Road-trip Ruminations

This past weekend, I spent 8 hours driving in the car by myself. I'm sure anyone who has done this can testify that a solo driving experience is a double-edged sword: you have the solitude to let your mind wander and think up great conversation starters, but there is no one around to talk to.

So, since none of you were there to enjoy my random thoughts--and see the random sights--I thought I'd share:

• Why is there a "China Grove, North Carolina"? Is it like China Town in NYC, where Chinese immigrants can have a bit of the home country right here in America? Is there a "China Grove Inn;" and if so, is it a motel or Chinese restaurant?

• Heaven better have a never-ending supply of Bojangles sweet tea and Chick-fil-a lemonade.

• Right after crossing the North Carolina-South Carolina border, there's a sudden spike in Clemson paraphernalia. There's also a spike in overweight rednecks wearing overalls. Those two facts are probably related. (In other words: Go Gamecocks!!)

• Due to recent events in Minneapolis, I am now consciously aware of each and every bridge I have to cross. And I have a feeling that I'm not the only one.

• Rihanna's hit "Umbrella" is far less impressive when not thumping out of some club's speakers. And I will pay someone to steal T-Pain's damn voice -modulator. Seriously, without the thing he'll fall off the face of the Earth, and we will all be better off.

• Big Pete brought this up back in the day, and it still holds true: why is there always that one lone shoe on the side of the highway? Where's the other shoe? And why are people going around losing shoes in the first place?

• Why did I never get into watching The Cosby Show? It seems that everyone else can rattle off the names of all the Huxtable kids, who the kids married, and in what episode kid X did insanely stupid stunt Y, resulting in the weekly Cliff Huxtable truism and/or punishment. But not me...nope, I can't even tell you where the heck Raven-Symoné's character came from. Seriously, there were like 28 kids running around in that house--how does anyone keep them straight? (But I do remember the episode where the men were pregnant, and gave birth to footballs and subway sandwiches...that was funny stuff.)

• How many tractor-trailer companies do we need? Seriously, you've got: J.B. Hunt, Old Dominion, Swift, Knight, Roadway, Maersk, Covenant Transport, Schneider and Celadon just to name a few. Don't they all do basically the same thing? Sure, maybe some of them specialize in hauling...I dunno...cold stuff versus not-cold stuff...but they all haul stuff. Do we really need all of them?