Hitch-hiking isn’t always as easy as it seems.  I mean sometimes, a girls’ just GOT to go!  So here I am on I-88 thinking it would be easy to jump off at the toll, but we whipped through all of them without stopping thanks to those new iPass things – DARN THEM!  None has discovered me riding under the bumper yet, so I decided the best thing to do is be patient.  We were on West I-80 when I was about ready to wet my Indian dress, and wouldn’t you know it, the people needed to make a stop too!  Not only did I get to “GO”, but I had a chance to take a quick tour through the I-80 rest stop in Iowa.  Wow, what a lot of information!  I wonder if this is where my ancestors are from?  Ioway Indians (a Sioux tribe) originally lived here… hmmmmm…

Uh-oh!   Zoom… there goes my ride!  Luckily I was able to run quickly and hop on before they were back on the interstate.  Must sleep… more later!

So I wake up in a garage the next day only to find out my ride owns a boat!  It has a cover on it, but I decide it’s the perfect place to stay while I’m here.  First I need to sneak inside to check things out.  A good-looking man opened the door early the next morning. He was all dressed up, so must be going to work. Hopefully he’s distracted and doesn’t see me sneaking inside!  The first room I see has A LOT of laundry in it!  Yikes… maybe I can help them out.  Next room has a fire place separating it from the kitchen.  I’m going to climb up the fire place to get a look around.  Look, a deer!!!!!  This IS God’s country!  I decide to spend my first night here by my new deer friend instead of in the boat. Hopefully no one will notice.

 

My first day has been a very interesting one. What a rat race this place is!  In addition to the guy I mentioned in my last blog, there is a mom running around with her head cut off, a 13 year old girl who is into cheerleading at her school and at a competitive gym, and an 11 year old girl who is really into soccer.  Their routine is crazy, but somehow they manage to get it all done.  P.U!  I need to wash my hair, so decide to ask the dolphins for some help.   They told me where everything is, so my adventure continues.

   

The bathroom and girls’ bedrooms had every kind of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, acne medication and hair contraption you can imagine!  I spent most of today giving myself a much needed spa day once everyone left the house.  Get this - when I came out, I discovered some really pretty fish in the living area so decided to ask how they like my new hair do.  To my surprise, they were wooden fish!  The starfish told me they were hand-carved in Jamaica, and their job is to keep the house “laid back” as possible.  The starfish also told me about the parrot.  That will be my first stop tomorrow. It’s been a long day of pampering myself and making new friends.  Good night for now. Don’t forget to say your prayers!

 

Making it over to the parrot took some time, but it was well worth the trip.  Turns out he was carved in Jamaica too, and does a great job of greeting visitors.  His name is Squakie, and I decided to stay the night in his feathers.  My feet are killing me, but this is such a great view of everything going on. Can’t believe no one has noticed me!  Tomorrow night I’m moving back to the deer.  Hopefully the kitty will give me a lift. 

 My time here is going too fast.  My last day and there is so much left to explore!  Luckily Tank (the kitty) was happy to give me rides wherever I wanted to go.  And to think we were scared of each other!  Our first stop was the movie room, where we watched Pocahontas.  I’ll never forget our time together laughing and crying. Then we stopped at the playroom, and listened to music.  I did the barbies’ hair while Tank took a quick bath.  We decided to take a nap on Tank’s favorite blanket.  Next I wanted to stop by the kitchen for the last time. My favorite food is all in the pantry since I’m not strong enough to open the fridge… hopefully they haven’t missed any crackers or rum! 

Uh-oh!  I see a package addressed to Lyndsey in Crystal Lake sitting on the counter… I’ve got to run!   Later gator… hopefully the box has a hole (just in case.  well, you know.)!!!

 

 

The next leg of my journey after visiting Virginia took me to Bloomington, IL. It's a rather boring area of Illinois and apparently they love Abraham Lincoln. There are statues of him EVERYWHERE! I spend one morning at the spa getting pampered with my friends Brinley and Lyndsey. Daylen is one of the most talented cosmetologists I've ever met! She really made me look snazzy! Although the spa was fun, we decided to skip out of town and travel together to a town called Shepherdsville, KY. The drive was long but well worth it! My favorite part of the trip was when we visited the Jim Beam Distillery!  We learned all about bourbon and whiskey and we even got to hand bottle our own bottle of knobs creek! I asked several times to ride the conveyer belt but they never let me.

 

 I've included a few pictures of me in front of the distillery. Aren't I cute?

At the end of the tour they handed us a glass and allowed us to sample 2 different kinds of bourbon. Although the samples are small, because of my tiny size I was a little over-served.  (To say the least) The room started spinning and the next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed.

 

Apparently I had alcohol poisoning and had to stay in the hospital for 2 whole days! Don't worry though, Nurse Brinley took great care of me and gave me plenty of love shots to make me feel better.
Overall, it was a great trip and I'm confident I won't be drinking bourbon ever again. 

 I think I will go surprise my Brother and Sister in Law and the kids in Des Moines, Iowa next.  I guess I will have to hitchhike again to get there.  See you there.