In short: Alicia’s sister Monica is a bitch. A step above douche but below I hate her.

She is fighting to cause Alicia mental, emotional, and probably physical harm. I dislike it intensely.

Even though I just want to relax and read my book I know I, and several friends and family of mine, would be sorely disappointed if I didn’t keep a journal chronicling my adventures.

Introduction can happen at another time, for now i must put these memories to the pen while they are reasonably tangible in my mind.

The day started in my own bed at 8:10AM with bootleg Captain Crunch cereal and a not so drmatic goodbye to Sarah who was late to work. It will be the last I see of her for a while.

The trip proper started off right with me forgetting my two favorite CDs in the apartment, but for the most part other that that has been uneventful. The miles drip away like water from an icicle in summertime.

Thing that ARE of note are actually far more mundane:

-Underneath the driver’s side dashboard, right where the feet go, there is a leak so my feet sit in a puddle.

-My trip meter doesn’t work, and for that matter neaith does my odometer.

-My music CD’s are hot enough to burn if I play them for too long.

-Tomorrow is a very special one year anniversary.

12/2

For people so closely ties to the COnservative party, people down south don’t seem to understand the meaning of the word moderation. Case in point can be seen in a restaurant known as Arby’s.

Arby’s is known for its roast beef sandwiches which seems straightfoward enough. Once you take a look at their menu it dawns on you that, as is the case with all restaurants, there is enough variety to BE a menu.

They start with a regular sandwich which has slightly more meat in it than a McDonald’s double cheeseburger. The one I had stood a proud 3″ tall. Up that to a medium for 50 cents and you have a sandwich which increases in size by 3 slices and one inch. I couldn’t even mash the sandwich down tehre was so much in it, but alas I’m not done. Where tehre is a regular and a medium tehre must be a large, a 5″ monstrosity that is served with a fork and knife.

For $1 you could double meat it.

After that it’s just a simple modification to have a beef gyro, or cone, or on a stick for dipping purposes.

Still… they know how to do any form of cinnamon baked good right. The cinnamon, sugar, and pecans mixture it drizzled on the cinnamon bun until there is no clean purchase to be found by your greedy fingers.

The Arby’s I’m at is part of a two store plaza called Pilot Travel Center (Edit note: for some reason, while I’ve physically seen other Pilots, they don’t show up as rest stops, or gas stations, or restaurants or anything on a GPS). It is obviously for professional truckers. There are 2 for $2 hotdogs, each the size of one Spike’s Junkyard dogs, and they all come with free and infinite toppings. remember moderation? One man I saw walking by had a dish I can only assume had hot dogs drowning beneath the brim filled container of chili.

Then that brings me to a new oddity: for $10 you can buy a shower. It’s not bad, just a strange concept to think about, and no they don’t sterilize the floors between uses. before everyone gets up in arms about athlete’s foot and deseases let us remember that the truckers are at least showering in teh first place.

Time for a tidbit of practical advice from the road:

-Whomever said the best things in life are free was right. An empty water cup and a handful of napkins goes a long way. Do you really want to drink straight fropm a 2 liter bottle while driving 70 or check your oil with your bare hands?

I’m goin to go back and listen to a talk show angrily debunking global warming some more. Wish me luck.