going to SC...

...on Saturday morning to visit my pen pal. I awoke too early, without setting an alarm. But awake and planning to travel, I said to self: 'you could either lie here warm and snug, or get up and get going'. The usual result is that I will brush my teeth, get on the road, underway. You are familiar with the way you set an alarm, then awaken a dozen times throughout the night, checking the time. That internal system that doesn't shut down when you go to sleep, ever vigilant, keeping you from seriously restful oblivion, continually pulling you back into consciousness to be sure you have not overslept.

So I left Decatur about 6:30, and headed to South Carolina. Knowing the drive only takes a couple of hours without stops. I generally try to get to Greenville about 10 o'clock, stopping at a nearby grocery to get coffee cake. But made a couple of stops on the road, mostly to kill time. Had an item to return to Wallyworld, so stopped in Commerce and did that, bought a couple of OTC items. And veered off at a curb store to get a pumpkin flavored loaded-with-fat-and-sugar cappuccino. Oh, yes...

I guess you could consider it a little 'game' I play with myself: checking gas prices as I venture into South Carolina, dangerously writing little 'notes to self' while driving. There is a curb store, Quik Trip, at one of the Anderson exits that usually has the best price. So I will watch the billboards along the Interstate and note per gallon prices, planning to stop on the south-bound, return trip to fill up at the one close-est to the state line with the lowest price. On Saturday afternoon at QT was $1.85/gal.

And back in Decatur before dark, with remarkably little traffic on I-85 leading into metro area. Though, as you would expect, a couple of times we slowed down to six m.p.h. for no apparent reason, then suddenly return to 63 m.p.h., without ever knowing/seeing the reason we nearly came to a complete halt. Uneventful travels.

 A beautiful day to be out in the world, clear skies, bright sunshine, pleasant temperatures once the sun got up to warm the world. Happy to be traveling, thankful for small mundane blessings: freedom to travel, health, fresh air to breathe, family and friends. Financial resources to go and come at will. Amazing potable water every time you turn the handle on the faucet.