Uncle Braden's or Bust!

Every summer the boys and I take a long vacation down to Nebraska when Wayne has his busiest week. This year he had so many commitments and a time crunch to get them done that we decided to take a 2 week trip down to spend time with everyone.

Here's your sign!

On our way down to Nebraska we ran into some bumps in the road. After picking the boys up in Hot Springs from Grandma and Grandpa Tonsager's we started to head down. After getting back in the car in the 96* temp (entire week before it had been in the 70's) the AC broke down (again). We had just took it in the week before and spent a couple hundred bucks to get it fixed for the trip down and it worked for 2 hours. Ugggg. It was HOTTT!!!!!


Then we made it to Oshkosh and the boys woke up from naps and needed to go potty. I checked the gas and there was 50 miles to empty and 45 miles to Ogalalla. Way too close to push it. So we parked and went in to go potty first as it was b then an emergency situation for the oldest. Luke just peed in his seat. x-( While in the store the boys each picked out a drink and a snack and we asked if we could leave them on the counter, pump the gas then come back and pay for it all. The clerks said "sure". So we loaded back up and went to go to the pump. Wouldn't you know out of 4 pumps only 1 is occupied but an old lady decided to park so that she was blocking the entire drive into the pumps to wait for the 1 occupied pump. Grrrrrr. I finally decide to drive up on the curb and get to the other pumps. I then realize I had taken myself back to my Malibu days and that the gas tank is on the other side. So I reposition the van AGAIN and get out to pump the gas.....must prepay or use credit card. Are you kidding me!?!?!
I just asked if I could pay after inside and every time I try to use my credit card it says "see cashier inside". What the heck?
So now I am furious. I go park the van by the door go in ask them what's up and as I ask the lady behind me at the pump comes in mad her credit card won't work at the pump either. So she says sometimes the pump is stubborn like that. Well I just want to pay for the drinks and snacks and I will stop at Lewellen at the curve by the lake instead. I have had enough with Oshkosh. Okay, she tries my credit card in there, nope. I get out my emergency card, nope! I said well all I have now are my SD checks. She agrees to take it seeing my frustration.
I leave and drive the 20 miles to Lewellen while venting to Wayne on the phone. He then reminds me that I do have my garage sale money and, "there should be $80 left in there, but just pump $50 incase you need something the rest of the way down. Will $50 get me to Holdrege?" Yes that will get me there but nowhere else.
So I get there and there is no credit card machine on the old school pumps that are all cracked and have the ticking dial scroll numbers. I chuckle at this, trying to find the humor in it, then go in to pay.
Neither credit card works again and she will not take my SD check. Okay I am very mad and calling Wayne trying to get him to call the credit card company. She calls her manager to ask what to do, and I remember the garage sale money. I tell her I am going out to look for cash in my van. I come back in and empty two 5's and 40 ones for her to count out. I had one check, a roll of nickles, a handfull of quarters and three 1's left after paying for the gas (PLEASE GOD, don't let anything else go wrong on the way home.)

Alright, screw the panhandle I am taking the Big Springs Road 12 miles and jumping onto I-80. Pull into Big Springs and there's a train. Great there goes another 5-10 minutes on top of the hour spent with the credit card ordeal and the extra half an hour it took us to get out of Hot Springs more than I had planned. now running 1.5-1.75 hours behind. They are waiting in Holdrege for us to get there before they eat supper.

We finally get on I-80 and make it to Darr Road before the boys need to go potty again. We just pull off onto the on ramp and open he door then buckle up and go again. Well somehow Luke's buckle came undone going down the interstate and he starts screaming "My buckle! Stop Mommy my Buckle!" I don't ant to just pull over on the side of I-80 with all these damn semi's and business nor is it legal to do so, so I tell him just sit nice till we get to the next exit. He is really nervous about this because we always tell him woo woos will get us if he doesn't stay in his seat buckled as a fear tactic.
Well the next exit is less than 5 miles away and I am passing a semi who all of a sudden veers left and comes 3/4 of the way into our lane! I am taking deep deep breathes and my tires pass the rumble bars and start to go for the grass when finally the noise or something must let him know we are there and he goes back over. My heart is in my throat and the boys are scared shitless.
I get to the turn off and immediately call Wayne to tell him we almost got taken out. He says "why didn't you honk?" Ummm.....10 and 2 buddy, preparing for the median and praying we don't roll or shoot across into oncoming and die. Freaking the hell out here. The boys potty again and we prepare for our last 7 miles of I-80 and the 17 from Elm Creek to Holdrege.

Then I tried to stop at a store to grab a connector for my iPhone to the TV so I can catch up on Secret Life and watch it with my parents, but I got there at 8:02 and the doors were locked, so I went to Sonic and figured I deserved a Strawberry Limeade Slush for that hell of a ride. I thought, I will try that credit card see if it works here, a few hours further down the road, sure enough it works just fine! The satellites were apparently out in the Sandhills.

We had chicken strips and french fries waiting for us and all was well, we made it!