loopy

Spiritual Retreat
Just back from a much too short visit with my chocolate-lovin' friend.

I figure 'Spiritual Retreat' sounds better than 'road-trip' for a Pastor's wife, doesn't it? 'Spiritual Retreat' implies prayer, reflection, meditation. It does not make one think of wine, pasta, Godiva cheesecake and Frederick's of Hollywood (technically I just stopped there on my way home in search of my bra-size, but that's a whole other blog post). (Oh, and technically, there WAS a bible in my hotel room, so that should count for something.)

All that time in the car WAS totally good for me to reflect, meditate and pray. Lots of time for prayer. Mainly, I was praying "Lord, please help me to find Interstate 35". "Especially Interstate 35 SOUTH". Of course I got lost! But only twice. On the way there, and on the way back.

Interstate systems, highways, turnpikes... all of 'em must have been designed by the male species. I do NOT understand the logic. What is a loop? Why do I want to drive around places to try to get where I am going? If everyone else is driving on the loop in an effort to avoid
traffic, doesn't the loop get all jammed up too? Can someone please explain to me who pulled the numbering system for all of these roads out of their ass? How can you be driving on a road, not do anything but drive, and the road turns into a completely different road? How is that acceptable?

But if there is one thing I learned on my mini-break, it is this. Listen up. Here is my pearl of wisdom. From the nice Middle-Eastern man who gave me directions, the patient and kind black lady who gave me directions, the helpful Hispanic man who gave me directions, people are
basically the same. They all know more about the Dallas metro-plex area than I.

A handy how-to guide on how to give me directions:

Yes, preferable: say things like turn by the I-Hop, Bennigans, Humperdinks, Super Target, 2 minutes this way, 10 minutes that way.

No thank you: don't say things like North, South, East, West, 20 miles, 380 West, Highway, and especially not Loop.

AND and and as close as the Pastor is to God, apparently when you are driving around lost, he does not have some sort of "On-Star" ability and cannot help you get un-lost. He is very nice and calm though. After the fact, he told me I had reminded him of the satirical "Blonde-Star"
commercial parody that has floated around on the internet.

On my trip, I saw some flags at half-mast. I don't know why. Could it be Nick and Jessica's break-up???

I did not realize until tonight that Condeleeza Rice was Secretary of State. Uhhhhhh, when did THAT happen? I know all sorts of stuff about Angelina, Brad, Jennifer, J Lo, Paris Hilton... but the first black woman to become Secretary of State has somehow managed to escape my attention. Perhaps it's time to read a newspaper. A real one.