Canceled Trip - More glitches

Thank you so much, Dewey. I saw a little bit of the changing colors of the leaves. More than that, what mattered more to me, was to see the incredible beauty of the trees, the rock formations, and especially the creeks and the French Broad River. Breathtaking and healing of the soul.

Late this morning I finally checked email and had one from my friend, who said I had to be out of the house by 10 this morning at latest (I hadn't gone to bed until 5 AM because I was so upset), and on top of that, while he was upset about all this, we were to have NO further contact. Ever. Even if I decided to move here, no contact. This is insane! Honestly, it feels like a nightmare, although I know it isn't. He's been like a brother to me for most of my life.

On top of that, I had NO idea where I was going (motel, or anywhere) or how to get there because my phone is completely unreliable, and no GPS, and they know this! They were supposed to take me today to get the phone fixed. I have no idea where to go, or how to get there. I'm utterly lost. Not only is this city unfamiliar to me, but the entire area is. They know this too. I wouldn't do this to anyone, let alone anyone I cared about.

Thank god for the kind real estate agent, whose number I happened to put into my phone, and while my phone didn't work to call him, I could text, and he helped me out. Otherwise, god knows what would have happened.

One thing I'm very grateful for is baby girl is doing okay! And that's a pretty BIG thing. She lost her appetite on the road, as did I, and still hasn't entirely regained it, but tonight she ate more than she's eaten so far, so I'm happy. I can tell she does now realise I'm NOT going to abandon her. Tonight, back in a motel room, at first she wasn't sure and wanted to velcro me again, but it didn't take too long before she realised "Oh, okay, she's coming back" :)

Of course I remember you and am so glad you found your way here! I suppose in ways we are like family members :)

Yeah, entering Oklahoma and then Tennessee from the I-40, it was very hot (mid 90s) and very humid (unknown %, but high) and a bit tough to deal with. Once I entered NC, it was only slightly hot and humid. I'd wanted to arrive here when it was still hot and humid to see if I could deal with it or no. I know it'll return in summer, but it *can't* be worse than what I experienced in OK and TN. Everyone has said so, and even so this is very unusual for OK and TN in September.

From what I understand Western NC is never extreme. It does get cold in winter, the leaves of most of the trees fall and they're bare. I have to expect that, and if I do decide to move here, I'll be moving in the worst season of the year. Spring is wonderful. Hell, even in So. Cal. spring is beautiful -- IMO the *only* season of the year in SoCal that is beautiful! But then I love green, and it's the only time of the year SoCal has that.

You may very well be right that this is a matter of jealousy and insecurity. I'm still so shocked by it all, there's a lot for me to process. All I know is I did and do *not* deserve to be treated this way. I understand his marriage is important to him, but to leave me so high and dry, in a place I don't know at all, without either phone or GPS, after having done *nothing* wrong except in his crazy wife's head (and I still don't even get what that is!) is unconscionable. I was just very lucky that the real estate agent I met a few days ago and liked very much wanted to meet with me today and was willing to come find me wherever the hell I was, let me follow him back to his office, talk a bit, and locate a motel and give me clear directions to get here.

Thank you so much, Diggory, for responding here, your support, and your PM. I got your PM first BTW, and I know who you are :)

Hmm, just posted a response to you and got the message my post had no content? That's never happened before. Anyway, to recap,

[heart], and you know what I mean. More tomorrow, provided I land somewhere where there's decent enough Wifi. While this motel sucks in most ways, it does have the best Wifi I've encountered so far. If I can, I'll write more. If not, well, you know.

Hey, Ksp,

It's been 24 hours later now, and I still don't understand what happened, or why. The worst of it is, as I said in earlier posts on this thread, is that I've always felt like he was family to me, like a brother, and now he says we can no longer have ANY contact at all, not even if I decide to move here. No phone calls, no texts, no anything. This hurts me more than I can express. I understand that his marriage is very important to him, as it should be, but this is wrong! I haven't *done* anything wrong, nothing to warrant this.

He *has* to know it. And yet, he's choosing to back up his irrational wife, who, ironically, was the person who was all for my moving here, and was the one who suggested it in the first place! I think she's embarrassed, that she knows she got too drunk last night and said what she said as a result of that and her own insecurities, but obviously he's choosing to pander to these things, and screw me. This isn't love. I really did think he loved me and always would, just as I loved him and always would, although it was no romance and never would be. My mom always used to say "___ will always be there for you." I knew she loved him just like a son. But she was wrong. He's far from being there for me.

Thank you, Ksp. I think I really do need to give myself credit here, because the fact is there were times when it was f'ing scary.

The worst was going through Memphis, without question. I HATE going through downtown LA and this was worse than that because it was just as big, 5 lanes going either way, but I hadn't a clue where I was going. Motel clerk was surly when I called and although she told me the number of the exit, I didn't know if I'd already passed it or had to go farther, and she obviously couldn't give a sh!t. Plus once I finally got there, she was just as bad, the room was filthy, and I hated the whole experience. The only thing that saved it was the morning clerk was nice. NO WAY will I stay there on the way home, or ever again.

Tomorrow my old friend will take me to a store to figure out WTH is up with my phone so (hopefully) I won't be stranded again. Good thing this trip to and fro is all on the I-40 else I'd have been royally scr3wed. It was bad enough as it was with all the exchanges, but I did eventually make it.

Not enough time or energy to explain about my dog now. She's ok, but I'm still worried about her injured hind legs due to all the in and out of the car, and up and down the stairs here. Have to lift her (she's 70 pounds!) in and out of the car, I discovered, and it's hard, but as long as my back can take it, I'll do it because I'd rather that than further injure her legs.

Asheville, NC, which I've discovered is a MUCH bigger area than I'd realised. There are pluses and minuses to that. I'd love to buy either a 1920s-40s craftsman house or a log cabin house, with some land. Doesn't have to be a lot, just more than a few acres, and with a stream or creek, and wooded.

Haven't yet been on the Blue Ridge Mountain road, but I will go on it. Not this trip, because I don't have enough time. It's not cold here. There are no extremes in temperature. It only snows a few days a year, if that, and melts by the following day.

There are lots of Floridians here, so I hear. Also folks from NY and CA. I hear those who move from NY to FL and then to NC are called "halfbacks" because they move from FL to NC, which is half the way back to NY :)