Travel Tuesday

My trip to St. Louis was busy---as usual. I try to see everybody which really keeps me on the go. St. Louis is like coming home.

My Aunt Marie is the closest I'll ever be to my mother again. That just dawned on me while I was there this time. She's doing great and I'm so happy for that.

I got to spend a day with my favorite cousin (Chrissy). That doesn't happen often enough. It's usually an hour here or there. I'm thankful, that for so little time, she still makes me a priority! It was so much  fun to have a day--just the two of us.

This post isn't really about my time in St. Louis. It's about the actual act of traveling.

I realized on the drive home that everything I need for a road trip starts with an "S"!

Successful road trip:
Sunglasses

Starbucks--venti iced black tea shaken with two Equals no cane

Sleep aid---the opposite--Vivarin to stay awake behind the wheel

Set cruise control to Seventy.

Satellite radio

Showtunes on Spotify through my phone--my favorite. I play "name that show" with myself and then I can relive scenes in my mind from my favorite shows. Years ago,  in the days of CD's, I'd listen to/watch in my mind: Phantom of the Opera, Rent and Les Miserables. The next thing I knew, I was in St. Louis! Nowadays, with satellite radio, I can see scenes from many favorite shows. Plus, one thing always leads to another. Seeing the tap dancing scene from 42nd Street  leads me to think about that table dance from Kinky Boots. Such amazing choreography! It passes the time.

Singing---of course.

Sunflower seeds for when I do get drowsy.

Those are all the "S's" but I had another little game I played with myself. I starting exercising by clenching my butt cheeks to the beat of a song---for a whole song at a time. 5 minutes 49 seconds was a long time!! It's a good thing there was no traffic because I'm sure it looked a bit obscene.

Speaking of no traffic, I was cruising along to this.

NO traffic on either side! That Never happens! Of course, it was 5:30 a.m.

And then it happened. I guess I wasn't paying attention. I entered a work zone and got a ticket! I got the ticket even though there was NO work happening or traffic---at---all! I actually did slow down, but the officer said there was another sign before the one I saw.

Sheesh! Give me a break!! He didn't. Now the worst part---I have to drive back to Metropolis, Illinois to appear in court. My sister, Jeanne says it's because Illinois needs money. Still, I would rather pay online, court costs and all. This definitely put a damper on my serene trip! I have to be there by 8:30 a.m. I'll have to leave by 4 a.m. to make sure I don't have any unforeseen circumstances. I think it's about a 3 hour 15 minute drive. Next week. I'm sure I'll have a story to tell!

So there you have it. My Travel Tuesday post for today! Happy travels to you!