Posted in A Moment in My Life

“The Long Way Around”

A Moment in My Life – Tuesday, November 17, 2020

It was such a lovely day yesterday that I decided to take my little Veloster out for her monthly exercise, i.e., a good battery charge. I never had to think about this need since VPea got enough exercise keeping her little electric heart pumping strong when I drove to church and back. I know I’m not alone in Shelter-in-place because this is a common concern for most of us. After my one-year-old battery unexpectedly died on me last month, I learned I needed to ensure that I gave my car a good charge once a month. I thought I was keeping the battery charged by merely driving her out on my errand runs once a week, but that wasn’t enough. After I got my new battery, I drove VPea on errands for a total of twenty minutes, thinking I was doing good. However, my friend Wizard checked in on me yesterday, asking if I had taken VPea out for a 20-minute non-stop drive on the freeway. He was specific. We bantered back and forth and concluded with me understanding that each time I stop within that twenty-minute drive meant when I turned on the ignition again, I needed to restart the clock for twenty minutes. Ugh. Really? No carrying over the minutes? Nope.

Alrighty then, that locked it down for me. I was craving sashimi, so I headed out towards the freeway, noting my start time. I sure didn’t want to do all this only to discover I was short a few minutes and need to return to GO without collecting $200. I planned my route to Mollie Stone’s at Bayhill for my sashimi. I started from South San Francisco by way of 101N, looping onto 92W and circling around north on 280 to arrive at Bayhill, San Bruno, in time for the sushi maker to provide an excellent selection to choose from. 

It was a perfect day for this trek. I selected my body and soul playlist. I put on my sunscreen and donned my shades, and off we went. The sunshine nudged me along with the promise of cloudless skies, settling a smile on my face. The winds were light, barely a breeze the way I like it. It warmed to about 66 degrees. Neither too warm nor too cold. Perfect cruising weather. Traffic was smooth, but I noticed that I was a little more cautious than I used to be. I paid more attention to the cars alongside me, fearing they might make a sudden lane change or something. Although, it’s better to be overcautious than under cautious. 

I haven’t been out this way in a while. I noted some businesses went up while I was hibernating. When did Tesla pop up everywhere? It makes sense for them to launch more locations since they will be the vehicle of the future.

Speaking of new, where did this body groove thing come from? As ‘Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe” came on, my body started grooving to the steady rhythm. When “Piano in the Dark” played, that was it; my shoulders began rolling, then my body joined in, and my arms were flying in the air, and I was out of control. What has Shelter in Place done to the conservative me?

As I approached my church’s freeway offramp, I glanced at my clock on the dash. I did the math, and I had been driving for 43 minutes. Today, I was driving slow like Mark, and his way would get us to church in give or take 20 minutes. Had I been driving the way I used to drive, I would arrive at church in 45 minutes. That tells me when Covid-19 is over, I must make sure I drive slower like Mark to kill two birds with one stone, get me to church, and give VPea a good charge.

Mm, I inhaled the fresh, clean scent of eucalyptus along the freeway and felt refreshed. I miss the good ole days when Mark would drive, and I took photos. Such wonderful memories. 

I was home free passing the twenty-minute mark by the time I go to Bunker Hill on 280N. Mission accomplished. Before I knew it, I arrived at Bayhill Shopping Center. Being there reminded me that I needed to get out more. I turned left onto a lane where a woman in the black GMC sitting at the stop sign honked me. What did I do? Once I safely finished my turn and passed her, I noticed how tight the lane felt. After I parked, I surveyed that lane and learned why she honked me. It is now a one-way lane! Oops. Lucky for me, I didn’t create an accident! 

It was great to get out today. It wasn’t a long drive, but it was an enjoyable one. So nice seeing the old familiar scenes, remembering happy memories and learning new things such as what has changed in my backyard and even discovering that I am no longer the same person I was the last time I drove out this way. I think I will enjoy taking VPea out for her monthly charge, and I will continue to take the long way around.

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