Take Another Road

I kind of updated my blog several days ago, I just changed the back ground and that was all. No big deal. I came home from work the next day and sat down at the table to eat my favorite after work meal, spegettios. Papa came up from his office and said, "sis I like your new blog" then went back down to work. He was the only one to comment on the new update. When I showed my mom my background I told her that dad was the first, and only one to say anything about it. She simply stated, "He checks your blogs everyday." I've been thinking about my dad a lot lately. I recently went to Idaho with some friends a couple of weekends ago, and because they have terrible taste in music I brought along all of my mix CDs. We were driving home on Sunday, it was late and we were tired. The girl was in the back seat sleeping, the other was driving, and I was sitting quietly in the front seat. A familiar tune started to play, Jimmy Buffett's Take Another Road. I love this song, it has always been my favorite. Jimmy Buffett is wild and crazy, and most of his songs are rather ridiculous, but every now and then he can write something that really sings to the soul. This song is one of those. As it played I stared out the window and up at the stars. At that moment memories of the many road trips my family has taken began to swirl through my memory. I've never been one to sleep on road trips, I must have gotten that from my dad, because 23 minutes into any driving vacation my mom is zonked, head back, mouth open sleeping. My dad is the perfect DJ on road trips. He plays all of our favorites, the Beatles, KC, Jackson Browne, Jack Johnson, our Uber Fly Musica Mix, and then winds it down with good ol' James. It is somewhere between Frozen Man and September Grass that Haylie and Meg fall asleep. Meg in the middle with her head in Haylies Lap and her feet in mine, head back, mouth open. And Haylie behind my mom with her squishy blue pillow rolled up and tucked between the seatbelt and window, head back, mouth open. And then there's me, behind dad, the two of us silent so we dont wake our sleeping beauties. It has always been like this, for 18 years. But my favorite part of this all is when Papa is certain they're all asleep and Baby James is done playing, dad will pop in Jimmy Buffet, skip to my favorite song, look in the rear view mirror and quietly whisper, "Sis, ya alright?" "Yep" is all I've ever had to say, because at that moment I am perfectly content. There is no need for chit chat or joking, just that one question and then the quiet drive ahead of us. As I was looking at the stars I thought of the countless nights that my dad and I have soaked in the hot tub, while he taught me the names of the constellations and the history and stories behind them. These are the moments I will treasure the most, the quiet and peaceful moments with just me and my dad, when I didn't have to share him with anyone.