Like any sane, rational, and completely not morbid human being would do, I kept a roadkill tally on my weekend road trip. During the 450 miles I drove to visit my daughter at college and the 450 miles I drove to get back home I counted ten dead deer. To be exact, 9 whole deer, 1 deer head and 1 deer torso. The head and the torso were found in completely different states, but I’m just going to go ahead and count them as one whole deer.
Some other things I counted during my weekend away:
- At least a half dozen grande soy lattes. My name wasn’t spelled properly on any of them.
- Sadly, only one small bag of Skittles. I’m disappointed in myself.
- Easily 15 people that have no idea how to navigate a highway onramp.
- Another 25 or so that don’t understand the purpose of the highway’s left lane.
- Two prisons. Zero shock that they were both in Florida.
- One heart attack after seeing my daughter’s Halloween costume when she picked me up at the hotel.
For the record, she won first place in her geology club costume contest.
- Two wardrobe changes before meeting my daughter’s boyfriend’s mom. What can I say? I was nervous.
- Zero problems with my daughter’s boyfriend’s mom. She was an absolutely lovely woman.
- One trip through a haunted house which resulted in ten years off my life.
- A couple of hours touring the campus of the college my daughter attends, which included only one statue selfie. I tried to keep the embarrassment to a minimum this time.
I think she likes me.
- One scary movie, The Babadook. I was thankful that my friend kept pronouncing it as The Barbadook with her New England accent. Took the edge off of things.
- One stupid movie that must have accidentally been placed in the scary movie section, Blair Witch (2016).
- 130 dollars spent at the grocery store in an effort to stock the pantry of a poor college student, including one serendipitous purchase of Bijou wine.
See, it’s funny because my daughter’s cat is named Bijou.
- Two glasses of wine and one deep conversation with my daughter’s genius physicist friend, a conversation in which he taught me the finer points of evolution and I taught him the meaning of the word kismet.
TwoThree cupcakes consumed. No guilt. NOT ONE TINY BIT.- A couple of startling moments where it hit me that my daughter is an adult now, which I found both phenomenal and terrifying, but mostly phenomenal.
- Countless laughs and so many smiles.
- Not enough hours of sleep.
- Dozens and dozens of car duets with such musical artists as Jeff Buckley, Kendrick Lamar, Amy Winehouse, Alex Clare, Dave Grohl, Robert Plant, Loretta Lynn, Geddy Lee, Nina Simone, Sia, Tom Petty, and Jack White.
- More than a few funny looks from passing motorists.
- At least two gas station bathrooms that should be condemned.
- Zero regrets.
Awwww sounds like an excellent trip! How I miss going to the grocery store with my generous visiting parents. Also gotta love a good statue selfie…. and kitty and wine in the same pic?!–be still my heart!
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She gets the fancy mac and cheese when I come into town.
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This sounds like an amazing weekend. Seriously, your daughter should win a dozen costume contests. The detail is incredible.
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She’s very talented. She’s been doing her own special effects makeup for awhile now. Some of it’s gruesome, but I thought this was really beautiful.
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Sounds like a great weekend minus the roadkill. And the haunted house. And the scary movie but double the wine and I’d be in like Flynn. I saw Blair Witch Project when it came out in theaters. I’m not gonna lie. It made me uncomfortable. That costume is phenomenal. How did she do that to her eyes?
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They’re special contacts. According to her she can barely see out of them. She took them out to drive to the hotel to get me, so I didn’t get the full effect, but she showed me the picture and freaked me out well enough.
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Sounds like a wonderful time, but only ONE bag of Skittles?! Come on! At least tell me you saved the orange ones for last because they’re the best.
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I know. I know. I really should have done better. I’m slipping in my old age.
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Sounds like an awesome weekend! I love your daughter’s costume, by the way, and I’m not surprised she won first place! Very creative!
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One thing she has always excelled at is Halloween. Even as a kid she made her own costumes.
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Wow! She could turn that into a business. Custom made costumes. 🙂
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I think my heart stopped over your daughter’s costume. O-M-G.
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She would love that you had that reaction.
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I literally gasped out loud, and may have even “clutched my pearls” over it. haha
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I did too!
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That costume is terrifying! Your daughter is a scary make-up star!
Also, I think Bijou wants to try that vino…
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Wow, your daughter looks nothing like you. 😉
All jokes aside, it sounds like you had a great time! I’m shocked that there was only one bag of Skittles– like, shouldn’t there have been one on the way there and one on the way back?! (That’s what I do with my road trip Combos.)
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I know. I don’t know what happened. Lots of beef jerky and coffee, but like no skittles. Weird!
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I would’ve had *10* heart attacks seeing daughter’s get-up! WOW!!! Kudos to her. And kudos to you, fine mama, driving all that way ALONE. In my car-driving days I never could’ve managed it. (Highway phobia, don’t u know.) You’re the best. ❤
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I love a good road trip. Sometimes it’s the only alone time I get.
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Another creative, entertaining post Christine! Your daughter’s costume is epic!
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Thank you! I completely agree with you about my daughter’s costume, but I’m a little biased.
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