Matt was still having problems with his stomach and got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. That coupled with the air conditioner going on and off, I didn't get much sleep. I used the flashlight on my phone to look for an A/C setting that would keep it running.  Since I had no luck, Matt tried to fix it by turning the fan from medium to high, but it didn't help. On and off and on and off. At 5, we set the A/C to the lowest temp which kept it going for awhile and I drifted off to sleep for a few minutes. 

But the steady hum of the A/C didn't last long and I was wide awake when the alarm went off. After a quick shower, I packed our things and ate a blueberry muffin while Matt got his shower.  We left the hotel around 8:30 and grabbed drinks from McDonald's.

Today would be all about driving.  We were 835 miles from the first potential drop zone - Skydive Twin Cities in Forest Lake. It was exciting to think that I'd have the opportunity to see my Minnesota friend on this trip.  I called her and she told me that she'd get in touch with Carl - one of the owners - to see what the schedule looked like for Thursday.

What's the best way to drive 800 miles in a day? Just plow through it. It sucks, but it's worth it! Our stops are brief and with the exception of lunch at the Cosmos Diner in Wausen, OH. The Cosmos diner had a decent select and gave us a generous portion of food. There was no way to eat it all.

At 1:11, I called my Minnesota friend - no answer. I figured she was probably busy working.  So, I sent her a text. Three hours later, I still hadn't heard from her. I needed to figure out where we'd be jumping in Minnesota so I knew which way to drive.

I called Skydive Twin Cities and the gentleman I spoke with said they had tandems coming at 10 & 11. Awesome! I texted my friend to let her know that we were on track for Thursday morning in Forest Lake.

Matt called his mom to ask if she would stop and take care of the cats, but she was sick. Normally, I'd ask my next door neighbor, but she was in the process of moving and looking for one of her outdoor cats that was missing. She didn't need an extra burden. I got in touch with Dania via Facebook messenger and she said she could stop by on her way home from work. Perfect!

At 5:45, we stopped at Chick-Fil-A to get some dinner. While Matt was inside getting our food, I was stretching by the car.  That's when I noticed a Hallmark across the street.  It was a sign!  It was time to find a friend for Cathy Baites!

We were both so tired of sitting that we decided to eat our dinner standing up next to the van. I had to put on a sweater because it was starting to get chilly -  a welcomed change from the summer heat in Richmond.

When we were finished eating, I drove over to the Hallmark store. After searching around for 10 minutes, I described Cathy Baites to a clerk.  Unfortunately, they didn't have anything similar.  So, I ended up buying an itty bitty and we named him Baby Baites.

Just before 7, my Minnesota friend called me back. She'd been busy cleaning all day. I told her that we'd be at the drop zone at 9:45 to fill out waivers and she said she'd meet us there. Awesome! It would be great to see her again.

Since jump operations weren't starting until 10, we stopped  short of the drop zone. Matt found a hotel in Hudson, Wisconsin. Total milage so far: 1,200 miles!