Checked out of the hotel and about to head home (road trip diary - 11).

I spent my last fitful night in the hotel last night, anticipating this 14 hour drive back home to Killeen, and also the end of what has become a really wonderful vacation here in Tennessee. I've had a huge time seeing the sights of Eastern Tennessee, being guided by my buddy Mushy, but also I've had a wonderful time spending quality time with Mushy and Judy and their circle. They've made me feel right at home. It's gonna be strange going back to seeing these folks only in the blog, after getting used to seeing them in real life.

Yesterday was take it easy day here in Harriman. They took me to a great restaurant called Calhoun's, down by a marina with huge cool houseboats tied up. They have a great lunch buffet. Then we went shopping over by Oak Ridge for a lap top. Mushy's thinking about getting one, and it's tax free, back to school time this weekend. We went to a few places and looked, but he didn't get one, yet. Then it was back to the house for naps on the couch. Eventually he and I went down to the basement and he showed me his matchbox car collection. Very cool indeed.

Then we both cleaned our guns from the shooting on Tuesday, and I got mine ready to transport home. It was fun watching him take his Garand apart and clean it, and then put it back together again. We ended last night, sipping Yoengling, puffing cigars out on the porch, and listening to his special party mix of music piped in from his computer. I tell ya, that was a great time. It's gonna be very difficult for me to ever beat that feeling, until the next time I'm lucky enough to be invited back.

Often, after times like these, I'll experience an end-of-vacation let down, thinking about going back to the same old life of the school grind, and not much else. But this time things are different. My lady friend is waiting there for my return, and the process of getting reacquainted with her and my other friends should be very nice. She's been trying to get me to drive home early, so that she would have more time with me until my semester begins on Monday. I told her that we'd have all the time in the world after I got home, but that I might never see these folks again, and had to stay and pick ol' Mushy's brain as long as I can. He's really been blessed, and has had the sort of life that I wish i could have had, and that I'd like to shoot for, if I can muster the courage to stop thinking and go for it. I'm determined to be somewhere, living a life as sweet as his, when I get to his stage of decrepitude.

Anyway, I can't thank he and Judy enough for having me over, and I hope the whole bunch of them comes to Texas some day. Until then, It'll be nice to get home and get back to the routine of trying to keep up with their life, and all of your lives, through this blogging thing. See you there. Cheers.