Tuesday - Loading Day

Jake’s parents and my dad are here to help us pack the truck. My dad came unexpectedly and that was great help. He has a very special way of making things fit into spaces that you don’t think they will fit into and we got the truck packed nice and tight. Just kidding dad!

We manage to get done by about 3pm and decide to leave Manhattan and drive past KC as far as we can get. That will definitely help break up the drive tomorrow to Nashville. Jake and Dan are driving the truck with all of our belongings and the Jeep on the back, Sue and I are driving the Durango with Ike and our luggage.

Just before Boonville, MO, Sue and I fly past a broken down yellow truck on the side of the road that is smoking profusely with the hood open..with a maroon Jeep on the back..and Jake standing beside it. Of course Murphy’s Law kicks in and Sue and I have to drive an additional 7 miles before we can turn around to go back. I have to admit that did not know how much oil it really takes to operate a big truck, but it is a really impressive amount when ALL OF IT IS ON THE GROUND. Luckily the Penske folks sent a pretty great repairman out at 8 pm and got the guys up and running again.

Sue and I got the last hotel room in Boonville as the MO state fair had taken every other one. Then there was the business of trying to sneak my 85 lb dog into the hotel without getting noticed. The place allowed “small pets” but I am seriously doubting Ike would count as “small”, and it was the last hotel room for an additional 45 miles. I am a terrible liar and not very sneaky so it was pretty funny to watch me try to sneak the dog in through the back door. I was just waiting for someone to knock on the door next door and for Ike to start barking. Then we would get to see how comfortably all of us could sleep inside the Durange and Penske cab.