St. Clair Shores - There

Michelle and I took a road trip to see Kimberley. A 24-hour excursion.

Michelle got to my place around 11:30 on Thursday morning. I was running my meds off the dining room light fixture. Once I finish, we're ready to go. I grab my knapsack and the care package I put together for Kimberley. That should be it, right? We'll be home tomorrow. What else do I need?

Well, there's a box full of supplies: a handful of tube sets, arm load of saline syringes, alcohol, cannulas (2 different kinds, lots of each), and a couple liters of hydration. There are bags of meds packed with ice packs in a thermal bag, the pump, hangers, and a blackout kit to keep it all going, just in case there's a battery or power problem.
Andrew packs the road trip staple (Tootsie Pops) into my purse. We rearrange the trunk to accomodate my extra gear. If there weren't 4 of us loading the car, I wonder how many trips from house to car this would take me. It seems everyone has an opinion about whether my bony butt is suited for travel. I do not think my backside is too bony and when I defend my derriere, everyone's a comedian, like they've been holding onto these lines forever just waiting for the chance to use them, you know?

We stop in Woodstock. Not because we want to, but because we have to: a truck had rolled over earlier in the day. We clear the area and get back to cruising speed. Michelle's car is comfortable enough. As we come to London, I remind Michelle that we only have a few exits before Hwy 402. And we stop. Everyone stops. It takes us an hour to clear the construction zone and get to the exit we want. We laugh at how incongruent it is to almost be crushed by a lasagna truck in the process. See, I was afraid you wouldn't find that funny, but if you loved lasagna yet couldn't eat it, and were crushed by a truck carrying lasagna...

The precarious pasta predicament reminds me of that box of Oh Henry bars I won. I relate the story to my sister, who laughs uncontrollably. She says it is another example of how life is cruel to Chris. She likes the account so much, she reaches into the backseat, grabs her day-planner and writes it down, so as to not forget it. Our family is generous with compassion, but we are a little short on sympathy, you know!

The Tootsie Pop is the running joke. Apparently, it is not so usual to have the pop and leave the Tootsie.

A 45-minute delay at the border and we're across. People are sometimes uptight at border crossings. Michelle travels a lot, but what's she thinking here:
Customs officer: "Are you bringing anything into the U.S.?"
Michelle: "We're going to see our cousin."
Customs official: "Huh? Go ahead."

We need to stop. Michelle is the scout. She checks out places to make sure there isn't a display of coconut cream pie or pecan tarts and that the place isn't decorated in balloons. I stretch my kneecap and walk around in the parking lot. The first place fails the inspection. The second place passes.

Back on the road, we roll out our first car-game: 'Name 5 things that...'. I discover that my sister easily recalls dead celebrities, but is, sorry, a little out of touch with pop culture and late night television.

We look for a grocery store close to Kimberley's to get stuff for dinner. Michelle won't let me go into the store, because we don't know the layout, and can't guarantee the safety. She worries too much. It's not like I shop by some special arrangement with the grocery stores at home. I drop her off and head back on Gratiot to get some coffee. I am not even embarassed to order Michelle's triple-milk coffee. It is unlikely I will use this drive thru again, but we all know that no self-respecting coffee drinker takes triple milk!

She recounts for me her exchange with the cashier...who carded her over the wine. Michelle admits the clerk was truly surprised to discover that she is over the age of 21.

Catching up. Listening. Perspective. Focus. Humor. Laughter. The light fixture in Kimberley's dining room is suitable for hanging IV's, too. Agree that we need a Cuz-in-Weekend - Spring 2007.