Friday morning found the Dumont Trio on the road again!  Bill offered to make the trip to the cold North so we could spend Christmas with Mom – an extra special Christmas present for me.  We made our plans, including renting a car so we didn’t have to take our truck/tow vehicle and put extra miles on it.  We could also make better time if we weren’t moving the house.  On Sunday before we left, we noticed that there was a cute little Ford Ranger for sale on base.  I pointed it out to Bill – who had already noticed it.  I suggested that we might check it out – depending on the sale price – and compare it to the cost of the rental vehicle.  Besides – it might make a nice vehicle to drive around town – much smaller than the F350.  I am a wimp when it comes to driving the “big” truck.  Florida traffic and parking is designed for small vehicles.  Anyway – we checked out the truck – it looked like a good potential.  Bill went for a test drive – and now we have a second truck.  It is fun to drive and handled the 1250 miles like a trooper.  It comes with a few minor repair jobs to keep Bill busy when we get back to Florida.

Friday was Mayport to Knoxville, TN.  We spent the night at a Drury Inn – they are so pleasant and pet friendly.  I am still working on getting my 10k steps per day and logging miles, so I started Saturday morning with the dreadmill.  Still soul-sucking and mind-numbing…some things never change.  We knew that Saturday would be a long driving day.  Traffic wasn’t too terrible, a few accidents really clogged things up for a bit.  Piper was really missing the big back seat in the F350 – she tolerated our makeshift bed for her.

Saturday was a little more tense.  We tend to have very different travel philosophies, Bill and I.  I am in favor of frequent rest area stops to get out and walk a bit, and stopping for things like food, beverage, and bathroom breaks.  Bill is superhuman – he can get in the vehicle and only stop when the gas gauge says you don’t have a choice about stopping.  I get crabby and restless way before the gas gauge does.

We arrived at Mom’s around 2130 hrs.  It definitely was chillier than Florida, and I haven’t had a white Christmas in about 4 years.  Bed was a welcome experience – Mom had warmed them up with electric blankets.  Our trip was uneventful, and we’re ready to throw ourselves into a family Christmas celebration!