So yesterday I was supposed to head up to the mountains to spend the weekend at the River Terrace in Gatlinburg. Instead, the transmission in the Bravada gave up with no warning right outside the Nantahala. Erin was driving at the time, and we pulled over, called my parents [who were about 20 minutes ahead of us in our newer Mustang], and then we switched off. I proceeded to limp the Bravada the rest of the way in to Cherokee in 3rd gear only.

After spending 3 hours in a parking lot of a hotel watching the dogs and reading Harry Potter in a Holiday Inn parking lot, the tow truck came to leave the Bravada stranded somewhere in North Carolina. I do not miss it.

Four people in a Mustang convertible, plus two dogs, plus all the luggage that was in the SUV, plus a three hour drive?

No.