Back on the Road

648 miles. That's what we drove today. It's been a long day.

We turned back last week after a worrying bout of chest pains made us run for our doctor's office and a battery of tests. When I say, "Us," I mean me. The test results were due today. So instead of waiting around forever, we blew town at five-thirty this morning. Our thesis was that if we needed to turn around due to bad news, we could. After all, how many times can a guy drive to Charleston, WV? Today was the second time in under a week for us. So we kissed Raleigh goodbye at 5:30, and actually made it out of town closer to six due to a coffee and gas run. (Mainly coffee.)

The doc called at 10:28 AM. Heart scan good. But...

More on that "but" later on. Much, much later on. Like end of trip or beyond later on.

So our gamble paid off. We've covered good ground and will be revamping our schedule -dictated by the days we have left. Tomorrow is MInneapolis -if fortune smiles.

It is crazy how good it is to sit next to my son as he reads while I grumble at traffic. We talk. We laugh. We go radio silent. We have lonely stretches punctuated by internal thoughts. We eat and stop for gas. I listen to my books. He sits composed in his college uniform of black skinny jeans, Doc Martens with yellow laces, and a maroon t-shirt. Me in my middle-age uniform of disheveled appointment; khaki shorts, a black Honda motorcycle logo t-shirt and old neon green trimmed Nikes. He is in for style and me for comfort.

​I also have a pair of dress shoes packed, a pair of slightly upscale gray pumas, and a pair of running shoes. Buddy Bartowsky has another pair of dress Docs and a pair of flip flops.

​Experience and youth. On the road. Again.

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