Continuing the journey (from Mississippi to Texas)

Once inside the Mississippi state line we had to stop at our first weigh station. I guess since 9/11 the rules have changed that even moving trucks must go through all weigh stations. This was totally new to me. I know that sounds so cheesy, but it was a new experience for me.

The sun started coming up not long after we got into Mississippi and the subtle colors were just gorgeous.

Not long after the oohs and ahhhs over finally being able to see daylight I got to have another first experience, motion sickness. I don't know if it is because I was bent sideways trying to find a decent station on the radio combined with the horrible Mississippi roads which included bumps and hills that make your stomach hit the back of your throat, but I was white knuckling the truck door handle while making all kinds of moaning and groaning sounds. All that I could manage to say coherently was "Get me out of Mississippi."  I will say though, when I wasn't feeling like retching my guts up I was marveling over the nicely managed pines on the side of I-20. 

Next up was Louisiana. We had to stop for gas right inside the Louisiana line before we made it to the welcome center. If I were an alcoholic that gas station would have been a mirage! It was part gas station, part liquor store, and part casino. There were liquor bottles everywhere! In Alabama we put our liquor in an area that is strictly guarded to make sure no one under age can get to it. Not in this place! Although the inside of this gas station was hustling and bustling, it was still kinda sketchy, so we went on to the welcome center where Buddy was again my willing camera man. 

After complaining about the Mississippi part of I-20 I was informed that Louisiana is just as bad. However, I was pleasantly surprised and it wasn't too bad until around Shreveport. Where Mississippi looked like a more well managed Alabama, Louisiana was mostly swampy bottomland hardwood and I was expecting an alligator to walk out onto the interstate at any minute. We grabbed lunch at a Love's truck stop along the way and kept hauling down I-20 towards Texas. Although Shreveport was a little rough and made some of the lingering Mississippi sickness come trickling back, it had some specks of eye candy like this:

Not long after we got through Shreveport we got off of I-20 and onto a highway, so I was unable to get a picture with a welcome to Texas sign. However, I was able to have another first experience: 75 miles an hour on a 2 lane highway! What, you say? Yes! 75 miles an hour on a 2 lane! Apparently this is not unusual on Texas highways and although it kind of scared me at first, I'm beginning to like it. 

So, we started our journey to east Texas at 130 am and made it to our new apartment in Nacogdoches at around 130 pm. I will try to recap our unloading and first few days in Nac later. For now, blessed be. 

From Alabama to Mississppi

We don't have internet yet, so I am having to make this post from my phone. I wanted to get everything up to date though, so please bear with me. Because there is so much I want to write, I'm going to have to break our journey into a few installments.

Thursday morning we arrived at the budget truck rental place about 45 minutes before they opened. I was such a nervous wreck I thought I was going to throw up in their parking lot. After we got the truck and put the car on the dolly I felt much better and we headed to my dad's to load up stuff we had been storing their for two years. It actually didn't take as long as I thought it would and we were done in time for lunch with Grandma one more time. 

We then loaded everything that had been packed in Dadeville. Buddy's mom cried before it was even dinner time, but we made it through dinner with out any more tears. 

We went to bed at 7 so that we would get plenty of sleep before out alarms went off at 2 am. However we were both awake at midnight. We decided that if one or both of us was not asleep by 1 then we would get up and start getting ready to go. Needless to say, we got a very early start. 

At the beginning of the week I decided to out some if my skills I gained with my degree to use.  So I set out the at carrier and prebaited it with catnip. This was to help the cats acclimate to the carrier so they wouldn't be afraid of it when I had to shove them in. What do you know, it freaking worked!! I put some treats in when I wanted them to get in and they went right in with no fuss!! 

With the cats being the last to be loaded, we said our last tearful good-byes and hit the road for our big adventure. 

We decided to take 280 to Birmingham to get to I-20 to stay ahead of schedule and not hit curvy deer infested roads. There wasn't much to do but sing along with the radio since it was still dark and nothing really to see. 

Things didn't start getting really fun until we were almost to Mississippi. Before we made it we came upon an eighteen wheeler that had dropped his cargo that was on fire! That was crazy scary. We stopped for gas before the state line and I got in the car with the cats to let them walk around, use the make shift litter box, drink, and let me clean the carrier. No surprise, Serenity threw up everywhere. Poor things had puke on their feet and tails and Serentiy still had it on her face. It was pitiful at the time. and funny now because Georgie kept trying to help Serenity clean herself up, but Serenity would just pace and cry. 

We got to Mississippi before the sun came up, but the hubs was able to snap this picture.

Just got in the state and already breaking rules! This was as far as we went though at the rest area. It was cold, windy, and we were ready to be on our way. Not to mention there was a cattle truck parked in the same parking lot and the smell was god-awful, so we loaded back in and headed towards Louisiana. More to come on our journey to east Texas later. 

The final countdown

In less than 12 hours I will be dressed and making coffee so we can hit the road for Texas! That still doesn't sound real. What's even weirder is I feel like I should be sad about leaving. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to miss everyone in Alabama and miss getting to see them whenever I want. But, I'm not sad. I was nervous this morning on the way to pick up the truck. So much so I wanted to hang out of the car and vomit. But I didn't and after we started loading the truck I felt better. So much better in fact we ate a huge lunch at the Sizzler with Grandma.

While at lunch Grandma said she was sad to see me leave, but she was happy for me and thought it was the best thing that has happened to me. I don't know about being THE best thing, cause that's pretty much my husband. But, it is pretty damn close.

When I moved back to Opelika from living on my own for almost 6 years my Grandaddy offered to help me pay off what I owed above and beyond my student loans so that I could get back to school. I told him that I had gotten myself into that mess and I was going to be the one to get myself out. And I did. I paid off some of my credit cards, my car loan, and what I owed two schools other than student loans and then I went back to school.

There has been a lot of crap happening lately in my family that I'm not going to get into here...I refuse to put dirty laundry out there for just anyone to see. But, I am supposed to be receiving money that my grandfather wanted his kids and grandkids to have after his death. When I was told the amount I about fell on the floor. When I wrote earlier that I was waiting on the other shoe to drop, I was not kidding. Usually that kind of crap happens to me all the time. But with this, it's almost like he is telling me from around the corner "I told you I would help."

So, less than 12 hours and our journey truly begins.