Nothing like a little excitement...

So I had to ride to Greenville to meet a friend/client for lunch, and to pick up some copies of her newest book, fresh from the printer. We'll be shipping complimentary copies out to newspaper religion editors and some other folks who might give us a good review and some publicity.
I love riding my bike, and I especially love riding by myself - very freeing to not have to worry about anybody else but myself, going at my own speed, whether it's 45 or 75, seeing what I want to, stopping when I want, and just being on my own. It's also a lot of fun when it registers with passengers/drivers in other vehicles when they realize that's a FEMALE riding that bike... most of them are not surprised, but every once in a while, you get some VERY funny faces. I don't care if it is almost 2009, it still seems to be a novelty for a girl to be riding her own bike.
anyway, we had lunch and a great visit; then back outside to pack everything in my bags (and pockets) and head back. To come back home, I have to take a bridge over the interstate; for some reason I got in the wrong turn lane, and only after there was no way out of that lane, did I realize I was headed onto the interstate, instead of back towards Highway 10, which is what I wanted.
I had two choices - either go into high panic mode and just sit in the middle of road, blocking traffic, or hitting the interstate and getting off at the next exit, about 15 miles away. Panic is not my usual way of handling things (well, maybe sometimes after everything is over), so I just tooled on down the ramp and onto the interstate, headed for Ft. Deposit.
Not really a big deal, except that was my first time on the interstate by myself, the traffic was very heavy, and there was quite a wind blowing. I did okay, except for one incident, when some traffic was merging onto the road, and I moved over into the left lane to give them room- some nimrod decided she needed to be my back bumper decoration and hung right behind me until I could get a clear space to move back into the right lane.
Not much a 600 pound bike and rider can do to a large sedan, other than scratch it up a bit in passing, and I don't do that kind of thing. If I could have told her a few things, I might have, but she was laughing and cutting up with her kids as she passed me- I still am not convinced she saw me, even though I was directly in front of her - I could have spit backwards and it would have hit her windshield.
I did get lots of smiles and waves from other vehicles, especially the three guys trailering their bikes somewhere - and it was a nice ride, anyway, despite some people showing their ignorance.
When I did get off at Ft. Deposit, a very nice clerk at a gas station gave me directions back towards home that did not include getting back on the interstate - I figure there's no need pushing things.
So now I'm home, got to see some new areas, got a very nice ride in, and still home in time to walk the dogs, get supper started and more importantly... GET BACK TO WORK!