Beyond Kirk
Warning: Long exposition inside.
So I decided yesterday afternoon that I needed to clear my head, and in order to accomplish this, I took a short, five hour drive. Well, I guess five hours isn't really that short, but it was shorter than my trip to Minneapolis. At least I stayed in Illinois. Now you might think that I would wing a head clearing drive, just hop in my car, start driving, and eventually find my way home. Apparently I'm not adventurous enough for that...I knew that I wanted to get far out, away from everything, but since I don't know such places, and not wishing to get lost, I planned out my drive, with maps and everything (yeah I know, I need to work on the spontaneous thing...)
I figured I'd head West somehow (you know, "Go West, young man!" and all of that) and turn around at some point to head back. Then I thought that maybe I could stop off to see the The Location of Elan Remford's 'First Time'. If you have Google Earth installed you can see a satellite photo of where it is. So I checked a map to see where it was, and it turns out that happens to be at the school that I could see across a little pond from one of my stops back when I had the vending machine gig. Since I knew right where it was, and I knew how to get there easily, the way out West was easy to come up with. After I got out to the magical bleachers, I'd just keep going on 64 for a while. After consulting a map, I had everything planned, and I headed out.
I left a bit after 9, and after stopping for gas, I was on my way. Since the school was right next to one of my old stops, I decided to retrace at least part of my old route. I stuck to the major roads I'd used, and only the ones I needed to use to get to where I was going, but it did bring back some memories. Like the time my truck broke down on the exit ramp and I had to walk to a payphone to get help because I didn't have a cellphone. Or the time I was rear-ended and then had to go to traffic court. Ok, so maybe I didn't have the best time with that job, but at least I don't have to do it any more.
When I got to Kirk Road, where I'd need to turn to get to the school, I changed my mind about stopping there last night. I realized that I couldn't go to a place like that alone, it's an experience that has to be shared with someone. To go alone would be a insult to the memory of what happened that night. So instead I just kept on driving.
A small note on Kirk Road: This was the first time I'd been past it on 64. On multiple occasions when I was heading to the stop to service the vending machines, I wondered what would happen if I just kept driving the truck down 64, right by Kirk Road, what sights would I see, what adventures would I have (yes the job was that boring at times)? Well, tonight I finally did it, I went beyond Kirk. And I'm here to tell you that there isn't really a whole lot to talk about. And yet, I'm still going to tell you all about it. And if you're still reading at this point, I applaud you, because I'm really not sure why I'm still writing...
Anyway, back on the road. Once I got out of populated areas, the view was more of what I wanted out of the drive. There were times when I'd look in the rear-view mirror, and I'd just see black. No lights, no reflections, no stars, nothing, as if where I'd just come from had been erased. Then I'd look out at the road ahead, and it would just seem to end at the edge of my headlights. The world behind gone, and the world ahead not yet created, but as I drove forward, the lights would illuminate a new stretch of road, causing it to spring into existence. It was a calming experience for me, and really what I needed.
(I started writing this last night when I got home, but I realized that it was going to take me longer than I had originally thought, and I was a bit tired, so I decided to finish it this morning. Well, after sleeping on, I thought to myself that I was going into way too much detail for what, in the end, was a very uneventful drive, so I'm going to condense the rest of it into a short paragraph or two. If you'd like more details then there's clearly something wrong with you.)
Basically I kept driving West for a while, turned South at one point, and about midnight I made it to the birthplace of Ronald Reagan, Dixon, Illinois. I know you're all very excited and want to hear all about it, but unfortunately this is the condensed section. Sorry, no details here. Once I got past Dixon I had a decent view of the Duke Energy power plant lit up. It was an interesting sight against the black background surrounding it. Shortly there after I was headed back East, which was good, because about that time I wanted to head back home anyway. Not much to say about the drive back, except that I was planning on driving past a windmill at one point, but I missed the turn for it. Maybe next time.
I got back just after 2 in the morning. It was a good drive, and it did for me what I needed it to do. I may have to make a habit of this, though next time I'll probably be a bit more free with my plans. Drive off down some random road and see where it takes me; pull off to the side of the road and get out to just look at the stars; things like that. I thought of doing it this time, but last night was about the drive, just to get away from everything for a little while before coming back. It was working well enough that I didn't want to ruin it by stopping, I just wanted keep on the road.
I apologize for the length, I was in an expository mood last night when I got home. Of course I could go back and edit it, but that's just too much work.
Ultra compressed version for those not nearly bored enough to read the ridiculously long version:
I took a drive yesterday. Now I feel better.
So I decided yesterday afternoon that I needed to clear my head, and in order to accomplish this, I took a short, five hour drive. Well, I guess five hours isn't really that short, but it was shorter than my trip to Minneapolis. At least I stayed in Illinois. Now you might think that I would wing a head clearing drive, just hop in my car, start driving, and eventually find my way home. Apparently I'm not adventurous enough for that...I knew that I wanted to get far out, away from everything, but since I don't know such places, and not wishing to get lost, I planned out my drive, with maps and everything (yeah I know, I need to work on the spontaneous thing...)
I figured I'd head West somehow (you know, "Go West, young man!" and all of that) and turn around at some point to head back. Then I thought that maybe I could stop off to see the The Location of Elan Remford's 'First Time'. If you have Google Earth installed you can see a satellite photo of where it is. So I checked a map to see where it was, and it turns out that happens to be at the school that I could see across a little pond from one of my stops back when I had the vending machine gig. Since I knew right where it was, and I knew how to get there easily, the way out West was easy to come up with. After I got out to the magical bleachers, I'd just keep going on 64 for a while. After consulting a map, I had everything planned, and I headed out.
I left a bit after 9, and after stopping for gas, I was on my way. Since the school was right next to one of my old stops, I decided to retrace at least part of my old route. I stuck to the major roads I'd used, and only the ones I needed to use to get to where I was going, but it did bring back some memories. Like the time my truck broke down on the exit ramp and I had to walk to a payphone to get help because I didn't have a cellphone. Or the time I was rear-ended and then had to go to traffic court. Ok, so maybe I didn't have the best time with that job, but at least I don't have to do it any more.
When I got to Kirk Road, where I'd need to turn to get to the school, I changed my mind about stopping there last night. I realized that I couldn't go to a place like that alone, it's an experience that has to be shared with someone. To go alone would be a insult to the memory of what happened that night. So instead I just kept on driving.
A small note on Kirk Road: This was the first time I'd been past it on 64. On multiple occasions when I was heading to the stop to service the vending machines, I wondered what would happen if I just kept driving the truck down 64, right by Kirk Road, what sights would I see, what adventures would I have (yes the job was that boring at times)? Well, tonight I finally did it, I went beyond Kirk. And I'm here to tell you that there isn't really a whole lot to talk about. And yet, I'm still going to tell you all about it. And if you're still reading at this point, I applaud you, because I'm really not sure why I'm still writing...
Anyway, back on the road. Once I got out of populated areas, the view was more of what I wanted out of the drive. There were times when I'd look in the rear-view mirror, and I'd just see black. No lights, no reflections, no stars, nothing, as if where I'd just come from had been erased. Then I'd look out at the road ahead, and it would just seem to end at the edge of my headlights. The world behind gone, and the world ahead not yet created, but as I drove forward, the lights would illuminate a new stretch of road, causing it to spring into existence. It was a calming experience for me, and really what I needed.
(I started writing this last night when I got home, but I realized that it was going to take me longer than I had originally thought, and I was a bit tired, so I decided to finish it this morning. Well, after sleeping on, I thought to myself that I was going into way too much detail for what, in the end, was a very uneventful drive, so I'm going to condense the rest of it into a short paragraph or two. If you'd like more details then there's clearly something wrong with you.)
Basically I kept driving West for a while, turned South at one point, and about midnight I made it to the birthplace of Ronald Reagan, Dixon, Illinois. I know you're all very excited and want to hear all about it, but unfortunately this is the condensed section. Sorry, no details here. Once I got past Dixon I had a decent view of the Duke Energy power plant lit up. It was an interesting sight against the black background surrounding it. Shortly there after I was headed back East, which was good, because about that time I wanted to head back home anyway. Not much to say about the drive back, except that I was planning on driving past a windmill at one point, but I missed the turn for it. Maybe next time.
I got back just after 2 in the morning. It was a good drive, and it did for me what I needed it to do. I may have to make a habit of this, though next time I'll probably be a bit more free with my plans. Drive off down some random road and see where it takes me; pull off to the side of the road and get out to just look at the stars; things like that. I thought of doing it this time, but last night was about the drive, just to get away from everything for a little while before coming back. It was working well enough that I didn't want to ruin it by stopping, I just wanted keep on the road.
I apologize for the length, I was in an expository mood last night when I got home. Of course I could go back and edit it, but that's just too much work.
Ultra compressed version for those not nearly bored enough to read the ridiculously long version:
I took a drive yesterday. Now I feel better.