Winter Wanderings 2012 - Day #26 - 2/21

This is the final entry of this series of blog episodes - the homecoming.  Without any undue haste I pulled away from the motel at 7:45 AM local time, which in hindsight was a bit silly.  With the big buildings around Portia had trouble "acquiring satellites" and didn't start being useful until I had in fact probably missed my initial turning, but, other than enduring the rush hour crawl she guided me pretty quickly to I-65 and I was on my way.  The day was decent, if cool and I made great time for a long while.  In the middle of Kentucky we had a slow-down through a very long stretch where they 3-laning, each way, another section of I-65 (Oh! how I wish Indiana would do the same between Indianapolis and Louisville).  Otherwise all went very slickly, especially as the formerly closed I-64 bridge at Louisville is back open again, easing traffic.

My timing was good, putting me at The Brick right at lunchtime.  I am now recognized!  Apart from my drink selection (coffee) the bartender-cook told me (correctly) what I was going to have rather than ask me & served me promptly.  Afterwards I stayed on Route 11 coming on into downtown and the Post Office where I picked up my mail & started delivery again as of tomorrow.  From there it was on to Marsh for fresh and refrigerated stuff to get me restocked, including a bunch of flowers to cheer the place up and then it was on to home, completing a 2526.4 mile odyssey.

First I turned the thermostat well up from the 50 degrees at which I had left it and then began the unloading of the van and the putting away of everything.  I called the dentist early on and they would see me for an evaluation at 4:00 PM.  After X-rays and a poke and prod my only reasonable alternative is, as I feared, yet another crown.  I chose the "cheap" porcelain version over the more expensive gold and it will only be a little over $1100.  Not exactly the  economically austere recovery from the trip that I was expecting!!!!

All in all it has been a good break for me, although I don't want to make any long distance drives for a while, and I am very glad that I went.