Lessons I learned on the road...

The first day of December! My son, Tony, is forty today. And tomorrow officially begins our family Christmas season. We always wait until after the last birthday before we start with the decorations and other paraphernalia and fal-der-ral...

So, on to those lessons...

1) The hunk and I can survive sleeping on a double bed. In this day and age of supersizing, double beds aren't as common as queens or kings. We've been spoiled by our roomy king-sized bed for forty years. So the double bed was just a tad snug. But hey! We did fine!

2) I can survive without a computer and the internet for more than twenty-four hours. Amazing. My folks live in the wilds of East Texas. We drove thirty miles to reach a Starbucks so we could check our checking account. Other than that, I didn't turn on the computer for a week.

3) Wood heat can keep you pretty warm. Hauling firewood is a dirty business, though. And splinters are an occupational hazard. It was an educational business for me. I now know more about wood heat than I thought possible. It's a fine art to keep the fire and coals at exactly the right stage.

4) Not all Wal-Marts are equal. The Wal-Mart in my son's little town has stuff I've never seen anywhere else. Perhaps that's because there are no other stores in town. Literally, a shopping trip = a trip to Wal-Mart.

5) There are restaurants in West Virginia called Biscuit World. They can do more with a biscuit than seems possible, but I've witnessed their menu first hand. And to the lovely ladies who waited on us (three minutes after the store closed), "Thank you!" You saved us from imminent starvation.

6) Coffee shops are in short supply once you leave the east coast. I suspect they are scarce until you reach the west coast. We went an entire day without seeing a single place--except for truck stops--that served decent coffee. It was quite a shock to us to find out it was that difficult to obtain a cup of coffee.

7) The words "continental breakfast" cover a lot of territory. Most hotels now offer a free continental breakfast with room rental. However, that might mean anything from a generous hot buffet breakfast to a tepid cup of coffee and a stale donut. You pays your money and takes your choice.

8) And finally, there is nothing as sad as a tiny puppy dying of poison because she discovered a stick deodorant and nibbled on it. It's extremely poisonous. If you have pets, make sure it's locked away from inquisitive little dogs and cats. RIP Ashley. We will miss you.

anny