is the distance between P.'s house in Chattanooga and the parking lot of church on Sunday morning. It was a remarkably uneventful (is that an oxymoron? maybe!) trip, with very little traffic on the road. Interstate nearly the entire distance, except for short stretch 'way up in the corner, when I take a different route instead of hitting the freeway.
The funny thing is: somehow I had it in my head that making the drive on Sunday morning when all the rest of the world was still in bed, or having their second cup of coffee, enjoying a relazed morning would be a' breeze'. And in a way it was. But: not any shorter, not a mile or even an inch. Just as far from there to here, even though there was little traffic. I managed to get myself in mind set, expecting there would be much less time spent on the road. It is just as far, whether you are wading through Friday afternoon crunch, inching along at three mph, or whizzing along with the road all to yourself on a unpopulated twelve-lane on an early morning drive.
In reality, I probably trimmed fifteen minutes off, due to the lack of other vehicles on the road, and excellent driving conditions And still amused by my thinking it would be so much quicker, just because the highways leading into metro were not clogged with commuters. Thinking, I guess, that I could put it on auto pilot and take a nap? Yeah, I know....
I was desperate for entertainment. I am so accustomed to having a talking book in the car, to listen while I drive, and was without 'reading material' on this trip. I probably went up and down the dial on the radio a dozen times trying to find something worth listening to. Never did find a decent replacement for 'talking books' or public radio, so I have learned two lessons in recent travels. #1 is do not get in the car without a map to consult/refer to even with people who have smarty-pants phones. #2 do not get in the car without some form of entertainment/distraction, even if you plan on sleeping the whole way.
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