With PowerComputing behind me and what I thought would be the end of Austin, my first day in Raleigh, NC began when I arrived at my parents’ house in the rain. It was a rather exhausting and rough start. I stupidly left Austin around 5 PM and went to Houston just so I could take I-10 through New Orleans. I got a good look at Nawlins’ at two in the morning, pretty much a waste but then again I-40 had been recently damaged by a rockslide. I fought off sleep and fatigue to arrive in Atlanta by the following afternoon. It was still a long haul through northern Georgia, South Carolina and about a third of North Carolina. I may be good at geography yet it doesn’t mean I’m a strong judge of distance or the fastest route.
Owning a VW Golf meant not much got to go with me in the car so I shipped plenty to my parents’ house via UPS, right after their 1997 strike. Utter and complete jerks too. Despite the instructions of requiring a signature, the UPS person still ditched the boxes under the house’s deck in the rain. I guess I would do the same if you saw how badly damaged they were. I was pretty livid and I’ve never used them again in such a capacity. Nothing too important was wrecked or water damaged, probably a couple Star Trek hardback books. UPS said I had to prove at least $100-worth of stuff per box so nothing came of it, I just stopped using them except when I can get my father-in-law’s bulk discount through his business.
I had to stay at the parents’ house for a couple days since the apartment wouldn’t be ready until Friday. Seemed okay, work would begin the following Monday. It freed up more time to see Grandpa as his condition worsened, he had been moved to the hospital while I was on my way out. He was in a rather non-lucid state from what the staff said so not there wasn’t much conversing.
My time in Raleigh (technically, Cary) lasted less than a year and was rather lousy for numerous reasons, at least I was relieved to be done driving through non-stop rain from Austin to Alabama. I vowed never to do another stupid marathon like that again. Ha! I ended up pushing my luck again in 1998 when I left Raleigh to stay at my friends’ place in Normal, IL. Forutnately, I didn’t feel sleepy until Indianapolis. The major lesson learned is…it’s easier to just drive north to Little Rock, get on I-40 the whole way because there’s a White Castle in Nashville!