South to Xenia to Cincinnati to Louisville to Indy to Home
It started out as a great night.I was off work for the night,had deposited my paycheck earlier in the day,and was hungry to take a drive to somewhere I hadn't been in a long time.So off I went.I left down SR380 to go to SR73 and I-71(it comes out right by the exit).I entered I-71 from exit 44 and started south.The CB was sounding off as was the scanner and the ham rig.Seems the Jimi net and the Slackers net( http://www.slackersnet.org ) had converged for the time being.I got a little further south and got to watching a car with New York plates and a small Ryder rental truck going down the road in front of me.I figured they were together as when the Ryder truck passed anyone she followed in the car.About MilePost(MP)39 they got in the left lane to pass a tractor trailer and twice the Ryder truck almost drifted into the side of the semi.The CB'ers said there was a State Trooper up ahead about the 38 and I replied that maybe he could get this twosome checked out.I didn't want to see a sleepy driver slammed all over I-71 because they drifted into a semi.One or two CB'ers came back to me wanting to know where it was going on at.I told them.Then I saw the State Trooper up ahead rolling south and he was in front of all of us.Suddenly he pulled over to the median and stopped.After myself,the twosome,and another car got by,he pulled back out and came up behind us.He got beside me,and I had another car ahead of me in the slow lane then the twosome.He got beside the car in front of me and then it happened.He turned on his right turn signal.I backed off as did the car in fron of me and the Trooper slid in between that car and the twosome and lit up the reds and blues(I love the new OSP cars.They are white and have a wicked awesome light bar system that has LED's and a traffic direction bar in the back window).Maybe he had been listening to us chatting.I do hope that the rental driver was only sleepy and not intoxicated in any way.I'll never know.We were at the 36 MP now going south.I finally got into the 147.150 repeater and started talking to John and the rest of the Slackers.It was a great chat,but Tracy was out in SE Indiana and we were starting to lose him.Me?I continued on down I-71 to the exit for I-471(let's be different tonight) and exited.I then went across the bridge in to the illustrious commonwealth of Kentucky.I noticed I was in need of fuel.I was on I-275 west now and coming up to Ky17.Sign showed a Mobil this exit,so off we went(Remember I have a speedpass and can be as fast as Ryan Newman.Wanna know more about Ryan?? Go to www.ryan12newman.com or www.alltelracing.com) and got fuel.Got that done and went to I-75/I-71 to go south.A number of the ham operators know of my escapades by now and were asking me where I was going to.I told them I'd know when I got there.I was able to chat with them until I got to exit 52 on I-71,then I lost them.Also at that point,I had a Kentucky State Trooper pass me and get moving on down the road.He was the only cop I had seen all night save the Ohio Trooper.I got off at exit 44 hoping to find a 5/3 ATM,but no luck.So far the Cell phone(Cingular) had never been below 3 bars on signal.I thought that was great.I got back on the interstate and continued down the road to exit 28 where I went into the Pilot travelcenter.Nature called and I needed to answer.That done,I soon saw the lights of Louisville ahead.Ok....Now where to?I decided I had not been up I-65 from Louisville in a long time and had never been over the Kennedy bridge,so exit I-65 north to Indiana.Across the river and so far all was ok.That part of I-65 near Jeffersonville and Clark County is great.I wish our interstate here was that nice as far as condition.A little construction up about the 9 MP to about the 13,but no biggie.I looked down and saw that the fuel I had bought in Ft.Wright was slowly going to E.Time to see if I can get a decent price.I wanted to get it in Scottsburg,but the needle was saying NO.So I got off and went to the Pilot at exit 16.Citgo truckstop there wanted $1.97 for gas!At least Pilot was only $1.83.Pump said prepay after dark.Ok,I can do that.I got a bottle of tea and went to pay.Told the clerk I wanted the tea and $10 worth of gas.That is when she dropped the bomb.Can't prepay with a Credit/Debit card.Pump the fuel and come back in.Hmmmm....Doubletalk if you ask me,but oh well.Back onto I-65 North.I passed the exit for Scottsburg and next saw the the exit for Indiana 256 to Austin.Some of my good friends live there,but I doubt Eugenia would like a visit at 2:30 to 3 in the morning.Hello anyway hon to you and Mickey and Kayleigh.At this point,I hear the scanner going off about State Police and Sheriff looking for an assult suspect going south on I-65 from I-265 in Indiana.I also started chatting with two truckdrivers about this time and they kept me company until I got up to I-465 south of Indy and left to go east while they continued north.All this while from Austin to Indy was quiet with no troubles.Just 3 of us cruising north at 65 mph on an interstate.I bid them a safe trip and they me as well and started across I-465 east to go to I-70 east.I got onto I-70 from I-465 and it was then that Nature rang again.That tea had run through me like Sherman marched through Georgia.Fast.I knew that there was a Speedway(just say Pilot and get it over with) at exit 96.When I exited the highway,I got a surprise.They are doing construction on the bridge over I-70 on Mount Comfort Rd.But moreso,the westbound lanes of I-70 were closed and there were 2 deputies at the top of the westbound exit ramp directing traffic.You had to go up the ramp,across the road,and back down the ramp to go 70 west.What a bugger that had to be.I finally got into the Pilot and took care of business.I got some chocolate milk this time instead of Tea and left.I got back onto 70 going east(Thanks to the deputies.Your work is appreciated having to sit in a spot for 8 hours or more just due to construction).From there I watched as a cop pulled over someone on the westbound side of 70 at the 103 MP.Someone on the CB said the cop was doing a sobriety test.If the driver was drunk,I am glad for the fact that the cop removed him from the road.After that,I continued east with no trouble until I got into Ohio.Near Englewood,I looked down and saw the gas gauge near E again.I was so hoping to get to Enon to get gas at my Mobil(UDF) that I often go to,but again,that gauge said NO.So I got off at exit 29 and went to Meijer.At least they had gas for $1.67 a gallon.I made it from there to home without any troubles whatsoever,again thanking the Lord for letting me take the trip and get to see the sights again.The Cell phone had only one instance near Seymor and Columbus where it's available signal dropped to below 3 bars(1 bar).All in all,I have found out in my travels so far that Cingular is the bomb in the tri-state area.I also was able to get back into the 147.150 repeater about the 132 MP in Indiana,but then just as quick was out again.By time I got to where I could really get back in to it,the Slackers Net( www.slackersnet.org ) was off the air.I went in and went to bed.Now....Where will I go next?We'll find out next time when I hit the road for another "Spur of the moment" road trip. - Kaci