life on the road

In the past two days, I've driven through six states. Some things I have seen/accomplished:

- Driven a record 32 consecutive miles without using my hands. (The rule was no touching the steering wheel with hands. Signaling and adjusting the cruise control were ok.) Turns out you can do all sorts of things while driving when both hands are freed up, including clapping to music, for a more satisfying dancing-while-driving experience.

- Practiced interlacing my toes. (It's harder than it sounds.)

- Covered over 900 miles each day, stopping only three times per day for pee* and gas-up. I am a machine. (*Turns out my bladder doesn't act like a 2-year-old's when I withhold liquids in any form... except, of course, the occasional gas station crappuccino. Those are practically obligatory.)

- Purple mountains, impossibly blue skies, rolling bright green hills, and incredible sun and cloud situations. (They weren't lying about purple mountain majesty, for reals.)

- Continued my language learning with Intermediate French CDs, a new Half Price Books purchase. Je suis fier de moi.

- Spent one night at a Bates motel look-alike. (The choice was between $42.50 and $90 for the Best Western a block away.) It looked eerily like the real thing. No lie, I was a little freaked out during shower time. I even checked the place for possible peep holes. Needless to say, I survived the night.

And now, I rest (at a less questionable overnight establishment), along with my little car. Tomorrow it's two more states, and the culmination of my trip: a peek at my never-before seen new apartment and new city.

West coast, I'll see you soon.