going home

last weekend marked the start of an event that has happened for 28 years in our family. long, long ago, when Vail was simply a backwoods ski resort (o.k. it really wasn't that...even back then) my parents got a screaming deal on a time share. we have since gone there every year, minus 2, maybe.
here's the start of the drive.

along the way, there are many abandoned mines

and then you get closer and closer.

Image by caribb via Flickr

TO THIS

one of the things i most remember about our trips to the mountains...besides inhaling the stale fumes from my dad's diesel BMW and wondering, "i wonder if i die from exhaust inhalation, if there is even a soul around besides my parents to help" yes, i really did wonder that. i would look up and see telephone lines every once in a while, so i'd figure that was a good sign. anyway, one of the things i remember the most is when we would drive through tunnels. There are a lot of tunnels in the mountains here, of course, it's how you get "through" the mountains so fast.

well, ever since i could remember, when we would go through tunnels my dad would blow the horn on the car. it wasn't for safety or for anything of that nature, although he might like it if we thought that. but looking back on it, i think it was my uptight dad's way of "letting go" he was, and always will be, an engineer at heart. very rigid, and there is definitely a right way of doing things. when he does things, he tends to want to do them right.

this horn thing was way out of character for him though..it's like he was having a mini party in the car...if only for a few minutes.



but remember when i say he is an engineer. he likes to have things done right. you couldn't just expect him to use his car horn. so, also from the time i remember, we brought something along the lines of this, on the trip

Image via Wikipedia

have a great weekend, and toot a horn while you're at it.