Got up at 8 and went to church; then I came home and went to sleep.
I only slept until about 1:15, when my brother called to ask me when I planned to get on the road to visit them up north. I blearily told him I planned to leave at 2:30, then tried to sleep and failed.
*sigh*
Ended up getting out of bed at 2:45, loaded the minibike into the Jeep, corrected low tire pressure at all four corners, and hit the road.
At 8 PM I'm still at my brother's house, posting via his Internet connection.
* * *
Because it began raining steadily about the time I was getting ready to go, on the way here I was recalling when, in 1992-ish, I was driving my Mom's Beretta to a doctor's appointment; I went to pass a semi, hit a patch of water, and lost control of the car when the tires began to hydroplane.
I slid sideways into the median, screaming "DON'T HIT ANYTHING DON'T HIT ANYTHING DON'T HIT ANYTHING" and, thankfully, came to a near-stop without hitting anything; I got the car pointed in the right direction and pulled back onto the highway.
I had been going to get a physical for my pilot's medical, for my learning certificate, for flying lessons, so I had to go see a special doctor in Orland Park. When I got there, I needed to borrow a crowbar to pry the seat out of my butt. Not the seat cushions; the seat. Okay? I had to borrow a hammer to straighten all the metal bits before I could put the seat back in the car.
Crap. That is "pucker factor".
* * *
There seems to be a driving technique that I've previously been unaware of. I see it in use when I am heading into the right lane of a two-lane off ramp; driving behind one vehicle and in front of another, who then can pass me. The driver behind me, who has been tailgating me because I'm only going 65 in a 55 zone in the right lane and he is in a hurry inevitably uses the following technique:
1) Stand on the gas so you go much faster than me and pass me.That last part is inferred, but it's not that big of a stretch.
2) Brake for the turn so that you're going slower than me and I pass you again without having touched either throttle or brake.
3) Bitch about the high price of gasoline.
* * *
My sister's kid seems a bit fried but none the worse for wear. He's still got his sense of humor, at least, but I can tell he's got a heavy load of shit to deal with. These past couple of years have not been kind to him; but at least he's got a good attitude.
I don't know what to do to help him, but my sister-in-law is saying that just my coming here was a pretty big help.
* * *
Tomorrow I NEED do to the shopping. I also need to go buy a vacuum cleaner because the old one died when my sister was here, cleaning. Apparently it died in a shower of sparks; I threw it out months ago.
*sigh*
Could be worse, I suppose. It wasn't a particularly expensive model or anything.
* * *
So I've still got the drive home to do. Bleah. But at least I'm not going to be taking that mini-bike home with me. Ha!