Change your latitude...Change your attitude

Thank goodness I can always rely on my Mom for a thouroughly traditional Christmas, because I didn't do any decorating what-so-ever at home. Her decorations were a welcome sight when I arrived on Christmas Eve - her tree is always beautiful.

But after this hopefully soon to be forgotten Christmas, where everyone was pretty much strapped for cash yet I didn’t get the ONE thing I asked for (a $10 micro-plane zester - instead I got 2 different kinds of zesters, which I already own a version of both - oh well, it's the thought that counts, right?).

Besdies the delicious meal Mom prepared, I my Christmas hangover was quickly setting in, feeling let down and restless. Likewise, Gary must have been feeling a little restless too, and despite the fact we hadn't seen each other in about a week - I didn't even get a kiss on Christmas Day when he arrived at Mom's, only his famous one-arm hug. He barely spoke to anyone which is very much out of character for him. I guess the separation anxiety from his family was too much. Clearly preferring to be home having *a blast* with them than sitting around with me, Mom and A.Vee, he took off to go back to Charlotte in the middle of the night after barely 24 hours at the beach. Merry freaking Christmas to you too, honey.

So Friday afternoon (the day after Christmas) I talked to my old pal Nancy for almost 2 hours and decided it was time I paid her a visit. In Hollywood Beach, Florida. And I decided I’d leave the next morning, on Saturday. Yes, on a whim I decided to drive 12 hours south - to the land of 80 gorgeous degrees, palm trees and sandy beaches. What’s that old saying about change your latitude, change your attitude? I was in great need of a change in both, so I set off Saturday morning at 7:00am.

Google maps clocks that trip at 11 hours, 23 minutes and 697 miles. That doesn’t include stops for gas, food, bathroom breaks and leg cramps. I was afraid I was going to get a blood clot (???) so I stopped about every 2.5 hours.

Besides driving home from Madison, Wisconsin, after I graduated from UW, this was the longest solo drive I’ve ever been on. That trip from Madison I broke into 2 days, but this trip I decided I‘d do in one day - each way. That is a LONG ASS DRIVE. After the first 200 miles I was all, “Woo-hoo! I’m 1/3 of the way there, then realized that no, in fact 697 divided by 3 is 232.3 so I delayed my celebration another half hour. Then at 348.5 miles I was STOKED! Half-way! Which is roughly Jacksonville, at the very tip top of Florida. The rest of the trip went a lot faster. Jacksonville, Daytona, Vero Beach, West Palm, Ft. Lauderdale then FINALLY - dang! FINALLY after 12 hours - I arrived at Nancy’s condo in Hollywood Beach!

Here’s the view from her condo on the 12th floor of her building:



She lives 2 buildings down from where she works with the Big S Hotel Co. She walks to work except for days where its raining or too windy. Nice!