It would appear to be pretty crazy. Jumping in the car and driving in circles. But when you want to see someone, and you don't plan to make it permanent. Not invited to actually move in with that particular individual, realistically the only way to get where you want to be and back home again: making a U-turn once you get there and are done with the visiting part.
Plus if you factor in the likelihood that I made up the part about four-hundred-ninety-eight miles, it doesn't really seem to be such a tedious experience. Especially when the travel occurs over several days as opposed to the occasional bouts of insanity that cause me to drive that distance in twenty-four hours or less. So I went up to Decatur on Thursday after working a (why even bother?) measly three hours in the morning. And puttered around, spent the night, to get up on Friday a.m. and drive to South Carolina.
I went to visit my pen-pal in Greenville. I could not recall when I was last there, but he said that it had been the end of October, right before his extended family all went to Florida for a week. They were at DisneyWorld, and he was sick by the time they got back home. Probably some wee little bug one picks up by holding onto the same hand-rail, or bathroom door latch as someone else. But since he qualifies as 'elderly' (do not tell him that!), most any little odd virus can be debilitating. He ended up in the hospital for a week, then on to rehab, and now has lots of attention from Home Health workers, Meals on Wheels delivery folks, therapists, rehab. team, visiting nurses, etc trying to fatten him up again. Actually looks/acts pretty spry for a man who will be ninety in March.
We spent the day just talking, eating several times, and walking around the block in the sunshine. Nothing of any importance: just a pleasant day with a dear friend. Being together.
It is crazy to think that I can just jump in the car and drive back to Decatur on a Friday afternoon without getting snarled in traffic. Totally misplaced optimism to believe I can just whiz on into town without inching along through traffic at eleven m.p.h. - but it was remarkably uneventful. And spent another night in Decatur before leaving there at the crack of dawn to get back to town and go to work on Saturday.
It really was about 498 miles: It was 290 from Decatur to Greenville and back (where I found places advertising gas for $3.19/gal.) and another 100'ish x2 for the part from the house to Atlanta - so if there was any fudging done, it won't be the kind of chocolate that keeps me from going to sleep at night...
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