The Big Trip is getting closer.
By a stroke of luck (actually, it was more Geogal's foresight to ask), we are borrowing a minivan for this particular sojourn. A nice one. A very late-model Chrysler Town and Country with some nice features (such as a built-in DVD player).
The in-laws brought it over yesterday to explain how some of the features worked. I had to resist all my urges to clown around with the gadgets on board while speaking in a British accent. (In my mind's ear, the male owner of this vehicle was sounding like Q, with numerous interjections to "pay attention, 007" while he explained how this latest miracle of spy-must-have technology was achieved by years of painstaking work from all members of Q Branch. Of course, that meant I would return it from the field severely damaged, if I even returned it at all. Maybe I'd just better stay in the real world.)
For numerous reasons, I am looking ahead to this journey with great anticipation. A wonderful vehicle, satellite radio from both providers, on-board DVD player with wireless headphones, plus our normal collection of ease the trip luxuries such as iPods, the portable DVD player, and the challenge I issued to myself to photoblog the entire spectacle.
But the excitement about what is ahead is more than the above. I am returning to an area of Texas I have not visited for years and am hopeful that I can share some recollections of my childhood years with my wife and daughter, neither of whom have much Texas visit time logged onto their brains. Driving through the verdant Hill Country; following the Colorado River from Austin to Columbus, eating at small-town establishments where chicken-fried-steak is the house specialty; seeing how many BBQ joints we can point out; huge oak trees; and sharing with them what has changed in these many years, and what has stayed the same.
That, and I promise Geogal and Geoana that I will not listen to too much country music along the way.
No comments:
Post a Comment