So, today I had to drive the dreaded commute route that I thought I had left in my rearview mirror last Friday when I retired. Ah, yes. Good old I-66 and Rt 28. I really wasn’t looking forward to making this journey today but I had to go back to my old stomping grounds to pick up my contact lenses from Costco. My goal was to get into Chantilly and back out before the legions of working folks began clogging up the roads at the end of “the work day.” Hmm, writing that phrase makes me wonder how/when/why our corporate culture became so enslaved by such a strict Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday rut. I mean, life happens every day, doesn’t it? And, time is, by far, our most valuable resource. Who decided that the way to succeed in life was to trade our time for money? Wouldn’t most of us rather be paid according to the products and services we provide to the world? Alas, I digress. We’ll get back to this topic another day, soon. (I promise)

So, I drove to Chantilly and only had two near death experiences on the roads. Whew! My trusty co-pilot, Lucy, was with me for moral support so I felt less stressed than when I was making the trek alone to get to/from work. I mean, how could I be stressed with this furry face next to me.

Once I had completed my mission at Costco and fired up the truck to return home, I caught myself grinning. Here it was, a THURSDAY, and I had driven within spitting distance of my office and gleefully drove on past without going into work. Yippeeeee!!! And, I managed to make my exodus just soon enough to be ahead of the masses heading West. It was such a beautiful autumn day. The sun was shining, the temps were warm enough to have all of the windows down, and the signature scents of fall surrounded me as Lucy and I took the leisurely back road route to return home. Ahhhh, such bliss…

Once home, I had time to unload the truck and tend to a few chores before taking Mel out to dinner at a new Mexican restaurant in town. (It was really good, by the way) On the way home from dinner, we were treated to some breathtaking views of the full moon that was gleaming above us. My photo didn’t do it justice, so i’ll share one that a friend captured from her cell phone: How amazing is it that we have the ability to capture so much detail in a photo of an object almost 239,000 miles away using something we carry around with us everyday to make and receive phone calls? For a better sense of how brightly it was reflecting the light of the sun tonight, here is another shot, this one from NASA/Joel Kowsky:

Gorgeous, isn’t it?

After receiving the magnificent gift of seeing such beauty, we returned home just in time for me to connect with my small coaching group via Zoom. It was a good day.

And, with that, I say, “Goodnight, moon…”