East Coast Family Road Trip: Day 1

Let me just admit that I am not always a good driver. I tend to cruise on the highway in the passing lane and am apt to veer over on occasion to kill a mosquito trapped in my car bent on my destruction. Thus it came as no surprise that I pissed off the lady driving a navy PT Cruiser when I almost wandered into her lane. Totally my bad. But when I caught up to her a few minutes later, she was still livid, wagging her sculpted nails at me like she was scolding a toddler or a bird that had just shit on her head. It was at this point that I noticed she was wearing a rainbow clown Afro wig. Why so angry, rainbow clown Afro wig lady driving on the highway in rural Illinois? Are you rushing to a clown emergency? Too many of your friends stuffed into a little car? Bitter that you are driving a dumbass PT Cruiser even though you are an adult? Alas, I will never know. I lost sight of her when I missed my turn in Normal, IL.

As I advised, I tricked out the car with amusements for the kids. The most used item today? Not the spam tin filled with gummy bears. Not the new apps on my iPad. You guessed it-the personal fans you can cool your face with. Blair flew too close to the sun before we were out of the neighborhood and got my hair caught in the propellers. Not on purpose. At least I can’t prove it.

Lots of anti Governor Scott Walker signs on the highway in Wisconsin.

Met up with new friend of a friend when we arrived at our destination, Madison, WI. We were immediate peas and carrots. Any single person who can hang with me and my three hooligans at a Jamaican restaurant is an immense trooper. Our friendship was cemented when, faced with an hour long wait for a table at Jolly Bob’s, she convincingly told the hostess that, “Why yes. We are Carrie, party of five whose table is now ready to be seated.” Rock star.

After 6 hours in the car with me stifling threats about going all Mitt Romney on their asses and making them ride on the top of the car unless they behaved, Rowan’s 11th birthday was topped off by ice cream at the dizzying Ella’s Deli and Ice Cream Parlor.