One of many driving days to come

Driving days tend to be (thankfully) fairly uneventful. Sometimes I do get some good thinking done. Sometimes I don't. Like yesterday. Little or no thinking occurred. I did get to hear a lot of mom nattering. And I ate some sunflower seeds. Speaking of which, I need to replace the ziploc bag that I keep them in since I discovered a hole. Stale sunflower seeds aren't as yummy as sort of fresh ones. How's that for a deep thought?!

Yesterday was the first full day of being back in the saddle. Nothing too surprising. I think she is still on the same plateau she was a week ago.

We got up and got out in a timely fashion. GPS told me that the time of the trip was going to be 8:43. Add in a couple of stops for gas and food for mom (the food, not the gas) and it took almost exactly nine hours from door to door (ish). Why I say "door(ish)" is because I decided we would "dine" before returning home. Lots of options, but I opted for Friendly's. Comfort food for mom.

I am going to do my best to make mom as comfortable on this trip as possible. It is going to be stressful for everyone - and being away from her home for so long will be hard for her. And it will be hard for me too. But luckily we will be seeing people she knows along the way. Like on Thursday when we stop in Chicago to visit Mary Gerhart. And on the 19th or so when we visit with Mary Flett in Sonoma for a month (ok, only a few days, really). And Ethel and Andy towards the end of the month (again hopefully for a few days).

Speaking of which - does anyone who reads this want to get visited? We can do a drive by, a coffee, lunch, dinner or if you are really interested you can put us up (if you can put up with us) for a night or two. Our only definite stopping places so far are: Chicago - Hood River, OR - Sonoma, CA - Las Vegas, NV - Tucson AZ - Austin TX. Other than that, our trip is open. Anyone? Crickets?

Huge digression. The GPS took us down the Maine Turnpike, onto 295 (not sure how much time that actually saves, but this time there was no traffic near Portland, so it wasn't an issue) then 495 to 90. I don't know why it didn't send us on 290. I thought that might be a smidge more efficient - but not according to the algorithms of the GPS apparently. 90 to 87 to 90 and then home. Makes sense. It is a lot quicker than going the scenic route. We had rain off and on the entire way. Joy. We stopped twice. Once for gas and for lunch - later than was optimal but at least we stopped. Then once just for a potty and stretch break.

Dinner was pleasant. Mom had her typical shrimp dinner - and was surprised at herself for eating all of the shrimp so quickly - and I had a pastrami sandwich. Yay!

After we got home, we both went to bed - even though it was only 9 o'clock. Driving can be enervating!

Ok, time to do something else constructive today. Do let me know if you want to be seen!

The view in Maine with a really high tide!

Juliet waving Bye Bye!

Gas was $3.40 in Belfast!

A different sort of claw like game with keys and locks instead...

The first rest stop in MA

Our second rest stop

Yummy pastrami sandwich!