Changing Harts: Day four on the Fourth

Ok so day four was actually yesterday, but I'm reminiscing and blogging about it today on a gorgeous Fourth of July as we head toward our new home in New York city!

We awoke refreshed and happy in Nashville, grateful we didn't get busted for having a contraband cat in our room. As I snuck out the side door with Rufus, I walked through the parking lot and looked up - there were three beautiful kitties sitting in the window of the room right next to us. Ha! After our standard Belgian waffle breakfast, we fueled up and headed out. It was tough to resist buying some crickets or minnows that were for sale at the gas station, but due to storage limits we decided to forgo those special treats.

Tennessee was long, hilly, GREEN, and rainy. Considering the forecast for most of our trip was for isolated/scattered thunderstorms, we had been pretty blessed with good weather with little exception. We had brought up a clover plant and put it on the dashboard so it could get some sun, but I'm not sure it was able to get much photosynthesis done. Yes, we are bringing plants with us; two succulents, three tall houseplants (yucca?), one beautiful plant with variegated leaves, and a bit of clover from a plant that my Mom received from my paternal grandma long ago. My clover has died and been revived ohhhhhhh just about a dozen times. My thumb wasn't always so green...

We encountered some traffic as we passed through Knoxville, and we saw quite a few accidents along the way. A good reminder to take it slow, drive safely, and be smart. Finally it was time to stop for fuel and food, in good ole Abingdon, Virginia. We had decided that lunch would be snacks and cheese and other road trip food. Megan took the wheel for the second half of the drive, as was our habit. Of course, as we got on the road, the rain became a torrential downpour. This was the second time Megan was driving through limited visibility, pouring rain, cars with their hazard lights flashing, and plumes of water spraying up and creating a fog to add another element of fun to the mix. But she took it like a champ, hunkering into her granny pose, squinting to see through the windshield, and gripping the steering wheel like it was the last bag of sour gummy worms on the planet. We survived.

Woodstock, Virginia was our stopping place for the night. We even got our stay at the Econo Lodge for free because we had stayed at three Choice hotels earlier this week. Granted, we had to call up Choice hotels and convince the customer service rep that we both were in the room on each night so that the reward points could be assigned correctly in order for us to earn that free night. At one point, Megan was on the phone and I was taking photos of Rufus and with my peripheral vision I noticed her hand flailing around as she talked. And her other hand was holding the phone. Uhhhhhhh, which hand was on the steering wheel? Her knee. I calmly mentioned that she should put a hand on the steering wheel, seeing as it was raining and we were driving 70 mph in a 16 foot truck. Thankfully, she agreed and we made it safe to Woodstock.

Dinner was at a Mexican restaurant, Las Trancas, just up the road from our hotel. In an attempt to savor more Mexican food, we ordered carne asada / carnitas burritos, enchilada & tamale, and chorizo/cheese dip. Oh, and Dos Equis of course (because we are the most interesting girls in the world?). The food was pretty good, but the salsa was... interesting. The red salsa had a strong ketchup flavor, the green salsa I asked for was flavorful but not spicy at all, and then there was the "white salsa." White salsa? Yup. We chatted with the manager, Adrian, whose family owns a bunch of these restaurants across the south, and inquired about the white salsa ingredients. The list includes: cole slaw dressing, jalapeno, cilantro, and mayo, along with some other spices. Hmmmm, cole slaw dressing, eh? That explains the sweetness. Oh and I did not taste any jalapeno or cilantro. According to Adrian, they have to make really bland food because the folks around there have no tolerance for spice/heat. Mental note, no more Mexican food in western Virginia.

As we tucked ourselves into bed, we remarked on how fast this trip had gone, and also how it was blurring together. One thing is certain, we have had some great wacky conversations, laughing fits, vehicular dance parties, amazing sing along moments, and we have been constantly entertained and happy with our furry companion. We said from the get-go that we had to communicate well, we had to support one another, and boy have we. I'm proud of us, I'm happy we did this together, and I'm so excited that we will be pulling into our new home in just a few short hours.

The best is yet to come!

*****PHOTO UPDATE*****