We left Chateau D at about 9:00. Theoretically we could have gotten away earlier, but I felt the need to go for a run and then realized that it would be the last of 2009. So I got in about 5 miles as the rosy fingers of the dawn spread across the land of the Suwaree. It was not an epic run, but it was enough to mark a pretty decent year in running.
Having dropped Thunder the Wonder Dog off at the kennel, we made for the open road. I-40 is a fairly mundane road to travel in either direction, yet the monotony was relieved by a view of the top of the clouds as seen from Old Fort Mountain. In the course of three minutes we passed through the clouds and spent the remainder of the trip beneath them.
Our destination was the Tbomb shanty near Apex, NC. (Why does central NC have so many elevated place names – High Point, Climax, Apex, etc.?) Bearing left to go right in Greensboro, we made it in roughly 3 1/2 hours. Through the magic of portable DVD players, Tallulah barely noticed.
The Tbombs introduced me to my Sweet Lady. Their son, Big D, is about seven months’ Tallulah’s senior. They also have a brand new (suprise!) little girl, who shall be called Maggie. Defying the usual hollowness of “let’s keep in touch,” we have been able to maintain our friendship in the years since they decamped to the far side of Apex. Tonight we will pajama party with the traditional bean dip and pizza. It will be just like 1999. Except we have kids.