Chillin' in Atlanta

Today I drove 294 miles to Buford, GA (northeast of Atlanta) so I can pick out our puppy Little Jack tomorrow. Exciting! I like lists, so here are just a few of the highlights of today's trip (also some lows):

-One would think that WalMart would actually be ok at 7 am. All I needed was some oil for the Jeep and some snacks. However, less cashiers = lazy cashiers and customers with gigantic cart fulls, so not fast at all. I would use the self-check out, but I absolutely loathe those things. I can never get the stupid weight sensor to work in my favor so an employee always has to come help. Errr. Oh, well. On a happier note, I checked the oil and added oil all by myself! This might not seem like a big milestone, but I have done this very before, but not this time! And I was also able to finally shut the hood all the way. Last time it went a week until Bryan came and did it for me. You have to slam it at just the right speed or it won't lock up. Super lame.

-On a different note, if you know anyone who wants Harry Potter 6 on blu-ray, I accidentally bought it and opened it before I realized. So I'm not sure if I can return it or not. I think the PlayStation can play blu-ray, or an updated XBOX. I'll have to see if our XBOX plays it first.

-So I'm driving along the freeway (two lanes each way, grassy median) and I see a simple road sign that says "Aircraft Use." Ummm... WHAT? I mean, I know this isn't I-5 or anything, but there's a decent amount of traffic on it. And there are forests on either side of the roads, so I know it's not landing parallel to the freeway. So I'm trying to figure out what this road sign means. Sweet Home Alabama.

-There are Cracker Barrels everywhere. Super yummy, but super bad for you.

-Atlanta. Is. Enormous. I thought Seattle was big. Holy cow. Seattle metropolitan area has about 3 million people. Atlanta has 5 million. And the freeways here are constantly at least 5 lanes. I got lost a few times, but THANK GOD my GPS corrects for me once I do that and will guide me another way. I was stressed out while driving by downtown, but I made it. There were cars everywhere and it was only 2 in the afternoon. I will be heading for home right as rush hour starts, I'm debating whether or not to leave then and just inch slowly through traffic (while annoying, going slow is good for my stress level) or if I should just hang out at the mall until 7 or so and roll into Columbus around midnight. I have to go about 20 miles around Atlanta, so either way I probably won't get out of the metropolitan are until later anyway. Guess that's another question I can ask the breeder tomorrow! And hey, if I leave late, it will actually justify the Starbucks I will inevitably buy.

-YAY MALLS! My hotel is right across from the Mall of Georgia. It's ENORMOUS and AWESOME! Since I got into Atlanta before check-in time, I just wandered around, ate dinner, and did some shopping. I bought an ice cream scoop and lime juicer at Williams and Sonoma (limes are a pain in the butt to juice by hand), two pairs of shorts at JC Penny's, and I bought a book on Thai food at Barnes and Noble (I had to go there, of course). I also enjoyed my first Starbucks in months. Yummy. And since I ordered a tall but the barista charged me for a grande, I got a venti. YAY! I will hang out at the mall again tomorrow, after check out and before meeting with the breeder. I do so love malls. If I get too bored, I can always just go up to the Starbucks in B&N and read my book. That's not too nerdy, right? I don't have a mall in Columbus, but I also don't want to put huge dents in the checking account.

-Get to meet the puppies tomorrow! Super excited! I can't wait to pick one out and meet the breeder. I will probably stop by a PetSmart on the way home just to buy more stuff for him (especially food). I think he has enough of the basics, but I might stock up on more training treats and a few more toys, like some kongs.

Alrighty, I'm getting tired of staring at the computer screen, so I guess I will leave it at the above list. I'll be sure to post some pictures of the puppy, if not tomorrow, then FOR SURE the next day!