Thankful Saturday and Thankfully Done Driving Sunday

Saturday was sort of cold in Ft Wayne, not as cold as Minnesota.  I couldn't bear to run on the treadmill again, so I hit the pavement to do my mile as soon as I got up.  (Let's get this shit over with.)  Then we decided to do a bit more shopping before Mom and Dad left town.  I needed a trip to Target to use their ATMs so we all headed down.  I got shopping for Mom and Dad done ("here, buy me this")  and they got shopping for the little kids done which is a big relief for them.  We hit up the Starbucks in the store.  A couple of girls had just logged twelve hour shifts the day before and now starting in on round two.  (What did you want again?)

After lunch, we headed over to my cousins house to wrangle the kids *ahem* set up the Christmas tree.  It was actually a fun process because my engineering skills were momentarily needed and useful.  And then I got sent on an errand and was happy to be helpful that way as well.  Also, I got to play with a hermit crab called Crabby.  He likes bar-b-q potato chips.  Serious.

 
Saturday night was spent yelling at the television *wow* Watching the Notre Dame football game.  I have a love-hate relationship with that team.  I like Brian Kelly, their coach, but hate that he left the Bearcats.  Boo.  Then I set my alarm for 5:45am (eastern time) to get up and drive home.  Double boo.

Sunday morning at 5:44am, Aunt Joanie comes in to wake me up and tell me I'm late.  Serious.  She made me a turkey sandwich, packed extra turkey and several homemade desserts and shoved me out the door.  It's a long drive home.

Indiana - was driven almost entirely in the dark.  Nice.  It's my favorite driving state because the speed limit is 70 mph and the toll road only has toll booths at entrance and exit ramps so you never have to stop anywhere on the actual road.  I stopped once for gas.

Illinois - is possibly the worst driving state, for various reasons at various points in the state.  For example: I-294, why post a 55mph speed limit if everyone is passing the car that's going 70mph.  I-90, just why?  Why two lanes?  Why so many toll booths?  Why so many slow drivers on the road today?  Why am I about to run into the slow drivers while being run over by the speedy drivers?  Why so expensive for a road that's all torn up?  Why won't the road be finished until 2016?  Why can't you be like Indiana, and Ohio and so many other states and just have tolls at the exit ramps instead of in the middle of the road wherever you feel like it?  Just why.

 
Wisconsin: I learned today why people in Minnesota get ticketed so heavily in Wisconsin.  The entire time I was in the state I think I only saw Minnesota plates.  And many of you are a pain in the ass.  Many more of you deserved tickets for driving in the passing lane than for speeding.  The closer we got to the Twin Cities, the worse it got.

 
Minnesota: My adopted home; it's so good to see you.  Why are there little green men running across the road?  Also, what's all this white stuff on the ground.  I stopped by the gym today to get my card scanned for a good behavior attendance credit on the way home.  I don't feel bad given the amount I worked out while away.  As soon as I got in the door I unpacked my bags.  Then I went for a run.  At the end of the run I learned why we were supposed to empty the fountain in the courtyard some time ago.   The goal for the rest of the day is to stay on the couch as long as possible.