South Florida Boondoggle: All Good Things Must End

If you want a shock to your system, weather a 45-degree temperature drop driving the 10 hours from South Florida to Greenville, SC. Our intrepid crew wasn't exactly dressed in shorts and flip-flops for the drive north on Sunday, but we were quite comfortable in the 75-degree morning as we sipped coffee at Bob and Meg's poolside bar. We were loaded up and on the road by 8:30 AM (A late departure for me; but filled to the brim with holiday spirit, I decided to let the ladies sleep in. I run a tight and uncompromising ship on these overland excursions.).

Just south of Jacksonville, we encountered horrific wind gusts and driving rain. Because it was noon-thirty and I was preparing to turn the afternoon driving duties over to someone else so I could follow the Steelers during their 1 PM game, we pulled into a Wendy's for lunch. I even capitulated and let the group eat inside the restaurant rather than in the van. I hate wasting time on these trips. Am I a good guy or what?

Fuel stops, unscheduled bathroom breaks for the girls and the 45-minute lunch stop all contributed to a 7:30 PM arrival time at my house, the staging area for this boondoggle. Even the Steelers 23-7 divisional win over the Bengals wasn't sufficient to warm me as we dismounted the van. I didn't take a jacket with me, so I faced the 30-degree temp in my shirt sleeves. My blood has indeed thickened during my three years in SC, but it would have had to be the consistency of concrete to make that sub-freezing temp OK.

It was a great extended weekend in Delray Beach, and made more so because our Austin-buddy Winker was still in the area. Bob and Meg have the consummate guest home, and we took full advantage of it. At the Whales Rib, Mary rolled out the red carpet and made sure we had a great time. The ideal trip for launching into the Christmas season, it was a hard to bring it to a close!