One of my dearest, long-time friends lives on the other side of the state. In fact, we haven’t lived near each other since 1971 when I moved away from the Detroit area for good. So we’re always looking for ways to cover the miles and get together.
We’ve honed the process to meeting a couple times a year somewhere and holing up in a motel for two or three days where we talk non-stop. As we’re saying good-bye, we’re already making a mental list of topics for the next gabfest.
Yesterday we tried something new. We met for lunch in Lansing, Michigan, which happens to be about half-way between our homes. It was a two hour one-way trip for each of us. You can do the math as to the total hours spent in the car.
We met at Denny’s at the appointed hour and started talking about our families even before we ordered breakfast. She warned the server we’d be here a while. When we left, we tipped accordingly. Next we went to the nearby mall, which is part of our ritual. We walk the mall a couple times, moving on to more generic subjects — like the recent Democratic debates that neither of us watched — and then grab a cold drink, usually at Barnes & Noble where we consider world politics and share opinions on the books we’re reading.
By now, we’re hungry again. So we head to Applebee’s, which is on the same mall property, to find sustenance for the drive home. We were not disappointed.
Around 5 PM, we agree it’s time to head home. We calculated that we got to spend a little over six hours together for the four hours driving time involved. That’s a two-fifths to three-fifths ratio.
Did we think it worth it? I guess that we’re doing it again in August is the answer.
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