there and back again.....a daughter's tale....

ok, so i drove to columbus ohio today....and back.......so that my mother did not have to make the trip for her followup surgeon's visit on her own......and a local orthopod could have done the same thing......she felt the need for closure with the guy who actually opened up her shoulder....and so i drove through lexington and through cincinnati....and through most of columbus....mostly ignoring subtle suggestions to pull into shopping areas to see what is there...not so fast.....meanmamma of the meanmamma......i have finally figured out that what you leave behind i will have to dispose of/contend with/possibly pay for...perish that thought......but back to the trip.......it seemed to me that the scenery triggered similar stories to those told back in december when i made an identical trip for her consultation........and so i heard all over again the 1)this part of ohio is flat because of the glacier...2) that the phoenix golf links run by the city of columbus is actually reclaimed landfill.....get it?.....3) that the little miami river is named after the indian tribe.......4)that dave thomas way in the worthingon area of columbus is named after the dave thomas.....whose first wendy's was in this vicinity.....and that he was adopted...and funded programs to help children get adopted/cope with adoption.......5)osu stadium was revamped recently....6) her friends in boulder took her to a play that involved threads.....well...she threw that one in this trip...but she had already told me about it after i picked her up at the airport.........we did have a brief theological discussion......ont he right hand side of interstate 71 in ohio there are billboards that have the 10 commandments....likely funded by the farmer who owns the fields surrounding them........and the reverse side alludes to the reality of hell that awaits all that do not repent their wicked ways at this very moment.......and so i brought up the preacher in north carolina who asked 9 of his parishioners to leave because they did not support george w bush and his little war......and i brought up the 40 other members who left in protest.......and she did agree that church should be above politics....and that was enough for topical issues....and she returned to the discussion of her shoulder...or maybe it was aunt lola's hip.......who can keep track.......the comic relief of the journey came when she spied a sign for gas at $1.92/gallon......and she literally came out of her seat and shrieked that i should pull in......alas.....i could not do so in such lemming-like traffic...and in an area with curious filter lanes........when i finally pulled into a convenient station with gas at $1.95 she was almost despondent.....or at least a might peeved at me.........but hey.........i go for safety and convenience.....a value taught at home, i might add..........just last night, as we were walking away from rupp arena....and discussing the types of shrieks evoked at the called names of graduates......anywhere from claps to hoots to hollers....to yougogirl.......and yes....my favorite....the passionate whoooooooo........none of these reactions compared to the shriek of gas at $1.92............as if the cost of a college degree can compare with the savings of say 10 cents a gallon........well......gentle readers......i am really tired.......and i have so much to do this week in getting ready for a small gathering.......i have it in my mind that i can manage to repaint the porch before sunday....using white trim paint left behind by the fire patrol painters......And maybe repaint the porch floor.....and of course, there is mulching to be done...and annuals to plant........whoooooooo........and frodo thought he had a mighty quest..............