Nice Drive

The drive from Hickory, NC to Leesburg, VA was not a short drive -- interrupted a number of times to keep me moving and the car and me full of fuel, and an unexpectedly fabulous dinner... Started the day in one of my least favorite ways: dropping the kids off and ending a long weekend, feeling guilty about leaving them but feeling strongly that they have great strength and all my love. It is always humbling to feel their hugs, and I just am thankful for where I am with both of them.

After a couple meetings in Hickory, I got on the road -- I-40 to I-77 to I-81 to however the hell I got from the interstate to the hotel... 400+ miles, but I can't complain. The sky was beautiful, the road relaxing, and the cool air greeting me whenever I opened my door; a wonderful reminder that the summer is winding down and cool days are ahead. I called my friend Jennifer Porter for a recommendation on where to eat on the road, and her wine distributor friend recommended the Southern Inn II (the numeral two, as she said). I thought the name was odd, and it was in this shopping center behind the ABC store and in front of a Schewel's there in Lexington, VA.

As I walked in, there were photos on the wall, showing the original restaurant before and after a fire had devastated its downtown location. After an unbelievable dinner of pork loin cooked medium rare with an adventuresome (and non-traditional) BBQ sauce, I spoke to the proprietor (one of Drew's vocabulary words last week) about the story behind the pics and the numeral. The restaurant was destroyed in a significant fire this summer, and this hastily pulled together location was to keep the staff together while they rebuild. I complemented the chef for cooking the meat the way they wanted (to hell with overcooking pork -- one of the mortal sins in my book) and for having a great place to have a Blue Moon, read my book and enjoy a meal on my journey north.

Driving up this road reminded me that the last time I drove up Interstate 81 toward Washington was the summer of 1990, with Peter Hans, to visit friends who were working there for summer internships. It was the last road trip we took, and punctuated by our discovery of a driver from MD with the license plate "Tea Bag." They were designated Congressman Tea Bag for the remainder of our trip, and is something we still laugh about today.

My reading/listening pleasure is "Hunting Eichmann" and the story of the chase and capture has made the miles and hours pass by.

So I end this day late, and look forward to a couple days locally, to see what opportunities lie here in the greater Leesburg, VA area. 'Night!