life lesson #2: be prepared

ask any of my good friends, who have gone on a trip with me, it is always an adventure. it's never a dull moment. this includes local driving trips. 

last night, coming back from bingo (yes, i love playing me some bingo), i felt like passing out, and/or puking in my cousin's pretty-darn-new car. and no, dear blog readers, not from a night of drinking (remember...bingo). i did not realize that we were in the casino for 5 1/2 hours. since i'm diabetic, i should be eating or snacking every 3-4 hours to prevent my blood sugar from dropping. my husband, j., had packed me a bento (box lunch) for bingo earlier that day, but i had forgotten to bring it with me, and thought i would get something at the casino. but if you've ever been at a casino (no clocks, no windows), or ever played bingo, you lose track of time. and obviously, a sense of hunger. 

i did not feel hunger until we hit the slots, and it wasn't until my third penny slot, and last ten dollars, my stomach started growling. i listened to the cue, and my cousin agreed that we head home. i thought we would at least make it home to eat, but about fifteen minutes on the road, i started to feel awful. the worst feeling i'd felt in a long time (at least, without being intoxicated). we were on the road in Boony Ville (because that's where most of these casinos are), late at night. 

i regretted not eating at the casino. i regretted not packing at least my glucose tablets or even gum in my purse. most of all, i could hear j.'s "i told you so" comment ringing in my ear. 

we got off the closest off-ramp, after five to ten minutes of trying to ignore the sick feeling. afraid of puking in my cousin's car, i strongly suggested we get off the freeway and find a drive through. i thought of the diabetes class, and how low blood sugar could cause a seizure or a coma. i'm sure my sugars were not that low, but my paranoia and hypochondria kicked into gear, and i found myself pleading and praying to God to not have any of the above happen to me. well, getting off the freeway into Boony Ville was not helping the situation. it was all darkness, and a long stretch of houses for miles. no 7-11. no McDonald's. no nothing. nothing but a whole bunch of houses and parks. a lot of parks. then we started driving up this winding road. now, i started to panic. i'm never moving to the 'burbs, thoughts screaming in my head. 

we proceed back down the mountain, for fear of getting lost, and get back on the freeway, with my eyes rolled to the back of my head. the fun that i just had playing bingo and winning on the slots were fading away fast. like the light at the end of a tunnel, we saw something from a distance. a red, white, and yellow neon sign, "In-N-Out." and heard angels singing....

quickly got off the ramp, and searched for the place called "In-N-Out." worried that the late night rush would delay my order and prolong my suffering, i was tempted to pay double for my order to come out next, or even beg them to throw a potato at me. when i got out of the car to walk towards the bright lights, my toe had a blister from my slipper sandal. so i'm limping towards the bright lights....man down...

to make this long story shorter, we had our burgers and fries (in silence, because both of us were scarfing down our food), and headed back on the freeway. four exits away was home. we had not realized home was that close. but seriously, i don't think i could have survived the four exits. the funny thing is, after eating the meal, my stomach was still growling, i still felt nauseated, and i was still light-headed. so once i got home, after my husband's "i told you so's," i went to bed. 

what have  i learned?

• always pack a snack, candy, and definitely, glucose tablets for emergencies.
• carry my GPS with me at all times.
• listen to my husband.
• oh, and keep my stories short.

i'm happy now and it's all good. we're planning another trip to play bingo soon. this time, i'll be prepared. 

special shout-out to In-N-Out! thank you so much for being there!!