At Large: A Father and Son Adventure
I remember my Dad asking me, as the time for my retirement from the military approached, what I planned on doing upon hanging up my uniform for the final time. Without hesitation I answered that I thought I’d like to drive around the country in an 18 wheeler. “You’re going to do what?” was his response. “Don’t you remember? “ I asked, reminding him that as a little guy, I was always wide awake on family vacations, pumping my little fist in the air trying to convince the drivers in those big rigs to blast the air horn. Besides, I added, after doing what “Uncle” told me to do for lo those 20 years, I had earned the right to do something I had always wanted to do? Dad agreed, though he and others in my family seemed a bit concerned about the idea.
As my enthusiasm for the work grew, Dad decided to go on the road with me and check this trucking thing out. The result, over several trips on the road together, has been a bond between us that grows stronger even as the events that characterize our adventures grow stranger.
Today, the saga continued as Dad and I set sail for points west. Our goal is to travel across the country and back to the Atlanta area. More correctly, I should say that our goal is to travel across the country and back without being locked in the hoosegow. On the Pennsylvania Turnpike several years ago, we stopped at a service center for some coffee and breakfast snacks. We probably looked a bit rough around the edges since we had spent the previous evening parked curbside in Chester, PA, far from any shower facilities. As we approached the cinnamon roll counter, the young lady behind the register regarded us cautiously (which from our appearance made perfect sense). Dad started speaking in Cajun French, so I made a big deal of translating through a thick Cajun accent. The poor girl listened intently, trying to make out some part of the conversation, but it was hopeless. Asked what he would like, Dad, replying in Cajun, made some blunt comments about my genealogy. “He wants dem cinnamon stick,” I told the young lady, while Dad nodded his head in agreement. “Would you like glaze?” she asked. “Sweethawt,” I said, “me, I drive a big truck and dat glaze would spill all over da sleeper of my truck. Mais you wanna brought you self to come clean out my truck for me?” Mortified, she simply shook her head no. We took our bags of cinnamon sticks, simultaneously said, “Tanks,” and made for the exit.
Then there was the little incident last winter, when we watched the Super Bowl in a truck stop lounge in Virginia. After the Saints had scored a touchdown, another Louisiana native in the room observed that if our team won, there would be much gumbo in the French Quarter that night, prompting a gentleman from Indiana to say, “I don’t even know how to make gumbo.” Instantly Dad replied, “Well, if you hadn’t won the war, we would have taught you.” Whereupon a discussion of the war between the states ensued, and the two of us smiled with an innocence that only the truly mischievous can either muster or appreciate.
I have no idea what kind of trouble we will stir up this time around, but I am pretty sure it will be entertaining. And I’m also fairly certain that it will become the stuff of stories to tell the grandkids about the time that a father and son travelled the highways together, laughing, seeing the country, celebrating life and family. Incidentally, if you get wind of local authorities who are on the lookout for a couple of rabble-rousers in a big orange truck, I’d appreciate a heads up.
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Comments :
May '10
Re: At Large: A Father and Son Adventure
Dang that sounds like fun, Dave. Enjoy.
...and I'll stir up a little trouble of my own by pointing out that the Buckeyes went down to the Bayou a couple weeks back and took it to the SEC (for once).
May '10
Re: At Large: A Father and Son Adventure
The highways that wind and wander over mountain and valleys deserts and plains
I guess I've drove about all of 'em
Cause for the past 25 years now the cab of a truck has been my home
And it'd be kinda hard for me to settle down and not be on the go
Why I remember the first truck I drove
I was so proud I could hardly wait to get home to show my wife and my little boy
And my little boy was so excited like so when he saw his first snow
He wasn't old enough to say too many words
He just kept hollering goddyup go daddy giddyup go
So that's what I named the old truck Giddyup go
Oh things wasn't too bad of course I's gone a lot
And after about six years I got home one day and found my wife and little boy gone
I couldn't find out what happened nobody seemed to know
So from that day on it's been me and old Giddyup go
There's more lyrics to this good old Red Sovine song - you probably know it, anyway.
Jun '10
Re: At Large: A Father and Son Adventure
In my youth a friend and I made a break for Vancouver. We beat cheeks out of town and headed for the sunset without "permission." We meandered our way through the Rockies for a few days, where I almost started a forest fire doing something stupid trying to get... a lady's cooperation, which, sadly, evaporated when the forest started burning. Still, we made it to Vancouver in one piece, poorer for the price of the beer we drank around the campfires once I learned to tame the beast. By that I mean fire, of course.
When I got home there was Hell to pay! My mother wouldn't speak to me for a week, which meant that I had either to learn to cook or starve. Mom was OK with either prospect. As for dad, all he asked was, "What were you thinking?" Smart jerk that I was, I sassed, "Didn't you ever want to see mountains?" My ol' man says, "I've seen better." I, not knowing when to quit, sneer, "Where?" He, "The Himalayas." See, Dave, my taciturn dad trekked out of the gulag to fight Germans, eventually falling wounded at Monte Cassino.
Nov '10
Re: At Large: A Father and Son Adventure
Crazy, I was just going to ask you about how you decided to get into driving 18 wheelers.
Cool post.
You guys ever in Eastern Idaho, I'll buy you a drink.
Re: At Large: A Father and Son Adventure
Pictures, Dave. As you and your dad venture forth, we here at Ricochet want to see pictures from the road.
May '10
Re: At Large: A Father and Son Adventure
And if you should get into legal contretemps that involve being on the teevee, be sure and paint your chests with "Ricochet.com". No such thing as bad publicity.
Jun '10
Re: At Large: A Father and Son Adventure
Podcast.
Sep '10
Re: At Large: A Father and Son Adventure
Wow, that sounds like a great time. Send updates!
May '10
Re: At Large: A Father and Son Adventure
As interesting as that would be, Bob, I don't think a podcast while the two of them are together would be a good idea. I fear that Rob and Peter would have to edit that one WAY too much.
Dad, Hope you guys have fun! Can't wait to hear all the stories that can't be told save over a secure line or in person.
Edited on Jan 25, 2011 at 1:45pmNov '10
Re: At Large: A Father and Son Adventure
Mais, you an' ya daddy, y'all go pass a good time, and don' let dem couillons on de coas' get y'all down.