[RKC]

Well, thanks....

There seem to be two types of driving. One is everyday driving - I seem to drive my 911 on commutes to work less and less, and take the commuter train more and more, just to have a dependable time frame, and time to tear through the WSJ and USAToday before work so I know what's going on in the world.

The other is long distance - and it is NOT THE SAME as the first. A train is more like this. I just drove 350 miles from the North Woods of Wisconsin where I dropped my daughter at camp back to Chicago. Five plus hours of fun and winding roads and pretty scenery and iPod tunes and word/car games with my son and wife. Two lanes and some highways. Nice people flashing their lights to let the truckers re-enter lanes. Idle talk and cold Root Beer Floats at the A & W. Everyone going 70 or 80, everyone feeling free and happy. My wife's SUV had our kayak on it, just like the commercials! The big GM trucks were towing fishing boats and waterskiing boats and Jet Skis and a Hobie Cat or two. Gold Wings with helmeted couples, kids on ATV's at every farm. And people were appreciative rather than jealous of everyone else's stuff. We got compliments when coming into shore in the kayak from people in high-powered speed boats, and showed interest in return.

80 miles from Chicago the idiots appeared, as they do in every city (even Madison, WI!!!) SUV's driven so aggressively you can't believe they don't tip over. A guy doing 110 in a WRX and cutting lanes like he had a death wish. Living close up to each other on the highways, just like we live close up in the tract homes and the high-rises - too close really, for civility. And everyone hating the Harleys or the Porsches or the pretenders in the Hummers - everyone scratching and competing for scarce resources. Its was ugly. And this is where most of us live.

I prefer the wide open spaces.