Road Trip

I love business road trips.  I don’t have to be going anywhere exciting, and God knows I didn’t today.  I always get a small surge of excitement when the alarm wakes me up at 5:00, and I get up in the darkness, fill up the coffee travel mug, climb into my freshly gassed-up car, with my work papers and my driving directions on the passenger seat beside me, and a newly rented e-book in the CD player waiting for me.

Today I went to Christoval, a rural town just outside of San Angelo, a four-hour drive each way.  I love driving, and I love my work.  Never in the eight hours on the road did I wish I was meeting a friend for lunch, or going to a movie, or attending the Pecan Street Festival. 

But nine hours on the road takes a toll on the body.  I was exhausted when I got home, and didn’t dare give in to the temptation to fall into bed.  Instead, I took Banks for a long woods walk.   There are several trails you can take, and we kept going from one to the other, always keeping the brook within safe distance, because it was HOT, and even in the cooler woods, Banks needed frequent breaks.  It felt good to take more of a hike than a walk – the climbing and careful descending, and frequent need to hold your balance, uses a different set of muscles, and I’m feeling a little more sore than usual right now.

Nursery duty calls early in the morning, and then Lynn and I are spending the afternoon at the San Marcos outlet stores, searching for the perfect mother-of-the-bride dress for Lynn.  I’m going to catch 48 Hours Mystery, and then hit the sack.