You have got to be kidding me.

So. I know I said I was taking a break from the internet while we’re in Texas. And I fully intend to. Starting tomorrow. But the last three days have been so unreal that I had to write everything down before I forget all the gory details. The plan was to leave Nashville around 5 on Friday afternoon, which would put us in McKinney at 3 in the morning. Aaron would be able to get a few solid hours of sleep before leaving at 10:30 AM for the Washington DC and the Cowboys/Redskins game Saturday morning. I would be with Aaron’s parents all day Saturday, which would give Miles time to adjust to the new digs before I left for Steffanie’s engagement party that night.

To recap: ETD: 5:00. Dallas ETA: 3:00 AM. The trip got off to a bad start. We both worked longer than we’d intended, and we didn’t leave the house until almost 7. Aaron had received a few Best Buy gift cards and had some cash from a side job he’d done, and he wanted to buy a portable DVD player for the car ride and the plane on Saturday. No problem. We head to Best Buy. Aaron went in while I waited in the car with Miles. He’s not a bad car dog, but anytime one of us leaves, he panics. Aaron was inside for probably 30 minutes, and the entire time Miles ran from window to window, frantically trying to find him. Finally, Aaron made it back and we were on our way. Or so we thought. Five minutes later, just as we’re getting on the highway, Miles throws up in the backseat. Gross. We take the next exit, get him and the car cleaned up, and get back on the road. We get a little further, and he does it again, then again before we manage to find an exit. When we do, we’re in an unfamiliar part of town, looking for a place to pull over and clean up. It’s now 8:30. Dallas ETA: 6:30 AM. We make our way to a Target. Aaron starts to clean while I go inside to see if they sell any kind of dog car sickness pills. They don’t, of course, but I do find a very helpful clerk who pulls out the phonebook, finds a pet store, and gives me a phone number and directions. We book it across town, find the store, buy the pills. Miles won’t take them. I go into a fast food place and beg for a piece of cheese. After a few failed attempts, Miles gets it down. About an hour later, he’s finally asleep. We’re on the road. It’s now 10:00. Dallas ETA: 8:00 AM. Around 11, near Jackson, we see flashing lights in the rearview. Aaron gets pulled over. Ticketed for 80 in a 70. It’s now 11:30. Dallas ETA: 9:00 AM. The bulk of the trip was pretty uneventful, other than unbelievable bouts of sleepiness. What is usually 4-hour driving shifts became 1-hour shifts, as neither of us could keep our eyes open. The continual stopping combined with an overall slower driving speed added at least an hour to our trip. When we hit Texarkana, we were beyond exhausted. We were delirious. It’s now 6:00. Dallas ETA: 10:00 AM. I took over driving responsibility somewhere in East Texas. Once the sun came up and I got some coffee in me, I was feeling pretty good. We hit Princeton, 10 minutes from home, around 9:00. I’d made up some time. We were good to go. And I got a flat tire. Five miles from home, and we’re rendered immobile. We’re across the street from a tire shop that isn’t open. Aaron puts on the spare and we wobble the rest of the way. We hit McKinney at 10 AM, and Aaron barely has time to brush his teeth before he’s out the door for the airport. Now, I’m not one for signs and omens, but… the trip mileage when the tire went flat? 666. Hmmm…