After going through a hundred radio stations, a thousand road signs and 1,740 miles, I am back. On Thursday, my mom and I drove to Texarkana, stayed a night at a Comfort Inn. On Friday we drove through Arkansas, Tennessee and into Kentucky. We stayed two nights in a Country Inn, which was the only place in town that still had vacancy. It was much more expensive than Comfort Inn.

I met Donald on Friday evening/very early Saturday morning. He met us in the Kroger parking lot. I hugged him for the first time there. We followed him across town to the hotels of Lexington. At the fifth or sixth hotel, we got a room (even though it was a smoking room). Donald helped us carry our stuff in, then left us to get rested for Saturday.

Saturday has already run together in my mind. I recall looking over my shoulder while in the swing and seeing him holding my jacket for me. I remember sitting beside him in a booth in Applebee's, and in the car as he drove us around. Most vividly, I remember hugging him, and looking over his shoulder to see a capitol building, a river, and a small scattering of houses in a valley that stretched to the horizon. I sat in his lap as my mom was taking pictures of Daniel Boone's grave. Ladybugs were everywhere and we picked them out of each other's clothing and hair. The sun seemed to pass over the valley below, and instead aimed its light on our spot in front of the grave marker. That scene made every bad thing in this world seem so far from me. Everyone should have a moment like that, to save back.

The rest of the day was slower. The three of us went back to the hotel, and Donald left for an hour while I tried to nap. He returned and took me to his house for a while, to his room. We left from there and had a late dinner, then returned to the hotel room. He slept on the fold-out couch there, and saw us off in the morning.

The drive home was uneventful. We stopped at a Super 8 in Arkadelphia and got home at 4 pm on Monday. And here I am at work on Tuesday. There's more that happened...smaller things to mention. I will, when I get my mind more organized.