Back in the Olde Pueblo

Nothing like Mother Nature to made a road trip an adventure. After climbing Mom's as-yet unplowed driveway and escaping the Pennsylvania blizzard, I found refuge in snow-free Maryland to visit the hearth and home of dear friends. With an eye on the weather forecasts along my route, I set off for the return leg Sunday morning, hoping to clear the Smokey Mountains before the snows hit. I made it past Nashville when the flakes began falling and reached Jackson TN before ducking into a motel to avoid the treacherous roads.

Fortunately, TennDOT proved to be competent at clearing the Interstate in the morning. Arkansas... not so much. I must have passed a dozen wrecks and as many abandoned vehicles before I reached dry roads in Texas. The only scary moment then was as I pressed through rush hour El Paso traffic -- my eyeballs, one by one, plopped out of my head and rolled around on my dirty floor mats. I ducked into a mall parking lot and was disappointed to discover my eye drops were missing. After a short eye break and dinner in Las Cruces, I found New Mexico I-10 to be manageable once the sun went down.

The entire way, I made liberal use of McDonald's coffee and free wi-fi to take more breaks than usual (for me) and to surf the weather reports of the route ahead. I also kept in touch with loved ones via FaceBook, since the cellphone charge was saved for emergencies. I would have ordered a car charger by now if I hadn't been considering upgrading to a new phone... but who knows when I'll the trigger on that upgrade?

Now to get ready for the Spring Semester!