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Terry Freedman's avatar

I'm always amazed at how far Americans are prepared to drive. I remember my aunt saying "Let's pop over to..." The popped-to destination was 200 miles away. Over here, anything more than about 100 miles requires several day's worth of provisions and notifying next of kin.

What about sleep, or did you and your lady wife take it in turns?

Great post by the way!

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Mark M.'s avatar

Haha, thanks Terry! I'm not quite like that , but my wife is. She'll want to go somewhere and tell me it's "just down the road" and it's an hour away! lol

We slept before we left and stopped for a few cat naps at rest stops. I drove the whole way (it's better for both our nerves) but it wasn't so bad.

Glad you enjoyed and thanks again :)

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

CAT naps.....!!! How very appropriate! 🤣

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Mark M.'s avatar

LOL!

I see what I did there and didn't even realize it 🤣

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

I could tell you hadn't noticed.... because you'd missed writing the requisite 'pardon the pun' AND the 'Ba Dum Tssssss......!' 😉

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

LOL - 'several days' worth of provisions and notifying next of kin' - absolutely right, Terry! Can't be too careful....

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Terry Freedman's avatar

😂

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Brad Kyle's avatar

Well, that was just too much fun, Mark! I love Christmas, and I haven't traveled to see fam in what has to be close to a decade! Now, with my family all completely gone (Mom, Dad, bro....and with no wife and no kids), it's just little ole me, and I have to always hustle some kind of get-together with friends, which, at times, tends to get awkward, 'cause THEY'RE doing family stuff like everyone else!

It looks like you live near Boca, which is where my bro and his wife used to live in the '90s (she was GM of the Saks 5th Ave. there), and Mom, bro, and I would all meet there for C-mas. Mom and I would fly in from Austin, TX. I always enjoyed the places they'd show us in and around Boca, and the fine restaurants!

Glad you finally found a way to have the poodies travel contentedly! I do dog/house sitting here occasionally. Had we lived in the same city, I'd-a loved to have cat-sat!

I love your tree, and your tree idea. Good on you and the Mrs. for having a great idea I would be SO on board with----a revolving-decoration tree up all year! It would be a fun challenge, too, to discover seasonal items to decorate it with! I'm keeping your e-mail post handy...I may want to peruse it again a week from Sunday to keep me company! Thanks again, Mark!🎄💖

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Mark M.'s avatar

Thank you, Brad, and I hope you can get together with some friends this season if that's what you're wanting. I know some who are perfectly content riding out the holidays alone and that's perfectly o.k. as well.

I live about an hour and a half north of Boca. Driven past it quite a few times, but never visited. Maybe some day, I hear it's a great place!

Our girls are a handful, but they love everyone so you would have been fine :)

Thanks! Our goal is to see what kind of cool decorations we can find for things like July 4th, etc. so if you see anything neat let me know!

Thanks again and have a great Christmas!

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Brad Kyle's avatar

Thanks, Mark, for your kind words and well wishes! Don't underestimate the prose possibilities of updating us on the seasonal/monthly tree decorating (w/pix) as the year progresses! Best wishes to you, fam, and poodies😺, also, for a fabulous Christmas🎄!

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Terry Freedman's avatar

Hope you have a nice Christmas, Brad

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Brad Kyle's avatar

Thanks, Terry.....and, you and fam as well!

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Terry Freedman's avatar

Thank you, Squire

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Mark Dykeman's avatar

Merry Christmas!

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Mark M.'s avatar

Thank you and the same to you and yours! :)

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Such a great post, Mark - I really enjoyed it! Glad the cats settled down on that epic journey!

Our longest road trip was around 600 miles, and was pretty much from one end of the country to the other, so not all that much leeway to add more. I'm in awe of just how much landmass you've got over there! Anything over about a 45-minute drive counts as a big deal for me - and requires me to have a least a flask of tea on board, or maybe two (one for the way home.....)!

I'm so lucky that I live so close to my family - there are only six of us, including spouses, and it's not an effort to be able to get together. This Christmas is the first since 2019 that we'll be seeing each other in person. I'm so grateful.

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Mark M.'s avatar

Thank you, Rebecca, so were we. I was not looking forward to 23 hours' worth of cat howling, lol.

Many of us over here grew up taking long car trips (back when gas was cheaper than air travel), so it's not really a big deal. But, yes, snacks are vital!!

My wife's family all live close by, which is nice, but I wish mine were closer. Glad to hear you'll be seeing yours this year and I hope you have a great Christmas!

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Rebecca Holden's avatar

Gotta have those snacks! Happy Christmas to you, too - thanks, Mark!

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Bryan Padrick's avatar

Great post - and great looking holiday tree! I feel your pain/pleasure with travelling - we have to fly to visit my parents in NC, so we’ve made innumerable flights back to the States with kids who were babies (absolute nightmares) and then children (a bit better, but still ... those queues at Customs) and now teens (just fine as long as the battery doesn’t die). But it’s always been worth it - though this year we’re staying put and I’m as excited about the holidays as ever! Have a great Christmas and am looking forward to reading your next instalment! 🎄

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Mark M.'s avatar

Thank you, Bryan! I can believe traveling with babies would be quite the challenge...whew! One advantage of technology is the distraction factor on long trips, especially with teenagers.

Glad you get to spend the holidays at home. While it's nice to see family and friends, it's like they say...there's no place like home!

Have a very merry and, more importantly, a relaxing Christmas.

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Holly Rabalais's avatar

I loved this, Mark! Three months ago I transported a kitty to a friend 5 hours away, and he meowed the entire trip in the carrier on the front passenger seat. I nearly lost my mind!

Road trips are the best, and I enjoyed your recounting of last year. And I love the Snoopy house on your garage door!

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Mark M.'s avatar

Thanks, Holly :)

Five hours can seem like five days in those cases. Glad you made it through!

Yes, that Snoopy projector has some of the Peanuts gang sliding back and forth across it. So much easier than putting up lights!

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Matthew Murray's avatar

Looks like you started with a “Cat-astrophe”. Glad things worked out.

I’ve only gone through Georgia once. It was when we were moving to Florida. I don’t think we stopped. We just came down I-95.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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