...and past the cornfields, leaving the snowfall behind! One thing's for sure, I know where corn comes from...there are so many cornfields in IN and OH...it's unbelieveable! I loaded the car and drove back home to NC last Thursday and Friday. I planned to drive to the halfway point and spend a night in West Virginia, before finishing the drive on Friday. So, after saying a temporary goodbye to everyone in the office, I took off driving past scenes like this as I made my way through central Indiana and southwestern Ohio. I made it almost to the border of Ohio before needing to buy gas, and when I found a station, gas was $1.59/gallon, the lowest price in that area! I was able to fill up to the brim for only $28!!
As nightfall came, I was traveling though Portsmouth, OH. There was a suspension bridge over the Ohio River; the lighting was unbelieveably beautiful! (I just looked for a picture of it online, but I couldn't find one that was taken at night.) If you ever get a chance to see it, take the opportunity! Anyway, after I crossed the bridge, I came to a sign at the traffic light that said I was crossing into KY. Strange...I had looked at my Yahoo! directions and thought I wasn't going through KY this time. But I continued on, thinking that I was supposed to go 67 miles from the last turn I had made, and I was only at 40-something miles. It got darker and darker...except for twinkling Christmas lights, and I finally saw that I had been looking at the wrong line of directions and had gone about 20 miles past where the next directions were to take over, so I had to go back...didn't want to...but had to. Going over that bridge again almost made it worthwhile, but I was more than a little annoyed with myself, because I wasn't sure exactly where I was. I parked and dug out my PDA that I use in the clinical setting and the GPS software I bought, and after some prayer and determined effort, I ventured out again in Portsmouth going another direction. I arrived safely at my hotel in WV about 1 1/2 hours later than I had intended. I went out to get food to bring back to the hotel to eat after I unloaded and settled in (too late) after watching part of a TVLand "Cosby Show" festival. Oh well...I don't get the opportunity to do that very often.
After breakfast and a catch-up conversation with my regional clinical coordinator, I set out for the remainder of my trip and drove through WV, VA, and NC. As I drove and listened to teaching CDs, I had a front row seat to some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable! I love mountain scenery and tunnels, but I'm not so crazy about drivers that get up right behind me when I am going 70 (the speed limit) and act like they're going right into my trunk when there's no room (and I can't move over)! Anybody ever heard of BRAKES???!
I arrived in northern Mecklenburg County shortly after 4PM and met my mom and cousin for supper. I filled my tank this time for $30 ($1.70/gallon)! I had gotten just short of 500 miles on one tank of gas in my SUV...worked out to about 28.1 MPG...such a great car! After supper, I began the unloading process...it took multiple trips in and out of the apartment, but I finally got it all inside...and promptly landed in my recliner! Considering that the temperature in the previous 2 weeks in Indiana had been mostly in the 20s and low 30s with snow (and frozen roads at times), Charlotte feels like it's having a heat wave with temperatures in the 40s and 50s! Tomorrow's temperature is expected to be in the 60s!!
Since returning home, I've been to a reunion of a church group celebrating its 30th anniversary in ministry; some of those folks I hadn't seen in over 20 years, so that was pretty neat! I played harp in the church orchestra twice on Sunday morning; I've missed that terribly since I've been away in Indiana. I got lots of hugs and friendly greetings from those I've missed! I went to a Christmas dinner with Mom at her church on Sunday (and ate too much...sigh).
Yesterday, I went to practice with another harpist the harp parts for the Christmas musical that we will be playing this weekend on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon and evening. We had to play "divide and conquer" on one of the parts because the arranger must have forgotten that harpists only use three fingers and a thumb on each hand to play any given chord. Some of the chords had at least 10 notes to play, and I threatened to play with both hands and my left foot! (If only I were really that coordinated....sigh!) Although it wouldn't be ladylike at all, it would get the notes covered! Oh well, after a nice long sectional rehearsal, the other harpist and I have a plan of attack at least. We'll have dress rehearsal Wednesday night to further cement things. I love to play in church orchestra!
Today, I'm just getting ready to do more schoolwork, thinking with great joy that next Christmas, I should be able to just go to work, decorate, and enjoy the season just as it's meant to be...boy, oh boy, am I ever looking forward to that!!
