Day 1

663.6 miles, my house to Chuck’s. Average speed = 65 mph. Driving time = 663.6 / 65 = 10:12 driving time. Plus 1 stop to onload fuel and 4 stops to offload coffee.  Average of 53.6 mpg.

Day 2

Chuck, Glen and I had a nice morning run around their developments, with Buddy the wonder dog. After relaxing over brunch, and a speech lesson from Beau, we got cleaned up and headed to Downtown Raleigh to sample the local culture. This included a walking tour of a winter ice skating carnival being set up, and then a sumptuous repast at “The Pit” which was featured on the Food Network. Then a stop at Krispy Kreme for fresh, hot doughnuts.

Day 3

Started with another nice little run, and then a light breakfast cooked by Chuck. Then we went to visit Duke Gardens, drive around the Duke campus and by the Cathedral, and then to a birthday party for one of Chuck’s co-workers who also happens to be a musician. The music put on there by local musicians, up to 10 at a time, and over 20 total, was excellent. Then back to Chuck and Susie’s to watch the Saints trounce the Lions. Tomorrow, over to Chesapeake, VA.

Day 4

In the morning, said good-bye to Beau, Susie and Chuck and drove about 3.5 hours over to Michael and Amanda’s house. Trip odometer update - 937 miles, 54.2 mpg, 59 average mph.

Michael is working nights, so when he got up, we went to eat Philly cheese steaks. Then he had to go to work. I went out and ran about 5 miles. In the dark. Even with reflective vest and headlamp - not a good idea. It isn’t that the roads here don’t have shoulders. They do have shoulders. The shoulders are about 1/3 the width of the white line. Except for a few encounters between 10-wheeler dump trucks and garbage cans (it was garbage day here) I had an uneventful run.

Day 5

Michael and I went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast when he got home from work, then he went to sleep and I went for an 8+ mile walk. This afternoon I went to help some of the VFA-15 Valions squadron wives decorate the base for the fly-in which is tomorrow, but after I leave for JAX. I didn’t have to work very hard, but I got to walk out on the flight line. Lots of jets were practicing take-offs and landings. I also got to take some photos of the hangar where Mandy works. Miriam was very kind and invited me to dinner, but I was just too beat. I double- checked my bag for the cruise and crashed early, needing an early wake-up to catch my plane!

Except, Michael called from work, saying he’d heard from Lenny, who told him that Cathryn had a massive heart attack and was being taken by ambulance to Buffalo. He would try to get details through the night and find out if the command would send Amanda off the boat at Mayport.

Day 6

Michael came home at 0200. We called Buffalo General to confirm that Cathryn was there. She was, and in the CCU, stable, and complaining to be let out. An angiogram was planned for later in the day. Michael called the Red Cross and made Mandy’s plane reservation to come home. Then he went back to work.

Michael had contacted Amanda and the ship command had cleared me to continue with my plans to ride the Tiger Cruise. But since Amanda was leaving the ship at Mayport and coming home, I decided to cancel, and stick around to support Michael and Amanda.

I drove home. This time, I drove up East of the beltway and avoided all the DMV traffic. I hadn’t been this way before, and my timing was perfect. Even with a 10 minute delay to get through the first of 2 Chesapeake Bay tunnels due to construction in the tunnel, it only took me 10:07 to get home (total time, with 5 rest stops - moving time 9:40)

Total trip mileage = 1566.8 miles, average 53.9 mpg, and 54 mph. Data for just today: 541.3 miles, average 53.2 mpg (rained most of the way) and 56 mph. I was averaging 65 mpg before the rain hit - about the first 200 miles. Got home at 2:36 pm.

Amanda’s uncle, Leonard, posted this on FaceBook at 10 pm on Wednesday:

“To all my family members and friends.thank you for all your prayers and the comfort you all gave me and my family.my sister is out of the red zone.the hospital put a stent in her heart now she has blood flow to the main part in in her heart.thank you again.”

Hopefully, this means Cathryn in no longer in danger and will be recovering at home by the time Mandy gets off the ship (about 10 this morning), flies to Norfolk, and she and Michael make their way to Dunkirk and/or Buffalo.

Final note - Amanda called me from the JAX airport. She was off the ship and awaiting her flight to Norfolk. She had her cell phone turned back on, and is back ashore!