Traveling Mercies

Is a very good book and worth reading.   Written by Anne Lamott, BTW.

But that's not what this post is about.  Traveling Mercies is something said to folks when they travel.  Steven and I just completed an 800 mile trip in

"Thirteen and a half hours, honey."  (five miles from home)

"I am not saying ANYTHING until I walk through my door. " 

I was driving the last leg from Hazelton, PA.  I felt like I had been rode hard and put away wet.  I wanted to be home and I did not want to JINX anything.

Officially we did make the trip in 13 and one half hours, truly.  A record for us.  Usually we take fifteen hours.  There was one time, in the summer of 1996 when Max was 17,  he and I made it in twelve hours.

"I don't know how we ever  did that."

"I do.  Max drove?"

"Most of the way. He wouldn't let me drive."

"Well, that explains it.  He drove 75 to 80 most of the way."

"Oh, I don't think so.  He only had his learner's permit at the time.  Come to think of it, I bet that was highly illegal."

"Oh, I am  SURE it was."


We played so many mind games on this trip.  Seven states, 790 miles.  Three dogs, one ten year old mini van and two geezers.

Virginia is 323 miles on Interstate 81 south to north.  Funny, it is 323 north to south as well.  Last Sunday it didn't seem nearly as long.  We divided it up into various fractions and every time we would pass a milestone we would remark

" One 6th of the way through Virginia!"

"Are you ready?  Half way through Virginia."

"There you go, honey,  we just passed into West Virginia.  HOORAY  three states down, four to go.

Twenty six miles later as we left West Virginia for Maryland."One more state down. ..  Oh we are getting somewhere now!"

The nice thing about Maryland on 81 it is less than 12 miles long.  Having five of seven states behind you is a real morale booster.

Pennsylvania is not quite as interminable as Virginia but since it is NEXT DOOR,  there is a certain significance to traversing it's northern border.

"ARE YOU READY?  ARE YOU READY??" I asked TBHITW* as we crossed mile post 230 in northern PA.

"I think it's 232, but, YES, I am ready." Talk about an anti-climax. 

 Mom will go to her rehab facility tomorrow.  I will go back to work, FINALLY, and Steven will retire.

The dogs will have to find something other than squirrels to chase.  Oh right, we have rabbits.


*The Best Husband In The World  for staying with the four dogs on Friday and Saturday as Alice and I tended to Mom in the hospital.