driving blind...

... well, not precisely: but when you are doing it in the dark, even with headlights, there are always plenty of surprises! Like random deer that come dashing out on to the roadway for no apparent reason. Or fascinating lumps of road kill that appear then vanish before you have time in the pitch black of night to identify - while being thankful you were not the cause of the demise. Then there is  a vast assortment of mystery items on the highway: shredded pieces of wooden furniture or the cushions fallen from trucks that vanished in transit. Leaving the owners to scratch their heads, assume puzzled expressions on arrival to their destination, while thinking 'hmmm, I was sure I put that (fill in the blank) on the back of the truck....?'

I have been back and forth to Decatur in the dark twice in recent days. A return trip on Saturday afternoon to be able to get enough sleep to be coherent when I had to clock in at work at 5:00 am on Sunday. Another drive up to the metro last night, when I did not want to be traveling in the early morning, risking slippery conditions on the highway. It was so cold on Sunday, with no expectation of warming, I was fearful of icy roads. Those little yellow triangular signs warning 'Bridge ices before highway' were foremost in my mind when I decided I would rather be making the trip in the dark before the temperature dropped below 32.

The drive to the city on Saturday was due to an invite to accompany family members to a limited viewing of an exhibition at the High Museum. It was a cold rainy day, making me thankful our plans were for an indoor venue, experiencing the finer things in life in a climate conducive to comfort. More about that later...

Getting in the car and deliberately leaving home after dark is most unusual for me. I am much more likely to be up before daylight to travel, than even having the thought that I should plan to wait until the sun goes down to start on my trip. Up at four or five am., and on my way The only exception I can recall is many years ago with small children secured into car seats, hoping to drive all night to get to NOLA in peace, rather than listen to them whine the entire trip. Their dad re-decided and changed my brilliant plan, so it was an exhausting trip for all parties. If I should ever attempt another drive to New Orleans, I choose for me to be the one who gets to sleep the miles away!