The Sacred Cow Makes It's Return to Florida!

A little worse for the wear,

But your skin would be cracked and brittle too if you had ridden back and forth across the country on an antenna.

We made it back too.

A kind lady at the welcome center took this picture for us, so we didn't have to use our trusty tripod and it's reasonably straight.

Things I learned during this drive home:

1.  This country is huge. And beautiful. And so diverse.

2.  I will never be a long distance truck driver.  I don't know how they do it!

3.  Bring more than three books on CD just in case you don't like one of them.

4.  My daughter is a really great person, but I already knew that.  She tolerates her crazy mom very well.

5.  Not sure I will ever own one of these myself.  If I never have to hear that flat instructional voice again, I will be very happy.  We call her Betty:

6.  Turning Betty's voice into what we thought would be a more soothing British version who we called Bernadette was a mistake.  Bernadette was much more judgemental and less forgiving when we made a wrong turn.  Bernadette only lasted a day.

7.  Maps are not obsolete.  I have this discussion on every trip with my husband.  I like to see the big picture and maps provide it.  Besides when Betty stubbornly keeps telling you to "turn left, turn left" and you are looking at a cow pasture, a map is helpful.  (Let's remember The Office episode when Michael drove into a pond at his GPS' request people).

8.  The Pontiac Vibe is quite the little car.  Not one problem either way.  I have one too.  They will last forever and too bad the company didn't.

9.  McDonald's has sugar-free vanilla lattes! Enough said. And please don't ruin my pleasure and tell me they are full of calories anyway.  Are they?  Even with skim milk?

10.  Jason Dottley has a sense of humor and seems like a nice guy - see previous post and subsequent comments here.

11.  There's no place like home.  And home is where you make it.  In LA home is The Writer and Sammy's and Stanley's place.  Here it is on Nealwood.  Sometimes its at the beach for a week.  I'm glad to be back in my Orlando home.

The Maven drove us away from Nealwood in May, 6:30am:

It was only fitting that she drive the last leg back and up into the driveway at Nealwood in August at 4:00pm:

Ok, now shhhhhhhh, I've got three weeks worth of Mad Men to catch up on with Mr. Tennis...