Find out you are losing your job? What better way to get away from the stress than head to the NC mountains to support your main guy as he rides 100 miles?
Ok, not really. The ink isn't dry yet, but it is relatively assured that I will be on the wrong end of the conference call chain next week. As it is approximately the 6th time I have been down this road, the pit in my stomach is quite smaller, the ground far less shifty and the fear just a small nagging thought as I progress from wake to sleep. We had this trip planned, and while seven years ago me would have shut it down due to cost, the 40+ year old me said, "let's go to the mountains!"
This morning was your typical day of small child swim lessons and broken AC units, but we finally got C, Harper, the bike and both of us in the car by 11:30am. C and I both fell asleep while W drove. We stopped on the Blue Ridge Parkway at a scenic overlook and woke everyone to use the facilities. A short while later we hopped off the Parkway to head to Boone and realized that we were at the same exit as Phil's cabin from 7 years ago! W remembered the white horse in the mist that I took photos of so many years ago.
Blood, Sweat & Gears registration took place at Valle Crucis Elementary School, right next to a Mast General Store Annex. C and I played on the playground while W took care of his registration transfer. This was originally designed as a big weekend with Arch & Sarah & the boys, but last minute tickets snafus left it with just us. So we found a two bedroom condo in Banner Elk through Air BnB (yay W!!!) The trip there was farther than expected but the view from our barca-lounger dual couch is magnificent. We threw our stuff down the many wooden stairs to our apartment under a realty office, then hightailed it back over hill and dale to Tweetsie Railroad.
What luck! When you walk up at 45 minutes until closing, they let you walk in for free! We took a ride on some bumper type cars, rode the fastest Ferris Wheel on the East Coast (which no one liked) and even tried out the Tilt-a-Whirl. C loved the latter, laughing hysterically while W took pictures from the stationary ground. We shared a chocolate-covered marshmallow kabob then headed to the Red Onion for dinner. I sent a message to my former rep Mary for introducing us to the place so we didn't have to eat at a chain! We loaded up on carbs of many varieties then took the super scenic (read twisty beyond measure) Route 149 back to Banner Elk, singing Shut Up and Dance, Our Town and most of the original Annie soundtrack. A quick stop at the Kangaroo left little to be desired in terms of adult beverages, but that's ok - we have peanut butter fudge and satellite tv. A storm is rolling in outside the window....better go watch it.
Friday, June 26, 2015
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