Kim writes:

I still dislike long car trips, but John says I've been on very good behavior.

John writes:

After a surprisingly good breakfast downstairs at our Hampton Inn and then relaxing in our room with some hot tea, Kim and I were on the road at 11:00. In accordance with my policy of 'See America, by God', Kim and I jumped on the Blue Ridge Parkway out of Asheville and headed north.

After two hours of a beautiful, shady drive - albeit curvy and mountainous - we departed the Parkway at Boone, NC, and headed to Ohio. Nine hours later we arrived at my Mom's house in good ol' Lancaster, Ohio, where we were greeted by my Mom, one of my brothers, and my sister-in-law.

After having logged 478 more miles on Kim's car, we ordered a sub and a salad from Donato's Pizza; after which, the five of us sat and talked around the kitchen table. By God, now that's America! At 11:00, Kim retired to the spare bedroom, Mom went to her bedroom, and I collapsed on the futon in the family room. Best of all today, an important piece of mail was waiting for us upon our arrival at Mom's house. Kim had forgotten her bicycle's odometer, but a desperate phone call back to her neighbor in Port Orange, FL had remedied the situation. That neighbor has a key to Kim's house, so she found the odometer on Kim's dresser and then sent it to my Mom's house via Express mail. I love it when puzzle pieces fall together.