Road Runner
Beep! beep! Like that coyote rascal I'm off up the road again tomorrow. To Atlanta. About 250 miles. I drove there on the Sunday of the Master's Golf finish (in Augusta). Atlanta has such traffic problems that cars can't easily get there anymore. Not surprisingly interstate traffic came to a dead halt about 65 miles out of the city. At about 3 MPH I crept, often on the shoulder to the next exit and took back roads. It was farther and slower but the countryside was beautiful. If you were watching the end of the golf tournament that day I drove about 55 miles through azaleas and dogwood in full bloom under the towering Georgia pines. My own private Amen Corner as the CBS golf sport casters would say. Passed a magical spot called Indian Springs where the white water of a rushing stream fanned out over lichen encrusted boulders. Went through a small town with numerous southern homes that made Tara look like an outhouse.
Returned to Savannah eight days later and took a similar but different route anticipating the interstate stagnation. Blew through an isolated community (unincorporated) called Hillsborough where gas was $2.44 a gallon. Slowed and was tempted to turn around but figured there'd be another. There wasn't. Next station I came to was almost Macon and it was $2.81. Today it's about that same price and I'm headed on the road again tomorrow. Shouldn't. Wouldn't except my son needs me to help him set up a new household. He sold his house and is moving so I'm to do an instant decorating job for him. I like to do that sort of thing. Haven't seen the new house yet but it'll be fun.
Oh, yeah. And it turns out he left the automatic electronic garage door opener in the last car he traded a few years ago. The people who bought his old house would like to have it. He lives in Atlanta where they don't even close the door, let alone lock it. I lived there 15 years and left my keys in the ignition if at home or at the mall (never had a problem. Locked the doors once when I left it at the airport while taking a plane to Durham. Locked the keys and the suitcase inside and had to pop the lock with a coat hanger. Took me a while after moving from Atlanta to adjust to keys and locks. In Savannah such would be irresponsible behavior and punishable by prison while the violator, thief, walks) Back to the subject: Sounds like I need to make a trip to Electronics R Us or Home Depot while I'm there as well.
Maybe I'll come upon Hillsborough again. This time I'll be prepared to stop. I doubt I can find it though. That's the problem with being a happy vagabond. You travel by directions, east or north or whatever. No maps to keep up with where you've been, are or going. Fun.
When I get back home here I'm not budging again until gas returns to 21 cents (is it a sign of the times that there's no cents mark on the keyboard) a gallon as it was when I was in college.
