On the road.

I was hoping for an earlier start, however.. it’s all done now. Packed, in the car, waiting to finish this post, and hoping my car can get out of this driveway one more time.

Will update this post again tonight when I get to wherever I’m getting to today.

Time to drive.

I made it out of the driveway!

Not very much farther though (in terms of Texas, at least.) With the weather as it is right now, I’m feeling very lucky that I made it out of Michigan though. It was close though, on a number of marks.

I had packed and loaded the car in advance. As I checked the weather though, I saw the storm coming in, and I knew I had to get moving. However, it still took me another three hours, four actually until I was able to drive away this morning. Well, this afternoon. Before I could leave, I had to pack in the last few bags. Somehow, everything did fit, however only in true Tetris fashion. Everything has been packed in a first in, last out order- so I’m hoping I did this correctly and don’t have to dig anything out from the bottom.

So far though, so good. Once I made it out of the driveway, I immediately realized how bad the roads were as I spun a quick circle on Cooper in front of my house. Once I got it going straight down the road, everything was fine, mostly. However, over the day I at least partially spun out at least half a dozen times, thanks to my rear-wheel drive. Of course, I was also going a safe speed so I was able to keep it on the road. I left Jackson on one twenty seven south, then thought I’d go west across twelve to the interstate.

That was not the best idea.. depending on the spot, there were some places I couldn’t go faster than twenty-five, although the highway has a listed speed of fifty-five. Just outside of Homer, I actually slipped into a ditch! Luckily, again at a safe speed and I was able to reverse myself out of it. And thank you to the village of homer employee (work truck) that was behind me and saw, and waited until I got myself out and was okay, before he passed and went along with his day. Once I got to Coldwater and was able to get on the interstate, it was a bit better. Not by enough to really make me comfortable though.

I don’t have any clear measurable goals for distance each day, but I really did think I’d make it farther than this. Maybe Kentucky I thought. I’m glad I made it this far though. Before I even made it down Cooper to the highway I was already thinking about turning around. The roads, the timing, my surgery, a thousand things on my mind trying to keep me in Jackson. I almost didn’t make it out without turning around. Yet, I did leave Jackson. And I made it all the way out of Michigan.

Which, although I wasn’t really planning for the weather, I can see I should have been. If I didn’t leave today, really at the moment that I did, I wouldn’t have made it out. I would have stayed, just for the weekend. Then next Monday, maybe I would have wrote a new list.. maybe. I’ve been making lists in Jackson for a long time. List of issues, lists of solutions, lists of things to do, people to see, money to make. I’ve made lists of those lists.. and they all seem to go in circles.

The same lists, the same circles, the same games. Day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year, decade by… STOP. I had to leave. There has to be something different out there. I don’t want to know what is going to happen next week or next month. I’m excited about tomorrow. I worked as hard as I could today, did as much as I did, then I found someplace to bed down, ate a bit, smoked a bit.. now I’m writing a bit. Tomorrow, I want to do the same thing.

Once I got to Angola, I almost got stuck again. Not familiar with the place and absolutely not using my phone while driving today, I got off the highway and drove into Angola far enough to find someplace to park and check my phone. I found a Wendy’s to park in for while to make some calls and found the nearest motel. Calling to book a room, I was told it would be twenty dollars cheaper if I booked online instead, so I did that.

Pulling out of the Wendy’s was the fun part. The odd shaped drive to pull to pull into the place had been partially covered with drifting snow. Revving my car as best I could, I gunned it to try to make it over hump of the snow. Not making to it the street, I reversed thinking I would have to take a running shot at it. Yet, the snow behind me was even thicker and I sank right into it.

Patiently waiting to exit behind me was a young man in Ford truck, maybe a two fifty, but they all look big next to my Mustang. As I got out to check how deep in I was, he also exited and started walking towards me. I asked if he might have a chain, which he did, which of course led to the next question. Do you have a place to hook it? To anyone that has been in this situation, the proper thing to do is to hook it yourself. Hook the wrong spot, you may break something, and that is not a nice place to put a stranger offering help.

On second thought, would you mind just bumping me up over the hill? I asked. (The drive out being inclined.. and snow drifted.) As I am in no shape to try to hook a chain under my car, and this would be a lot faster. Worried about my car he objected, yet once I relieved that concern, he was more than happy to muscle up and push my car where it needed to go. My foot on the gas and ready, he gently approached and made contact. Slowing increasing his power, he was able push me up the last twenty feet of the drive and out into the street. And another half circle as my rear wheels engaged..

Straightened it out and back on the way, just a few miles back up the street to this find Ramada Inn. Is this home? No, not yet. Just another stopping point on the journey. Breakfast in the morning sounds good, the check in person really talked it up with made to order omelettes, biscuits and gravy, and a bunch of other things I can’t remember right now. In any case, that is the plan for tomorrow. Up early, get a good breakfast and see how many miles I can put in my day. Sixty-six point two miles today. More tomorrow.

Time to rest.