Random Travel, Part 2

Warner Robins Air Force Base, 8:30am, 10/21

I got a little bit lost getting to the base, but it was ok in the end because I got there right as they were opening up. I went to the wrong gate a few times, but what surprised me most about my obvious lack of knowledge when it came to the protocol of the base was the generally pleasant demeanor of everyone who helped. I was really put off by all of the weaponry strapped on everyone- there were handguns and rifles galore, and though the made me anxious, everyone who I talked to was very nice to me. The auction yard where the boots were was any engineers dream world. It looked like Watto’s junk shop from Star Wars-half pieces of cars and military trucks, palettes loaded with tents and military garb, huge tanks and turrets and a massive claw that was moving and dumping trash. It looked kind of like those 50 cent games at Wal-Mart where you try to grab the iPod with the claw that very obviously doesn’t have the strength to grip anything.


There was a really calm aura about the base- I’d expected everyone to be rigid and uptight, but it was mostly young people just going about their business. I had an interesting time explaining to everyone why I was getting boots, and where I was from, and what they were for, but nobody gave me any trouble.

I got back on the road with the boots in the back of the truck and realized that I-16 must have been paved recently just for me. There wasn’t a soul on the road. And that’s when I HAD to stop, because the prospect of falling asleep on the road is scary in and of itself. The prospect of falling asleep on the road in a rented truck with an out of state license and two massive palettes of military issue combat boots in the back of said truck seemed even worse.


I'll take this time to introduce you to my accomplice on this trip, Dot. She's kind of a badass bitch and she's been good to me.Except for her 12 miles to the gallon gas mileage, and inaccurately marked 35 gallon tank. And her lack of cruise control. And her extremely constricting seatbelts. And her loose steering. And that whole thing about her not having a tape deck, cd player, or any other means for me to get music aside from the regional Top 40's (I've already memorized Pink's new single and want to stab Daughtry in the ear for his.)


But I napped, got back on the road, and got to Baltimore in a little over 12 hours. A few things to note:


I-95 SUCKS until you get to Virginia. From VA up, its nothing but rolling hills, the autumnal changing of the leaves and these delightful rest areas called ‘Service Houses’ which start to pop up in northern Maryland. There a lot like the stop at Okahumpka near Orlando- food, gas, restrooms and the like. Really, there great places, and everyone who works there notice the ETA to any other place the whole way up I-95. They were little oases after the hellishly boring and rough trip up the bottom half of the interstate. Georgia and both Carolinas consist of little more than the same kind of tree, the same bloodied stumps of deer, and the same rude and infuriatingly entitled drivers for about 600 miles. But I’ve jumped ahead- visiting with Jeefy was one of the best things that’s happened for the past two months, I think.