It's a good time for a Guinness

The best laid plans, eh? Got hit with the cold from hell yesterday. Took a warm bath, had a hot pot of tea, and more Vitamin C than I can tally, and then slept. Felt 100% better today, so I'm hoping that I nipped it in the bud. Considering that the tickle in my throat is mostly gone, I'm taking it as a good sign.

The beastiette decided that she wanted to come home today. She rang yesterday and I was teasing her that she missed her animals more than she missed us. Of course, today was windier than a wind tunnel on testing day, and when mum rang to let me know that they left her house, I told her to check-in with me when they got to Annapolis so I could leave. I didn't want her to drive all the way down here on New Year's Eve and she equally didn't want me to drive up to Towson, so we agreed to meet in Dunkirk, which is more or less the halfway point. Normally, it takes me 45 to get there if I go over the Solomon's Island Bridge, but with the wind today, there was no way I wanted to try that route and was going to up and cut over to Prince Frederick. It adds an extra thirty minutes, but that was fine with me. Well, they didn't call me until they were in Upper Marlborough, which is about 20-30 minutes away from Dunkirk. So, I got to go over the damned bridge.

That was not fun. It's not the height of the bridge that gets me, it's the lack of barriers that bothers me. Jersey barriers only on a bridge built for Navy ships to be able to pass under do not, in any way, inspire confidence or security. Throw in cross-winds and on-coming traffic, and it is enough to make my heart rate go up into the 100's. I made it over with now panic attacks, thanks to deep breaths and the constant stream of soothing talk that I was doing. I kept telling myself that the funny shakes and shudders were the bumps and ridges in the road surface... Proud of myself for doing that, not happy that I had to. Thankfully, many others feel that same and their was light on-coming traffic, mostly commercial vehicles now that I think about it.

Realised, that like Rincewind, it's not heights that bother me, but the sudden and unexpected bouts of extra-gravity that might occur. Especially when there are capricious winds added into the mix.

Still and all, made it and was 10 minutes later arriving than mum and beastiette who were happily noshing on chips from a pizza and sub shop. Didn't tell them that I came over the hell-bridge, after all, why worry them as I got there in one piece. We didtake the longer route back and went over the draw-bridge instead. It's much lower and has better barriers.

As for tonight, have some champagne laid in for midnight, and will have a low key night with the beasties. They are already starting in on their Simpsons marathon, although threats of LEGO Star Wars on the X-box have been bandied about. Either's wonderful as long as they aren't bickering *wink*

Happy New Year's Eve everyone.