Prep and departure

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New crew for the French Quarter Festival. Returning from last year are Caroline, Abcde, and Tyler, we are also now joined by my neighbor Vallery and her friend Joyce. Our luggage includes 6 carry on suitcases, 2 coolers, 4 collapsible chairs, Joyce's walker and Abcde's 2nd most compact stroller, my CPAP and Caroline's backpack (which is playing the part of diaper bag/ Mary Poppins purse). Needless to say, we are blessed to have the Ridgeline Saddlebag available to use to tote some of this stuff outside the car cause sure as heck it wasn't all going to fit inside.
Vallery, Joyce, Tyler and I also had small Go-Bags with our toiletries and a change of clothes so that at the overnight, not all the bags would have to leave the car.
Caroline drove her car to work in the morning after I came home, she would be leaving it there and we would pick her up on our way out of town. I fed the monkey and did a Wal-Mart run for sodas and some Hawaiian shirts. I dropped Abs off with Vallery at about 10 and laid down for a nap, I had been up all night at work and wanted to be rested for the drive.
My alarm went off at 3:30 I an slipped in and out of the shower. Then to the car to start loading that which was piled by the door. Tyler showed up about 4:20 and we put the saddlebag on the back and got the odds and ends into the van. 4:40 everyone climbed into the van and we were off.
Well sort of, we had to stop on the south side of town and pick up Caroline and then stop for gas shortly after getting on the Bluegrass Parkway, but we were on our way.

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