I know I seldom start a topic but I thought you folks might get a kick out of what I did last Thursday to Sunday.
I live in Canada and my buddy lives in Kingsport, Tennessee. We served together in one of those rock paradise locations for a long time and got to be close friends. I got the call his Mom died and he asked if I could come and give him a little support. Not a problem.
So, off I go. Leave the house just before 0500 last Thursday morning and start the drive. It is 1466 kilometers or 910 miles by Google Maps - depending on what you use. Border crossing was easy. The guy watching the border seemed to be more interested in eating his sandwich than chatting with me. He scanned my passport and waved me through.
Stopped for gas and was pleasantly surprised to find that even after doing the conversion to Canadian money that you are paying about 45% of what we are paying for fuel. Wish we could have those prices up here.
Jumped onto Interstate 81 near Watertown New York and headed down the road. Stopped at a drive through and picked up a burger and fries and a coffee and the lady was so polite I could not believe it.
Got to Roanoke and the traffic became wall to wall tractor trailers. All moving at about 80 miles an hour and not more than about two cars separating them as they drove down every lane on that highway.
Lots of highway work happening along that stretch and while I was in the outside lane and moving with the traffic, we started in to a long right turn curve. The tractor trailer beside me decided he wanted my lane. I had a choice, take one of those concrete barriers or hit the ditch. So I ran over a bunch of those plastic posts and nearly put the SUV on its side. Of course the truck kept going. One of the workers came and made sure I was OK and called the police. It would be a 4 hour wait for them to get to me. So I took out a sledge hammer and banged out the fender, thanked the worker and carried on.
Managed to get to Kingsport at about 2115 that night and we had a blast. The next day I helped my buddy with some arrangements, met all of his family and they took me out to a small diner one of his sisters owns. I was not allowed to pay so I tipped the waitress 50 bucks.
The funeral was the next day. I did learn one thing. If you go to something like that at a Southern Baptist church you should take ear plugs. Never been to something that loud before. Shortly before the funeral I got a call that Dad was in the hospital. He was undergoing tests for something wrong with him and no one had any idea at the time of the phone call. As he is going to be 90 in December I made the decision to go to the funeral and then head straight for home.
So, did the funeral, the burial and about 30 minutes at the social afterwards. Huge pile of people there. Said my good-byes and at 1800 I started out for home. Drove straight through the night and arrived at home the next morning at about 1030. Driving at night on the weekend was nice - no traffic. It was a it foggy in up state New York but it was a decent drive.
Arrived home to find Dad was going to be OK and so I stacked firewood in the basement all day and had a visit with the Son-In-Law, daughter and grandkids.
Finally got to bed last Sunday night at about 2200 hours. Up at 0500 this morning to ship all my neighbors cows home from our farm as the pasture is done. Help cut up the two hogs my buddy butchered a couple days ago for me, put it all in the freezer and now I am sitting here wondering what to do - bored to tears.
But the best part? Son-In-Law is a body man and has told me he can fix the damage for about 200 bucks in parts - and no labor costs because we are family. But he would rather have the pork, especially some of the bacon and hams we are going to smoke next week. So if I buy the parts and give him some bacon and ham it will all get done this week at his shop for nothing.
Perfect!
So last weekend I bought some cheap gas, ate some great food, spent less than 50% on fuel than if I was in Canada, was nearly killed by a tractor trailer, went to a funeral, drove just over 3,000 kilometers or 1820 miles, met some mighty fine people, stacked about half the winters wood in the basement of the house, got a promise to fix the damaged vehicle for some meat and now I got to get back to work. Not bad for the last 4 days.
I admit I am a bit tired right now so I best get moving or I will fall asleep at the computer.
My best to all.
I live in Canada and my buddy lives in Kingsport, Tennessee. We served together in one of those rock paradise locations for a long time and got to be close friends. I got the call his Mom died and he asked if I could come and give him a little support. Not a problem.
So, off I go. Leave the house just before 0500 last Thursday morning and start the drive. It is 1466 kilometers or 910 miles by Google Maps - depending on what you use. Border crossing was easy. The guy watching the border seemed to be more interested in eating his sandwich than chatting with me. He scanned my passport and waved me through.
Stopped for gas and was pleasantly surprised to find that even after doing the conversion to Canadian money that you are paying about 45% of what we are paying for fuel. Wish we could have those prices up here.
Jumped onto Interstate 81 near Watertown New York and headed down the road. Stopped at a drive through and picked up a burger and fries and a coffee and the lady was so polite I could not believe it.
Got to Roanoke and the traffic became wall to wall tractor trailers. All moving at about 80 miles an hour and not more than about two cars separating them as they drove down every lane on that highway.
Lots of highway work happening along that stretch and while I was in the outside lane and moving with the traffic, we started in to a long right turn curve. The tractor trailer beside me decided he wanted my lane. I had a choice, take one of those concrete barriers or hit the ditch. So I ran over a bunch of those plastic posts and nearly put the SUV on its side. Of course the truck kept going. One of the workers came and made sure I was OK and called the police. It would be a 4 hour wait for them to get to me. So I took out a sledge hammer and banged out the fender, thanked the worker and carried on.
Managed to get to Kingsport at about 2115 that night and we had a blast. The next day I helped my buddy with some arrangements, met all of his family and they took me out to a small diner one of his sisters owns. I was not allowed to pay so I tipped the waitress 50 bucks.
The funeral was the next day. I did learn one thing. If you go to something like that at a Southern Baptist church you should take ear plugs. Never been to something that loud before. Shortly before the funeral I got a call that Dad was in the hospital. He was undergoing tests for something wrong with him and no one had any idea at the time of the phone call. As he is going to be 90 in December I made the decision to go to the funeral and then head straight for home.
So, did the funeral, the burial and about 30 minutes at the social afterwards. Huge pile of people there. Said my good-byes and at 1800 I started out for home. Drove straight through the night and arrived at home the next morning at about 1030. Driving at night on the weekend was nice - no traffic. It was a it foggy in up state New York but it was a decent drive.
Arrived home to find Dad was going to be OK and so I stacked firewood in the basement all day and had a visit with the Son-In-Law, daughter and grandkids.
Finally got to bed last Sunday night at about 2200 hours. Up at 0500 this morning to ship all my neighbors cows home from our farm as the pasture is done. Help cut up the two hogs my buddy butchered a couple days ago for me, put it all in the freezer and now I am sitting here wondering what to do - bored to tears.
But the best part? Son-In-Law is a body man and has told me he can fix the damage for about 200 bucks in parts - and no labor costs because we are family. But he would rather have the pork, especially some of the bacon and hams we are going to smoke next week. So if I buy the parts and give him some bacon and ham it will all get done this week at his shop for nothing.
Perfect!
So last weekend I bought some cheap gas, ate some great food, spent less than 50% on fuel than if I was in Canada, was nearly killed by a tractor trailer, went to a funeral, drove just over 3,000 kilometers or 1820 miles, met some mighty fine people, stacked about half the winters wood in the basement of the house, got a promise to fix the damaged vehicle for some meat and now I got to get back to work. Not bad for the last 4 days.
I admit I am a bit tired right now so I best get moving or I will fall asleep at the computer.
My best to all.
