Beware of the Mini Van

Another weekend of traveling to a football game.  Even though my guys can be a pain when they are home from college for breaks, I miss them terribly.  So, I do enjoy going to see them at football games, especially the home games.  We go out to dinner after the game.  There is nothing more overwhelming than feeling small in the arms of your own sons.  The tables have turned on me.  I use to scoop them up in my arms.  Now they do it to me.

But today is more about the trip there and back then the time spent with them.   "The Blonde" and I went by ourselves this week.  Kudos to her for navigating the back roads that got us there.  I was a little fearful, but she finally did it.  I enjoyed the six hours in the car with her.  That may sound strange, but we had a lot of time to talk and visit.  I love getting that time with each of my children when the opportunities arise.  I really wanted to enjoy the scenery and relax, but we got a little behind and I could feel my blood pressure on the rise.

Two things are bound to happen in those instances.  First, when you are running late, you (or at least I) prefer not to make any additional stops.  Enter:  Two cups of coffee before leaving.  We both had something to drink before we left home and about halfway through the trip we reached emergency status.  Of course, for approximately 25 miles, there were absolutely no gas stations or rest areas!  At every other point of the trip, we passed dozens of them.  Now that we needed one, they were nowhere to be seen.  I actually considered pulling off the road and into the woods, however with my luck I would have ended up in a patch of poison ivy. 

The second, and probably more annoying part of the trip are the Mini-Vans.  Now, before you get offended, pull out your sense of humor and the ability to laugh at yourself.  "The Blonde" and I have come to the conclusion that "Mini-Vans" and their drivers are the bane of driving.  Honestly, when was the last time you encountered a mini-van while driving without being irritated by the experience.  They come to complete stops before turning, they barely drive the speed limit, they are indecisive, they speed up when you go to pass and generally impede your travels.  It is bad enough on the highway, but when you encounter than on a two lane road.....don't plan on getting to your destination on time. 

"Mommy" humiliated her brothers when they found out that she bought a mini-van.  They were stunned and then began comparing her driving to other mini-van drivers.  She claims that it doesn't count as a min-van because it has the "sport package", well do I really need to say more?  It is impossible to avoid all mini-vans when driving, so my advice to you is give yourself plenty of time to get to your destination. It is your best option to beat the evils of the mini-van.