We’re meeting MIA in Toronto and she’s driving back with me to Metropolis. I’m super excited because it’s always loads of fun when my family gets together. Plus, it’s been two years since I’ve been in Toronto and I’m missing my old stomping grounds terribly. Summer is the best time in Toronto. Toronto here we come!!

The girls and I (Ducky & Monk too.) are driving alone while Dick is taking care of business. With all our dramas about the imbalance of work, I figure this is some well needed time apart. Absence makes the heart grow fonder ya know.

After only sleeping 5 hours, I’m finally on the road at 9am, despite getting up at 6:30am. Of course, I bring snacks to keep me entertained along the way.

It’s not like the girls are going to be of much assistance in keeping me awake.

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At least I have my 6 CDs that was compiled from the random shuffle play on my iTunes. I didn’t have time to put together a proper driving set…hope there’s some good driving music on these CDs.

KENTUCKY

It’s about 750 miles to Toronto and takes about 12 hours. I’ve done this drive many times from when I was a kid…albeit only a few occassions where I drove it alone. This is the first time driving it alone with the girls. They’re at a good age now where they are super well behaved and I don’t have to worry much about them.

It’s a sunny and beautiful start for our trip. We pass through Kentucky. This must be one of the farms where they train the horses for the Kentucky Derby…that big fru-fru gaudy hat sporting, celeb and socialite infested horse racing event. I need to go one of these years. Do you think a Goth theme for my hat and attire would be well received? Probably not…maybe I should go with the Julia Roberts look in Pretty Woman when she was in that brown polka-dotted dress at that horse event. Pretty but a little too demure for me…not really my style.

The girls wake up after a few hours and snack on my canteloup that I packed. 

OHIO

It’s been about four hours now that we’ve been on the road and we’re just about to hit Cinncinnati wh, which is right on the Kentucky/Ohio border when I see the dark clouds ahead. Great. I hate driving in rain.

All of a sudden it went from nice and sunny…

To super dark and stormy…

Traffic slowed down as the rain started coming down hard. the worst was when someone was passing me and a sheet of water would splash on my windshield. Scared the shit out of me because of the noise and because I couldn’t see at all.

It rained for the next few hours as I pass through Cinncinnati, Dayton, and tapered off as I headed into Cleveland.

Ohio, like most of the Mid-West is flat…miles and miles of farmland.

Flat farmland…

Although the scenic natural views were very soothing and relaxing, this Jane could not live this far out in the country. There’s definitely not a Starbucks out here.

As you get closer to Detroit…

It starts to get more industrial…the plants start popping up…

I’m still going strong…I’m not one of those who will stop and spend the night in a hotel. Waste of my time. I just want to get there!

Luckily, every time I started to get sleepy, we would need to stop to get some gas or food and that would wake me right up.

I stopped by the McDonald’s for the girls and Taco Bell for me.

Te quiero Taco Bell. I really wanted one of those new Salsa Roja Tortadas. Yummy!!

Sadly, because I have all this free time on my hands as well as cruise control, I have resorted to picking at my right foot again (The left is now normal.). It was starting to get better too. Damn.

We’ve driven about 450 miles so far. Only another 300 to go…

-Jane, Driving to Toronto.