Day Seven: OhFuckOhFuckOhFuckOhFuckOhFuck

Today was one of those endeavors in which I definitely bit off more than I could chew. I think there were three distinct times I considered pulling to the shoulder and quitting/crying.
Southern weather does not fuck around. Compared to California weather, which calls ahead and knocks politely, Southern weather just running-kicks the door down and pulls a B and E on their residents. I seriously thought that movies were exaggerating when they would have a clap of thunder/lightning and suddenly torrents of rain.
They are not exaggerating.

I wanted a cat in the rain, but they kept making me cry.

My journey started off easy enough, working my way up through South Carolina.
Once I got on the 95 though, shit got real.
My brother wasn't joking when he said the interstate's name is the assumed speed limit. I had people zipping past me at easily 100. And then, and then... water everywhere. Like blinding, rage-quit levels of rain. Everyone was putting on their hazards, which admittedly is a cool move as it helps visibility without glare, but nobody was slowing down! Bro, have you heard of hydroplaning??

I experienced this horror three different times today, each lasting just long enough to start dry sobbing, but always clearing up right when I started to make decisions. Probably one of the first times in my life I was really, really scared, took a deep breath, collected myself, and pushed through instead of crying and quitting. I felt a little bit like a bad-ass when I started noticing residential-plated cars stopped under overpasses waiting for the storm to pass as I kept chugging along.

Eventually I made it to my checkpoint outside of Richmond, and in my groggy, yet newly grateful to be alive haze, I made myself a night shift story at two different drive thrus. I was burnt out on McDoubles, so I scooted over to Wendy's to get a burger and potato, where I met two very sweet women who were taken aback by my "unexpectedly sweet manners, darlin." I was just smiley and did my please and thank yous, which makes me wonder, how are you Virginia people treating your services workers?!

My sister-in-law had got me hooked on the Peanut Butter Blizzard at DQ, but none were forthcoming, so I opted to petition McDonald's for something close. I get to the speaker, and half-awake blurt, "I need a McFlurry, and please tell me you have something peanut butter." The voice on the other end politely quips back that they have Reese's. I half shout, "That's perfect," and drive off to the next window.
As I'm waiting behind the only other car getting McD's at 9pm, I overhear the driver making a fuss over nothing. They hassle back and forth and eventually reach some conclusion, as the driver takes a bag and drives off. I get to the window, and all two of the night crew are at the window with my Flurry, with shaky grins.
"So, you, uh, got a thing for peanut butter tonight huh?" the cashier asks, sort of bemused. And me being me, had to go full tilt at this point, "OH MY GAD YAAAAAASSSS!"
Both ladies double over, literally slapping at their knees in laughter. It was a satisfying moment.