Did I have a wreck?

When I got down off that mountain and finally sat down, we had to go back across to the parking lot where we had left the other vehicle. Fortunately, for the person who cracked open a cold beer as soon as the car door slammed shut, I had a very reliable designated driver. The guys left a couple of minutes ahead of us, out of the parking lot there at the top of the ridge separating TN and NC. We started back down the winding, sinuous mountain road, headed back to Gatlinburg and hot showers. 

But by the time we got back down near the park entrance, at the visitors' center, there had been an accident on the slick road. Some crashing incident occurred between a pickup truck and a motorcycle. It stalled traffic on that narrow two lane road for the better part of an hour. We waited and waited and waited, so close to a hot shower it was tantalizingly, temptingly unbearable. But NPS finally cleared the way, and got through, back into Gatlinburg and to the motel.

Since I was trying to get on the road and planned to head south, a quick shower, advice about routes and I was on my way. It was probably the worst possible time of day, and week to be driving through Pigeon Forge with miles and miles of tourist-y attractions, outlet shopping, made-in-China antiques and artifacts. Three lanes of bumper to bumper traffic. Saw a group of four or five guys sitting in folding camp chairs in the bed of a pick-up truck, trundling along in traffic at 15 m.p.h., having a grand old time. It took three hours to get across the mountains, out of TN and back into GA on rural, two-lane highways. And by the time I got near the Interstate, and stopped for gas, I was so stiff and sore, I could hardly walk to get into the curb store to use the facilities.

And it was after ten o'clock on Saturday night before I got as far south as Decatur, so you know I did not sleep in my own little nest that night. But when I woke up at 5:00 a.m. the next morning, and got back to the house by 7:30, I went right to bed and had myself a little nap before I got up to go to church and on to work.And when I got up, to get dressed for a day of on-my-feets, my muscles in my legs were still very sore. I felt like you do when you have survived a car accident: as if you had been churned around inside a cement mixer - or possibly fallen off a mountain.

I did a lot of leg and arm stretching before I fell into bed on Saturday night, that I am sure helped - after my experience of being barely able to hobble across the parking lot when I stopped for gas. But I am just now on Tuesday night beginning to not be ache-y. And thankful that I am back in the Land of Flat.

I have not done ANY walking since getting back to Flat, but will eventually, since I have discovered that in order to eat what I like and enjoy, I have to be doing something to keep burning those calories.