My son Daniel goes to school at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL just north of Chicago. He had his front wheel drive Scion there but he said he could not use it in the snow. So we decided it was best if he took the Chrysler AWD vehicle for the winter.
 
So, Dad and son went on a road trip. I wish I could report it was something movies are made out of, but really it was quite boring. We had a great conversation (so I think) and the trip took us just about twelve and a half hours. We didn't clock the mileage, but according to Google, zip code to zip code the distance is eight hundred fifty three miles.
 
In the past I have made the trip to Canton and Cleveland OH on differant occasions. I really didn't think in my mind Chicago was much further. Boy, was I fooled. There is a long stretch of highway between Cleveland and Toledo. You know, "holy Toledo". I never said that to Daniel but I did think it. And Indiana, that is one long state. We passed many well named universities and locations I always wanted to visit. Heck, I buy cars from  Lockhart Cadillac, a dealership in Indianappolis I wanted to visit. So, I am planning all this for my return trip.
 
Well as we arrived on the city limits of Chicago it was kind of foggy. We were still able to see the sky line of the city so it was pretty neat.
 
I almost forgot, during the trip. This great new three G age we live in. It is so wonderful that as you are having a conversation and you have any doubt about something, you just look it up. Boom! You instantly have an answer.
 
I do have to say this about the American drivers. Generally we are good. I saw a few fender benders, but nothing major. But I do have a problem with some of you out there. As I stated in a earlier blog, I can not for the life of me figure out why people drive slow and stay in the left lane and screw up traffic. And in Ohio and Indiana they got big signs posted every few miles reminding you of the law. This just boggles my mind.
 
Well after landing in Evanston, I mean arriving, I discovered why he needs a AWD car. The apartment complex he lives in does not plow or shovel the snow. The college students should do it, yeah right! So, I cleaned the snow, watched the end of a Tuesday Night Football, and got a good night sleep.
 
Thinking about how great a driver I was, I thought I would be able to just plow my way out. Wrong. Stuck in the driveway.  I tried everything, I pushed in neutral, I dug with a stick, stupid right, there was no shovel.
 
I asked Daniel to go buy some rock salt, because I couldn't wait until Spring, I wanted to get back home. In the meantime two sanitation engineers came by, they were big. They laughed to see that I was stuck and they were kind enough to help me. It took a whole five seconds for them. Man power!
 
Well now that I am delayed at least an hour if not more, I still haven't had coffee or breakfast. So, let's see, I had to fuel my self up, I needed gas, I had to re-do all the air pressure on the tires, clean the windshield and along the way miss the exit for eighty east. Fooled  thinking I could stay on the wrong course and eventually get to where I wanted to be, I wised up and and made a u-turn. Only about thirty more minutes of time wasted.
 
But, now I'm on my way. Let's see, how many stops was I planning. Bull. By this time I just wanted to get home. And to think holy Toledo is only four and a half hours away. A third of the trip. Now that's something to look foward to.
 
I do have to say, that as long as the trip was it really wasn't that bad. I enjoyed the time with my son, I got to see a some of this great country we live in and I'm home safe to tell about it.