Back home from seeing family for the holiday. This time around I really didn’t have any major insights or commentary about my hometown, my past, my future, or the cosmos at large. Didn’t really have much opportunity to get out and wander while I rolled thoughts in my head, although I was busy with things the whole visit.
The drive up there sucked, and the drive back sucked less.
Thanksgiving meal was great, and it was swell seeing my extended family.
My niece Jaime got married to her BFF Jamie. I wish the best for them.
Mom’s doing OK now, for the moment.
Found out I can make a speed-run from Texarkana to Shreveport on the new IH-49, take care of family business there, and speed back just shy of 3 hours total. That’s my quickest trip there and back.
I carried too much useless crap in my luggage. I’ve struggled with that since high school — taking everything with me “just in case”. All the travel guides say to pack for the best-case scenario: trust that much of what you’ll need will be there, or that you can buy what you need if they don’t. I have no understanding of how guys can pack 2 days of clothes and a toothbrush in a backpack and head off on a motorcycle for a week…until I’m at the end of my own trip and realize, “Well, I didn’t need that, or that, or this, or any of these, and that over there was totally unnecessary and cost me $595 in gas to carry.”
But I’m home now, I have my groceries for the week, my smoky fur-covered clothes are in the hamper, I’ve eaten my first meal since breakfast this morning, and this beer is kicking in. Here’s to a non-sucky week ahead as everything gets back into swing after the holiday slowdown.
