Woke this morning in Jackson, GA where we stayed at the brand new Candlewood Suites. It’s very nice, but you knew that because it’s brand new.
How did I get here?
Why is the Georgian humidity crumpling my baggy eyes and sagging mind as I wander into the truck stop for coffee?
Yesterday started at my brother’s house in Morton, IL where we stayed a few days before launching this insanity.
I drove the Mini Cooper and Shannon drove the overstuffed potato Honda Pilot.
“Wow, this thing is really heavy isn’t it?”
We drove Shannon’s beloved 2007 convertible mini to my nephew in Nashville as a gift because he needed something flashy to drive. I even lowered the top as we pulled off the highway and drove to his apartment, nostalgically waving to the crowds hailing me from the curbs in my mind as the traffic crawled slowly over the suburban hills.
We made it to the apartment and the mini exploded into a ball of steam, boiling water and the stench of death that curdles from under the hoods of cars at the most inopportune moments, maximizing their last gasps for all those gathered around.
What!? Why?!
HOW?!
IT JUST RAN GREAT FOR 7 HOURS!
In truth, the explosion took place when I was taking my nephew around for a short drive. I suspect the engine thermostat died sometime during the trip and seized in the closed position as the engine cooled while we talked about the car. Once we started driving again, the engine quickly overheated, in dramatic fashion.
It’s a relatively easy fix, even on the Mini
Thankfully I had withdrawn a wad of cash in case the car needed repairs, which I quickly shoved into his hands and jumped back into the Honda.
We waved goodbye to my Nephew, his crying wife, and the smoking wreckage that once was a delightful 2007 Mini Cooper convertible.
With that, we slowly crawled back through Nashville traffic and made our way back to the highway, where we slowed even further. Just like the opening scenes from Office Space, we inched towards Atlanta until some magical force parted the traffic.
We pushed our way through the heart of Atlanta at 11:00pm so traffic wouldn’t be an issue on Saturday. Morning.
