The Getaway

December 18th......


At 5:30 a.m. I woke up so excited I couldn't possibly go back to sleep. The alarm would not go off for another hour but that didn't stop me from bouncing out of bed and heading toward the shower as Marine grumbled into his pillow some kind of nonsense about it being to early.


After I got out of the shower he had no choice but to also roll out of bed. There was a lot to do! I hadn't even packed yet....... I mean really how can you pack when you don't even know where you're going??!!! Exactly!


So I pull out the ol grande suitcase and just start throwing stuff in. He laughs and comments its a good thing its just the two of us, implying that I am packing to much. Oh well better to be prepared (which when we got there I still really wasn't).


By 8:00 a.m. I am in the car, buckled up, and burning a hole in the paper that holds the secret. Marine had left the folded up directions causally on the driver seat. I wanted to reach over and just sneak a quick peak. But I fought the urge. He had kept this a secret for over a month, he deserved to tell me where we going.



He gets in the car with a hug grin, "You looked didn't you?"



I try to play dumb, "Looked?"



He laughs, "You so looked!"


"No I didn't! I promise." I attempt to a scouts-honor/cross-your-heart move.



"Ok well here take a look...." He hands me the directions as he starts to drive.





I unfold and look at the top of the page....... where is it........ ahhhhh!!!!! Destination - Orlando! Complete with Disney confirmation number ~ how exciting..... but at the same time I'm not looking forward to the 8 hour drive...... Oh well! Yay Road trip!



We drive a few miles south, then Marine puts his blinker on and gets into the turning lane. What is he doing? He turns and we are now headed north.



"Um..... we're going the wrong way...." I point out - am I missing something?



"No we're not," He looks over at me and smiles.



I look back at him utterly confused.




"Those were the fake directions so in case you got curious and looked," He pauses to look over at me - yes mouth is fully dropped - "Now would you please reach behind my seat and hand me the real directions?"



I have underestimated Marine. I thought he was actually silly enough to leave the real directions out. He may just be smarter than I give him credit for.



I hand him the real directions waiting on him to now tell me where we are going. New Destination - Asheville, North Carolina.



A nice, relaxing, romantic getaway. Complete with Candlelight tour of the Biltmore House. Very nicely planned Marine, very nice - I think to myself.



As soon as we crossed the North Carolina line snow was everywhere! I mean everywhere!!












Thank goodness we had borrowed Marine's mom's LandRover for this little adventure, and it came with some fancy button that was a setting just for snow. Worked great!!








We arrived and checked into the hotel ~ Which was wonderful, Jacuzzi tub and all! The snow was still pouring down with no ending in sight. Afraid of perhaps getting snowed in we decided to head to Grocery Store to get some supplies. The room was equipped a microwave and fridge so at least we wouldn't starve.






At this point there was about 7 or 8 inches of snow - which for the South is quite a bit - go ahead and laugh my northern friends. So every Southerner in a 10 mile radius is panicking trying to get in this super Wal-Mart.


Marine truly is a great guy. People who are in cars are stuck everywhere and have abandoned their cars. A woman is walking down the side of the road by herself. I'm on the phone with Blondie when I realize Marine is slowing and rolling down the window. He asks if she needs a ride. She happily accepts. We give her a ride to her home, she thanks us and exits the car.







Now if your like me your Mom has probably always warned you: DON'T PICK UP STRANGERS.







But I remained silent. I was happy we had been able to help someone out.




"If that were you I would hope someone would stop and offer you a ride. It's way to cold out for her to have had to walk all that way," He says simply.




Yes, if possible I think my heart swelled and it made me love him more.


We purchased some groceries and headed back to the hotel, all plans Marine had for the evening canceled due to the snow storm.



The next day we awoke to about 12 inches of snow and the news saying it was the most snow the area had seen since 1989.



This does not curb my excitement. Marine and I bundled up and headed in to town.


Of course because of the snow nearly everything is closed. But we enjoy walking down the snow covered sidewalks peeking into storefront windows. Hunger is setting in as the lunch hour approaches and we enter a restaurant we spot that is open. It is packed! The wait time for 2 people ---- an hour and a half.








We decide to take our chances and continue on down the street. As we talk I catch a whiff of something that smells wonderful!! Yes, Marine and I turn into bloodhounds as we pick up the pace sniffing the air as we walk. We follow our noses to a tiny restaurant. An Indian Restaurant. Neither of us has ever eaten Indian food so we decide what the heck, it smells so good let's give it a try!



We place our order and sit waiting on our food. The only knowledge I have of Indian food comes from Along Came Polly, you know when poor Ben Stiller eats it and it nearly kills him? ( I was going to post a you tube clip but I figured I would spare you.....)


Yeah, I remember this after I have already ordered. But I ordered the Butter chicken (see sign) and it sounds pretty safe....... The food arrives and its not quite what I pictured. Meaning there is alot of stuff on the plate that I can't really identify.... But I do see what I assume is chicken in a tomato sauce. It smells wonderful. I take a bite. Oh my! It nearly melts in my mouth its so amazing! I chew, savoring every bite and then swallow. And then it hits me. It started out as a slow spark but now is a blazing fire in my mouth. I take a sip of Diet Coke (the only soda they carry) and decide out of sheer hunger to power thru and I stick another piece of chicken in my mouth. This one I swallow more quickly hoping that the sauce will not fuel the flames already roaring in my mouth. A few more bites and I am sweating, my mouth is on fire, I can't feel my throat anymore, and it seems that I can the feel warm fire burning all the way down to my stomach. I have drank a Diet Coke and finished off Marine's glass of water at this point. I am furiously shoving fork fulls of rice in my mouth along with the pita looking bread thing, hoping to douse the fire. Marine has gone from looking concerned to trying to control his laughter as his body shakes like a hyena as he leaves the table to get me another glass of water.



Thirty minutes later Marine has finished his turkey sloppy joes along with the rest of my meal and we exit the restaurant and I fight the urge to dive head first into the snow with my mouth open.

Trip to be continued...

Polly, "Are you okay? 'Cause you're sweating pretty profusely."

Reuben, "Yeah, no, I'm fine.I always react this way to spicy food."

~ Along Came Polly ~