Really leaving now. Promise.

We rolled outta there. Got gas – for the first of waaaaaaay too many times. And we headed for 81 – the road that would take us diagonally across Virginia. We were still in familiar territory – especially for Liz. But we were moving. Betsy was still fresh from a beach vacation, and was talking about how much she’d enjoyed her various seafood – especially fish and chips. Which reminded me of a three-part song we used to sing on family camping trips.

One person sings: Fish and chips and vinegar, vinegar, vinegar, fish and chips and vinegar, pepper pepper pepper salt!

The next person sings: Don’t throw your junk in my back yard, my back yard, my back yard, don’t throw your junk in my back yard, my back yard’s full!

The third person sings: One lollipop, two lollipop, three lollipop, four lollipop, five lollipop, six lollipop, seven lolli lolli pop!

And they all go together. Bets and I knew the song, so we taught Liz the lollipop part, and we got ready to sing it all together.

One, Two, Three! Fish, and [everyone cracks up and can’t sing because we’re laughing too hard.]

Three! One lolli….[uncontrollable laughter.]

Three! [uncontrollable laughter]. I’m driving and I can barely steer because I’m laughing so hard. Not sure why this is so funny. But damn. Tears are streaming down my face, yo.

A few minutes later we try again, and successfully complete the song. American Idol, here we come!

After this, we switch to iPods. For the safety of all involved. First up: David Cross’s “Shut up, you fucking baby!” (Well, Disc 1 anyway. We're saving Disc 2 for later. When we start to get bored.)

In the next installment: tales of a major rip-off tourist attraction and roadside hilarity we could hardly believe, courtesy of Natural Bridge, Virginia!
Also, Betsy gets a nickname!