Overnighter

Both of our pairs of feet itched. We got in the car, and went. Just overnight, because we are deep-down-homebodies, and we don't like to leave Moby longer. He pines. (Which is both true, and an excuse.)

We once did this fairly often, in lieu of a real vacation. If we looked to have margin in the savings at the end of the month, we took off to whatever overnight spot we could reach, often midweek, since I usually worked weekends. In Boston, we'd take the train up to visit our cousins in Rowley. The past few years, we just haven't gone. Tired, in pain, feeling more financially fragile than when we felt rich to have leftover money at the end of the month. Well, and our own bed is more comfortable, our own apartment better than the motels we can afford.

The real reason was the urge to take out D's little telescope and get away from the light pollution and see stars. This worked out moderately well, sky clear and moonless. The Milky Way was discernible, and D could resolve Jupiter to a disk with two satellites. Heber is still a smallish city, but since it's role in the Olympics* (that I referred to as The Troubles) it's grown, as has the whole valley. People and their lights are everywhere, spreading across mountains, spilling into every crevice. Which is why, despite taking the camera, I got no photos. Every mountain vista scarred by ski resorts and condos.

We got home this morning, and Moby greeted us calmly, no complaints or mrrks. I take this as a good sign that he knew we'd be back. Wasn't going to worry for another day yet. His food dudes do this once in a while, but not to worry. He even ate while we were out. The past is fading for him, it's ok to eat, even if we are gone, there will be more food. There has been for the last five years, and he's finally beginning to trust that.

Good to go, better to come home. We are not natural travelers. I loved to visit aunts and uncles as a kid, and the family said of me "Have suitcase, will travel." Mostly, that was a matter of not feeling safe at home. A change meant peace, usually better food, and a peek at something closer to normal. Now that I'm most loved, here is home, I have no other impetus to wander, looking for better.

My back took it all very well, which I also take as a sign of stability regained.



*2002, winter. We lived midway on the line between the opening ceremonies and medal ceremonies venues, and could see both. On the other hand, we had a magnificent view of the closing fireworks. Waves of white explosions over the snow covered mountains. And a very bad semester for D, whose college was closed to serve as headquarters for security. But I digress badly.

Ok, ok, and we made a video of the Torch run. Well, our view of it. Right in front of our apartment. D gets full credit. I got called in to work, and was a bit disappointed I would miss the one event we could really see. Turned out, I wasn't missing much. But he got out the camera. Once I saw it, couldn't stop laughing. Reminded us both of Bambi vs Godzilla.