I love roadtrips.  I do.  It’s just you and the road and the tunes on the radio.  The sun marches its way across the sky as you blast down the highway crossing county borders and state borders.  However.  I will say that driving from Atlanta to Gainesville, FL(5 hours, 20 minutes) on Friday, from Gainesville, FL to the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve(four hours) on Saturday, making the return trip to Gainesville Sunday then the return leg to Atlanta yesterday is just a bit much!  I’m sore, tired, achy, sore, and did I say tired?  I’m sure I need to go someone in my car today.  I won’t make it.  I just won’t.  I’m boycotting ;)

But, it was all worth it.  My family converged on the Preserve to celebrate my aunt’s 50th birthday.  My mom and the other aunt flew down from upstate NY and we had a really lovely time.  My mom kept saying it felt like her birthday too, to have my sister and myself there.  My ten year old nephew was flying high by the time we left after the folks at the neighboring campsite took him for his first ride on horseback.

I will say, it’s hysterical to see just how much we are all alike.  My sister and I left the campgrounds just after noon on Sunday.  We didn’t eat lunch and thought it not a big deal, we could eat on the road.  Right.  Have you driven the Florida Turnpike?  Honestly, the options at the first service plaza were Dunkin Donuts Donuts and a bistro type place with salads and fancy sandwiches.  Not kid friendly in the least.  So we aimed for the next.  When we pulled in my sister and I both exclaimed in sync “THERE’S A FOOD MART!!”

All foodie predilections go out the window when you’re hungry.  The gas station food mart is the oasis in the desert!  Thankfully, we didn’t have to resort to the food mart and found suitable food at the restaurants there(though not exactly healthy food).

It was an exhausting, exciting, whirlwind wonderful weekend.

So.  Back to normality.  I’ve my putty tat dozing on the arm of the couch and my pup crashed out on the ottoman between my feet.  I’ve spun up the laptop and am going to dive back into my WIPS.  My goal is to finish at least one of the ongoing novellas this week.    Cross your fingers(but not your legs) for me ;)