Driving North in December

 

It’s the last week in December and

I decide to drive north to Olympia

And deliver a Christmas present to

My longtime friend, Val

The plan is to leave around 10 am

And arrive around noon

Then we will go to lunch

Less than an hour on the road

I stop in Kelso to top off my gas tank

And get a mocha (skinny) for

The road

Within minutes back on the road

A light rain turns to fat flakes of snow

And visibility becomes strained

Realizing I don’t have adequate footwear

For a snow storm I begin contemplating

Where I can pick up some boots

Along the way

I pull off at a Chehalis exit and

See a familiar (chain) shoe store

Within 15 minutes I am

On the road again

Cheap 50 buck Doc Marten knockoffs

In the back seat, a few more miles north

And the snow has turned to rain

I pull off at Scatter Creek Rest Stop

And call ahead-I’ll be a little late

Because of snow

I do not mention time lost

Buying the boots

Arriving a half hour late, my friend

Says: I am starving!

We waste no time, she opens her

Presents-oohs & aahs and

We are out the door

We have more than a 30 year history

So we talk about everything; she’s happily

Married second time around, so she gives

Hunt & capture advice

I am happily single, however, of late

 Lonesomeness has been dogging me, so

I ply her with inquiries despite already

Concluding that getting the right mate is

90% luck and

I am praying mine will change this year

It’s Sunday, so we decide to have Brunch

The mimosas arrive and Val claims hers is

Sour-she tears open a raw sugar and

 doctors it-when the waitstaff comes back

I tell her: the mimosa is sour

She thinks for a moment and offers

Cranberry juice to sweeten it-now our mimosas

Look like a sunrise!

We enjoy a tasty meal and

Then cross the street to Val’s favorite antique

Emporium-it’s always fun to poke about among

Treasures from days gone by, both history buffs,

It’s one of our commonalities

When we get back, it’s almost my

 Departure time or I will face driving in the dark

Val’s husband Terry wanders in and joins

Our conversation-when I finally get out the door

It is later than I planned

Only a few miles down the I-5, it is quite suddenly

Dark-as if somebody flipped a light switch off!

Then the rain is so heavy, I wonder if I have a

Bad windshield wiper

I begin to pray out loud: Just want to get home, Lord

Please make these miles fly by

Hyper-focused on the highway, I drive

Intently, passing when I can

Then it happens: the snow zone!

Big flakes again, but it is clearer

So I know my windshield is okay

I have a brake job scheduled for day

After tomorrow, so I tell God: We all just

Want to be home by a fire

Keep all drivers safe, circle my car

With light, please…

I am acutely aware that only one

Miscalculation on anyone’s part

Could be disastrous for all

We are clearly in this together!

Traffic moves with quiet desperation

Each soul intent on the task at hand

I imagine, they too are seeing their home fires

And just as desirous of simply being there

When I do arrive, it is velvet dark, still stormy

I am so relieved, it is palpable

As I unlock the front door, Oliver & Winston (my cats)

Rush to greet me and I say: Thank you, as I exhale

My next thought is: I have new boots!