THAT didn't go as planned....

 Our trip to Arkansas was an adventure!

Travel on Sunday was lovely.... low traffic all the way, and no life-threatening situations on the highway.

However, when we arrived at our motel, it turned out to be an absolute DUMP.  It was truly awful.  Probably the worst place either of us has ever paid to stay in.

There was no toilet paper, no soap, only one towel, no cups, and everything was plugged into a power strip behind the tv, which didn't work.

The paint was peeling in the bathroom, and there was some mysterious liquid in the trash can.  The fridge was also full of water.

Dave went down to the office to ask for the missing items, and no one ever brought them, so he had to go back and collect them himself.

AND the ice machine didn't work.

When my sister and brother in law arrived, almost 2 hours after we did, they put them into a smoking room, which STUNK, did not have a fridge or microwave, and had burn holes in the bed spread.

They went to complain, and were MOVED TO A DIFFERENT PLACE that the same owners ran.  Their alternate place was MUCH nicer.

I suppose we could have gone down and said we booked to stay in the same place FOR A REASON, and could they please move us too, but we had already settled into the room, and I didn't have the energy or will power to pack everything up again.

Their place was only a block away, so it was okay.

We ate at a Tex-Mex place that was right across the street from our dump, and went back to our rooms to crash.  

The a/c unit in our room was nice and quiet, and provided enough white noise to block some of the racket from the noisy motel.  I actually did sleep for a few hours!

Our beds were amazingly clean and relatively comfortable!

The eclipse day was spectacular.  We met up for breakfast, went exploring the town, and then arrived at our main destination (one of the only places in town that served beer, and had a patio for sitting outside to watch the eclipse), without any issues.

We had beautiful weather, clear skies, and a fun place to hang out to watch the eclipse, with 150 of our "closest friends."

The really BIG crowds were elsewhere, so we had a great spot.  

The eclipse itself was very moving, as I could not remember ever witnessing totality before.

When we went to Missouri in 2017, we had cloud cover, and couldn't see the actual total eclipse.

This was wonderful, and we had a really great time!

Unfortunately, we had to get up and leave early in the morning, so we could get back home, and be rested for work on Wednesday.

We went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast as soon as it opened.

It was raining when we left, but we eventually drove out from under the rain.

Traffic was a lot heavier on Tuesday, as we expected it to be, but it was going along okay until we got close to Clarksville, AR. 

We were in the left lane, in a line of traffic, and were being tail-gaited by a woman in a white SUV.

That was when the semi in the right lane, which we were passing, cut us off, and Dave had to hit the brakes.

If he had not, the back end of the truck would have wiped us off of the planet.

Of course, there was no time for the SUV to stop, so she rammed into the rear end of our car, and the semi just kept going.

This is the EIGHTH time we have been hit, while driving, since I moved to the south.  This was the second time at high speed, on the highway.

We are acutely aware of how lucky we are to be alive!

Anyway, we both pulled off to the left, and Dave called 9-1-1.  

The lady ran out of her car and came to ask if we were okay.  She was genuinely concerned, which was nice, and it turned out, she was from Oklahoma as well.

We didn't have to wait long for the police to show up.  They said this was a common spot for wrecks, due to the on ramp that apparently doesn't have a long enough merging lane.

We sat on the left shoulder, as 75 mph traffic blew past us....it was terrifying.

Eventually, though there was a clear spot, and we were able to get back on the road.  

The lady who hit us stayed a bit longer with the police, and we are assuming it was to collect her ticket for following too closely.

The body shop will be looking at my car next week, and will determine if it's just the bumper, or if the frame is damaged, too.

The damage appears to be relatively minor, which, in itself, is a miracle, since we were going so fast. 

 The speed differential between our car and hers had to have been small, so she must also have slammed on her brakes, as well.   It's an additional miracle that we didn't end up in a multi car pile up, given the traffic.

Also, the lady who hit us HAS INSURANCE, which is a FURTHER miracle unto itself!  All of the times we have been hit, she is only the 3rd (or maybe 4th) at-fault driver to be insured.

We are both achy in new places, my neck is making noise, and we are waiting for the attorney we contacted to get us set up for an appointment.  

They will, we assume, send us to the doctor they work with.  That's what happened the last time, anyway.

Dave has pulled the dash cam out of the car to see if we can get any information about the truck.

Anyway, that really rattled us, as you can well imagine, so we pulled off and went to a diner, where we stayed for a good long time.

Arrived home safely, but exhausted, a few hours later than planned.

I was just starting to get over my PTSD related to highway travel, too, and now it's FULL BLOWN again.

When I have to get behind the wheel tomorrow to go to work, I hope I don't end up having an anxiety attack.  My commute is all surface streets, though, so I am thinking that I will be able to handle it.

Had my treatment this past Thursday, and all went fine.

Next up, scans of every kind a few days before my birthday, in ten days or so. 

Then, I will see the doctor on May 2nd, and get results, and she will determine if we continue this same protocol, or change it.

No further chemo appointments are scheduled, though, so I am not sure how that will work, since my appointment with her is on the same day that my next treatment would normally be.  I wonder if she will have me stay, after she sees me, and get my treatment.

Whatever.... it will be what it is.

I got a lot of work done around the house yesterday, inside and out, taking advantage of the pain relief from my treatment steroids.... but today, I am hurting again. Ugh.

Dave put off all of his work until today, so he has a lot to do. 

We have friends traveling through Oklahoma, and will meet with them for dinner. That should be fun!

Have a great week!