And Now Back to Our Previously Scheduled Programming

Can I just say the holidays - from Thanksgiving to the end of Janaury (it lingered) - kicked my ass! Seriously kicked my ass. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, one birthday, Holiday parties, my nephew's cross-country move that I assisted with, a surgery, a blood clot, physical therapy, and symphony, opera and theater tickets in abundance. I'm pretty sure I saw my team of doctors and the pharmacy more than my boyfriend. True statement.

Things are settling down at last and I shall resume posting. I have a ton of new movies to discuss.

But first, let me tell you a little about my cross-country road trip and the virtual-tour we took along the way. What is a virtual tour, you ask? It's where you see stuff out the window of your U-Haul and look it up on your smart phone rather than stopping to see it for real. Doesn't slow you down when you're planning only three days to travel the 1857 miles from Nashville to Salt Lake City.

1. It is indeed possible  for two people (one of who just had surgery and is battling a blood clot) to pack an entire apartment and load it in a truck in two days. It may almost kill you, but it is possible.

2. The only thing I saw in Nashville was Jim N' Nick's BBQ restaurant (excellent food) and Lindsay, our server (excellent service).

3. There is a Casey Jones museum in Tennessee. What I learned is that he was a famous railroader known for his punctuality who died a hero trying to stop his train and save the lives of his passengers and crew. I also learned there are a lot of songs featuring Casey Jones - one of which implies he was high on cocaine and that's why the train crashed and he died. I thought that was an unfortunate intimation to put out there.

4. Memphis, TN has the 6th largest pyramid in the world. It used to be an entertainment venue. Now it's a sports shopping type megaplex. You can see it just off the freeway. Not exactly where you expect to see a giant pyramid.

5. I learned that 'Sooners' were the people who cheated and plopped their butts on unsettled land before it was officially proclaimed open to settlement in 1889. They spin it as progressive. I'm going to disagree. Since I don't think this is exactly a complimentary term, I  might take exception to it being a sort of unofficial term for Oklahomans. Just saying.

6. Lucille's Roadhouse is an awesome Route 66 diner in Oklahoma. Food was excellent, the portions generous, the price very reasonable and the decor awesome. If you're traveling anywhere near - stop. You can thank me later.

7. There's a weird bird sculpture over the freeway in Oklahoma City that lights up at night. Not what you expect to see, but kind of cool.

8. The Texas panhandle is stinky from cow waste product. Not all of it. But a lot of it.

9. Mom and pop joints are the best places to eat on the road.  Not always... mind you, but most of the time.

10. Whataburger is as good as I remember. Our one exception to the mom and pop rule because ... hello... it's Whataburger.

11. The Hole-in-the-Rock near Moab, UT is a 5000 sq-ft home carved out of a giant rock. One day I will stop and take the tour. I'll let ya'll know when I do. Might be taking a road-trip this June and that could be the moment. An actual stop to check out the sites!

12. You really can traverse the country in pajama's as long as they're modest. I think when you drive up in a U-Haul, people actually expect to see you enter their establishments in PJ's. Comfort is king. Can you imagine traveling across the country in a negligee? Haha. That'd be funny. We traveled through the bible belt, so that would have totally made me laugh. Someone in a negligee hopping out of the U-Haul. LMFAO.

13. If you have loads of data, then playing trivia on your phone with the driver can entertain for hours. And not all trivia games are created equal. Some are stupidly simple and some are challenging so you feel like you're learning even if you didn't get the answer right.

14. The last 200 miles are the longest. Ever. Longest! Ever!