A Christmas Story
A Christmas Story
It was two day's after Christmas and jolly old Saint Nick had been here.
We were loaded to the gunnels' with the Pack-N-Play, sleds, snow gear and a weekends worth of clothes.
Into the Storm Trooper we climb.
We make a stop at the Shell station to turn off the low fuel light and away we go.
I-196 is nice and smooth, traffic is light and I set the cruise.
Minutes pass and now we change expressways, US-131 traffic is heavy.
Grand Rapids get's smaller in the mirror, traffic move's along at a fast pace.
We lumber along in our white Discovery, we are not out to win a race.
Finally Grand Rapids cannot be seen.
At mile 76 I hear a small voice from the back.
"Hey dad, there is a Burger King, can we stop?"
No, no I say, no BK today, we are on our way to grandma "B"'s house.
At 65 miles per hour we zip along, on our way to Cadillac it won't be long.
We climb the first big hill, look it's the rest area, "does anybody have to pee?"
"No not me".
We crest the hill and start our decent, your cell phone signal came and went.
Down we start, 65,66,67,68 here we go!
The bottom we reach with not a trouble, now to start and climb the other.
65,64,63 "dad do we need to push?"
"No son she may be slow, but one day when she is your's she will still go"
Now again down we go, this one is bigger than the last, better than a roller coaster if you must ask.
Here is our exit, M-55 here we come, put away your phone, you may as well have none.
The rain has stopped and turned to snow, it does not matter because to grandma "B"'s we go.
Mile 117 we reach Lake City, "look to your left kid's, see the ice fisherman? How about the snowmobiler'sracing across the lake?"
"Those guys are crazy dad, it's just way to cold"
M-55 meets US-127, not long now kids we have hit I-75.
Only 106 miles to the bridge.
Grayling comes, Grayling goes, off to grandma "B"'s we go.
Are we going to *******? No, it is Water's if you must know.
The mile's come and the mile's go, our Land Rover doe's not even know.
She lumber's along with the mile's clicking away, 175,561, 175,568, 175,569.
She can do this all day.
At mile 168 we reach our exit, turn right only 15 miles to go!
The kid's get excited, I get sad.
Only 10 more mile's to go.
The snow is deep, why it's almost 5 feet!
Slow down as we cross the creek, only 2 mile's to go.
"Where is it dad, on the left or the right?"
We pull into the driveway oh what a beautiful sight.
Open the doors, stretch your legs, another 3 hour trip has been made.
As my wife and kids go inside, I pat my Land Rover on her side.
"Thank you, thank you I say, thank you for this wonderful day"
