I am back!  Took an extended 3 day weekend and went home to my hometown of Villa Park IL, to spend some time with family and participate in my improv groups December show.  I got to see some friends and overall, it went well.  I thought I would have some fun and share how everything went and use some playful Gif's to explain the weekend.

Wendy's Breakfast: What You Need To Know — The Square Deal™ Wendy's Blog

I packed my clothes the night before, and after loading Apollo into his cat carrier, I placed him and my suitcase in my car and decided to get breakfast from Wendy's.  I got a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich meal with a strawberry lemonade and headed out on the road.

Please No Traffic GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

I had about a 6 1/2 hour drive ahead of me, and I was hoping for no traffic.  Since I hit the road at 8 30AM I did not run into any issues.  At least until I got closer to home.  Pretty much open roads.  And Apollo was not too noisy.  He has taken long rides with me before, and he could sense that this would be another one.

Gas Station Refuel GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

Missouri gas prices are about 30 cents cheaper than Illinois.  So I was lucky enough to find it for only $2.90 and I filled my tank.  This pump however was the SLOWEST pump I have ever used.  I must have taken over 15 minutes.  I am not kidding.

Traffic Jam GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

There wasn't anything unusual about my drive home, until I hit the last half hour of my drive and I was almost home.  I could not understand why at 3pm on Friday there was the jam I ran into but I finally made it home.

I Am Home GIFs | Tenor

I unloaded the car, and got my stuff in the back half of the house where I would be sleeping and I set up Apollo's food and water.  I told my mom that I was ready for pizza!

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria GIFs - Find & Share on GIPHY

If you ever have heard of Lou Malnati's pizza, it is some of the best on the planet.  And for the record, they will ship the pizza to you.  Packed in dry ice.  Click HERE for their website.  It is worth it.

Quagmire Improv Rehearsal GIF | Gfycat

It was then off to improv rehearsal for my group.  It ran about 2 hours and we put the final touches on the show, and we were ready for an audience.

Time For Bed GIFs | Tenor

Long drive, rehearsal, and it was past my normal bedtime, so I went to bed.  Had a long day ahead.

Teeth cleaning | Dentist humor, Funny gif, Animated emoticons

I had a dental cleaning that morning with my friend Wendi, and I had a blood test with my doctor later on that day.  So the cleaning was first.  Luckily, no cavities, and my teeth are in decent shape.

Oil Change FAIL on Make a GIF

I was about 1000 miles past when I got my last oil change, and when it comes to my cars, I have learned to make sure to get it changed every 3000 miles religiously.  So I took care of that oversight.

Blood Test GIFs | Tenor

Now it was on to the doctor's office for my blood test and doctor appointment.  I have to have blood drawn about every 6 months.  Hope that the results come back within normal levels.  I am optimistic.  And my blood pressure is improving.  And I lost a few pounds from my last visit.  Baby steps.

Roy Scheider Its Showtime Folks GIF - Roy Scheider Its Showtime Folks All -  Discover & Share GIFs

I finally got to eat after fasting for almost 15 hours, and it was time for our improv show.  We got a decent crowd considering it was the weekend before Christmas, but the audience laughed a lot.  So that made it worth the trip.

Aka Not Laundry GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

After getting home and getting some rest, I had to do a load of laundry because I didn't bring enough clothes for the trip.  I put in the load before I headed out for the show the night before, and thankfully I have a mom who doesn't mind folding clothes and they were ready for me to pack, and wear a clean outfit for my trip back home.

Really Cat GIF - Really Cat Black Cat - Discover & Share GIFs

I was all set to head back home, but there was one issue.  Apollo was hiding.  My mother's house isn't that big, but Apollo had disappeared.  I shook his dry food bag to make noise like it was feeding time, but he did not appear for an hour.  I had hoped to leave by 10am but ended up staying an hour longer.  Once he finally appeared, I secured him in his carrier, he meowed loudly, but eventually settled down and I was on the road.

Unload Car GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

After 2 pitstops for fuel I finally made it home and unloaded my car, which included a few extra items that I got from my nephews home that belonged to me.  I collected my mail, fed Apollo, and finally had time for me.  I unpacked, got some refreshments and began to write this blog.  One final thing:

Merry Christmas Charlie Brown GIFs | Tenor

I had remembered to tape A Charlie Brown Christmas on PBS.  I never miss this special.  It is timeless.  And for me, the best Christmas special of all time.

Overall, it was a wonderful weekend.  This week will also be a short one, with Christmas at the end of the week.  I will make the road trip again later on this week.  But it is good to be sleeping in my own bed again.  And I will be able to see my co-workers again, and wish them a Merry Christmas.

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli

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