Drive and drink, don't drink and drive.

I know about four people might read this from time to time, but I still feel the need to apologize for the lengthy absence. I started a new job a little over a month ago, and I had to hit the ground running (or writing) on a large football project. Going to work and writing all day sometimes kills the urge for free-time writing. Now, though, I've had a couple of days off (and a few beers) and the urge to type came back. I sat down tonight with 12 of my buddies, and the last few are going down currently -- although they're quite warm by now.

For those of you who don't know, I'm now working for The Daily Reflector in Greenville, N.C. -- yes, they town in which I've lived since 2001. That means, for the first time, I don't have to commute to work. It's pretty cool. I still do a lot of driving, but to have a base in my town is a new and welcome thing. Speaking of driving (of which I had to do so much of in the past several years), I actually got the urge to "just go on a drive" recently. The fall season right at sunset is absolutely my favorite time to drive. I think it makes me feel free. It reminds me of the falls when I'd be driving back to college after a home-for-the-weekend visit. I'd usually leave just after sunset, heading east, with the red glow of the setting sun in my rearview. I know it's technically not the fall yet, but the run of cool run of weather we've had in N.C. recently can be a bit misleading. I had a really good drive today (yesterday really, but I haven't gone to sleep yet). I left from New Bern and headed east on the road that takes you to Bayboro. I found a good side road, turned right and just hauled ass down the winding, country, Pamlico County highway. I would have liked to really push it, but I'm getting older now and more aware of what a speeding ticket does to one. Sometimes there's nothing that's a bigger buzzkill that self awareness.

The driving was something of an attempt at self medication. I was just telling someone quite dear to me that I have absolutely no reason to be sad (I really lead a blessed life), but that doesn't change the fact that even I, the jovial John you all know, get the blues every now and then. Many times, I can cure the blues with a good workout or a good drive accompanied with a primal scream. I took that drive, it didn't really help (see that aforementioned reluctance to speed as a possible reason), but I did loose that animalistic howl. I had just made a U-turn on that country road in Pamlico County. I had been on the road, hugging the curves and blasting through the straights, for about 10 minutes when I finally caught up the only other person driving on the highway. I followed for a few miles, going quite slow, when we drove through a decent right curve followed by an immediate left. It was definitely something I wanted to take at 60ish. I followed the van for another half mile, or so, and then turned around. Right before the first curve, I hugged the side of the road and accelerated out of the turn into the short straight before the second curve. As I hit the slightly banked arc, I howled at the setting sun with the naturalness of a lion in the jungle.

It was great. For that one instant, all my thoughts, troubles, puzzles, preoccupations and stresses were alien to me. Oh, to carry on that feeling with me throughout the day would be quite wonderful. Until then, I'll crack open another Coors.