Admittedly, I had been lollygagging, hoping for a better forecast.
I wanted to be able to stay there in Orlando with those golden girls...
but Hurricane Michael wasn't backing down.
Indeed, it had strengthened in those warm Gulf waters, blasting from Category 1 to Category 4 in less than 24 hours.
Like Hurricane Matthew in 2016, it was huge, having a 500-mile width.
Unlike that earlier one, this current one was a bit scattershot and disorganized.
Sounds like my two stepbrothers of the same names.
(smile)
Admittedly, I had not been paying attention to the weather before I came to Florida.
I was actually shocked, after arriving at Liki Tiki Village on Sunday, to find that Tropical Storm Michael was lurking nearby.
Then, all day yesterday it had persisted, growing more dangerous for the panhandle of Florida, but leaving the center - and Orlando - safe from harm.
My initial plan was to stay until Wednesday. To make sure I cleared out from their vacation then, I had only brought pills for three days.
This morning's forecast clearly showed that the tropical storm was all over Georgia's long coastline. I was hoping that "warning" would be downgraded to a "watch" before I ventured on the road.
With the hurricane's path fixed to cut across Georgia, I knew I needed to go if I were to pass the southeastern coast before its outer bands did. If I didn't leave today, I would have to stay until Friday, with two days of no pills.
I had told Michael and Melanie I was leaving today, giving all hugs and kisses before they went to the theme park.
But I found myself watching "The Terminal", eating my favorite lunch of chips and salsa with tuna, telling myself I was waiting for the National Hurricane Center's next update. The Smiths were off to Lego Land and I was there alone.
Still hemming and hawing about a course of action, my final decision was made for me by Tom Hanks' character. Viktor Navorski had finally fulfilled his promise to his father. When asked by the cabbie where to be taken, he said, smiling, "I'm going home."
I'm going home.
So, I toted my stuff to the door... and there was Michael and his bevy of blondes! Deciding on their Lego Land adventure for later in the week, they had returned! Time for another round of hugs and kisses before I left.
i thank You, God.
The tropical storm "warning" had, indeed, been changed to a "watch". That should make the trip home less hazardous, especially as I thought I'd be driving in the daylight still.
That wasn't how it worked out, of course.
It took me two hours to drive from Orlando to I-95.
Wisely, I opted to fill up my gas tank before continuing north.
Once I'd passed Butler Boulevard on the southern edge of Jacksonville, traffic came to a crawl. Apparently, there was a huge wreck around the Eighth Avenue exit, causing all lanes to be blocked. That's what the overhead sign said. All lanes.
I persisted on that interstate highway.
However, as the sun dipped and the traffic ran slower than I could have walked, with more wrecks from people trying to rush anyway, I took an exit, hoping for a path northward... and misread a sign and wound up right back on I-95.
Sigh.
After advancing about a quarter of a mile over the course of an hour, I exited the slow crawl to Forest Street. My plan was to find a police station to get directions to an old Savannah-bound highway.
Instead, I found Fire Rescue Station # 5, shining like a beacon in the twilight.
The young woman inside unlocked the door for me, no doubt seeing how distraught I was. She took me to two of the young men there, to ask for directions. One showed me the tanker that had been damaged and was leaking fuel on I-95 at Eighth. They both told me how to get around the traffic jam. "Just go straight up this street for two blocks, then turn right to get onto I-10 West. Then you'll take I-295 North and that will get you back to I-95 North, right before the airport."
i thank You, God.
I followed the directions exactly... and they led exactly where I needed to be.
Of course, I was in tears before I even left the fire house. I was so distraught about having such a long journey, in the dark, still ahead of me. I had honestly expected to be at the Georgia border before nightfall. That had certainly not happened.
Perhaps that had been for the best, though.
By the time I merged back onto I-95 North, the traffic was rather light.
That was a blessing.
I resolved to drive straight on, not stopping for anything until I reached my driveway.
Thankfully, that was what I actually was able to do.
True, the tropical storm "watch" was still in effect for the coast and that meant I should expect some hard rain and wind gusts along the way.
And I did expect them...
and they did occur...
every time I approached a bridge over water and for some time after.
Blinding heavy rain, with wind that tried to shove my car toward the median.
i thank You, God, for the big rigs traveling that road with me.
I drove alongside one of those trucks and allowed it to block the worst gusts.
I followed the taillights of another through the downpour, keeping pace with it.
I kept an eye on the trucks to keep my place on the road.
i thank You, God.
I arrived safely home, to my driveway, at 10 PM.
Exhausted, but safe.
I responded to texts from Barbara and Carolyn and Kevin and Christina and the Smiths.
To all, I assured them I was home, but with no energy to talk.
I took a relaxing shower, letting the warmth sink into my tired muscles.
Then, I had a rare treat - an ounce of chilled Reposada tequila, still in my cupboards, leftover from Hurricane Irma.
"Married With Children" was nice, light, entertainment and I am soon to bed.
i thank You,, God.
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