ROAD TRIP!!!

Okay not yet. But this week! Road trip! With my mom!

We're driving out to western Pennsylvania to see my baby sister in her first college play. She's a freshmen this year, and she was cast in a Mainstage show (it's a BFD) so we're driving out to see her. It's about a four hour drive... and we're staying about an hour away, bc I have hotel connections there. So free hotel! yay!

We used to do family roadtrips all the time. Mama Gigi (my gramma) lived in Maryland, and while she was alive, we would drive the three-ish hours once a month to see her. We would ALWAYS have the following for family road trips (that never included my dad. Ever. That really should have been a red beacon of a clue) Taco Bell Supreme Doritos (REMEMBER THOSE??? THEY WERE GOOD!), Cool Ranch Doritos, pretzels, gatorade, water, and some kind of soda. And we always played the license plate game (keep track of all the different states you see), and this other band game. I don't remember the name. I think we called it the band game. We were very inventive. I would say the name of a singer or a band, let's say The Beatles. Then you would have to say the name of a singer or band that began with the letter S because Beatles ends in S. And so on and so forth, until you get stuck. And you can't repeat bands.

On one road trip (to North Carolina.. NINE HOURS) we saw every single license plate in the US and a lot of Canada except for one state. North Dakota. It took me almost ten years to see a North Dakota license plate... and it was last year in a random parking lot in Delaware. I was so excited. I was convinced that cars didn't exist in North Dakota.

For this road trip, we have a book on tape! Now, this book on tape has been a bit of a controversy. I originally wanted to get Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (IT'S AMAZING. READ IT NOW.) but there were 3 problems. It's expensive to buy, it's hard to find in a library, and it's 32 hours unabridged. The abridged version is 8 hours. That's A LOT cut out. So I refuse to get it abridged. My library does have it, but the waiting list is 8 people deep. So I'm not getting it by Friday. I did find a website where I could download it for $7.50, but then there was the 32 hours dilemma. It's only a 4 hour trip. So we'd really only listen to about 1/3 of it.

I got a backup book on tape (ok, cd) from the library... an Alex Cross James Patterson novel. We both like James Patterson (and Alex Cross) and neither of us have read this book. It's also only 8 hours unabridged. So it's a better fit. But I REALLY REALLY REALLY wanted to listen to Outlander, because I know my mom would love it. I'm a bit disappointed.

Now I need to figure out what else we're bringing for road trip snacks! Doritos are a must. But as for the other stuff? Suggestions??