Oh Goody – We’re Back In The Van

We’re on the road for a spur-of-the-moment, surprise-Grandma, packed-in-one-night kind of trip.

We spent all day and a good part of the night driving yesterday so we would be able to arrive at my parents’ house before dinner time today. We are going to surprise them.  We’ve never done that before.  When you have to drive 1300 miles to see someone and you are traveling in a pack of 9, you usually call ahead.

But, I thought it would be fun to totally surprise them just this once.  Hopefully, they will think so, too.

I told them I was having flowers delivered today when I called to make sure they’d be home.  My dad said that they should be home, but not to worry about it, because if they’re gone, “they can just leave them on the porch.”  Well, the flowers I’m bringing, his grandchildren, wouldn’t do so well waiting out in the freezing cold on his porch.  But, I didn’t tell him that.

I figure we will have my whole pack lined up on their porch, each holding a flower or two, when they open their door.  That’s the plan, anyway.  It’s also likely my parents will instead be surprised by several of my pack pounding on their door in an effort to get rapid, emergency access to the loo.  We’ll see how it actually all pans out.  Best laid plans and all.

In the meantime, we’re driving and I’m noticing the signs along the road and the many signs that aren’t there that should be.  So, I thought it would be a perfect day to do a Throwback Day to my Give Me A Sign!..Preferably In Large Easy-To-Read-Font post:

I’ll tell you what we need in this country.  We need more signs.  Clear.  Legible. Specific signs.  And lots of them.

People want to know stuff.  And, the smaller the people the more stuff they want to know, causing them to ask bigger people who are trying to drive the van.  The bigger people then have to apply their last two functioning brain cells to figure out what should not have to be figured out, when they really ought to be using those cells to stay in their lane and to watch out for low flying bats (First night of this trip, middle of the night, driving up the 5 in central California, a big bat flew right in front of my windshield.  Either that or it was a low flying dog.  Either way, l almost had a heart attack).  That’s probably why we have so many freeway accidents.  It’s not the lousy drivers; it’s a lack of proper signage….

It’s so beautiful to drive through miles of farmland, but what could be a relaxing, pastoral experience is turned into a stressful quiz as little ones see the crops and ask, “What are they growing?”  You can’t say that you don’t know because then the 2 year old wants to know why you don’t know and that discussion could take all day and more energy than a 6 pack of Red Bulls can give you.

So, you look out the window and size up the plant.  After all, you eat.  Surely you can identify food in its most natural state.  But, let’s face it, if it’s not a grape vine or a fully loaded lemon tree you’re never gonna be able to figure it out.

You try though, right?  This trip, in my sleep deprived, road-ragged state, I actually told a kid that the field we were passing full of large fluffy white puffs mixed in with the shiny green leaves was a field of poodle plants (I wonder if they’ve covered where puppies come from in school yet).

A simple sign could have prevented this travesty of information….

Cruise on over to Give Me A Sign!..Preferably In Large Easy-To-Read-Font to get the rest of the giggles.  You bring the chocolate.  I’ll bring the Dramamine.

As always the extra click counts as cardio.

Laugh Out Loud!

-gina

What signs would make your life easier?  Shoot me a comment.  I’m looking forward to hearing all about it.