Every time I cross the interstate border, my heart falls into place…A few days later, it falls out again
One thing I definitely did not miss in my years as a long-distance parent, with my heart falling into place every time I crossed the NY/NJ border. I was that much closer to my son. The mother and child reunion was about to happen!
My heart would break every time I crossed back a few days later
I also did not miss, by any remote stint or glint, clogged highways. I hit a LOT of traffic commuting back and forth between Boston and Bergen County, New Jersey. Invariably, whenever I am on the road to or from Jersey, a third of Worcester, Massachusetts’s population is there. All of Connecticut is present too. …and at least half the drivers in New York and New Jersey are with me.
Invariably these days those drivers are upset with me. If you watch that TV movie montage of all the years I’ve been doing this, you notice something. After the 2nd time I was pulled over, going the speed of traffic on the Mario Cuomo Bridge, I slowed down. It was newly built but technically still under construction, which made the ticket worse.
Oh wait! The montage doesn’t show that one. The camera couldn’t get a steady shot. The cars flying by me and the police officer who pulled me over made the on-ramp shake.
I’m not complaining about 2 tickets in 14 years. I’m just going the speed limit and riding the right lane a lot more these days. That makes me hated by most of Connecticut, at least when I’m driving through it.
Speaking of which…
I look at the old-fashioned analog alarm clock sitting in the corner of my desk. Even if I left now, no shower, just tossed a bunch of random jeans, t-shirts, bras, and underwear into closest of about 10 different suitcases and weekend bags I’ve tried over the years – I think that’s a Vera Bradley at present. It could just be my husband’s Army surplus rucksack – and hit the road, I would still arrive in Trenton at …
Ohhh, I’m feeling optimistic… it’s 3:00 a.m.? Ok, I’d get there by noon.
Not kidding.
I turn off my sewing machine – the one I’ve been in front of since waking up 2 blogs ago. I HAVE a perfectly good purse for New Jersey. Why does the state intimidate me so? If I try hard enough, I might be able to get in 15 minutes of REM sleep before I have to get on the road. I wonder if the dogs have left me any room on the bed.
To be continued…
