Road Trip - Day 2

We woke up on Sunday morning around 8:20 and my best friend from college, Emily, was supposed to be at Michele's house because she was in town for her boyfriend's rugby tournament.  I thought I heard her voice when I got up but Michele told me Emily had to drive back to Des Moines early because of bad weather.  It was like waking up on Christmas and being told there weren't any presents.  

I don't want to diminish my time with Michele and Mical because I loved my time with them, but it was just going to be like old times when Emily and I would drive down to St. Louis together to visit Michele...except this time I had driven UP with Jessica.  Regardless, it was a little sad.  

We got to spend some time in the morning, chatting, hanging out, then headed to breakfast at the Cracker Barrel.  

I know, I know.  Michele is leaning away from me and trying to keep a nice smile, but I SUH-WEAR, I took a shower that morning.  And put on deodorant.  I swear.  Really.  And Jessica didn't get out of the car so I couldn't have smelled that bad.  Or her nose doesn't work.  But I think I smelled fine that morning.

So, Missouri and Kansas are kind of punks.  They decided to build bridges right where they put their Welcome signs.  We couldn't get in the pictures because of this.

I'd like to lie to you.  I'd like to tell you that this is St. Louis.  I'd like to tell you this is the Welcome sign between Illinois and Missouri.  But it's not.  We didn't realize that we weren't going to be able to stop so we missed it.  And we couldn't turn back around (we turned around for several signs...).  This is the Welcome to Missouri sign in Kansas City.  We turned around after we got the Welcome to Kansas sign and got it going the other way.  That's what St. Louis gets for putting their sign on the bridge.

We made it into Atwood, to the folks' home around 9:30 pm and dinner was ready and waiting.  What a good mom.  

So Jessica made it.  And she's a good friend, if I haven't mentioned that before.  She was very good to mention before we left, before we got to the cold weather (did I mention I owe her BIIIIIIIIIIIG time? -- 24 hours of driving and 20 degree weather for a native Floridian) that she was excited for the trip and wanted to see my town and meet my people even if at the time it didn't seem like it.  And I'm reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally glad she said that, because there have definitely been times that I'm afraid she's going to kill me.