However, last night was a dream, because I woke up in a hotel room about eighty miles away from home and family. I finally got up at about 8:00 am, had a hot shower, got dressed, packed my belongings, checked out, and, finally, I was on the road again. I programmed Lilly, our navigation system, to lead me home, and off we went.

As usual when I take off to drive home I don’t waste any time with having breakfast at the hotel. Being in New England, I was sure to find a Dunkin’ Donuts eventually. Eighty miles to home also implies there should be at least 57 Dunkin’ Donuts on the way.

After only a few miles I yelled “hallelujah”. There it was, a Cumberland gas station with a Dunkin’ Donuts attached to it. First, I took care of the car and filled the tank. This was when I saw the sign above the pump, Pay for the milk, not the cow, and I had to laugh. Then I rushed into the coffee shop and ordered the essentials for the trip home, a caffe latte and a coffee roll.

“HOT latte please, and NO sugar!”

Sometimes they don’t get it, so you need to make sure, you don’t get an iced latte. Yikes!

Then back in the car. Lilly leads me from Route 9 into Interstate 495 North, where I go about ten miles over the speed limit, while being passed left and right. Lilly is very effective, and she knows all short-cuts. So, she tells me to take Route 117 towards I-190. The problem is, the speed limit is only 35 miles per hour, and I am stuck behind a red van who follows the speed limit meticulously.

I am yelling at the driver, “Hey! I need to go home to my family, and I would like to get there before Christmas!”, but he doesn’t hear me. Finally, there comes I-190 and I can pass him. From there on, as soon as I hit Route 2, everything goes smoothly, and an hour later I drive into the garage.

It is a wonderful feeling being greeted by a “There’s Daddy!”, followed by a BIG hug. Well, eventually he did let me kiss my wife, too. It’s good to be home again.