Driving At Night

The other night I had to go out to get dinner. Usually my routine includes not going out after I get home from work. I think there are tons that will agree that when you get home from work, all you want to do is relax. I get out of my uniform, put on the General (the leader in the pajama pants regime) and play with my daughter until it's time to feed her, bathe her and then put her down for bed. Then I relax, watch some TV, maybe get on the Internet and then it's bed time. But the other night, I ventured out to get dinner.

The temperature was 73 degrees (Fahrenheit thank god) and the night was clear. It was great. I drove with my window down, enjoying the night air. It wasn't that long ago that I would hang out exclusively at night during summer vacations and then sleep through the day in preparation for the next night's events (which included little more than guitar playing and hours of talking with friends outside in the cooler-than-daytime Mississippi air) and I was enjoying it.

On the way to Wendy's there was apparently an accident and the blue flashing lights of the cop cars lit up the dark rural road that I was on and it was beautiful. It really got me in the mood for Christmas.

By the way, I don't think anyone was injured, or if they were they had already been taken away because it was just cop cars, no ambulances.

Then, sitting in the line at the drive through, right next to the neon light advertising Wendy's willingness to stay open late for everyone to be able to enjoy their delicious food at all times, I was pretty happy. The hum from the neon, the blue from the cop cars, the smell of the delicious food, the darkness of the night and the air blowing in the car, it all combined to make for a pretty great little trip out.