writing doodle - day 12 - word count 582

a very nice scenic view
if I do say so myself.

I plotted several courses to find the most scenic views, the most rest areas, and even the most direct routes.  I could drive for several hours per day without a problem and have in the past; I never suffered fatigue when the road a head is invariable.  

Relatively young and healthy, a long drive with my grandfather touring local destinations should have been no problem.  It should have been a unique bonding experience.  In fact, that the motorhome had a small commode should have been a plus, what with his prostate problem.  He got the double bed in the back, Hazel and I would be sharing the converted dining table every night.  After the third night, I knew I'd need a massage therapist to get the knots out of my back.  Then again, a massage every few days might not be a bad thing to build into the agenda.  It definitely had possibilities.

It turned out that he was much more like traveling with a cranky six year old than the man I remembered from my youth.  He could read all of the signs, gauges, and receipts. Everything I did after I got the car back from the final maintenance was scrutinized.  All of the fluid levels were double, double checked.  The air pressure was verified twice against recommended manufacturer specifications and generally accepted guidelines.  

I remember my father talking about all of the technology his dad acquired over the years; I assumed it had continued.  Somewhere in the mid 1980s to mid 1990s things stopped for him; rumor was he sank a sizable investment in Beta tapes and machines.  After his heart and retirement fund were both devastated, he chose to live with what he owned until it wore out. At least he hadn't invested heavily in 8 track tapes or I'd be stuck listening to God only knew what when he slept in the back.

But this was the trip, the trip of a lifetime he was so excited about.  So I decided to keep my mouth shut and learn what I could from him and enjoy the time we had together.

"Grandpa, why is this reunion so important?"

"She said she'd marry me if we were both single on our 65th high school reunion."

"When exactly did she say that?"

"After she told me hell would freeze over when I asked her to the senior prom."

"She put it that way?"  No one should ever be that rude.  Courage, guts, and persistence are the least of what it takes to ask a girl out for the first time.  To be quite that brutal was just uncalled for.

"Nope. But it is what she meant." He slurped his coffee and said, "McDonald's has the best coffee, don't you think?"

I never really have liked coffee. To drink that is.  I like everything about coffee but the taste.  I enjoy hearing it drip into the carafe   Nothing beats the smell first thing in the morning.  And it warms the hands nicely after shoveling snow.  But to actually drink it?  Well, that's a different story.  

"I like to stick with the hard stuff."  I toasted him with my bottle of water.  I don't understand people who actually need caffeine   Once I wake up in the morning, no matter the time I turned in, I'm up.  A hot liquid makes no difference in my alertness, reflexes, or ability to make acceptable conversation.

~~
a/n:  Company has been here pretty much constantly for a month.  And while it is not an excuse not to write, it is why I'm tired and disjointed when I do ... apologies all around, but I am at least making an attempt every night.