What is it with men (generally) and the need to drive straight through? I remember when I was young and we used to drive down to visit my grandparents or to the beach and my father would be pushing to get in the car early and then drive with no stops. With two daughters needing restroom breaks and my mother insisting on breaking for lunch, that didn't happen, but he'd be jittering to get going about three minutes after stopping.

In me me me news, my day started off with being trapped in a stalled elevator for about 10 minutes. No AC, so it got warm and uncomfortable. I called, but the elevator company would have to send a technician out ... with no indication how long that would take. It did, eventually open the door so I could escape (which meant the technician, whenever they arrived, would not have to deal with a frantic, sweaty woman), but it was an unpleasant beginning. The irony is that the elevator had been repaired recently ... obviously, not well enough.

Yikes, not a fun way to start the day at all! I'm glad it ended up being a relatively short time, but you wouldn't know that while waiting.

Yes, when driving with someone else I don't mind driving through. But for me (prior to Covid) stopping at the hotel and going for a swim and chilling was always a fun part of travel. When the kids were with us we would find a putt-putt course or something for a bit of fun too. He is getting more sensible. He did start out at 5 this morning but told me he was stopping around 9 and having a relaxed breakfast in a restaurant rather than gobbling a fast-food sandwich while driving. Wow, progress.

I think it's an efficiency thing. I once drove 19 hours straight through to Minneapolis to attend a MST3K convention in my twenties. Four hours each way to a family gathering in Kentucky was pushing my upper limit these days, though.

Yikes, Toddson, glad you escaped!

Sometimes I am in drive-straight-through mode and sometimes I am more into the journey than the destination, I guess, and leisurely stops are part of the journey. Been a while since I have road tripped.

When I was younger, I could do the 10 hours between Amarillo and Austin with just a couple of bathroom breaks. The trip back, ending as it did in the boring flatness of the Panhandle, was harder - took lots of Springsteen to keep me going.

Now, 6 hours is pretty much the most I can do in one day. For one thing, more bathroom breaks are needed.

I do two 15 hour trips on the way here and back. It would be 12 except I have to stop and charge my car. I spend the 15-30 minute charge stops to close my eyes and rest up a bit, and/or get food and restroom time. This year I have loaded up my phone with 18 hours of Harry Potter, which covers the first two books. I didn't read them so I am looking forward to that between music or news breaks. I generally do podcasts, but I thought I would try audiobooks this time. My car makes the trip much easier with autodrive.

This year I have loaded up my phone with 18 hours of Harry Potter, which covers the first two books. I didn't read them so I am looking forward to that between music or news breaks.

I think you're going to love Jim Dale's voice keeping you company.

YAY PIX NO CANCER!

What is it with men (generally) and the need to drive straight through?

I'd say this isn't a guy thing because I'm like this too but I got it from my Dad, so...

To me, it comes down to the fact that 9-10 hours in a car is hard, but 15-18 hours in a car isn't significantly harder, vs the hassle of getting off the road and into a hotel (having to pack a separate overnight bag, having to sleep on unfamiliar hotel pillows, having to add whatever travel time it takes to get to/from the hotel itself). It doesn't feel like a break, it just feels like extra travel time we're wasting when we could just be getting there.

I’m 54, and I still haven’t gotten around to drinking coffee. That’s because coffee is gross.

Concur, at 57.

Ditto, at 50.

Which worked out well for msbelle & me at Disney. She'd go down to the coffee shop in the morning & give me an extra half hour to get ready because I would always be running late (I'm nothing if not consistent!)

NO CANCER! Benign!

W000t!

Yikes, Todd! Glad you came out OK, but sounds super un-fun! (I'm assuming if there had been a Hallmark-movie-style meet-cute to make it funner, you would have mentioned it).

I look at you road-trippers in awe and wonderment. I can't do more than about an hour and a half without stopping because I start falling asleep at the wheel. I've considered cancelling my annual pass to Universal Studios because so many of the people I used to go with have moved away (sailors who got out of the Navy) and I can't deal with the 2 and a half hour trip by myself.

I am So.Flipping.Exhausted. It was decided that we needed to do a 100% inventory (which I don't disagree with - it's been YEARS, and we're in the process of being bought), but I got volunteered to be a counter. I've come in an hour early every day this week, and stayed 2 hours late the past 2 days, to do labor that is substantially more physical than I am used to. I didn't mind doing it, but I'm TIRED and SORE. Looks like I get to do my regular job most of the day today. And I'm not working late today because I have tickets to a show tonight. Hoping to squeeze in a Disco Nap before getting ready tonight lest I fall asleep during the Old Globe's production of Hair. And thankfully have tomorrow & Monday as vacation days, yay!

Hil, I think the University systems are just breaking under this weight.

I know think the real reason my area's return to the office got pushed back indefinitely is testing capacity, which makes some sense, but is still frustrating to me, since I wanted to get out of the house!

On the other hand, someone in my band tested positive earlier this week, so now I'm on pins and needles waiting for the results of the test I took last night. Last time I did this, there was no line and I had the results in the morning. Yesterday, there were a bunch of people there with me.