The GPS

OK, I am officially tired. It has been a very long week and it's shaping up to look like a long weekend.

Yesterday I went to Little Rock with my Dad for a doctor appointment. Dad doesn't like to drive I-40 so we had to take the "scenic" route AKA Hwy 70. 2 1/2 hours and ohhhh about 15 cigarettes later..we arrive. He apparently decided to NOT quit smoking. Great. I hate cigarette smoke. It always gives me headaches and it just sits on my skin if ya know what I mean. But hey, he's my Dad so I held my tongue.....seriously, I did...but there is always the drive home. By this time it is 12:30 but we decide to hold out to eat lunch after the visit. BIG mistake...as you will soon learn.

The doctor was great and I liked his straight get-to-the-point attitude. Dad is scheduled for surgery on Friday. We leave the office at 2:30 and decide to just head to NLR to eat. BIG mistake.

Dad loves his GPS. It is cool except it's kind of freaky when she starts telling you where to go all the sudden without you asking her. Weird! It is amazing that he went without smoking for 2 whole hours but now is back on the ONE EVERY TEN MINUTES routine. My inheritance is literally going up in smoke! LOL I can tell he's feeling better because he is cursing other drivers while I try to direct him into the right lane. This is where the whole trip goes seriously downhill. We both want McDonald's. Although he hates Coke products and wonders why can't everybody just serve Pepsi. But I digress....He wants to pull off at Galloway (which he thinks is Protho). I tell him this exit doesn't have a McD's but ofcourse he doesn't hear me. He thinks I said it does. We pull off and realize, big surprise, there is no McDonald's. While trying to get back onto the interstate we end up on a service road. I gently suggest turning around but noooo we are driving on! About 15 minutes into our little scenic excursion.. I snap. I am tired. I am starving...I have blood sugar issues and it is wayyyy past time for me to eat. I am CRANKY and I am sick of smoking without the pleasure of actually smoking. So.. I sort of ask him for a cigarette. I told him I might as well enjoy it since I am literally inhaling the noxious, poisonous, cancer sticks with him anyway. Well, that did it. The fight was ON. I told him why even act like he's going to quit. I don't expect him to quit but since he gripes about the cost of them why doesn't he just try cutting down to oh, say, 3 cigs an hour instead of 6?!?!?!? He comes back with...and,I kid you not, this was his argument..."I enjoy them. It's what I like to do. YOU work out! Are you gonna stop that?" I looked at him and asked, "Are you freakin' kidding me? That's your argument? My working out hurts NOBODY. Your smoking hurts you and everyone around who inhales with you." Then I played the Blakely card. I said you don't smoke around her so why do you smoke around me? And on it went. We both sulled up and about 15 minutes later arrived at Lonoke, got McD's, ate, and headed home. The storm had passed and I must say, he only smoked 3 cigarettes on the way home. I must have made him feel bad, which I did not intend to do. But hey, we are both stubborn so I am not apologizing AND neither is he. It works for us. Oh, and fat lot of good the GPS did!

Friday I am taking him for surgery in LR and I am driving. Which means he is not smoking. Good!

Sidebar 1: 9 weeks tests are this week and I can not even be there to give most of mine. I hate that but family does come first.

Sidebar 2: American Idol picked all of my faves EXCEPT what the heck were the judges thinking bringing psycho Tatiana back. Ratings?

Sidebar 3:My 41st birthday is Sunday which also happens to be when Daylight Savings Time begins/ends. Either way it's "spring" forward which means I lose a WHOLE hour on my birthday. What's up with that?!?!? That sucks.

Sidebar 4: We now have DSL through ATT. I love it! I hated being without the internet at home!

Later.....