Day 1

OK, so my goal is to try to write every day about our journey across the country for you all who are interested! So here goes...

Of course we couldn't start the trip without at least one thing going wrong. We departed Elizabeth City at about 9:45 but had to head over to the weigh station to check the trailer load, which of course was too heavy on the tongue weight of the truck. All because of, none other than, Lance's infamous bio diesel. I was questioning the reasoning for loading it in there in the first place but he felt the need, maybe because its his love, I don't know, so I wasn't going to be the nagging wife I wanted to be. But come on, 3 barrels of diesel fuel? Really? They do sell gas in Alaska!

So back at the weigh station, Lance was crying on the inside because he knew he was going to have to part with it. But how, was the big question. So we headed to the dump transfer station up the road in Camden where he was sure he would just be able to pump it into the used oil drum. But when we got there, it was of course closed. At this point I could almost see the steam coming out of Lance's ears because he was getting so frustrated in addition to being way over tired. So we decided to drive a little further down the road to a gas station to ask anyone if they'd be interested in it, or knew of anyone who might be.

At this point Lance suggested that I head up to the airport to pick up Renee who had to drop of the rental car she and George had driven up from Florida the day before, and he and George would rendezvous with us as we turned back west. I said OK and the kids and I were on our way, praying that Lance and George could find some way to get rid of the fuel so we could actually start our trip.

Thankfully, a man, who I assume was the owner of the gas station, offered to take it off of his hands because apparently he knew someone who would be able to use it. So Lance got to work transferring the fuel from the trailer into his empty barrel he put in the guys shed out back. Must have looked very suspicious. Lance had to give him the one empty barrel he had which was the only one he really wanted to keep, because it had “sentimental value.” It was the first piece of equipment he had when he started his whole bio diesel project. Yes, I'm serious. So now, several hundred pounds less, Lance and George headed up the road. I really didn't want to say it, but I just have too. Lance, “I TOLD YOU SO!”

We finally joined back together somewhere in Suffolk, Virginia, just in time for lunch, at a Chick-fil-A. So 1 o'clock, there we were, finally leaving Hampton Roads ready to start our voyage. Lance, me, and the kids in the motor home and George and Renee in the Yukon.

Now, this next story might be a little TMI for some of you, but I can't help myself. I decided to keep driving because I knew Lance was tired from running around since 6:00 in the morning so I figured he could try to rest a bit. Not 30 minutes after eating lunch, Lance decided he wanted to try out the toilet. And not just to go pee, mind you. He sat there for what seemed like 15 minutes just taking his time. Meanwhile I'm screaming at him at the top of my lungs from the driver seat and hes pretending not to hear me. I was ready to kill him. He couldn't hold it until the next rest stop, he had to make the rest of us miserable and suffer through his stench! Thats what I get for trying to be thoughtful I guess!

The rest of the day was great, Driving through Virginia is very beautiful. We stopped for dinner at, of all places, Walmart. We weren't all that hungry so it was mostly just snacking while getting a few needed supplies. An hour and a half later, back on the road! We made it to Asheville, North Carolina at about 10:45 where we called it a night for our first experience in a KOA campground.

Not bad for a first day!