The best laid plans...

The past few days have been a blur. I lost about $50 at the horse track. I love going there. It's a lot of fun to route for the horse you have money on. The contest is decided in a minute or two so the gratification, if you win, is immediate. If you lose, the next race is in about 20 minutes so you don't have time to mourn. I bet about $40 a race, exacta, trifecta, and occasionally just to win. It was a really good time being around everyone so I went and had Thanksgiving with my family instead of at my friends house. As with most family events, after about 4 hours I'd had my fill. Dinner was delicious and everyone was chatty. My aunt and my cousin's took turns at the piano, after dinner, and that did a lot to keep everyone engaged. There was singing, although most were too loud for the room (alcohol has that effect on people) and more than a little off key. I was left with a deep satisfaction after taking it all in, though. I fielded a few questions about Mon Chaton by saying she was spending the day with her parents.

I spoke to her that night and the conversation wasn't all that pleasant. In retrospect, it's to be expected because we both were missing each other. At the time, though, it confirmed for me that I made the right choice by not driving to VA. When I awoke on Friday I was cuddling one of her stuffed animals and I knew I wanted to go and see her. Then she called. I was happy to hear her voice, but sleep hadn't done the same for her. She was still upset from the night before and the conversation didn't go well. I didn't let her attitude affect my plans. I dressed and drove to VA. It took 6 hours to travel the 340 miles. Traffic and numerous pit stops to pee caused some delay. I finally arrived at around 8:30PM and was told that I should find a hotel because her father would be uncomfortable having me sleeping in his home. That bothers me because we live together. Like it or not, he should of at least offered me the couch. When he was visiting us, I insisted that he stay in our apartment and not in a hotel. It's the right thing to do.

We met in a parking lot near her father's house. When I finally saw her beautiful smile I just melted. My stomach flip flopped and I swear that I felt a sweat breakout on my head. We hugged a bit and started to talk. Actually, she spoke to me for awhile and I listened. I was pretty cloudy from my 6 hour drive and it was soothing just to listen to her . Unfortunately, what she had to say wasn't all that encouraging. She was upset and guarded. I'd just driven 6 hours. I shortened the distance between us and she was still holding back her feelings. Sincerity crept through, but not enough to make me want to stay. She didn't drive me away, but there was a lot more to be said. We both had cars, she could have come back to the hotel with me to talk, but instead we both stood freezing in a parking lot. After about a half hour, I'd heard enough. When we parted, I drove home instead of going to a hotel in town. I would have stayed had she offered to get a cup of coffee or anything other than standing there like that, but no offer was made. After driving for about an hour, I left her a message that I was going home. She called to vent her frustrations. Saying that I'd hurt her more by leaving than if I'd not come at all. I explained why and after awhile said she understood. I'll expand on these two conversations another time.

I made it home in 4.5 hours. I learned my lesson on the first trip. One small bottle of water and a few almonds for nourishment. With an average speed of about 79 mph, my only stop was for gas. My new car is great. I loved the XM radio for it's variety and consistency. OnStar worked better than any GPS I've ever seen in use. What was surprising was the vibration in the steering wheel at around 115 mph. It's not confidence inspiring. At 85 - 100 mph the car is very solid, but above 100 mph it's not nearly as comfortable as my previous 2 or 3 cars. I'm going to check the message boards and see if this is a common complaint.

Anyway, that's all for now. I have dishes to wash and movies to watch. If anyone has plans, drop me a line. I got my hair cut and my beard trimmed. I wouldn't mind going out tonight if anyone has suggestions. Text me.