Holding onto my smile by a thread.....


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North America » United States » Alabama » Dothan
March 4th 2015
Published: July 16th 2017
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Nascar Country!Nascar Country!Nascar Country!

Dave said he knew he was in Nascar country with a roll cage on the crapper!
Geo: 31.2232, -85.3933

It's been trials and tribulations and crappola weather but we're still here waiting for a break and smiling (ok it's more of a grimmace than a smile).... If we have no rain, it's bitter cold or we have wind that beats the breath out of us....What's a real treat is when we have a couple of those together! Never thought I would start to doubt our plan for adventure but I must admit, there's been a couple of times I just wanted to throw in the towel....that lasted about two minutes.

A couple of things I forgot in the last update which shows just how much we can't catch a break, mostly from our own doing. We've lost four ratchet straps and one tire and have no idea where any of them went. We took the flat tire we had just outside of Niceville FL and ratcheted it on the top of the trailer and when we stopped for the day, no tire and no ratchet....want to laugh but I'm hoping it didn't cause a traffic hazard for the person behind us. The saving grace on this one is we were traveling a small back road and not too
A RARE GEM in Saint George, SCA RARE GEM in Saint George, SCA RARE GEM in Saint George, SC

Divey all the way around and food to die for!
much traffic. Since no one stopped us and gave us shit, I'm guessing it was all good. It was a special painted rim for the trailer so now the rims don't match but a can a white paint and we'll be back to looking good. The other three ratchets just kept falling off the duffel bag on top...took losing three of them before we figured out we hadn't put them on the duffel bag correctly....yea, we're not very sharp these days. The burns on my hand are healing nicely from grabbing the BBQ grill and ribs to stop them from hitting the ground at Terri's house. You'd think the legs on a $10 dollar grill wouldn't collapse but you'd be wrong. When it came to ribs or my hand, ribs won, hands down!

It was so miserably cold and wet on our way to Myrtle Beach we could only make it a hundred miles a day and even that was horrible. Got to Myrtle Beach and froze our butts off for the four days we were there. Had an awesome time visiting my pride and joy, Jared and his beautiful wife Lovae (and Guinness the spoiled rotten bulldog who I fell
What they do when you have too much!What they do when you have too much!What they do when you have too much!

Or maybe if you don't pay your bill....
in love with). Guinness is ten months old and I swear going through the terrible twos. It was hysterical watching her throw a fit and getting twenty treats a day! Broke down in Myrtle Beach and bought cold gear to help us make it more miles on the crappy days and they worked well when it was cold. Left Myrtle Beach and it was bitter cold and we loved having them on....then we hit Georgia and the temps had risen from the low 40's to the high 70's...yea, sweating our butts off..... Still glad we bought them but man, I don't think we can wear it for a week without washing it if we're gonna sweat buckets in it!

We've tried to find things to stop and see but unlike the midwest and west, historical markers here have no early warning signs. I'm use to that sign that says "Historical Marker 1/2 mile ahead". Give you time to slow down and actually pull over. We passed so many I would have loved to stop at but in this weather, it's just not worth going a mile or two down the road to turn around and come back and since we've been
Food is better than he's advertising...Food is better than he's advertising...Food is better than he's advertising...

Strange advertiser for the daily specials but who am I to judge.....
through this part of the country before, we've seen just about everything there is on roadsideamerica.com. Starting on some new roads tomorrow so maybe there'll be something new to see and post about on the next update.

Some things we've learned recently: 1. Dave and I don't fit in a double bed comfortably since he cheats and hogs 9/10's of the bed. I was wondering why my son hadn't put a more comfortable bed in his spare room for visitors (it is Myrtle Beach) and he told me that keeps people from staying too long....lmao. Smart kid I raised. 2. Sometimes it's better to sit two days somewhere to avoid ice and snow, saving multiple body parts from frostbite, no matter how badly you want to get to your next destination. 3. Micro brew beers are the bomb since you can catch a buzz on your second one...Thanks again Jared for the lesson. 4. Dave learned no matter how good the fish and chips are, eating more than you should comes back to bite you at midnight screaming for tums. 5. Always choose hotels who have a bar adjacent (if not on) the property....save's a lot falling down in strange
Totally Stolen!Totally Stolen!Totally Stolen!

Not sure that's true since we heard several colorful stories about the locals......
places and driving when you shouldn't. 6. Don't buy new tennis shoes at the outlet malls in Myrtle Beach. I don't consider $60 a sale price no matter what the damn name on the shoe is. 7. Buying four slabs of fudge at the Fudge Factory can't have any good effects, especially on my ass. 8. Last but certainly not least, there's a Walmart everywhere for purchasing new ratchet straps when you're too stupid to put them on correctly.

Sitting for the next 24 hours waiting out the storm and then down the road we go again......looking, hoping, praying, screaming, bargaining for better days ahead!





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They'll steal everybody's mantra apparently!They'll steal everybody's mantra apparently!
They'll steal everybody's mantra apparently!

With food this good, they can steal whatever the hell they want.....
Love the people here!Love the people here!
Love the people here!

Colorful and full of stories about the locals.....
Yea rain to begin the day!Yea rain to begin the day!
Yea rain to begin the day!

Of course it has to be rain or wind.....
Just a road to love.....Just a road to love.....
Just a road to love.....

These roads are my favorites....
Yep look at that wind.....Yep look at that wind.....
Yep look at that wind.....

Hate, hate, hate the damn wind.....
Down the road we go.....Down the road we go.....
Down the road we go.....

Nope the trees don't break the wind.....
C'mon and share.....C'mon and share.....
C'mon and share.....

Guinness named after a beer and loves the beer.....
SPOILED ROTTEN!SPOILED ROTTEN!
SPOILED ROTTEN!

The only dog I know that has a remote control toy all her own!
Learned to love Micro Brews!Learned to love Micro Brews!
Learned to love Micro Brews!

Had a few beers and it took half as long to get drunk with a micro brew!
Freedom for Beer!Freedom for Beer!
Freedom for Beer!

Kinda cool.....
Typical younger generation.....Typical younger generation.....
Typical younger generation.....

Who needs conversation when you have a smart phone.....lol
My pride and joy!My pride and joy!
My pride and joy!

Yes that's a full sugar coke (no aspertane)....not sure where I went wrong on this one....
Making chili for mom!Making chili for mom!
Making chili for mom!

Love it when he uses my recipes to feed me!
It's UNC home...It's UNC home...
It's UNC home...

Other's need to stay in the garage.....
Seriously go Tarheels!!!Seriously go Tarheels!!!
Seriously go Tarheels!!!

Duke lovers are the devils.....
Google Maps have saved my ass once or twice!Google Maps have saved my ass once or twice!
Google Maps have saved my ass once or twice!

I always wondered how they did this.....what a dream job, do nothing but drive around all day.....


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