Wife just called about an hour ago. They have safely completed another Rapid Run.

Returning eldest son to college. And this time the youngest son and wife's godson wanted to go along. Ostensibly to look over the campus, but mainly because they wanted to stop in Central City to see Lord of the Rings yet again.

Got all my work done on Friday, and decided I wanted to go, too. To either see the movie, or have dinner at Carini's. (But not both... a 2 o'clock showing of the three-hour movie gets you to the campus town ~21:00 (all things going well), too late for Carini's.

Wife and I discussed the lousy roads, and convinced ourselves there should be no movie. So that they could make the trip in daylight, especially the last three hours on narrow two-lane highways, some in the mountains.

And then we discussed the seating arrangements. Five people in an Explorer with five seats. With the back end filled with clothes, luggage, emergency supplies and indespensible cd players and cd boxes.

And three hyper heelers.

For six to seven hours.

This would not be good.

So the heeler Mom, the masked heeler and I are stuck home alone again for the weekend. (Wife hates and refused to make a 14-hour one-day run.)

Since I was booted out to make room for the godson, I told the wife she could not enjoy a dinner at Carini's. If I was going to be deprived, so was she.

"Unless you bring me home a prime rib dinner."

She took a cooler along to do just that.

But when she called, she advised there would be no Carini's. It was 10 o'clock, and they just got to college town.

Why so late?

The three youngsters spent the first two hours of the drive convincing her the roads would be okay, and they could still see Lord of the Rings.

Like it would be that hard to twist her arm.

So they did.

If I had known, I would have gone anyway. I can stand seven hours of heelers on my lap if I get to see that movie mid-trip.

But no, I got screwed.

She says the roads in the mountains were horrible. Icy, with fog, and of course at night. And none too pleasant on the last hour or so on the plains. Added an hour to her drive. She sounded stressed.

Serves her right.