Well, that didn't quite work out did it? It will never work out when I spend my Wednesday on the road, trying to make my way back home from having spent over a week in Northern California - working.
Northern California has lost it's shine for me because it's so connected to work. No more leisurely drives - those are now spent worrying that I might have miscalculated the time and I'm not going to get to my destination on time; I didn't account for road closures, damning all road closures to hell - and anxious about getting to my destination. And so, the ride back is always sweeter - even if it is on the 5 highway. I even find myself being okay with the poor, miserable, smelly cows at Coalinga. Does anyone know anyone who lives in Coalinga - and don't count the inmates at the prison, or the cows.
I mean seriously - who in bloody hell lives in Coalinga? Still, I enjoy passing that god-forsaken agribusiness because it tells me I'm that much closer to home.
The ride was uneventful. To add excitement, I decided that I would not stop at my usual pit stops - I'd play this trip a lot riskier and stop at unfamiliar stations, push myself as far as I could go before my legs begged to be stretched - and I'd eat funkier food (this is almost a necessity to stay away on the 5) .
Seven hours, two Jack-in-the-Box ninety nine cent tacos, one zucchini muffin and one large Jamba Peanut Butter Chocolate Moo'd shake later (I don't need no stinkin' health) - I was home sweet home. My bed never looked so good.
For some reason this trip was tougher. I couldn't find my 'zone,' couldn't find good things to think about, or creative threads to ponder, my CD's need to be refreshed - I've even learned the words to most of my Italian songs, the melodies to my Latvanian Kokle folk songs - I scare myself - and the lyrics to Tracy Chapman's Fast Car ('...city lights laid out before us and your arms and legs wrapped roung my shoulders') - years it took for me to get this. All this driving is turning me into a true renaissance woman.
Home now, I notice my plants survived my sisters lack of watering. She swore up and down that she watered them, but a green bush doesn't go from plush to droopy fading yellow in the time frame she had to water my plants - here's another cost I'll have to incur - plant sitting because she won't work with me...
The upshot, because I always try to find the upshot in all my driving and each trip: I didn't eat as much as I thought I was going to eat, and my back held up despite my stupid 'thrill seeking' behavior to push how long I could go before taking a pee or stretch break - next thing you know I'll be doing either Jack Ass stunts on national television, or Extreme sky jumping or some other extreme sport to get my high - that's how wild I felt.
But right now, the couch is looking real good.
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