The Road Trip from H-E-Double Hockey Sticks!!

Ever wanted to test the relationship you have with your significant other? Try driving halfway across the country during a major ice storm in a 26' Penske truck. That oughta do it! Jeremy and I headed back to South Carolina last Monday about 5:00 in the morniing. The minute we walked out the door, the ice started coming down. We left anyway and stopped at the Pittsburg Truck and Travel for gas. Just that drive cause everything on my car to get icy and I had to pull out the ice scraper already. We headed on down the road and I was being constantly pelleted by road debris from semis and other cars. I called Jeremy and told him I could not keep going in this. We stopped at the old convenience store near Crestline and decided to leave my car and head back to Girard. Great start to the trip wouldn't you say?!? We went back to my parents and took naps, then decided to try again around 2:00 that afternoon. This time we left my car in Kansas and took out on the road adventure of a lifetime in the big yellow truck. Thankfully, I have wonderful parents that will be brining me my car soon! Yippie!! Anyway off we go. We drover forever in the ice storm and made it the first night to Poplar Bluff, MO. (On a normal trip we would've made it to Chattanooga, TN) I was a nervous wreck the whole way, but I tried to stay calm. We stopped for the night, slept in a little, and got back on the road about 9:30 Tuesday morning. It didn't look as bad in the daytime, but I know the roads were icy. We were passing cars, trucks, and semis in the ditch like crazy once we were back on the highway. We HAD to get out of this mess! We were now driving 25 miles an hour down the road and had over 250 miles to go before we passed through Kentucky toward Nashville where the storm was supposed to turn to rain. (You do the math on that one :-( !!) So, we decided to take our chances and change courses. We headed South to Memphis, through Birmingham to Atlanta and HOME! The ice finally melted off the truck about the time we got to Birmingham. Needless to say we made it home after 23 1/2 hours of just driving time. (It usually takes about 15) If you were wondering, we're still going strong! We passed the test with flying colors! ;-)