and I can so totally concur with all of your sentiments.
That said, I'm so sorry that you spent Thanksgiving under a blanket sipping ginger ale but I do hope you're feeling better by now.
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