Well, it is about 11:50....p.m.... The albatross only made half of its destination and then landed. Mr. Dulles is taking care of the big chili-pepper for me....too much lightning for the albatross to be turned loose to complete the task....in the meantime....God is so good! We went to retrieve the chili-pepper package....left around 3:45....had to gas up the green-monster, but the gas pump would not work. I spent at least 10 minutes there while they tried to get the pump to work. It was over 100 degrees, and at some point, I gave up. They had told me to come in and I was like "forget it". We left and drove up toward the interstate....figured it'd be really high there like most of the time....a tremendous surprise beheld my eyes though!....There, on the big SIGN, it read $3.69....on both sides of the road! One station had a long line with most pumps emptied out of energy already....but, at least I got some! There was a reason that 1st gas pump was supposed to break down on me!!!!
So, by the time we were actually on the road only 5 minutes from my house, it was 4:11...that's how long it took to pump bc the pumps were so overloaded that it pumped the fuel really really really slooowwww. Grr..but I was not complaining one bit at all.
At about 4:35, 5 minutes after guee-tar lesson was supposed to start but got canceled for the trip, Big Chili called in to say the albatross was delayed....15 minutes or so....NO PROBLEM! I"ll just keep driving down the road bc I had already lost 25 minutes trying to get gas.
Another half-hour into the trip...now another 1/2 hour delay....NO PROBLEM! We'll just get something to eat while waiting to retrieve 'the package'!....
Again, another delay....lightning tying up the leashed albatross and growing lots of habenero peppers in the heat of things. Okay, hmm...so we arrived at the albatross headquarters and went to find a map of the layout next door....NO maps....every city, every surrounding state, theme maps, tourist maps, but all for north, south, east, or west, but NONE FOR THERE!!! ggrr.... NO PROBLEM! L'il Chil says "Let's just go to that ball field and throw a frisbee!" Okay!...then, we decided to first go get food, then take it to the field for a picnic and frisbee!....PROBLEM....NO MAP....NO LAYOUT.....Hundreds of side roads at headquarters.....None of the traditional eateries on those roads for the typical cross-country headquarter layouts....so we drive, and drive...well, we see a major highway! But it goes east-west....I want north-south and this is a totally different road (bc I was taking a shortcut instead of backtracking!)....Hmm...forget Cracker Barrel or anything else....we are in a blah area and refuse to stop at the run-down eateries there....finally there is a Tanger ....so we get some food at a Chik-fil-A....Clemson was appreciating us I suppose....plus it was Clemson's idea anyway....Things are going great though! We get another albatross delay...finally say, "Let's find a movie and then find our way back to albatross headquarters."....Then God plops 4 policeman coming out of ChikFilA beside our car, so they gave us directions....the directions were great I'm sure....a L,L,L, over or onto the highway, to get back, go over or onto the highway???..sure, I got it. Finally, there is the theatre! It is now 7:45 (how many li'l chilipepper movies run that time on a week night?) ONE! the exact one he was looking for!!!! The Wall-e (sp?)robot one! We are only 5 minutes late....previews!-gotta love'em! I pay. We go in. Phone rings. I go out. Another delay....total albatross grounded....no package, but.....the package is still trapped with habenero peppers prepared for delivery! Please call albatross HQ I hear....Big Chili didn't want to spoil overnight at Mr. Dulles' s house. Meanwhile, I go OUT of the theatre, they refund me, but poppy says to wait and not return home....so, I go REPAY and go back to watch the already-started movie where li'l chill doesn't even know I had flown the coop. Ring...in the theatre....(I DID turn the cell to vibrate several times but it was not working right!) The poppy reached the HQ and solved things.....change to HQ near our house!!!! Yeeaaahhh....so, at 9:38 the theatre is to let out....means me and li'l chill spent 2 hours driving (3:45-9:38) basically waiting to watch a movie! and then get home at 11:38!....so, we drag ourselves in the door.....Giant chili-pepper is there waiting for the package....he laughs his head off that I spent the last 8 hours not accomplishing anything and saying "Gee, next time don't go see a movie 2 hours away!"......But, it was working out great bc the package was supposed to be delivered close to home shortly after midnight....but no.....the albatross is just now prepared for flight and sitting patiently....and me, I just got the call to confirm the 'waiting patiently' part....so I can't go to bed until I know the package is in flight with the albatross...then I"ll get to sleep for one hour!
That has been my great adventure.....got cheap gas, a nice dinner out with the li'l chill, a movie, lots of chatting, lots of learning new roads 2 hours away, nice timing as the schedule kept changing....all was good.....just waiting for the chili-pepper package to arrive. Next time, I'll force the poppy to pay $200 for closer delivery.....hmm....if only I had known, I would have plopped us on the beach a little early and hung out 'til dusk!
Poor chilli-willy.....I think he wilted from all my carmobile-singing.....it was overbearing entertainment for him. The lightning show was cool. I think I'll go find a lightning strike count map to see how many hit our area 15 minutes into the drive on the way home....it was more light than dark!
Meanwhile, hopefully Mr. Dulles is taking good care of my chili-pepper package and caging the albatross until the storms are gone so that my package isn't in bad weather. Still, they are both sitting there waiting for the signal to change.
Time to go catch a wink.....I'll get to sleep as long as it takes to blink, I think.
"A friend loves you at all times."--Proverbs 17:17
