We made it!! Some ramblings about the trip included.

To North Carolina. Our furniture is here, safe and sound. We closed on the house yesterday, and have been busy decorating. I haven't got a chance to run yet, but hubby went out for a short 4 miler yesterday.
Well, I had a few observations on our drive, so I jotted them down--list style.

Things I learned/observed during our drive to Jacksonville

1. It’s not a good idea to put your arm through the steering wheel to try to reset the odometer while turning a corner.
2. I’m serious
3. The first toll after leaving Lawton is $1.50, not $1.25.
4. We saw 2 AWAC Planes circling Oklahoma City/ Tinker AFB
5. I had to ask Ken what an AWAC plane was.
6. Katie can recognize a Beatles Song in 10 words or less
7. Katie does not like the Beatles
8. She does like the Village People
9. She likes to sing “In the Navy…you can color on your knees.”
10. Ken and I thought it was funny to watch Madison fall in a hole at the Love’s Country Store in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
11. It was not so funny to find out it was a open septic tank
12. Ken wanted to sue.
13. We had to throw her clothes away.
14. We saw a guy who drove a Saab Convertible throw a temper tantrum when he couldn’t get the pay phone to work at a rest stop.
15. Channeling Russell Crowe anyone??
16. Katie can listen to “We Will Rock You/ We Are The Champions” time after time after time.
17. Henrietta, Oklahoma (the birth place of Troy Aikman) only has 2 places to eat.
18. We chose the “Pig Out Palace.”
19. It was actually pretty good
20. Checotah, Oklahoma (home of Carrie Underwood) really is as small as she said on American Idol
21. Carrie’s “Home of “ sign is bigger than Troy Aikman’s.
22. The road surrounding Lake Eufala is called Lotawatah Rd.
23. There is not a lotta- watah anywhere in Oklahoma right now.
24. We saw a lot of evidence of grass fires.
25. The “Welcome to Arkansas” sign no longer says “Home of President Bill Clinton.”
26. We had to start the movie “Because of Winn Dixie” over 3 times because Katie kept unplugging the DVD player with her feet.
27. We still do not know how it ends.
28. In Mulberry, Arkansas there is a restaurant called Rivertown BBQ—it is the “home of the big porker.”
29. We did NOT eat there
30. Madison and I killed time driving in Arkansas by singing “Thunder Road” and the theme song from American Dreams.
31. We wanted to stop at Toad Suck Park in Conway, Ark. But there was no time.
32. I can’t drink water while chewing spearmint gum
33. The drivers of the Fed Ex 18 Wheelers are scary.
34. There are a lot of 18 Wheelers on I-40
35. The 1st Pentecostal Church in Little Rock is beautiful
36. Katie wants to know where the little rock is?
37. She also wants to know where the big rock is.
38. Little Rock, Ark has a Radio Disney Station
39. It was a big hit with Katie, until we went out of range during “The Chicken Dance.”
40. Then she was mad
41. We were 64 miles outside of Memphis when we saw our first Elvis sign
42. The cure for “ugly trucking” is Empire Chrome Co. Who knew??
43. Katie doesn’t want to ride in Ken’s car because he “talks too many questions” at her.
44. When the sun reflects off of the pyramid in Memphis it can blind you.
45. I could not find a decent radio station on the “music highway.”
46. I saw Kenny Chesney in a traffic jam in Nashville
47. Not really, but it would’ve made things a lot more interesting
48. Ken no longer wants to live in Knoxville when he grows up
49. We crossed into the EST zone in Crossville, TN.
50. My cell phone freaked out.
51. Truckers who try to control traffic by doing rolling roadblocks really get on my nerves.
52. We saw signs for Dollywood
53. Who goes there??
54. Ashville, NC is home to Bono’s BBQ Pit
55. Now we know what he does on his off time
56. It’s difficult to stay in a bad mood with a 5-year-old making farting noises with her armpits.
57. And singing, “I am the Champion…of the world” at the top of her lungs.
58. Besides the Winn Dixie fiasco, we didn’t turn on the DVD player for the entire trip.
59. Madison thinks Ken has a beautiful voice
60. We need to have her ears checked
61. Hickory, NC is home to 100+ furniture outlets
62. Good to know
63. When I called Ken to tell him, he bored me to death with the geographical explanation of the abundance of furniture stores located on the Piedmont
64. Whatever that means
65. Madison now wants to live in a log cabin
66. Why do people who stop at rest stops to “stretch their legs” park so close to the building?
67. I saw the biggest station wagon ever outside of Durham, NC
68. I know what your thinking, but mine is not big….it’s sporty
69. Does anyone ever buy the rocking chairs outside of Cracker Barrel?
70. They are expensive
71. Ken had to change my headlight at Cracker Barrel.
72. When did Bon Jovi start singing country music?
73. Katie said her electronic fortuneteller said she could watch “Jurassic Park.”
74. It also said she had smelly feet
75. Directions to Jacksonville, NC from Oklahoma. Get on I-40, turn onto HW 24, 1400 miles later.
76. Jacksonville is a lot like Lawton
77. Except there is a Target
78. And an Ocean
79. The lady we bought our house from was an hour and a half late to let us in the house
80. Ken was not happy
81. We really like our new house
82. Madison really likes her new school
83. She is now walking there by herself
84. It didn’t rain for 3 months before we left Oklahoma
85. It has rained almost every day we’ve been here.
86. Madison thinks her daddy is a really good decorator
87. We’ll see…..
Okay, so it's not quite 100, but you get the idea.
Take care and if I'm not back tomorrow, someone send out a search crew, I'm probably burried under all these boxes and piles of paper.