From Oil Wells to Jingle Bells-Bells,pg.66, See you in September!

[Cherry Limeade]

I think this is the first TR that has made me laugh out loud. Repeatedly! Thanks Nebo - I am really enjoying your stories!

 

[Thumper_Man's Wife]

You see the problem with that though? Those programs all require 12 steps, anything more than 8 and I'm asking for it! Now, if they had a 12 stumble program......

If we start the program, we can make it any steps we want...or maybe no steps at all. Some kind of support group for people who trip over air...

 

[orangecats2]

Hi Neebs! Sorry you fell and hurt yourself but what a sight you must have been! The retelling is so funny.
The next value I want to try is Pop. So many people rave about it I have to see what all the fuss is about. Plus I really need to try the tye-dye cheesecake. I'll have to wear a shirt to match.

 

[nebo]

Ya tease...

I can't argue. Hey, if I can't exactly enjoy the reliving of this part of the trip, I may as well get all the fun I can out of it in the tellin'

No, I am not older than you thought... I may actually be younger than you thought... but either way-- I've seen the commercials before, and yes, they were for a toy-- I think made by playskool called Weebles... and that was indeed the song. However, I thought that line was funny. Seeing as how this is only the 2nd TR of yours I've read, it's possible you've made the same funny and I missed it. Either way... no, don't ask.. I'm not telling you how old I am.. it's inpolite to ask a lady such things!

Ok fine, I won't ask, don't worry, I'll be gentleman.
Put your husband on line and I'll ask him.

We're staying at Pop for the first time soon and I am so looking forward to it. We needed 2 rooms, and being retired with limited funds, that put us in a value resort. I've stayed at All Stars Music and Sports. I was at Sports during the Pop Warner games last year and made it through that one just fine so I'm sure Pop will work fine as well.

Terri

Terri you're going at a great time to be there, no groups that I k now of and I think you'll really like it. I would like a report on the construction across the lake when you get back. And don't forget to start at either far end of the promenade that goes along the lake. It's become a ritual for us to read every sign and answer all the trivia questions on the back. This can take a good 45 minutes or so, depending on whether you smoke or not. And if you haven't done so, look at a resort map online and pick out where you want to stay, ah, sure you kow that routine.

Of course we all read the call out's, we hang on your every word!

They need a "darker' version of smileys here somewhere. Like a little guy hanging himself like in Airplane, or committing Hari Kari. You and I would have thrown out our wrist at times trying to click on one of those I'm sure.

I'm all caught up on your TR RigLee's and Tiggerbell's How did that happen ???

I don't think it can happen, Lynn

When I was a castmember the only thing I hated about working at WDW was July and August ! Back in our day and I'm sure it still holds true, they were required to listen to a lecture of some kind on our culture and what bahaviour was acceptable. It went in one ear and out the other. I always said the only things they needed to be taught was "wait your turn" and when we say "excuse me" It means "Get out of my way"
I am older now and more tolerant of other cultures and realize that to them it's just normal and not rude, except the blocking the sidewalk thing. I am however not tolerant enough to go to WDW in July or August. Sorry you guys didn't have that little piece of information.

at the mental picture of your tray of food debris flying all over the place. Yeah I'm laughing at your expense I know you'd return the favor.
Lynn

I still can't believe we walkied into this blind. Boy, some Disney experts we ended up being. But I just don't understand the mentality,if I'm in another country, I'm going to make absolutely SURE I don't run afoul of the local laws and customs.

I think this is the first TR that has made me laugh out loud. Repeatedly! Thanks Nebo - I am really enjoying your stories!

Hi, welcome, and thank you. ANd what a cool screen name. Ok, now what does a lot of "angst" make you do? Maybe we can get you to yell and swear out loud in the next couple chapters, cuz there sure wan't a whole lot of funny coming up.

If we start the program, we can make it any steps we want...or maybe no steps at all. Some kind of support group for people who trip over air...

Ok, how's this? We make it a one step program that signifies all the dangers that people like us go through, and we call it, ....ahem..."ONE STEP BEYOND!"
And for a logo, it will be a small picture of a person standing at the top of Swiss Family Treehouse with no railing and the lead foot coming down over the side into air!

Or you can do what everybody else does and say I have too much time on my hands.

Hi Neebs! Sorry you fell and hurt yourself but what a sight you must have been! The retelling is so funny.
The next value I want to try is Pop. So many people rave about it I have to see what all the fuss is about. Plus I really need to try the tye-dye cheesecake. I'll have to wear a shirt to match.

Boy, um Okittysquared, I shouldn't tell you this, but the tye dye cheesecake sucks. Smidgy had the exact same attitude you do, and she has quite a few tye dye shirts herself, but she was sorely dissapointed. The plain ol regular cheesecake is still better, the other one LOOKS better, really pretty, just tastes like crap.

Oh, and to TEEDEE, i'm not sure if you are on the dining plan or not, but that info was for you too. By the way, shakes, hot fudge sundaes and cones and stuff there are also listed as snack credits. And according to Smidgye, the Mom's night out specials at Pop arent bad either when you're on the dining plan and sick of burgers.

 

[nebo]

Allright. We will be back with the next chapter, 11, tomorrow night before it gets too late.

In case anybody is wondering, no, you haven't missed any pictures of Sports. Because there were none to post.

I had zero intention of doing another trip report, so we hardly took any pictures at all this trip. How many pictures can you have a Cinderella's Castle? Or of resorts you have stayed at many times before? Vero Beach was different because we've never stayed there before, the same for Beach Club Villas. But even these pictures were limited, our own family now makes the cross sign every time we get together after we just come back from Disney; they really don't want to hear about it, much less look at pictures.

It wasn't until we started telling other people what all happened this trip that Diane thought a new trip report was in order. So betweeen her and Mony Mony, (monica), they talked me into it.

I can only say that everything you are reading pretty much happened the way I'm describing it. If you think that "Oh come on, he's just making this stuff up trying to be funny", well, notice that most anything funny i say happens either in a conversation with Smidgy, or in my thoughts.
What I'm trying to say is don't be mislead about the soccer groups and the tour groups, (yes, I classify them separately), what happened with them is the truth, only the names have been changed so I don't get kicked off the Dis for swearing.

Wish it wasn't so late now, now I"m ready to get going!

 

[lovebuzzandwoody]

I had Weebles when I was a kid. I had the Camper set. It was awesome!


I am glad to hear that at least you were comped a night but I fear things got much worse before you checked out. Yikes!

 

[Cherry Limeade]

Hi, welcome, and thank you. ANd what a cool screen name. Ok, now what does a lot of "angst" make you do? Maybe we can get you to yell and swear out loud in the next couple chapters, cuz there sure wan't a whole lot of funny coming up.

Well, I'll read the next couple of chapters and let you know. Probably some swearing and kicking, especially if you have another run-in with the tour groups. That really kinda got my hackles up...

Thanks for the compliment on my screen name. I'm a little addicted to Cherry Limeade's.

 

[TwiddleDeeTwiddleDum]

Allright. We will be back with the next chapter, 11, tomorrow night before it gets too late.

I can only say that everything you are reading pretty much happened the way I'm describing it. If you think that "Oh come on, he's just making this stuff up trying to be funny", well, notice that most anything funny i say happens either in a conversation with Smidgy, or in my thoughts.
What I'm trying to say is don't be mislead about the soccer groups and the tour groups, (yes, I classify them separately), what happened with them is the truth, only the names have been changed so I don't get kicked off the Dis for swearing.

Wish it wasn't so late now, now I"m ready to get going!

Looking forward to the update!

Having traveled with my DH & DS & knowing how our vacations go, nope, I don't think you're making it up But we have been fortunate in not encountering the behavior you described in trying to get to your room at ASsports. It amazes me that the kids (& encouraged by their chaperones ) would attempt to block you from walking on the sidewalk to get to your room. I think my DH would've reacted the same way you did.

Now hurry & tell us what happened next

 

[Backstage_Gal]

Of course we all read the call out's, we hang on your every word!

I hang on every word! Honestly! Almost as good as your reports

 

[HaleyB]

Allright. We will be back with the next chapter, 11, tomorrow night before it gets too late.

In case anybody is wondering, no, you haven't missed any pictures of Sports. Because there were none to post.

I had zero intention of doing another trip report, so we hardly took any pictures at all this trip. How many pictures can you have a Cinderella's Castle? Or of resorts you have stayed at many times before? Vero Beach was different because we've never stayed there before, the same for Beach Club Villas. But even these pictures were limited, our own family now makes the cross sign every time we get together after we just come back from Disney; they really don't want to hear about it, much less look at pictures.

It wasn't until we started telling other people what all happened this trip that Diane thought a new trip report was in order. So betweeen her and Mony Mony, (monica), they talked me into it.

I can only say that everything you are reading pretty much happened the way I'm describing it. If you think that "Oh come on, he's just making this stuff up trying to be funny", well, notice that most anything funny i say happens either in a conversation with Smidgy, or in my thoughts.
What I'm trying to say is don't be mislead about the soccer groups and the tour groups, (yes, I classify them separately), what happened with them is the truth, only the names have been changed so I don't get kicked off the Dis for swearing.

Wish it wasn't so late now, now I"m ready to get going!

I'm here!
for Smidgy and Mony Mony for talking you into writing it!

Better late than never.

I have a good excuse.
I was in Disney World.

I'll catch up as quick as I can.

Borg on the not intending on writing a trip report. Most of the funny stuff in Mr Sillies report is made up. The getting lost part is real though. The man has no sense of direction unless he is inside a Disney park. Then he knows where everything is. Go figure.

Shameless linking to Trip Report

 

[tiggerwannabe]

Nothing to take pictures of!?! Blasphemy!!!

I have ten of thousands, literally and you know this, but still find something new to photograph every time I go~ Its all in the details for me. You have a great imagination for writing, I am so sad your creativity doesnt extend thru your camera.

 

[Backstage_Gal]

I'm here!

Hi Haley!

 

[LoriABil]

I can't believe I just found this trip report! I love it! Not that I'm a sycophant or something, it's just well written and funny. Dark comedy funny, but still funny.

I am caught up now and ready for the next installment. This is the stuff great movies are made of. And I only say that because it seems you and Smidgy survived and the events weren't so horrible that you had to supress the memories...

Unless this is something your therapist is having you do. And if so, I hope it helps.

 

[orangecats2]

What!?!? The tye-dye cheesecake isn't good? Why does everybody rave about it? And why shouldn't you tell me it's not good? Is there some evil conspiracy to get me to stay at Pop? What does it taste like? My favorite cheesecake at WDW is at Biergarten. That's the texture of cheesecake that I grew up with. Very light and fluffy and whipped, none of this dense junk. I should say I'm not a huge fan of Dole Whips either. I like them but they're not my favorite thing ever. I would try one of the mom's special dinners, they sound good. But we normally use a TS credit for dinner so not sure when we would fit that in.
How did Smidgy get that nickname? Don't think I've seen that explained.
I have read all your TR's now except Feeding Nebo so I'm going to go start that now. Wish me luck that I make it out alive.

 

[kenaiwitch]

I'm so excited!!! I just talked to my son in Germany and he is coming home for x-mas okay it's 245 in the morning I had to tell someone. back to the regularly schedule report

 

[tiggerwannabe]

Lol! I like Neebs name for you Okittysquared

I adore Biergardens cheesecake too!

Had for the first time last year In.Cred.I.Ble!!!

The tye dye, imho IS that "dense crap". Me no likey~

 

[HaleyB]

Hi Haley!

Hi Marita! Good to see you.

 

[HaleyB]

I decided everyone needed to go back and start at the beginning with me. Or you can just skip this post as I am sure as I read on I will find someone beat me to every comment I come up with.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaand, We're Off!!!"

I looked at my watch, 3:34, not bad, only running a couple minutes behind.

You or the watch????

As I pulled out of the driveway, I started firing questions at her.
"Didja bring the lunchmeat? Didja bring the extra bag of ice? There were a lot of widja didjas in the next two blocks, then it was her turn.

"Didja bring a jacket and a hat?"

"Crap!"

And just like that, two blocks down the road I'm tuning around.

Unfortunately, her hitting on something I didn't bring right away was the worst thing that could have happened. Why?

Because then she stopped asking me anything else!

Ut oh.

Hi, my name is Nebo, aka Steve, sometimes, my partner is Smidgy, also known as Diane.
This is our 17th trip to Disney, we are empty nesters, (at least for now) and this is our 15th trip since we have gotten back together.

Yes, you read that right. We were divorced in '99, got back together in '02 and remarried in '03. The downside is neither of us can figure out now how many years we've actually been married, I think it's around 28.

I'd just count the years you were divorced as one long fight with a really effective silent treatment. Of course If I did the math it would be 35. I only do Mickey math and for some reason the numbers always end up higher. 3 nights off property plus 4 nights on ='s 11 nights

And no, we don't celebrate two anniversaries now! Stop it.

But Disney had a lot to do with us getting back together, and we never lost sight of that.

Smidgy is way too nice. I would demand two anniversaries. Ok. Not really. We forget ours all the time. Kids, let this be a lesson to you. Don't get married on Dec 30th. As soon as you have children your anniversary will got lost in the holiday hustle.

I *might* make sure to note that we are celebrating our anniversary on every Disney reservation, though. Unless it is my birthday.

She likes to say that the divorce just didn't work out.
I prefer to say that we were closed for refurbishment.
It's still basically the same marriage, only with new special effects added, like understanding and compassion.

Now I have to mention a few things about myself. For those that know me, sorry to have to put you through this again, but you know it's necessary.

I can't see, I can't hear, and I brake easily.

All true. Many eye problems resulting in being blind in the dark or night. I did finally get hearing aids this year, much to Diane's delight. And along with a bad back I've also had 5 surgeries on my foot resulting from crushing it in a work accident. Part of my hip is even in my foot now to rebuild it.

Did I mention that I walk funny?

I'm like the six million dollar man after budget cuts.

DED. And you know I have part of my hip in my lumbar spine. The *%$!#!* collection site for the graft hurts more than anything else.

One other thing, I'm also accident prone, especially at Disney.

Perhaps you've seen me on tv doing Vicodin commercials?

"Don't leave home without them"

And I DON"T!

But vikes aren't my addiction, Disneyworld is. Every time I try to take steps to rid myself of them, I trip. So, here it is, 3:40 in the morning on Friday, July 9, and we are headin south again, baby!

About this trip:

We have always said we would never go in July. Too hot, too crowed, too many thunderstorms. July, March, and November are the only months we have never been there in.

Then she found out that the restaurant where she works was going to close for the entire month. Sooooooo, maybe we should go someplace?

You see, we have a problem.
No, not you dear reader, I mean we, us, Smidgy and me.

Ok, ok, I'm the one that has a problem!
I can't leave something alone, I have to change it, alter it, fiddle with it, embellish it and just plain mess with it until what is left has very little resemblance to what I started out with.

Once, in a past life Sophocles once asked me to put some rocks around the campfire to contain it when we're roasting marshmallowsw.
Today they still call it Stonehenge. Perhaps you've seen it?

But worse than that, I can take a "three day weekend whirlwind trip" and turn it into a two week, four resort getaway with a stop in Sheboygan.

Hey, Nebo does math just like me

Which is exactly what ended up happening.
Except for Sheboygan.
Hey, something had to go.

Oh, our reasoning made perfect sense.
"You know, being the Dis veterans that we are, we don't need to do that much in the parks, we can just spend our time relaxing at the resorts."
Yep, sounds good on paper, but the resorts cost a fortune in July.

THis is where our friends came in. We know DVC owners who seem to have an insane amount of points, and we are just pleased as punch to help them out!

Then, the not -so- secret anymore codes were extended into July.
By the way, even though I used a phone book when I was looking for a lawyer back when we got divorced, the lawyer and his wife run into us a lot at Diane's restaurant.

Care to guess who's giving us the great rate with the DVC points?

Life can be very strange.

So here is how the trip stands in it's final incarnation, after much wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth. ( mostly her from every time I proposed a new change)

Drive as far as we can Friday, stop along the road somewhere
Stay in Kissimmee, or Ocala Saturday, leave early in the morning.
Drive to Vero Beach, a DVC we have never been to, stay for 5 nights
Drive to All Star Sports for fri and sat, check out sun.
Drive to Beach Club Villas for 5 nighs, back on the points,
Finish the trip with 3 nights at Music, using 25% off code, same code for Sports.

There you have it, that's why I'm doing this in 3-D
Dumb, Deranged and Delusional.

You guys do as much resort switching as we do. If I am crazy, at least I am not alone.

Before we return to them still sitting in the driveway,,,,(hmm, I think I just referred to myself in the 4th person, is that possible?) I'd like to mention that I do plan on trying to shorten this report up a bit from past reports, you can only do a blow by blow or ride by ride report from the parks so many times. Honestly, I wasn't planning on doing a report, but enough weird things happened that I just couldn't go quietly into that good night.

Besides, people seem to enjoy it when I'm in pain. Well, every person needs a mission in life.

But the most important thing we are going to do here is have fun. I enjoy sharing our adventures, and I hope you will enjoy reading them too.

Oh, the title you ask? It's simple, when we made the original rezzies, no one knew BP was in the gulf even drilling, much less screwing things up. Even the cast members at Vero Beach were concerned that the oil would hit the gulfstream, be carried right around the tip of Florida and just south of Vero Beach is where the GS swings back to the mainland. If that happened, it could easily be there by mid July!
When I first thought about doing the report, due to how the trip went, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" was also a title thought.
Or the hyena's version, "The Good, the Bad, and the UUUUGGH-LYYYY! but it is what it is.

One last thing and I think we're all caught up.
I didn't wait to hurt myself at Disney this trip, I beat the Christmas rush.

Happened about two weeks ago, wasn't even sure if we'd keep the trip.

Everything was going fine, the guy in front of me jumped, his chute opened, then it was my turn.
I jumped, the chute opened, everything fine, but about 30 feet from the ground, a gust of wind caught me and blew me into a chain link fence, tore some cartilage in my right knee.

or


Would you believe;
I was crouching, going around the car and checking the air in the tires?

Well, yeah, that's how it happened but the first way is more fun to tell. But somedays my knee is just gigantic, and really hot to the touch. And every time I move it sounds like somebody stepping on fortune cookies.

And of course it's the same knee I blew out almost 20 years ago trying to win a bottle of Cold Duck in a Limbo contest. Hey, it was down to just one other guy and me!

So now we're back in the driveway, I have my jacket and hat and we're almost ready,,,,,, again. Even though I'm scared to death to drive at night, I'm not worried this morning cuz the first 45 minutes are the same exact route I took to work for 25 years, and the rest is well lighted until we get to route 57. By then it will be dawn. BTW, Smidgy doesn't drive on highways, that's just a fact of life.

This time before we left, we held hands and Diane led us in the prayer we had forgotten to do the first time. She's better then I am in praying out loud. At 3:30 in the morning I think the best I could have come up with is "Dear lord, please don't let us crash!"

Now, once more with feeling!
"Aaaaaaand, we're off!!!"

Sorry, it's a ritual, been saying this before every trip now for years. This is the 17th trip, 14th time driving down and the 11th time in our good old trusty
'03 Santa Fe

Boy, if only I knew then what I know now,,,,,,,,,,,,,g'night

Sorry about the knee. That is just plain not funny.

 

[HaleyB]

We are on the way again, and that had better be the last time I give the opening charge.

Like I said, even though it's still pitch black, I know this part of the trip like the back of my knee.

90 to 294, 294 all the way to the end of the tollway to rt. 80, couple miles west on 80 to rt. 57.
.
.
.
NOW, I'm gonna make some time!

The sun is just coming up, I love sunrises, especially when the pertain to vacations.

I bump the cruise control up to 72, it's only 65 in Illinois and that's the highest I'll set it and not woryy about cops.

I check the gages one more time:

fuel; about 3/4
temp; right where it should be, 140
speed; 72
wind; ssw
dow; up 20 points
BP 140 over 90
score White Sox 5, Cubs 2

Yep, everything is in order, and I started wondering to myself; how far do I think I can make it before the back starts really bothering me along with the tailbone before I have to hit the painkillers? Probably Nashville but I'd really like to save them till we almost check in tonight, maybe I can get by on the Ibuprofen if my stomach can take it.

(yeah, the pills are right behind me in my bathroom bag, right behind the seat where I always put the bag, right behindtheseat whereIalwaysputtheba........)

It was like somebody just slugged me in the stomach!
I remember putting my blood pressure medicine in the bag, then putting the bag on the short half wall in the foyer,,,,,, and that's it!

"Diane, did you bring my bathroom bag?"

"Of course not, you always told me that you will take care of that."

Withing seconds she is crawling around behind the seats looking for it, and coming up empty.

Oh good God man, are you my husbands twin? We may actually have you beat. Not only did we lose time turning around to pick up forgotten medical items, we got lost. Twice. Before we tried to drive on property. We didn't even mention the turn around or first instance of getting lost in the TR. That would just be embarrassing, KWIM?

Now the discussion starts, what can I do without? What was all in there?

"Ok, my blood pressure pills, the vikes, the usual bathroom stuff, sunglasses, the digital camera, oh, and my hearing aids!"

We quickly talked about maybe getting someone to ship the bag to us, but it's friday morning and we don't check into a place we know we are going until Sunday, without the bp meds I may explode by then!

No, I'm not always a fun date.

Any Walgreens will replace the bp meds, but the vikes? Hardly. Maybe just a few and that will pop up red flags all over the place.

As far as shipping the bag goes, again, we have a controlled substance in the bag, plus, I don't really want to ship my new hearing aids that cost a couple grand.

But the idea of just turning around now was just sick.

I honestly did not know what was the right thing to do.

I DID have one idea that appealed to me.

I'll just pull over on the side, get out and stand in front of the next 18 wheeler that came along, yep, that'l work.

Still heading south I wasn't going to let one more exit go past and I made my decision, I got off, crossed over the bridge and got back on going the other way.

My brain could not accept that I was doing this.

I"m going the wrong way!

My body was vibrating, my stomach hurt and I'm sure there was a little spittle forming between my lips.

But on I drove.
You have no idea how hard it was not to go 90 mph.
And now we get to head back into Chicago during rush hour.
Oh joy.

But probably the worst thing I had gnawing at me was this;
What if I DID grab the bag, and placed it on the roof before I got in the car?

With the luggage racks on top, it might now have fallen off right away,,,,,,,,it could be anywhere!

And I won't know till we get home.

Six hours later from when we first left we pulled back into the driveway, carefully opened the door so the cats didn't get out and I was afraid to look. Didn't matter, Diane yelled out "Yeah, there it is, still sitting there."

I sat down and lit a cigarette, had to decide.

Two minutes later, I said, "Well, you ready?"

I was seriously considering waiting until the morning before we left again, heck, that was when we were originally going to leave anyway, and part of me was remembering the old saying; "Don't put off till tomorrow what you can do today", which I have often countered with; "Put it off till tomorrow, you've done enough damage for one day."

But I thought that the best way to beat this was to get started right away again.

Right after I fill the tank up once again across the street.
Turned out to be a 42 dollar screw up, with the gas.

And total miles driven just to end up right back where we started from:

331 !

Yep, that was a character builder alright.

I DON'T NEED A BUILT UP CHARACTER!

The way my stomach felt the whole time, it should have worked on my abs.

those can stand some building.

At 20 to 10 that morning as we are buckling up our seat belts sitting at the Citgo she said, "You sure?"

"I'm sure."

As I pulled out onto the street for the 3rd time this morning, I heard in a faint voice next to me,,,,

"Aaaaaaand, we're off."

"Shut the ......... up!"

I drove with that bag between my legs for the first hundred miles. She started calling me "Linus".

I have to admit, as hard as this was to do, at least I'm heading back in the right direction now. Plus I didn't feel really good until we passed the point of the return, which was a little north of Champagne.

And... we're off!! LY/MI

 

[HaleyB]

She hates driving.
She hates driving fast.
She hates driving fast across the mountains.
She hates driving fast across the mountains, blinded by the sun.
She hates driving fast across the mountains, blinded by the sun through the fog.
and......

She hates driving fast across the mountains,blinded by the sun through the fog in a rain shower.

whew

So a few years back Mr Silly and I went to Greece. Mainland. I am not so much good at geography, and having lived in California for so long my definition of mountain is a little, well, off. Sort of like people in Texas calling ponds 'lakes' or worse calling rivers 'lakes.'

Anyhow we rented this car. I guess you call it a car still when you can pick it up. With one hand. The tires looked like bike tires. A kids bike.

The roads were so narrow they often dropped down to one lane. Not one lane for each direction, one chicken lane where you just closed your eyes and hoped oncoming traffic swerved enough to miss you. And the grade was unbelievable. Plus no side rails. But there were these cute and helpful road signs that were just a huge exclamation point. Comforting. And there were all these pretty little shrines set up all over the place. There were always a lot of them near the hairpin turns. At some points there were so many they had to be placed behind others.

So those shrines were memorials. For people that died at those points on the road. Comforting.

We really really wished we had gotten our will in order before we left. I was pretty sure we were just going to die.

Haley hates driving over mountains, fast, in tiny cars, where you can't understand the street signs, and they have no guard rails but lots of roadside memorials.