Well, we’re on the road. Here’s the situation: Six adults—and all their luggage for 2 weeks—in a six passenger Chevy Suburban. We left our driveway in Oak Lawn a little before 6am (yes, you read that right, 6 A. M.) and it’s about 11 am, as I write this note. (Although it will be much later before it gets posted on the Internet.)
You say, “Dan, six people and their luggage in a six passenger vehicle? That sounds like an uncomfortable situation in which you guys would be packed in TIGHTLY.”
Friends, as a highly respected minister I remind you: “This is how close loving bonds are created.”
(I know the “highly respected” part is really stretching the truth. But I thought it gave the sentence a sense of gravitas and authority.)
Nadia just took over the driving duties. Hey, I’ve been driving for 5 hours, I need a break! And I’ve been told that it’s fairly dangerous to type on a laptop and drive simultaneously.
Teta [aunt] Mary is riding shotgun…and, in fact…she’s actually holding a shotgun. She never goes on a trip without her trusty 12 gauge. She can shoot a raccoon while hanging out the window from the passenger seat, while the car is moving 65 miles per hour. Which, I might add, means that we’re going to have a wonderfully tasty supper tonight.
Johnnie T. is sitting next to me watching Futurama on his lap top. It appears that he is also dozing from time to time…unless that’s a coma.
“John? Johnnie!!! Are you awake? Are you awake, Johnnie?!?”
Well, it’s hard to tell at this point.
Rachel is directly behind me, eating barbeque potato chips (barbeque chips are her latest passion, they replaced the pizza flavored Pringles a while ago) and asking Taylor a continual stream of questions about the current status of his life, which she can, pretty much, plainly see since she’s sitting 8 inches away from him. This, naturally, irritates Taylor
Rachel: “What are you doing on your computer, Taylor?”
Eight inches apart.
Did I mention that this is how close loving bonds are created? I did? Okay, just checking.
Due to space limitations inside the vehicle, Jasper has been gently and carefully strapped to the roof of the Suburban which he, surprisingly, seems to like. You know that thing with dogs sticking their faces out the window into the wind and all?
(I’m kidding. Jasper is staying home with a whole host of friends, including his buddy Jake.)
As we’ve driven south it’s gotten colder outside. When we left Oak Lawn , at 6am, it was 40 degrees and rainy. As I type these words, we’re in southern Illinois U.S.
Hey look! [pointing out the window] Darn it! I wish I had my camera out, we just passed a polar bear on the side of the road…he was right next to a penguin. Wow, it’s colder down here than I expected.
If I hear a weather report telling us that it’s 4 below zero in Miami, this morning, I will know this is all just a dream and I’m still at home, in Oak Lawn, in bed, and that I need to wake up pretty soon so that we can get going on our trip.
Here we are having Christmas dinner at the lovely
Cochran's Travel Plaza in northern, GA. While I said
"grace" a couple of guys were debating the kind of beer
they wanted from the cooler you can see in the
background. Rachel insulted the waitress so I left her
a pretty good tip.
Johnny is either sleeping soundly
or he's comatose.
You can't see Teta Mary's 12 gauge in the photo, but
she never leaves home without it.
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