Couple of Coffees

So it's New Jersey

We're getting closer to departure day. Slowly. Jonathan's wrapping up final assignments, and he even has his cap and gown now. Too bad he can't walk due to a sprained ankle.

I've been pouring over road maps, thinking about all the options. Letting folks know when we expect to be in their neighborhoods. And I've been drinking plain black coffee lately, since Jonathan has been too busy to turn on the espresso machine and concoct his legendary beverages. We even have Stumptown Coffee ready and waiting. Alas, too many term papers and final exams in his life right now. Not to mention the swelling and bruising of that ankle.

One thing's for sure. This summer will be interesting. We're heading to my part of the country, the East Coast. I've driven up and down I-95 more times than I can count, some for fun, other trips between New Jersey and Virginia while my family was moving. Jonathan's been to five states or so; I've been to 45. Really, how I've missed Arkansas and Nebraska I can't fathom. It's not like they're exactly out of the way or anything. In the grand scheme of things.

New Jersey girl that I am, and proud of it, I've taken him there twice. It was a prerequisite of marriage. The second time was for my tenth high school reunion, when he found his Jersey driving voice and was cutting people off and cursing them out with the best of them. In my friend Tamara's new car, no less.

Over dinner tonight at our local McMenamins, he informed me he didn't believe New Jersey is really the Garden State. Until he saw a dead deer on the highway.

He phrased his sudden insight this way: "There is wildlife in New Jersey and it does get hit by cars!"

This could be a long summer... but as long as we have caffeine, we'll be smiling and singing along to whatever road tunes we find on the radio. Or at least talking really fast.

Here's to the road and speed but not too much, here's to perfect merges and sunsets the color of strawberry lemonade, to a well-functioning minivan and wonderful friends, to tires that grip the road and stay holding on even in thunderstorms, here's to summer picnics in strange weed beset parks, geese that don't poop on our heads and lots of memories.

Twelve days and counting...

posted by Laura the Writer @ 11:50 PM