We left home at 2 AM, got to TN around 11 (My dad likes to stop to take naps. Go figure.) After setting up our tents and camper, we drove to pick up Ashley.
Then we went to the Christian Book Warehouse (Now called Family Book Warehouse.. Same thing) In which I found 7 books that I have been searching for. I have a small notebook with movies/books I'm searching for, and thankfully I brought it with me to TN.. I had asked for these books for Christmas, but my mom couldn't find them ANYWHERE..I did see them on Ebay and Amazon, but wanted to see if they'd be cheaper in TN. Sure enough... They were. To tell you the truth, if my parents said "Sorry, but we have to go home now" I would've been perfectly okay with that. I was in book Heaven..
Afterwards, we got tickets to Dixie Stampede and the Chinese Circus. (That was really cool.) Then we went back to the campground and ordered pizza. With Ashley, Austin's, Shawn's, and my cell phones we didn't need payphones. Made it easier to keep up with everyone too. Especially when the boys would take off walking.
So we had pizza, and afterwards went to the arcade/go carts. After we were tired there, we went to one of the MANY outlet malls. This one had a Starbucks. So, mom,Ashley, and I walked ALLLLL the way to Old Navy. By the time I got there, I was feeling quite dizzy. So I eventually went outside, found a seat and waited.
I was thinking maybe the dizziness was a low in sugar thing, so before we went back to the van, Ashley, Austin, Shawn, and I went into Starbucks to get something to drink.
We were driving Ashley back when the dizziness got worse. Oh, and riding in the back on winding, twisting, mountainy roads doesn't help any. By the time we got to the T where the school is, Ashley asked if I was ok. I told her that I didn't feel well. She gave me a couple Walmart bags. Thankfully I waited until AFTER the guard waved us on before I got sick. Yes, I, Angela got sick in a vehicle for the first time ever. I've felt sick before, but never actually GOT sick. Oh, and having the driver SLAM on the breaks doesn't help either. It did help to have my little sister rubbing my back.
By the time we got parked by the dorms I was ok. So, Ashley showed me where the dumpsters were, and after throwing away the bags, she invited me to her room. Somewhere between the van and her room, she became "Nurse Ashley". First thing she did was hand me a cold bottle of water from her fridge. Then I said I sure could use a toothbrush, she told me "Well, you're NOT using MINE" but she did give me some mouthwash, and finally she loaned me a shirt. She walked me back to the van, sprayed air freshener in the van, and told dad not to be too hard on me. Then she made me promise to call her when we got back to the campground.
I still felt dizzy. I woke up several times that night. Once around 3 to go to the bathroom (Was so dizzy I fell down twice.) and again around 7 when the wind picked up. Had to pull things away from the sides. Around 9 I heard a piano. They have church services at the campground. I was wanting to go, but felt way too dizzy. So, I laid on my air materess listening to the music. Yes, I was still dizzy by 9. I had prayed very hard for the dizziness to go away.
I know some people make deals with the Lord. You know what I mean, they go something like this... "Lord if you will do this, then I'll do that." Well, I'm not that way. I'm the kind of person that "throws things in His face" so to speak. For example.... "Lord, you remember healing the blind man? Remember the lady that touched the hem of your garmet? How about that man that said 'You don't have to go to the sick, just say the word.'? I KNOW you can touch me, and I'm waiting. I know when I wake up, I'll feel better." Guess what? It worked. By 11, the dizziness went away COMPLETELY!!!
I think it was a mixture of things... Lack of sleep, riding in a vehicle all day, eating at odd times, the pizza, the Mocha frappucino, and the winding roads were the cause...
We went to two shows. Then on Tuesday my parents went to "Memories" while Austin and Shawn went trolley hopping. Oh, and the trolleys are only 50 cents one way. Which left me alone at the campsite. Which was okay with me, especially since I had some new books and had brought my portable dvd player and dvds with me. I finally got to watch Nativity Story, by the way it's AWESOME!!! I really enjoyed it.
Somewhere in there the boys came back starved and wanting money. So, as I was fixing them some Mac and cheese they were telling me about this music store they found. My brother found a mandolin, and Shawn found a guitar. Both, with taxes, was 80 some dollars a piece. They were excited. However they were a little short, and since I gave Ashley some gas money, I gave Austin just as much to make it fair. Which was exactly what they needed for both instruments.
That night a HUGE thunderstorm came through... Just as bad as the one I went through last year... (See last years post.) By morning my tent was okay, but my brother's was flooded. My brother and Shawn never slept in that tent. They prefered to sleep in the van from day 1, so we used the tent for storing our suitcases... Their clothes were SOAKED... Mine? Ziplock bags really do work. My duffle was wet, but I didn't have to dry out anything.
On Wednesday, my brother talked my dad into driving them to this store. The store boxed up the instruments, and we went to the post office and mailed them home. Which beat us home.
Later that night I spent the night with Ashley and her room matey Jo Beth. The next morning I went to chapel with Ashley (See? I did get some church in.) After Chapel, Ashley had to work. Now she works on campus. There's a rec room (there's a name for it, but they're letters... XOP? LMNOP? STR? Something like that.) This room has ping pong, pool tables, tv, couches, and a snack stand.. (Think of church camp. Burgers, fries. You get the idea) Well, that's where she works in the stand. So, I brought a book, and found a comfy seat and read for 4 hours. At one point Jo Beth, came in, ordered food, and kept me company until her next class. Found out later from Ashley that Jo Beth very seldom eats there. She only did it to keep me company. I felt so honored. Right before her shift was over, she called me over and asked what I wanted. She fixed us something to eat, then we went to her room to eat. Afterwards, she had homework to do, so she did that while I read quietly. (Good thing I like books huh? LOL)
Then we headed to her 2:35 class..... First and Second Corinthians... Which I found interesting. Then we went to the library, she had to get some books for her paper. She worked on her paper while I took a short nap, and then our parents showed up, went to Knoxville.... OH MY GOODNESS!!!! I fell IN LOVE with a bookstore there...... It's two stories high... It's NOTHING but used books, cds, and dvds... I found a couple movies on my list, and a few books that looked interesting.. If they had one of those stores here, I'd go broke. I LOVE that store.
Then we went to the mall, which has a bookstore in it where everything is $5 or less...... I bought Monster by Frank Peretti (spelling?) and two more books from my list that I can't find anywhere. Since it was a buy 3 get one free, I found another book for my Secret Pal at church.
Then we went to a Barnes and Noble, where I found 3 more books. None of them were on my list but I NEEDED them.... One is a Holocaust book, the other two are from the author of "A Girl Named Zippy." So, I now have 4 of her books. Happy happy joy joy.
Ashley spent Thursday night with us, and we left early Friday morning.
The weather was in the 80s at the beginning of the week, by Thursday it was in the 60s... It got COLD during the night on our last night. My sleeping bag claims to keep you warm if it's 30 below. It did a wonderful job keeping me warm. My face was cold though.
Vacations are fun, but it's always nice to come home too. It's like the saying goes.. "There's no place like home."
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