I would walk 1,446 miles, and I would walk 1,446 more... (or, The Tale of a Daddy's Girl)

Hm, not quite as catchy... Mom sent out the official "Texas Jim" email earlier today, meaning that everyone within the family now has Dad's new work email, phone number, and address. Because I'm a visual person, and because I'm curious about Daddy living in a state in which I've only ever laid-over, I Google-mapped it. The result was staggering.

He now lives in Grapevine, Texas. I'll put aside my shock at a town being called "Grapevine" for a moment to inform the general public that upon writing that first sentence, I put quotations around "living." Ah, hope springs eternal. Now, what was I saying? Yes, yes... GRAPEVINE!?

Okay, whatever. It's Texas. (Disclaimer: I've met quite a few nice people from Texas, and yes I do want to visit there someday, but... there's something about it that New Yorkers/northerners/East Coasters were just taught to dislike. Sorry.) So I mapped it, and upon zooming in a half-dozen times, I found out that it looks like every other apartment community in the U.S.: parking spaces, dull grey roofs, woods strategically placed around the perimeter, winding roads... blah.

Then, out of what can only be described as sheer self-loathing (hindsight is 20/20!), I mapped the directions from my humble abode to my father's spankin-new abode.

The total trip is 1,446 miles.

With the exception of two, er, THREE vacations totaling 4 weeks of my 22 years as his daughter, I have never been more than 400 miles away from Dad. Four hundred! Not one thousand four hundred and forty six! That's an extra one thousand and forty six! Not! Cool!

After my initial shock, I perused the directions... 95 to 495 to 66 to 81 to... oy vey. If I decided (out of more sheer self-loathing, apparently) to drive, this trip would take me from Delaware through Maryland through Virginia through Tennessee through Arkansas to Texas. I could also, or alternately, drive through West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and/or Oklahoma. I would be on I-40 for 374 miles, and I-30 for 309. I would be driving for 22 hours and 16 minutes.

My Dad is now that far away.

I <3 Drew.

http://www.superpoop.com/092508/american-financial-system.jpg