Monday, November 28, 2005
That Long Drive To The Show
I enjoy sharing a ride to a show. I only have to say "gas prices" to cover one big reason. But company and conversation is another big reason. I love to talk about rabbits, especially with folks who aren't looking at their watches or saying, "not rabbits again!"
My husband and I took our teenager Sarah and her friend Aaron to Pizza Inn on Saturday. Aaron talked about swim meets and I talked a bit about rabbits. Sarah rolled her eyes and gave me the "really, mom, do you have to" kind of look. Yes, talking with the family about rabbits just isn't that satisfying.
When I travel to shows, I'm more likely to hear, "I know exactly what you mean, I had this rabbit that . . . "
I'm looking forward to my trip on Friday. My friend Alison and I haven't traveled together for a long time (she took a 5-month break from rabbits - what was she thinking!!!!!) I'm sure we'll find plenty to talk about - breeding, cages, show schedules, fitting rabbits into busy lives. We'll be there in no time at all.
I also have come to enjoy driving to shows with just one of my children. Having four kids makes one-on-one time all too rare. My youngest chats away and tells me about favorite cartoon characters or stories she's heard. Every now and then she asks me if she's talking too much. She doesn't chat like this at home so it is a pleasure just to listen to her.
Until this past year, the thought of making long trips alone actually terrified me. I was afraid I would fall asleep at the wheel or get lost or have a wreck. I still worry about having car trouble and I haven't yet gotten a cell phone (I know, I know, I really need one). If you had said to me this time last year that I would actually like traveling alone, I wouldn't have believed it.
But what I find is that in the quiet time in the car, my mind is free to wander and plan and think. Of course, I'm mostly thinking about rabbits. Which to breed to which. What chores need to be done. Which shows to attend. Which rabbits need to be granded or registered. Which rabbits I'm holding on to that should be sold. And on and on and on and on.
Of course, I don't just sit around and think (though I may do so for hours at a time). No sir. I'm starting to get the hang of where the good radio stations are down the I-77, I-85, and I-40 corridors. I know where some of the NPR gaps are in West Virginia now. And I've become a huge fan of the Prairie Home Companion, which airs on Saturday nights on the way home from rabbit shows. I was raised Lutheran, so I can relate to many of the subtle Lutheran comments on the show. That really makes an hour pass by quickly.
It's nice that I've come to enjoy the car rides to and from shows. Otherwise, I would have a large chunk of my hobby that I dreaded. Instead, I'm humming that Willie Nelson tune in my head, "On the road again, I just can't wait to get on the road again . . . "
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 9:33 AM
My husband and I took our teenager Sarah and her friend Aaron to Pizza Inn on Saturday. Aaron talked about swim meets and I talked a bit about rabbits. Sarah rolled her eyes and gave me the "really, mom, do you have to" kind of look. Yes, talking with the family about rabbits just isn't that satisfying.
When I travel to shows, I'm more likely to hear, "I know exactly what you mean, I had this rabbit that . . . "
I'm looking forward to my trip on Friday. My friend Alison and I haven't traveled together for a long time (she took a 5-month break from rabbits - what was she thinking!!!!!) I'm sure we'll find plenty to talk about - breeding, cages, show schedules, fitting rabbits into busy lives. We'll be there in no time at all.
I also have come to enjoy driving to shows with just one of my children. Having four kids makes one-on-one time all too rare. My youngest chats away and tells me about favorite cartoon characters or stories she's heard. Every now and then she asks me if she's talking too much. She doesn't chat like this at home so it is a pleasure just to listen to her.
Until this past year, the thought of making long trips alone actually terrified me. I was afraid I would fall asleep at the wheel or get lost or have a wreck. I still worry about having car trouble and I haven't yet gotten a cell phone (I know, I know, I really need one). If you had said to me this time last year that I would actually like traveling alone, I wouldn't have believed it.
But what I find is that in the quiet time in the car, my mind is free to wander and plan and think. Of course, I'm mostly thinking about rabbits. Which to breed to which. What chores need to be done. Which shows to attend. Which rabbits need to be granded or registered. Which rabbits I'm holding on to that should be sold. And on and on and on and on.
Of course, I don't just sit around and think (though I may do so for hours at a time). No sir. I'm starting to get the hang of where the good radio stations are down the I-77, I-85, and I-40 corridors. I know where some of the NPR gaps are in West Virginia now. And I've become a huge fan of the Prairie Home Companion, which airs on Saturday nights on the way home from rabbit shows. I was raised Lutheran, so I can relate to many of the subtle Lutheran comments on the show. That really makes an hour pass by quickly.
It's nice that I've come to enjoy the car rides to and from shows. Otherwise, I would have a large chunk of my hobby that I dreaded. Instead, I'm humming that Willie Nelson tune in my head, "On the road again, I just can't wait to get on the road again . . . "
Laurie Stroupe
The Nature Trail Rabbitry
Holland Lops Of Distinction
Precious Pet Rabbits
Pet Rabbit Care Information, Quality Pet Rabbit Breeders, and Rabbit Fun ¶ 9:33 AM
