The Universe acts in a funny way. You talk about your boring little life and BAM you get some excitement shoved right in your face, not excitement you want by the way. This is a long post so I am giving you a little warning.
So my Teenage and I start our 24 hour journey into the college world. We start up with a lovely small school 2 1/2 hours south of us, Florida Gulf Coast University. For those of you in the US, you might remember this tiny school making it to the Sweet 16 college basketball tournament 2 years ago, their Cinderella story captured the Nation. We make it there, drive around a bit and connect with my good friend's son, he takes us around, we go to dinner and leave. It is raining, it has been raining since we left. As we head back on the road across Alligator Alley, (this is the stretch of road across the bottom of Florida, it is uninhabited and not the easiest road to drive on even on a sunny day let alone at night in the rain) I am getting tired from the drive and the rain. But we make it all the way over to Boca Raton, our next stop. Check into the dingy hotel and grab some sleep.
Day two we leave early, drive around Florida Atlantic University, a slightly bigger school, but new and nice. We search out dorms, look at the campus and head out. We have two neighbors at the school but decide it is much to early to contact them.
We drive northwest across the state to the newest state school Florida Polytechnic Institute. It really is just one big building and a dorm right now. It has its first student class at the school this year. There is no one around. We drive around a very empty and barren area, an area that one day will house many buildings, dorms and classrooms. We exit out of the school on a brand new road that is parallel to the expressway we want to be on. I decide to take this road in hopes of avoiding the confusing toll roads that are right off the expressway we left to reach the school. This new road must lead us somewhere. I forgot it is still raining, and we are frankly out in the middle of nowhere. I decide I really need to turn around and head back to the main entrance when we hear a horrible sound and feel a bump and my tire rapidly loses air. You bet I have a flat tire and I have really no idea where we are.
We call roadside assistance, it takes them an hour to find us because we
are out in the middle of nowhere on new roads that very few people
travel on. Seriously what you see in these pictures is where we were. I could hear the expressway, and see the school in front of me but we were stuck.
Bless this man, William my Savior! He was persistent in finding us, I finally realized I could Google Map myself and that is what helped. Yea for technology, boo that I did not think about that much earlier in our adventure. I told you I am a tech loser.
Oh I forgot, I had drank a huge iced tea for the caffeine, something I do not do except for being on the road. Oh yes I had to go to the bathroom, but would not go as my 17 year old was with me and there was no covered area. In Florida you do not venture toward the trees and marsh area, there are lots of poisonous things you do not want to meet, and alligators!
So it was mind over matter on the bladder issue and then when William, (yes I hugged him and gave him a huge tip) installed and inflated that spare tire we were ready to head off. We got back on the road staying at a slow and steady 63 miles per hour on a road that the speed limit is 70 and people drive 80. I have to admit that I am not a slow driver, actually I have to really try not to speed, I am not sure what it is about my personality, but I like to be out front, I do not like cars in front of me. It is not about being fast, or the fastest, I just like a clear view. So this speed of 63 drove me crazy. I know I just made a funny there. As we got moving we rapidly realized my air conditioning was not working. Really?????
We had to drive with the windows down, at 63 mph on an 85 degree day (which is cool for us). Thank goodness during our wait for William the Repairman it had stopped raining.
We made it home hot and tired and actually passed two cars on the road, those poor people were going even slower than us. My bladder is fine now by the way. My car is going to get four new tires on Monday, which means I cannot go to work and Lord knows what the air conditioning is going to cost me. Now this trip is costing me well, and I mean well over a thousand dollars more than I had anticipated. Little Buddy will be home with me on Monday because I will not be able to get him to or from school.
Thank goodness my son was with me. I have to say two lovely men stopped to ask if I needed help. I was very thankful, but I have some thoughts on that and that will be another post, this one is too long already.
When I got home the only thing that could make me feel better than a shower and a cup of calming tea (I was pretty hyped from all that iced tea) would be a box of yarn in the mail.
Yup, I ordered yarn. I know, I know I said I would not buy more yarn, but it is Autumn everywhere else but here and everyone is making cozy blankets and talking about cooler temps, building fires and leaves changing. I just couldn't resist.
There is a crochet blanket in my future. I ordered yarn from KnitPicks for the very first time. I am hoping I will not be disappointed. You are going to be kicking me in the butt (again) for starting it because you know I am going to complain about making it. Just giving you another warning.
Hope your weekend was more boring than mine, and remind me not to think my life is boring.