December 12, 2010
At first, Davis was going to stay a few days in Columbus after he finished taking and grading finals. I figured he had earned a little time to blow off steam and hang out without responsibilities or even having to explain to his (very understanding) mother why he was awake when he should be sleeping and vice versa. Friday night he called for travel advice: should he try to slip out of town and down IH65 as the very rainy front pushed through and before the very snowy front arrived? I hadn't watched the weather, so I assumed he could let it pass on through over the weekend and get on the road on Monday.
When Walter and I tuned into the weather channel over coffee on Saturday morning, the news looked grimmer. If he missed that very small window that appeared to be open between late Saturday morning and late Saturday night, it would be next Thursday at the earliest before he had another safe opportunity to drive out of Ohio.
Never mind that his sleep was way off from the cumulative effect of late night studying plus the marathon grading party that he and the other TA's had until 5:30 a.m. one night this week to get final grades turned in in time. He packed up and got on the road: Columbus, Cincinnati, Louisville, Bowling Green, Nashville, Memphis, Little Rock, Texarkana, and then a series of small east Texas towns. Since he left, we have spent more than our usual amount of time in front of the weather channel and with a tab to weather.com opened, watching as this cold front swept the path behind him.
I have a pot of green chile chicken and potato soup on the stove and think he might arrive by 9:00 or so this evening. There's are many ways to drive the final 250 miles of his journey, but no good way. Just two-lane windy, hilly (for Texas) roads through little east Texas towns.
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I hate waiting.
(FYI--DAVIS ARRIVED SAFELY LAST NIGHT)
So now that we are all worrying with you, you will add a line when he gets in, won't you?
ReplyDeletevickie, you live in the middle of NOWHERE! i am sure that davis will be so grateful for that delicious home-cooked food. i'm getting my shopping done in preparation for yoni's arrival on wednesday night, unfortunately with a pneumonia diagnosis from the student health center. lots of chicken soup elixir for him. have a wonderful time with your boy.
ReplyDeleteHope he arrived ok!
ReplyDeleteUGH.. I don't know how I am going to stay sane when my son starts driving. He's 14.5 and... can I tell you, that green chili chicken potato soup sounds divine. As long as it has no cilantro. (yes, I'm one of the soap tasters)
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