Just Keep Driving...

After a little less than 6 hours of sleep we were back on the road again.  It wasn’t so horrible really.  We stopped at McDonalds and got some ultra-healthy breakfast and it seemed to really jazz us up for the trip.  Rory instantly fell asleep and we knew we’d be sitting pretty for a couple hours at least.  Tennessee and Kentucky came and went in the blink of a fiveish hour eye.  We even stopped to picnic at this nice little Subway.  Rory and Bella really appreciated the leg stretch and thanked us with coos and face licks.

We had planned our midday stop in Metropolis Illionois, because who wouldn’t want to stop and see a giant Superman?  Apparently lots of people, because there were plenty of people meandering and taking pictures with the Giant Superman, including this cute little old lady who was turning 95.  She was dressed up as SuperWoman and as cute as could be.  She thought Rory was darling, but really took more of a liking to Bella, then again I don’t know how many other people lift their dog up so they are posing in a Superman body cutout. 

The Supertown was really impressive.  Every business had super in its title:  Super tanning, Super Center Bank,  Super Nails, and the list goes on.  I thought it was pretty cool.  I may have mentioned how cool it would be to live in a place called Metropolis.  Kim just batted her eyes and pretended not to hear me.  The only thing super unimpressive was the Superman Museum.  It was highly overpriced but then again aren’t all touristy areas like that?  The Super Dairy Queen did have an amazing Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie that was to die for.  Icecream is Kim’s Kryptonite but even she went for it!  SOOO SUPER GOOD!

Sooner or later we had to say goodbye to Metropolis and get back on the road.  At around 5:00 Rory gets into his third and final hissyfit of the whole Wisconsin trip.  He really has done a fantastic job!  Kim starts singing the “Rory Roo” to the tune of “Ohh –e- oh!” from the Wizard of Oz.  I couldn’t blame her for trying because it worked when he was younger. 

 “Quick!  Get Chris Tomlin going!” I shout.  

“Okay,” she says connecting her iPad to the car speakers. 

Rory’s favorite song “Never Once” starts blaring through the speakers and Kim and I join in with loud harmonies and occasional discord.  The most amazing thing is that Rory is always pacified with worship Music.  In church, Rory is a little worshiper; throwing his hands in the air, singing his lungs out and always content during the music.  I know babies like music, but Rory isn’t 100 percent content by all songs.  Just the praise songs.  I really think that somehow spiritually Rory can either feel God through the music, or he remembers the beautiful melodies’ of heaven and is soothed by it.  I personally find it so unique and amazing.

A couple hundred miles later, after stopping at a creepy gas station where everyone was named Betty Jo or Sue Ellen and this one gas station attendant named Betty Jo was commanding my dog to stop barking at her through the window, we stopped to picnic one last time at a KFC/TacoBell where we all took a much needed stretch and chicken inhalation break.  Except for Kim, who ate a bean burrito which I’m sure was just as good. 

We wanted to stop and stay at a hotel with a swimming pool but every place along the way either didn’t have a pool or well didn’t have a pool and so we just kept pushing through and finally pulled into Wisconsin around 10:30.  I immediately rolled the window down and inhaled the cheese smell. 

“We’re finally home,” I say.

Wouldn’t that have been just the perfect way to end this entry?  It was perfect!  But then Kim says, “Well, yes for a couple weeks and then we’re off to New York and New Hampshire and Massachussets…”

I blocked the rest out because honestly I was extremely tired and we still had an hour and half left to drive before we got to Grandpa and Grandma’s house.  They were up and waiting for us on their deck at Midnight.  Now that’s what I call dedication.  We hugged.  We kissed.  We plopped down on the bed and fell right asleep.

Man.  Another great ending!  But no… around 2:00 Rory woke up in a hot mess of a crying spat.  I sent Kim to bed because at least one of us should get some sleep.  I rocked the little monkey, I cradled him, I stuck him right in front of the fan.  And then I woke up the next morning with no memory of how either of us got into our beds.