driving to SC...

... to visit my pen pal ho lives in Greenville. I went up to Decatur on Thursday afternoon, waiting until traffic got as bad as it could possibly get in the going-home gridlock, and waded right in. Fortunately it was not so bad, since I was going in the opposite direction of most of those other five million people who were desperately trying to leave work, so they could get up and do that teeth-grinding, frustrating drive in the morning. Spent the night in order to make today's driving two hours easier, giving me an early start to beat the rush hour conglomeration of a gazillion cars, trucks, vans, semi-trailers.

It was an uneventful drive. Enjoyed a visit with my friend in Greenville, who is always a delight to see and talk with. He admits he is slowing down, recognizing the need to curtail some of his activities and reduce his commitments and social engagements. I reminded him we were not designed to last forever, though I think to be as spry as he is at 94, he is in remarkably good condition. We had discussions about a variety of topics, including various pharmaceuticals he told his doctor he did not want to take, sorry neighbors who won't keep their yards tidy, the state of US politics (a touchy subject I try to avoid as he might have a cap that says 'Make America Great Again', along with the ones that identify him as a WWII Veteran) and what to have for lunch.

When I left his house, I stopped at a corner store to buy gas, before getting back on I-85 to drive into Atlanta. I am continually telling anyone who will listen what good mileage I get in my little Toyota. Folks who randomly stop and ask me how I like my car hear me say: 'it's my second one, I wore the first one out!', then proceed to describe how I can fill the tank and jump on the interstate and get nearly seventy (70!) miles to the gallon. Admittedly, that sounds hard to believe, especially unlikely to grasp for anyone who drives a gigantic gas guzzler like a pick up truck. But it's true.

Before starting my 287 mile drive back from SC, I reset my mileage indicator, to prove excellent results, but no one would be there as a witness. I pulled off at the Welcome Center, soon after crossing back into GA, to take a picture of the display. The top number on the right side is the time, under that is the miles per gallon. After I got underway, it was actually 71 mpg, but decreased upon slowing down to make the stop, and take the photo. Documented proof!