Total Eclipse!--Part One

Let's start on Sunday. I awoke at 11:30 am. I had a sleepless night and finally slept after dawn. This had been going on for a few days.

7:30am, I finally got up, washed my hair, scrambled three eggs, and had it with a glass of milk. On Monday morning exbf arrived at about 9:10. The night before I texted a friend close by and asked him if he would help me for ten minutes, but he did not answer. The next morning, he said he could not after I called and texted.

There was pack of 24 bottles with maybe 6 bottle used from it. I had carried a gallon of water out the night before so I would make less trips in the morning if I had to do this alone. My hair was dry and so was I. After walking, carrying, and packing car, I was soaked to the bone and my bangs were dripping with sweat into my eyes.

We carried lots of stuff because I had seen fields and shopping centers full of people, waiting for the eclipse. I did not know what to expect. But, one newsperson said to travel like it was a catastrophe.

Nashville was expecting from 800,000 to 1, 500, 000 extra people. I believed it when we drove.

I took:
two sheets and two pillows
water bottles
gal of water
two ham sandwiches
two peanut butter sandwiches
jar of pb
3/4 loaf of horrid bread!
two little packs of jelly (he likes his pb plain)
two salads in plastic bowls
one whole-wheat bagel for him
package of expensive crackers I got for $1
Cheese sticks I paid half price for
baggie of plastic forks and spoons
white grapes that we shared ($.78/lb!)
two pair of pants for me
panties
bag of soap and other essentials
4 washcloths and Dove soap
Sturdy shoes for me/well, not sandals
two phones and camera charged the night before
a bucket for me to pee
4x roll of tp
package of paper towels
two lawn chairs
Things I left off the list
wet wipes
headlamp
hanging flashlight
hand flashlight, little for pocket
Hefty cups
Cutter...bug spray
tooth paste
two toothbrushes
six tiny boxes of raisins
2 huge square dish towels

We both have trouble walking, and I did not want to have to walk to a bathroom in a crowd or a long way. So, I had a bucket. I pulled out a wide-mouth pint jar with lid and ring on and told him, "Here is your pee pot." He snorted.

Later I asked him why he laughed. He said he snorted because it was much better than the coffee cups he had used in the vehicle. We never used our alternate bathrooms.

I was afraid of a wreck or something that caused us to be out very late or not even get home that might, hence the sheets and pillows. He can sleep sitting up. I have to get flat because of my back. So, on Sunday I asked him if his back seat would lie down. He did not know. I told him to look in his car manual and see.

He called me when he got here, so I just went out with a load of stuff. I asked him to back in so the water could be lifted from my car trunk to his Rogue. Plus, I asked him to pull the car to the other side of the driveway so I would not be walking on wet grass and a slight hill. And, to please lower passenger window so I could put two heavy things through the window.

I got out there and he had given me a wide berth on the driver side. I had to walk on a slope and in wet grass. Plus, he was not opening the window. So, I started off yelling at him! I could not get the bucket on the floor because he had put down the seats! I yelled about that. He said I asked him if they would lie down. Yes, I did say in case I needed to lie down.

My whole deal was to get things in the car super fast and get away from the mosquitoes. Then, we could pull in a parking lot and arrange things. When I got to the car with the last load, he had all the doors open and was fiddling with the seats. I was furious, so we dumped it all in the back and got away from mosquitoes. When I transferred the water bottles to the back of his car, I told him to move his arm because I was throwing two bottles of water. I landed them perfectly between the seats. We were both impressed...lol.

We stopped in a sunny parking lot about two blocks away. He got out and was putting up the seat behind me. I cannot get in and pee unless I have the width of both seats. Otherwise, my feet will hang out the door! The back seat floor handless the width of the icing bucket and would not have accommodated a five-gallon bucket.

After my snarling out of tiredness and his doing things wrong and his saying I told him things that I did not, we got on the way. He picked out the eclipse shirt and then refused to wear it. "I will put it on later." I was frosted and told him about my disappointment.

Then, the conflict was over before we left that parking lot! So, no more arguing the rest of the trip.

The plan was for me to drive up since time tires me. He was going to drive back since driving tires him. I got a Coke for the caffeine to keep me alert after no sleep. I only drank half of it, a first for me.

On the way north to Nashville on I-65, the traffic was horrendous. The lanes coming south were lightly traveled. Of course, it is summer and people travel, but there were plates from Al, FL, TX, Mobile, lots from MS. We called out the plates to each other. That was fun.

Then, when in Tennessee traffic slowed to 5/mph for about fifteen minutes. Then, we went 30/mph for about 30 minutes. It finally sorted itself out and we were back to 70mph.

We decided to get off at an exit when he said we were in totality. We went to a McD that had few cars. We asked inside if this was in Totality. One family said yes, they had driven there from Lawrence Co to see the eclipse in totality. I think they had 92% where they lived. Mama, Daddy, grandmother, and three kids from kindergarten to second second grade were all so happy, laughing and smiling.  Outside, a guy and his little boy were eating on the curb. I asked about Totality and he confirmed it was, that was why they were here So, it was a sure bet. .

Behind McD was another restaurant that had no one in the parking lot, a Mexican restaurant that was closed down. We had the whole parking lot to ourselves. We parked in the shade to eat and I kept stupidly asking where was the sun! Finally, he told me to look straight up. The eclipse had started. So, we pulled across the parking lot and I took out the two lawn chairs. I handed him his eclipse t-shirt, and he put it on.

We sat and watched though totality and about halfway to the end. We both decided to go and did. I was still feeling okay, so I said I would drive. He scares me.

As I was putting the chairs in the tailgate, a line of cars were streaming out of somewhere behind the Mexican restaurant and our spot. I showed him and we were just amazed.  My left arm was on the wooden arms of the lawn chair, and something was peeling off. I had a moment of unease and the peeling was sticking my arm. But, I never looked at my arm or dusted off the arm of the chair.

About 50 miles from home, I looked at my left arm and was horrified, showing him. My arm was about 3 times the size it should have been.

Okay, I am tired and this is long. Tomorrow, I will tell you about the ambulance for me, fire truck, doctor visit--all before we drove more than ten miles more.