June 7th-Nebraska to Colorado

 

Having stayed the night in Bellevue and gotten good sleep. Too, knowing my drive wouldn’t be more than an eight-hour stint. As I’d be gaining another hour between Bellevue and Thornton, that was because I’d be entering Mountain Time upon arriving in Colorado. Last year was different, I’d then driven from Ames, Iowa to Thornton, Colorado, which had been a 702-mile drive. That day, I drove the first 602 miles non-stop. Yes, one tank of gas in my manual Subaru. All the while grinding in my mind was a line from the movie “The Blues Brothers”— “It’s a hundred and six miles to Chicago, we’ve got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark out and we’re wearing sunglasses…” That day last year was twelve hours on the road. Thank God for the extra gained hour that day.

I digress to the morning of June 7^th in Bellevue, I got up and readied for my residential run before the nearly 530-mile drive. After a nearly seven-mile run, got cleaned up, bought more ice and drained the cooler of the ice from the day before now water. There was one gas station. They had only 87 octane. Their 88 octane was fifteen percent ethanol. Not something I would experiment in the middle of the country with, along with the possible tumult being injected into our fray by the narcissistic-madmen in our oval office.

There’s uncertainty in everything. However, those uncertainties are sometimes to be expected. Then there are those that could be avoided, if people weren’t so greedy when they already have more than they need—we’d always be better off. At this point, all I knew was to pray that our unruly, fear-mongering POTUS and his administration didn’t create more of a disaster where America would be frozen in time, which would lead to a complete collapse of our democracy. Because if that happened, all that my husband, I and our family had worked for would be a lost cause. And this drive would be going nowhere.

So, here in this drive there were more prayers, and anticipation of what news would be brought into our country and family’s fray. I listen to little music when I drive. I enjoy the driver’s side window rolled down, to feel and hear the wind brush by face uninhibited. Even when it’s extreme heat I most likely will roll down the driver’s side window and have no air conditioning running. I tell myself that I’m saving fossil fuel to not be using much air conditioning on these drives.

In Nebraska I settled for the 87 octane. Afterwards I found a coffee shop and got a latte to go; then off I drove westward. Soon I was on NE-370W for a spell, to I-80W towards Lincoln for 335 miles. Which took me towards Denver on the I-76S; then onto I-76W. I-76W’s far right lane was in bad shape. For about twenty or so miles, it rode like the vehicle was constantly riding over rumble strips. Yet the speed limit varied. It could be 50 MPH (if merged with I-70) or as much as 75 MPH. I like to drive at or under the speed limit, so I have a habit of driving in the far-right hand lane except to pass. There were few cars on the roadway for over thirty miles; however, the right lane was so rough it seemed I wasn’t the only one limiting my time in the far-right hand lane with practically no one around.

I arrived near four in the afternoon at the hotel in Thornton. I checked in and was given a room that last year was not yet finished being built. I got my gear into my room and got into my running clothes. Soon enough I was out for a run around the block. I decided to run in a direction I hadn’t last year. I ran past a couple eateries to the left of the hotel, staying on 120^th Street, then a left off that avenue and stayed on the sidewalk as the area got quieter. I entered a corporate area where the buildings were lower, there were well-groomed landscapes, and the tree line appeared to increase. I’d been running downhill for a while, then to a gentle climb and curved around and saw a Google corporate office. And to my right once again, there were taller buildings that seemed to create a partial barrier to the highway sound of I-25. On the road I was running on barely a car or two passed me by in the middle two miles of the nearly four-mile run.

An hour later I walked out to a steak place within 100 meters of the hotel. I’d been there before. I knew the food was good too. That night’s meal it didn’t disappoint.---Jody-Lynn Reicher