Kearney and I woke up early at 6 to use the pool. It was locked. I went to the hall phone and called the front desk.
“I was wondering why I can’t get into the pool. I put in my card and it flashes green, but the door won’t open.”
“That’s because it opens at 6. Did you read the sign?” he told me superciliously.
“I’m looking at my phone and it says that it’s 6:08,” I snotted right back.
“Oh. I’m sorry. I was looking at the computer time. I’m very sorry. I’ll be right up.” What a change of attitude! He zipped right up. Kearney and I plunged into the pool. I felt my muscles putting their feet up and having a cocktail after the tense driving of the past week had gotten them into Type A mode.
Nayla and Laura came down and we got in the hot tub for a bit (by now my muscles were setting out beach towels and tanning lotion).
We got a rude surprise when we found out that the continental breakfast was not free like it had been in Buffalo. Boo! Orvin didn’t find out until after he’d eaten, but the rest of us just hit the road. There was a Bob Evans next to the hotel, but it was nixed because it was sitdown and we wanted to make it back as early as possible. I forced us to drive for half an hour to get on the main highway before stopping for gas and food.
As we finished breakfast, snow was starting to fall. By the time we hit the road, it was freezing rain. Two of the cars were being driven by Southern boys with little snow experience but they held up fine. The Pennsylvania Turnpike curves through mountains and it was a pretty white-knuckle-eyes-darting-leaning-forward experience, especially with all the swaying trucks leaving their lanes and such. Mike’s little del Sol just got romped by the semis and their windshear and spray so I had to slow up a lot and make my lane changes when we were headed up hill.
I was pretty tired, but I didn’t want anyone else to have to lead and drive my car while the weather was crappy. We rated road conditions in terms of excrement. “This road just went from bad… to shit,” I said. Later it got upgraded to “poo.” Etc. As chunks of ice flaked off the car and hit windshields, we made Titanic jokes. At every Bob Evans sign, I radioed saying, “I must resist the siren call” and “Yes, Bob, I hear and obey,” etc etc. Yay car jokes.
Finally we cleared the ice. The first gas station we stopped at was glorious. I chipped the accumulation off my car and it came off in a big sheet. I wanted to eat at the Max and Erma’s just for the name and because it wasn’t Bob Evans, but Jo suggested we drive for a couple more hours and eat just once in the afternoon, which was sage counsel. So I tearfully bid goodbye to Max and Erma’s and took to the road again.
The weather got really nice as we hit the Ohio Turnpike and passed Cleveland. I let Jenny take over my car for a bit while I grabbed a catnap. She was hesitant at first, but the thrill of leading got to her. It gets to us all.
Took the wheel back 120 miles out of Chicago (yay GPS) at the last stop since Jenny hadn’t driven in the city before. Started doing the toll booths like a rockstar, not even coming to complete stop as I took the tickets. I was going to miss the car.
We’d listened to all the music in the car. I switched over to the radio, marvelling that I knew what stations played what.
Had to stop one more time (the last LAST stop of the trip). Iron Bladder was not happy.
I actually was more confused heading into Chicago than for most of the other states. Mike led us to LSD and the other cars went on ahead to Northwestern while Mike dropped off his car at his place.
Returned to campus, lovely campus, to unload. Leaving from where we’d started. Felt like the week was a blink. Felt like the week was a year. Didn’t know what to feel. Wanted to go see El. I cleared my car of luggage (but not of trash, I was too lazy).
Picture picture snap snap.
And then I dropped Laura off at her place. And then I drove to El’s.
And then spring break was over.