Monday, July 31, 2006

Evaluating the Three-Dimensional World

I've spent a great deal of time of the road this month. A few weeks ago I drove to Indiana to fetch my young'uns and visit with my old crew. I spent the first evening running the town with my friend Jo. When I pulled up in front of her house and she threw open the door, years of being miles apart faded instantly. She had the same smile, the same laugh, and was (with a few self-improvements) the same girl I love with my whole heart. We quickly played catch-up and began tossing back the drinks (Mich Ultra for me, Jim Beam and Coke for her). Three a.m. came up so fast I still don't know what hit me. I hugged her for all I was worth and left.

I woke up Sunday morning and drove through my sleep hometown looking for a decent cup of coffee. Some things never change it seems, as the only brew to be found was at a 7-11. Sunday afternoon I was able to catch exactly 90 minutes with another dear friend before I was forced back on the road to Florida.

Yesterday I returned from a shorter drive to the mountains to see my husband's family. Marrying into this family is very much like hitting the lottery. There was, of course, much wine flowing over the course of the weekend, with the intermittant martini thrown in for good measure. There was more laughter, lots of ribbing, and even some "serious" talk when the opportunity arose.

This morning I woke in my own bed, surrounded by all the people in my immediate family that I love and cherish. The coffee was sitting on the bed stand beside me, a habit my husband took on early in our courtship. I threw some laundry in the wash and started the process of returning to reality. As the fog lifted and the day broke through my brain, I came to the conclusion that my reality is missing something very important: Friends who don't live halfway across the country.


This is Funky, and that is all.