Joadmobile

I write from a motel near Dayton, Oh., after a long second day of our Cross-Country Odyssey.

The plan was to load the car of Kathy’s late Aunt Dolores with such of Dolores’ things as we wanted to bring west, then drive cross-country in the middle of winter in an underpowered, overloaded 1995 Ford Escort station wagon with 94,000 miles on it.  Surely I wasn’t the one who thought of this.

I can’t help but think I’ve been conscripted into the Joad family.  We’ll be strapping Granny to the roof any time now.

I’m trying to plot a course to avoid as much scary weather as possible, but so far it’s been scary at least once per day.

I’ve learned much about the geography of Pennsylvania, which took most of the day to cross.  The western part is all mountains, climbing up and up and up.  Ohio must be much higher than Pennsylvania, on average.

I’ve also learned the location of Pennsylvania towns I’d vaguely heard of, but hadn’t been able to place on a map.  Hop Bottom, Tunkhannock, Shinkshinny, Punxsatawney, and Clarion, the college town where the workshop originated.

And lots more with less memorable names.

The car is holding up remarkably well, and performed better today than yesterday, I suspect because the gunk (technical term) has been blown out of it.

Be home sometimes this weekend, weather permitting, which it may not.