4 AM on the way home from DC means…
January 7, 2006, 12:49 AM
First of all, yes, I get home LATE when I go to Washington. VERY late. It’s actually “tomorrow” for the parents when I’m just finishing up my “today”. If I’m not home by four in the morning, I get a call on my cell phone from Mom, which is basically what I call the are-you-alive call. And the call’s purpose is usually just to figure out when I am and determine when I’ll be back home.
Usually when I get this call, I’m in or close to Harrisonburg. One goal for me for the ride home is to be at least as far as Harrisonburg if not past it when I get that call.
On my December 21 DC trip, I never got that call. And when I got home, I was like, “Why didn’t you call me?” And it’s funny – first few times when Mom started calling, it did annoy me slightly. Now I enjoy them and come to expect such things. In fact, the reason that not getting called that time bothered me was because I was so ahead of schedule that I wanted to brag about how ahead of schedule I was. Just like, “Aha, look at me!” And I never got to do that, sad to say.
Now what’s funny is what happened this last time, coming home from my January 4 trip. I did so well on the way home, owing to an earlier-than-usual start from Vienna, that I pulled in the driveway at exactly 4 AM. No call yet. I figured I’d get in, say hello, and go to sleep. Instead, I got in, didn’t see anyone, and went on upstairs. While I’m sitting in my desk chair, my phone goes off.
Mom: “Where are you?”
Me: “I’m in my room.”
Mom: “No, really.”
Me: “Seriously, I am in my room.”
Mom: “When did you get home?”
Me: “Just now.”
I think I was more amazed that I got in undetected than anything else. That usually never happens. Still, it was amusing, and I had fun in Washington, too.
Song: Sakura Saku, my ringtone
Quote: Waiting for my are-you-alive call... - Me thinking about getting the call in the car