When i visit my parents in Florida i try to take one day to see some friends.
This trip i figured i wouldn't be able to see David and Kaaren as David's family was coming down so i figured instead of going all the way into Orlando, I'd see if Douglas would meet me part way.
You see, i wanted to go to Dinosaur Land in Plant City (not related to Dinosaurland in Winchester, VA which i have visited). I have driven by it hundreds of time, but have never been there.
How is that possible? you ask; giant Concrete dinosaurs right off the highway and you never stopped?
I know. I know.
But finally, finally i was going to rectify that situation, plus slide one more new thing into December.
80 miles into the journey, right before the I-4 exit from I-75 outside of Tampa, my tire blew.
YIKES!
I was in the right-hand lane cause i was getting ready to exit so i was able to safely get off of the highway. AAA came to change the tire and make sure i hadn't bent the rim or damaged anything else with a high speed blowout.
When the Nice Tow Truck Driver, Steve, went to take off the blown tire, it came off in 2 pieces:
Yes, that is the tread in one complete circle at the bottom and the inner tire at the top.
Take a look at that devastation.
Steve tested the spare and declared it sound before putting it on.
I was all ready to carry on with the adventure once the repair was done, but there was a teeny, little voice in the back of my head, Should you really drive without a spare? What if another tire blew? What if you are in the middle of nowhere and you end up having to buy a tire? A new tire is not in your budget.
sigh... stupid, reasonable, responsible voice.
Man, i hate that voice. Sometimes i long for the days when i drank too much and went out dancing on work nights.
As much as i wanted to see Douglas and finally, finally go to Dinosaur Land, once Steve declared the car drivable i turned around and headed home.
Well, at least i can stop at Sonic now and get some tots, i cheered myself.
You see there is a Sonic right next to Mom's park and we always get tots at least once when i visit. That is, there was a Sonic right next to my mom's. It suddenly closed overnight with no warning, about a month before i got there so i hadn't had any Sonic tots on my Florida trip yet.
I remembered passing a sign for a Sonic a few exits earlier so i was gonna ease my disappointment with some deep fried nuggets of pressed potato joy.
Except that it was also closed!
Come on now, thwart-hog. I'm on dang vacation here, 1000 miles away from home. Why are you here, too?
At that point there was nothing to do but grab a Checkers Champ with Cheese and get myself back to mom's. To stave off the dejection i reminded myself that i had bought a new travel CD ($3 at Beall's outlet) and listened to one of my all time favorite songs -Dobie Gray's Drift Away- several times on repeat at rather high decibels. I also saw two Mr. Snuffles Magees (armadillos) along the way, which always makes me smile.
It was sad not to see Douglas, but we'll find some way to visit each other and i will find a way to get to Dinosaur Land some day.
Mark my words, thwart-hog, i will.
This trip i figured i wouldn't be able to see David and Kaaren as David's family was coming down so i figured instead of going all the way into Orlando, I'd see if Douglas would meet me part way.
You see, i wanted to go to Dinosaur Land in Plant City (not related to Dinosaurland in Winchester, VA which i have visited). I have driven by it hundreds of time, but have never been there.
How is that possible? you ask; giant Concrete dinosaurs right off the highway and you never stopped?
I know. I know.
But finally, finally i was going to rectify that situation, plus slide one more new thing into December.
80 miles into the journey, right before the I-4 exit from I-75 outside of Tampa, my tire blew.
YIKES!
I was in the right-hand lane cause i was getting ready to exit so i was able to safely get off of the highway. AAA came to change the tire and make sure i hadn't bent the rim or damaged anything else with a high speed blowout.
When the Nice Tow Truck Driver, Steve, went to take off the blown tire, it came off in 2 pieces:
Yes, that is the tread in one complete circle at the bottom and the inner tire at the top.
Take a look at that devastation.
Steve tested the spare and declared it sound before putting it on.
I was all ready to carry on with the adventure once the repair was done, but there was a teeny, little voice in the back of my head, Should you really drive without a spare? What if another tire blew? What if you are in the middle of nowhere and you end up having to buy a tire? A new tire is not in your budget.
sigh... stupid, reasonable, responsible voice.
Man, i hate that voice. Sometimes i long for the days when i drank too much and went out dancing on work nights.
As much as i wanted to see Douglas and finally, finally go to Dinosaur Land, once Steve declared the car drivable i turned around and headed home.
Well, at least i can stop at Sonic now and get some tots, i cheered myself.
You see there is a Sonic right next to Mom's park and we always get tots at least once when i visit. That is, there was a Sonic right next to my mom's. It suddenly closed overnight with no warning, about a month before i got there so i hadn't had any Sonic tots on my Florida trip yet.
I remembered passing a sign for a Sonic a few exits earlier so i was gonna ease my disappointment with some deep fried nuggets of pressed potato joy.
Except that it was also closed!
Come on now, thwart-hog. I'm on dang vacation here, 1000 miles away from home. Why are you here, too?
At that point there was nothing to do but grab a Checkers Champ with Cheese and get myself back to mom's. To stave off the dejection i reminded myself that i had bought a new travel CD ($3 at Beall's outlet) and listened to one of my all time favorite songs -Dobie Gray's Drift Away- several times on repeat at rather high decibels. I also saw two Mr. Snuffles Magees (armadillos) along the way, which always makes me smile.
It was sad not to see Douglas, but we'll find some way to visit each other and i will find a way to get to Dinosaur Land some day.
Mark my words, thwart-hog, i will.
3 comments:
You might want to wait a year or so before trying Dinoworld again. They're about to double to size of the park.
Sadly, that shadow is the closet I have come to seeing you this year. Curses, foiled again.
[side note to Scott: LOVE the book Reel Shame.]
And note to Frick: the place where I got married is now a Sonic. Less romantic, more squishees.
-Frack
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