Already Sweating...

Bit off a nice chunk on the first day of driving. Did 567 miles to arrive at swanky Motel 6 (Deluxe!) in Fayetteville, NC. $39.99 plus tax.

Temperature was 37 degrees Fahrenheit in NY when we left this morning....but on the road today it hit 68 down in NC!

Another Southern shock to my system was getting charged only $1.87 for a 40 oz bottle of beer just now - at a convenience store no less. Even though I'm in my room consuming it....I opted to leave the paper bag on.

Last year I was somewhat nervous about driving down my two young children all by myself. But it wasn't bad at all.  Although I did start to doze off around Baltimore...

It was a breeze today too. They were good for 8.5 hours until I caved and put a movie on for them (Swiss Family Robinson).

When I tell people that I've driven my kids up and down the coast without movies and video games they think I'm a freak. Most earthling parents can't make it to the grocery store without technologically pacifying the brats.

The key is nothing more complicated than outright, intense DEPRIVATION.

Chrissy did her artwork, read a little, and her math (Kumon Grade 5 Decimals & Fractions).

John read over 500 pages(!) of Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events) and he did some math as well (AMC 8 exams).

Next stop Orlando, then Bradenton, and then....whereverTF we can find a place to rent for February (Naples?).

This was dinner from Smithfield BBQ:

I was about to call it quits on driving tonight but realized we were only another 100 miles from this terrific joint. I had been thinking that we'd stop there for lunch tomorrow but realized that we'd hit it too soon. So in went the DVD...

And 75% of my provincial New England readers HAVE NO FREAKIN' CLUE what's on that plate!