... off from work to travel. The once a month trip I have been making for several years to TN to see some of my fave-o-rite people who live too far away to visit in one day and get back home. Even though I am completely recovered from that last excursion of the trip from Valdosta to Savannah and back home in one twelve hour span, it's really hard on a body to spend hours and hours driving. Especially as the body gets older and not as flexible and or willing to take abuse as one half my age. When I unfold after a few hours of driving, to make a pit stop, or just get to my destination it takes a few steps to get my knee and hip joints full operable.
I have a friend who lives in Marietta, met when her family lived in Valdosta and we took art classes at the college. She is now single, and we reconnected several years ago after she moved from north GA to the metro area. I've been to visit several times, and we actually took a road trip about a year ago, to visit a retired professor from Valdosta State. I was hoping to stop and see her when I was on my way to TN on Thursday morning, maybe have lunch, but she was 'under the weather' and reported being communicable, told me to avoid her vicinity. I offered to stop by and leave a can of chicken soup on the front steps... but she declined, did not want to share her germs.
Then I called another friend, who had relocated to north GA when her husband accepted a job someplace north of Atlanta. I had to track her down, making several calls to get to someone who could put me in touch with her. And finally called her on Thurs. before I left home, hoping she might meet me someplace close to I=75 for a quick visit, maybe a cup of tea or coffee. But when she answered, she reported she was in Columbus! And right there, almost in my neighborhood, where they had decided to buy a 'retirement' home, and settle when her husband quits working in a couple of years. Well, dang... so much for all my visiting plans.
I did not want to arrive in TN until close to five o'clock, as the daughter there was working all day, and would not be able to get home until then. All my grand plans shot down. I knew I would stop in Atlanta, to see the smart, capable, remarkable daughter who works on there in mid-town, have a little lunch and be on my way to TN. But all my plans that would result in foot-dragging and time wasting were for naught. I did have a good lunch in Atlanta, and some amusement while eating, but had 'way too much time to kill as I motored north.
As it turned out, I got to TN much earlier than I had anticipated, due to most of my plans going awry. And could not decide whether a nap or a walk around the neighborhood would be better. But finally took a walk, and was moseying down the street when P. finally got off work and headed home. She waved and honked on passing, and waited at the corner. I asked how she knew that was me? And she said my bad knee, (causing me to limp like Walter Brennan in the Real McCoys' old black and white TV show) gave me away. Just gimping along....
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