So, my last few days of road trip were good.
I-40 down out of the North Carolina mountains is some steep terrain. Add heavy thunderstorms and terrified Yankee drivers to the mix, and that's fancy cookin'.
I went to Sonic. I regret to report that a number of my readers live in cable television markets that broadcast commercials for Sonic (the drive-in fast food restaurant) but don't have any Sonics nearby. I was assigned a mission to go to Sonic and report through this journal my findings.
Well, basically, it's fast food. That's the essential finding. It is noteworthy for all the weird little things that set it apart from other fast food places. As a drive-in, any given Sonic may not have interior seating. You eat in your car, or drive away with your food, or eat on tables outside. The Sonic in Charlotte that I went to had interior seating, but no counter at which to place an order. You ordered by picking up a telephone installed at the booth and ordering with the same person who takes the drive-in, drive-through, and walk-up speaker orders. Weird.
Sonic has tater tots. They also have french fries and onion rings, but a lot of places have them. And, having tried all three, their tater tots are the best of the lot.
Sonic has extra flavors for their drinks. They advertise pretty strongly for things like cherry limeade, but you can add flavors to whatever you order. So, if you really want a vanilla raspberry Dr. Pepper, it's probably within reach. Or a root beer float with licorice undertones, or something else that everyone but you thinks is awful.
Lupie's Chili is still there and is exactly like it was ten years ago.
Jody's place of employment (and residence, shhh) is phat as phat can be. He looks well, which is news to no one. I can't believe it's been that long since I saw him.
Susan seems pleased with her new lot in life, which is good.
Mikey and Carrie's house is outrageously nice. I totally don't feel bad about sleeping on their couch because I'm helping use up some of the 87% of the house they're not using at any given time. Also, because I helped them build a basketball hoop. I earned that crashspace.
I watched a PT Cruiser spin uncontrolled across three heavily occupied lanes of interstate traffic and bounce off a bridge embankment. I also assessed a very low opinion of Virginia drivers. Can't you jerks go 45 miles without getting into an accident? It's like a pre-req for getting a VA driver's license.
Spent the last two days of the trip in DC. Ingrid made sure to make fine food and take me to historic places (I think there's a really good ironic t-shirt somewhere in U.S. Grant's bar, but I haven't found it yet). I learned that the US's first United Nations delegate was Eleanor Roosevelt. Excellent cap to a week of travel.
Home again, home again, yiggity yig.
--12:39 AM, EDT, Warminster, PA
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