Long ass weekend...

Yeah.  I worked all day Friday (til 7pm) and headed home.  I had intended to do laundry, get a couple of hours of sleep, then head out at 3am to drive down to Mackinaw, IL for my brother Derek's wedding.  I would show ya'll a map of the trip...but it's a spaghetti bowl at times.

I didn't get anything done at home and I wasn't feeling all that great, so I was was thinking of just bailing out on it.  I went out to get Taco Bell at 1:30am and wound up grabbing stuff for the trip and heading out at 2am on no sleep.

The route down is "normal".  US52 to US63 to I-380 to I-80 to I-74.  7.5 hours down to Mackinaw.   I got there, helped with some of the final touches on the beach location for the ceremony then helped get the lodge ready for the reception.  I snuck in a quick shower before heading back to the beach for the shortest but best wedding I've seen.  The *entire* ceremony was less than 10 minutes.  They had the most beautiful vows, I kept waiting for a reference to the Lord and Lady.  Very Pagan-esque vows and the energy was very palpable around the entire scene.  There were some people partying on boats in the lake.  Within 90 seconds of the ceremony starting, they were quiet and watching the ceremony.  When Derek kissed Lana, they were clapping along with those of us on the beach.

After the receiving line, we all headed over the the lodge for the reception.  I didn't have a job assigned, but I put myself in the kitchen making sure that things were topped up, plates and such were available, all that stuff.  Once it wound down, I kept consolidating down the left overs and cleaning up the serving pans.  I didn't think of it as a big job, but rather more of a job needing to be done.  I left the reception about 6:45 and got back to Derek and Lana's house about 7.  I diddle a bit and was in bed at 7:15.  I was out like a light and woke up at 9am Sunday morning only because dad woke me up.

I got up and wasn't feeling all that great, but I had breakfast and was back in the truck to head home.  I did my usual stop at Avanti's and got two whole gondolas.  I got back on I-74 and was heading west.  I got up to the Quad Cities and wasn't feeling good at all but hey, after that much driving, who does feel good?  I decided to take a different route back since I had left much earlier than expected.  I took US67 up from I-80 all the way to it's northern terminus at Sabula, IA.  From there, it was US52 north to Dubuque.  I stopped in Dubuque and filled up the tank with premium 93 octane for $3.029.  I could have gone with regular for 2.82 a gallon, but hell, I figured I'd be nice to my truck.

I headed into Wisconsin on US61/151 and started heading north to LaCrosse.  I was merrily zinging along the highway lost in my own thoughts about the wedding and if I'd ever have a wedding of my own and how wonderful it was, in spite of it all.  I was heading along through Vernon County and saw a turn-off for County M.  I made a quick (and way too fast turn) and followed it to County J....to County C.  I knew where I was going...but not where I was going.  As I turned right on County C, I realized that I was driving in front of my ex Brian's parents house.  I did a quick U-turn and drove in a blood red rage back to Soldier's Grove and back to US61.  I continued heading north and was feeling even worse than I had been before.  I was hitting most every gas station and wayside rest for water and bathroom needs.  There was a lovely detour on US14/61 south of LaCrosse that involved a massive winding clusterfuck through some small ass town who's name is escaping me at the moment.  I finally got up to LaCrosse and realized that the northwestern sky was turning very dark.  From LaCrosse to Rochester on I-90, it was hazy...then it was like driving into a waterfall...then about a mile or two later, right back out of it. I finally made it to Rochester about 8:30.  I pulled into an SA just off US52 and went into get some Pepto and yet more water.  It was grey and gloomy.  I walked back out a few minutes later and the world was a fiery copper color as the sun was peeking from behind the clouds.  I was an amazing sight that really lifted my spirits and reminded me just how much the God and Goddess are truly everywhere.  I said a quick prayer and thanked them for showing me their beauty and headed back north on US52.  I got in about 10pm last night and sat in front of the computer for waaaay too long.  I fell asleep sitting there around 1am and woke up about 3am.  I was still having major problems and I'm not sure if I had slept those three hours or if I'd actually just passed out sitting up.  I don't remember anything and I'd not slumped over.  It was odd to say the least.  I finally did get tired enough and felt decent enough to go to bed around 5:30 this morning. 

My alarm went off at nine and it took everything I had to get up and get going this morning.  I finally got myself up and going. I got into work and until about 3pm, I was in a horrid mood.  I was very angry and still stewing over the problems with my "paid vacation" fiasco.  I'm trying to get next Wed-Fri off (unpaid) but it would be very nice to have a few days alone with Chris being on vacation in California from this Friday until next Saturday.

Overall, I'm glad I did make the trip to Illinois.  I could have missed the food poisoning/sickness from the reception, but otherwise, it was a really good trip.