Ed

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Today's journey was only 580 miles, so does it begin with 3/5ths of a step? I'm a rotten dancer, and don't know how to do that, so I started with a poor night's sleep instead. A poor night that followed ten short nights of sleep. Not the most auspicious way to start a long drive through the desert, but you do what you have to.

Driving alone is peaceful: I can nap at my convenience on those lonely stretches. Driving with a passenger is an immense responsibility, and it's tremendously exhausting. Even when my eyes couldn't stay open any longer, I had to force them open and force myself to keep them that way. All morning, all afternoon, all day. That's not something I want to do often.

580 miles. There's a curious symmetry to it. That's 1160 miles round trip, from here to St George and back. Geri, our indefatigably cheerful bus driver, told me yesterday that she had logged 1150 miles on the bus. So I drove 1160 miles in order to be driven 1150 miles. Do they cancel each other out? That's a no-brainer: No, no, a thousand times no. Being chauffeured was a treat. The sights I've seen and people I've met have made a deep impression on me. Would I drive those 1160 miles again? In a heartbeat.

We're back home, safe and sound. Butternut and Top Hat greeted us at the door, somewhat crankily I might add. They're miffed and not shy about letting us know. Can you tell?

And now I desperately need to get some sleep. Wake me up on Monday.