On
Saturday I paid a visit to my mom's, a 2.5 hour drive
from here to there. It was a perfectly clear and gorgeous
day. If I weren't in such a hurry I would have stopped
along the way to take some photos. I already had the
title for the photo exhibit: "Life along Highway
7."
Some
might find this route tedious, but there is actually
a lot to see – tree-lined rivers, dirt roads and
snowmobile trails which snake into unseen fields, lots
of swamps with resident beavers, herons and other wildlife,
farms and small towns… in fact, when I'm driving
alone it's hard to keep my eyes on the road.
The
drive went by quickly. The purpose of my trip was to
help fix my mother's iMac. It wasn't set up for email
and Internet access.
My
mother is an intelligent and artful person, but lacks
the technical knowledge (and frankly, the confidence)
necessary to do things like set up a new email account
or call for tech support. (Hi mom! I know you are
reading this, sorry, but it's true!)
She's
always been this way, even before computer were household
items. For example, we were the first family on the
block to get a microwave. It had a round dial you physically
had to turn, and this was how long the contents were
to be heated. That was fine for my mom. Later on, my
father upgraded the microwave for one with a digital
clock and keypad. I don't think she ever learned how
to use it properly. In fact, my mother had a tendency
to overheat foods because she was only comfortable with
the pre-set settings. So instead of gently reheating
something for 30 seconds on medium, she'd broil it dry
on high for five minutes. You get the picture. :)
Anyway,
after putzing with the computer and yes, even calling
tech support, I managed to get it all working. After
dinner I drove back home to Ottawa. As much as I love
driving during the day, I'm not so confident at night.
Driving down Hwy 7 is like hurtling down a black hose.
Turning on the high beams is necessary - collisions
with moose and other related animals are a real concern
in these parts. If you drive a smaller car, the front
bumper would collide with a moose's kneecaps. So guess
where the bulk of the 500 lb body ends up? Yep, through
the windshield and right on top of your head.
Highbeams
illuminate only the short stretch of road in front.
And they need to be turned off when another car is passing.
This becomes monotonous. Click on, click off. Click
on, click off. Yawn. Repeat repeat repeat.
Taking
photos while driving in these conditions isn't exactly
a smart thing to do. So I stopped after awhile, or limited
it only to when I pulled up at an intersection. Writing
in my notebook wasn't a great idea either. Later I discovered
I could barely decipher what I wrote, but what else
am I supposed to do if I think of something I don't
want to forget?
I
passed the time listening to the radio. Finkelman's
45's was on CBC. This is one of those love it or
leave it programs. The plays tunes from the 50s and
60s, with lots of pointless chatter in between, i.e.
10 minutes of pontificating about what's wrong with
golf.
It
was during this show that I realize I knew all the words
to the Beach Boys "Fun Fun Fun," and that
it sounds more authentic when you sing it with your
nose plugged. (Go ahead, I know you're sitting at your
desk, but I KNOW YOU WANT TO TRY IT. I'll even throw
in the lyrics. )I am really good at the high-pitched
howling notes at the end of that song. This is the other
bonus of driving alone. No one needs to be exposed to
that. :)
It
was during this show that I realize I knew all the words
to the Beach Boys "Fun Fun Fun," and that
it sounds more authentic when you sing it with your
nose plugged. (Go ahead, I know you're sitting at your
desk, but I KNOW YOU WANT TO TRY IT. I'll even throw
in the lyrics. )I am really good at the high-pitched
howling notes at the end of that song. This is the other
bonus of driving alone. No one needs to be exposed to
that. :)
