Damn This Was Fun Forty Years Ago

Well the great road trip of 2011 is finally over. Almost three thousand miles of driving, heart stopping costs for fuel, occasional spats with Mark, and piles of dog hair in the car later, we are home. Of course I had a good time. All the fears and apprehension I had about what I'd find when we got home are gone. All the nerves I had during the long tedious drive, that the swimming pool would be a green swamp filled with critters, that the house would be a burned out shell, and all the cats would be dead or lost were for naught. My tenants did a fine job taking care of things.

I have to say that the dogs were angels. They behaved both at my friend Dennis' house, and at the various motels we stayed in. Chandler slept most of the way in the back seat, and Sasha curled up on my lap in the front. The only time they popped their heads up was when Mark freaked out, and slowed down for those 'curvy' spots in the road. I also would like to give Mark credit for driving a lot more this year. He is slowly getting better at chauffeuring me around.

There was one small incident at the La Quinta Motel in Valdosta, Georgia. We chose to stop at that motel because they have a free, three hour long cocktail hour in the evening. After checking in, Mark went down to the lobby and procured two vodka drinks for us, which I have to say were quite generous. As we sat on our little patio which was right next to the swimming pool, miss Sasha barked, and strained against her leash. While Chandler behaved like a good boy, I had to stick Sasha back inside the sliding patio door. Unfortunately I didn't close it completely, and within minutes Sasha came trotting out, and scooted right under our chairs. She was naked. She had shed her harness, and leash, and was heading right for the swimming pool. My god that girl likes to go swimming.

One last problem before we got home. When we left Valdosta in the ninety degree heat for the trip home through Florida, the air-conditioner stopped working. I don't know how, but after an hour of driving in a car reeking of moist dogs, the air kicked on, and stayed on all the way to Fort Lauderdale. Maybe it was a miracle, maybe it was that gigantic crucifix we passed in downstate Illinois. Or, maybe our car is just an old, fickle piece of shit.