Riding Shotgun with Bo
I think it is impossible to drive in a straight line in New England. The highways and toll roads feel like they exist directly on top of the dirt paths used by the people of a previous century.
It's pretty dark there too. Reminding me way too much of both Blair Witch movies.
Throw in the worst fog I have ever seen and you've got a pretty creepy drive to Norwich.
Fortunately, we have America's top talk show host in our car - NERDLE!
I don't know if she thinks she's being subtle but she's not at all.
First, she insists on having me ride shotgun under the premise that I won't have enough room in the back seat. That might work for most people but she knows that I've been folding myself into an Acura Integra for the last 6 years.
She's doing this to make sure I don't tune out of the conversation.
Although she had a chance to spend time with Bo and his family two months ago, she starts with catching up with him. They met at the University of Utah and now he teaches at Boston College. I'm happy to let them catch up but I can feel Nerdle searching for the gap in the conversation where she could toss me a question to get me involved.
She is the Reggie Bush of conversations - waiting patiently until a hole opens to dart towards me.
And while I would have been completely happy to just sit there and figure out what I wanted to eat (It's been 13 hours since I had my last meal), the conversation takes interesting twists and turns about everything from BC, the weather, diversity issues, football, and even this blog.
The three of us are so involved in the conversation that we completely miss a key turn and have to spend some time backtracking to get back on course.
It takes a little longer than expected but we make it to Norwich and find the hotel that we are staying at. After finding the hotel, we turn back up the road so we can put some gas in Bo's car.
I jump out first so I can pay. Nerdle pleads with me to let her pay but if the Commander finds out that I let her do that, I won't hear the end of it.
I ask for $30 on 5 and turn my attention to the other side of the station. There's a Dunkin' Donuts in here and while I was hoping for something more substantial, I'm ready for anything fresh.
The girl behind the counter asks if she can help me but I am completely lost here. I haven't been to a Dunkin' Donuts in at least 8 years and I want to carefully examine the menu and make sure I don't have buyer's remorse.
I get extra happy when I see that they serve breakfast sandwiches all day. A sausage and egg sandwich sounds perfect.
I order it and get it in about three minutes. I practically run outside so I can eat in peace.
It is the best sandwich ever. I'm not full but I'm not going to be grumpy from a lack of food.
Bo and Nerdle are still in the station. I buy him a soda and Nerdle buys him some chewing tobacco.
It is a pouch of Red Man, the same chew that my Mom's father worked on my entire life. The packaging alone sends me back in time to a graveyard in Santa Maria, California where both my Mom's parents are buried.
It's funny what can be the trigger for memories.
We all get back into Bo's car and head back up the block to the hotel.
It's been a long day and I'm ready to see my family.
VW
It's pretty dark there too. Reminding me way too much of both Blair Witch movies.
Throw in the worst fog I have ever seen and you've got a pretty creepy drive to Norwich.
Fortunately, we have America's top talk show host in our car - NERDLE!
I don't know if she thinks she's being subtle but she's not at all.
First, she insists on having me ride shotgun under the premise that I won't have enough room in the back seat. That might work for most people but she knows that I've been folding myself into an Acura Integra for the last 6 years.
She's doing this to make sure I don't tune out of the conversation.
Although she had a chance to spend time with Bo and his family two months ago, she starts with catching up with him. They met at the University of Utah and now he teaches at Boston College. I'm happy to let them catch up but I can feel Nerdle searching for the gap in the conversation where she could toss me a question to get me involved.
She is the Reggie Bush of conversations - waiting patiently until a hole opens to dart towards me.
And while I would have been completely happy to just sit there and figure out what I wanted to eat (It's been 13 hours since I had my last meal), the conversation takes interesting twists and turns about everything from BC, the weather, diversity issues, football, and even this blog.
The three of us are so involved in the conversation that we completely miss a key turn and have to spend some time backtracking to get back on course.
It takes a little longer than expected but we make it to Norwich and find the hotel that we are staying at. After finding the hotel, we turn back up the road so we can put some gas in Bo's car.
I jump out first so I can pay. Nerdle pleads with me to let her pay but if the Commander finds out that I let her do that, I won't hear the end of it.
I ask for $30 on 5 and turn my attention to the other side of the station. There's a Dunkin' Donuts in here and while I was hoping for something more substantial, I'm ready for anything fresh.
The girl behind the counter asks if she can help me but I am completely lost here. I haven't been to a Dunkin' Donuts in at least 8 years and I want to carefully examine the menu and make sure I don't have buyer's remorse.
I get extra happy when I see that they serve breakfast sandwiches all day. A sausage and egg sandwich sounds perfect.
I order it and get it in about three minutes. I practically run outside so I can eat in peace.
It is the best sandwich ever. I'm not full but I'm not going to be grumpy from a lack of food.
Bo and Nerdle are still in the station. I buy him a soda and Nerdle buys him some chewing tobacco.
It is a pouch of Red Man, the same chew that my Mom's father worked on my entire life. The packaging alone sends me back in time to a graveyard in Santa Maria, California where both my Mom's parents are buried.
It's funny what can be the trigger for memories.
We all get back into Bo's car and head back up the block to the hotel.
It's been a long day and I'm ready to see my family.
VW
posted by JVW at 11:22 AM
3 Comments:
Nerdle called me today to admonish me for this story.
She would like everyone that reads this blog that she insisted that I sit in the front seat because I had just gotten off of a six-hour flight and that she wanted to make sure that I was comfortable.
She asserts that my opinion of her motives for getting me in the front seat are, in fact, incorrect.
For the record, I stand by my original story.
Bo says:
Love reading about myself in someone's blog. Thanks for putting me in here. Now i want to start my own blog. Anyway, in spite of the weird and creepy fog that gave me little to no visibility on that drive, it was nice to get in the car and drive while listening to my iPod for 2 hours. I hardly get to do that anymore, so it was good for me too. Good luck with your travels and with your healing.
p.s. thanks for the Red Man chew & for the (diet) 7up.
peace, love and soul.
bo
Nerdle said:
I figured out how to comment. Indeed, I wanted you to sit in the front so you could have more leg room. I can't believe you tell lies. =) I must say I loved buying Red Man. I was afraid I would be carded. =)
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