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We were totally bummed. The plan was for Mike and I to go up to Bozeman, MT for the weekend so we could help my best friend, Jeremy, make the move to Seattle, WA. We were so excited, and it was gonna be sooo much fun...but sadly, circumstances beyond our control sent us back to Austin on Saturday.
So, Mike and I were sitting around the apartment with a lot of free time in the days ahead. Finally, Mike suggested, Why not a road trip? Now, I looove a good road trip! So, the decision was made. We picked Athens, GA as a good destination, 'cause of the whole R.E.M. mystique and all (but I swear, I don't have any feelings for Michael Stipe anymore!!!). We packed our bags which was an easy feat since Mike came up with another great idea: every outfit we wore on the trip had to be bought the day before from a thrift store. Now, isn't that a fun idea? As thrift shop junkies, of course, we were excited. So, we left Austin that afternoon.
We hit Houston, TX, by the evening, and hit our first thrift shop, a Salvation Army, with only 30 minutes before closing. In a mad dash, we grabbed some outfits and headed for the cash register.
"Ya'll must be goin' to a 70's party tonight!" remarked the friendly cashier. We just kinda smiled and mumbled politely since we didn't want to get into the long, complicated story of what we were really doing (only to get more long and complicated as questions like "Now why would you kids do a crazy thing like that" would undoubtedly follow...).
The cashier went on, "Man, my Mama used to dress me up in clothes like this when I was growin' up. Those butterfly collars and polyester flares...Mmmm! Well, you guys have a fun time at your party tonight..." (This is one wonderful thing about the South that I love: everyone is so super-friendly!)
We dashed for the car and were back on the road after a quick veggie dinner at the local Black Eyed Pea. Darkness fell as we hit Louisiana. It was so eerie as we drove over bridges, and as we looked out, we saw nothing but dark, rippling water around us. And what's even creepier is that there are a lot of huge oil refineries in Louisiana, so out of the barren night would come these huge oil plants with these huge pipes blaring fire! It was so creepy...it just felt...evil somehow! (cringe!)
I drove and drove until I just couldn't drive anymore. (Mike doesn't know how to drive, so I had to be behind the wheel the whole time.) Finally, we stopped in Lafayette, LA, for the night, where I immediately flopped into bed and turned on my dear friend, Cable Television. (dreamy sigh!)