Dear Pentalope,

The bags are packed, the snacks are at the ready- granted my bag is way smaller than it um, used to be so i may have to wear like 8 pairs of clothes when i do fly back. We've got 3 books on cd, an ipod full of music, club soda in a cooler- and my nails are freshly painted. What we need is a list on why roadtrips are awesome, despite the destination- remember, screenplay- that screaming into the abyss or standing by the sea or staring ponderously at all the weird people... its the journey that matters.

But let that go, lets be worried about my now spaztic onset- the dropped eggs this morning, the spilled water (twice), the gash on my ass... The early rise time which should theoretically be ok since i only got 6 hours of sleep last night and am trying to go to bed earlish tonight... i say all is going to go well... we'll ponder that i actually had two funeral appropriate funeral outfits in my bag and at the ready, one randomly purchased here before we knew we were going and then that weird coincidental ponderance of yours- it seems a thing meant to be.

We Love You Sour Pickles

here's the list so far:

-welcome to scranton picture opp

-the dundee awards picture opp

-time with mendacious priceless

-snack food

-scenery

-chocolate

-fizzy water

-solitude

-peace

-stories!

-going to take shots in her honor

-discussions of death, wishlists and celebrating life

-no whining children

-eat whatever we want, whenever we want

-visitation of unseen states, non-specified

-utilization of new laptop bag and fancy birthday purse

-opportunity to sing 'life is a highway'

-opportunity to sing ' do you like pina coladas...' ("escape")!

-taking on a roadtrip 'persona'

-observation of family and all the personalities there in

-traversing the oldest orogenc belt in the continental US

-1/2 hour from the origins of penelope

-seeing the newish bean m.ro

-pictures opp's of us aplenty

--- uh, allright, bed time. more from the front when an internet connection surfaces.

signing off-

godspeed and travel mercies.

m.