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     Nearly fifty years ago I was driving home for Christmas with my brother and an acquaintance in a red mustang hired through Driveaway. We hit a whiteout in western Nebraska that forced us off the road then got stopped fifty miles west of Lincoln due to snowdrifts. The radio informed us that I-80 was closed in both directions and that plows were heading our way. It was dark and cold, we were running low on gas, and we were bored. So we did the obvious thing. We sluiced the car across the median and drove the wrong way on the interstate until we passed the plows going west. Then it was just a matter of sluicing our way back across to the newly plowed highway. It was clean and green the rest of the way. One of us wanted to see how fast the Mustang would go and hit 110 in western Illinois before the car started shaking violently. How the Driveaway company let us have a car remains a mystery.
     I was reminded of this story while stopped by road construction. Again I was in Nebraska, this time heading west and about 150 miles east of Lincoln. This time, with plenty of fuel, I waited it out. Not everyone did, but those who crossed the median had to backtrack.
      Five to seven hundred miles a day got me home from New York spending four nights on the road. The most surprising was at the Amber Inn in Bliss, Idaho. It’s a classic old motor hotel, the kind described by Nabokov in Lolita. I was prepared for a room that still smelled of mid-century cigarette smoke, but was happy to discover that my room is was pristine. In fact, they do have a total of three smoking rooms, but they are only available by special request. One might complain that it would be better if the place was completely smoke-free, but I’ll give the owners props for the progress made.
     Here are some stats, mostly related to my trusty steed, Emma Peel:

     Car problems- 0
     Miles traveled- approximately 7600
     Mileage- 48.2 mpg
     Nights crashing with friends- 24
     Nights in motels- 10
     Nights camping- 0
     Health problems- Matt: one short-lived cold; Precious: none
     Number of friends’ homes stayed in- 7
     Number of friends’ homes I could have stayed in- a lot (you all got a reprieve this year, but next year you might not be so lucky).

     As always the best part of the trip was hanging with friends and family. I’ve got a couple of outdoor adventures planned before the end of summer, but before then I have to investigate a leak at the beach, go to the dentist, and take care of business as it were. But first, it’s time for Zumba class.

Ciao
   


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