driving south...

... to spend six hours on the road, down to Valdosta and back before bedtime. The auntie needs attention. When I was there several weeks ago, the staff at her residential facility mentioned they had made her an appointment to get to the dentist. After hearing her repeatedly say she was having some sort of problem with her mouth. In order to know what is really going on, I feel I need to go with her,, be present, at any visits with medical professionals. Which caused me to change the date of the appointment, moving it back enough for me to get it on my calendar and reschedule when I could go.

Today is the day. It's not unusual for me to have to set my alarm for four a.m., in order to be at work at 5 o'clock, in the morning, in the dark. Getting up at 5:30 to shower and be on the road by seven o'clock is therefore, not a big deal. It's just a long day of mostly sitting - being focused enough to avoid dangers on the road, but plenty of time to ponder, meditate, consider the universe. I have a talking book to keep me company, as well as tuning across the radio dial for reception from various public radio stations.

The staff is aware of the appointment at 2:00 p.m., and will have her ready to go when I arrive. But we need to get some shopping done before going to have her mouth looked at. When I was with her recently, she showed me how her pants don't meet in the middle. She has been so well-fed and so inactive she has put on enough weight that we need to buy new clothes. Hopefully we can go to some large department store like JCP or Belks and find something with elastic or a drawstring that is more forgiving of consumption of cake and ice cream. Her laundry is done there by staff, everything likely dumped in hot water and then tossed in extra high heat dryers. So it will be a challenge to find pants that will withstand abuse, and hold up enough to hold up.

I really enjoy driving across south Georgia, especially in the early morning, when the world is waking up. Looking at the landscape, acreage with small plants beginning to emerge across the neatly tilled fields. Miles and miles of completely undeveloped land, trees as far as you can see. Familiar territory.