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Sunny skies & temperature in the 70s in the Chicago IL area today. You know: absolutely gorgeous weather. Perfect for driving. Perfect for road trips. Perfect to enjoy my “home”.

Having no job since February 2012 (no income since September 2013) has had many frustrating, maddening, deflating & eye-opening aspects. Having the time but no money to road trip ranks right up there. Days like this sure don’t help.

This past Saturday (my birthday), I “splurged” &, with similar weather conditions [should stay this way this entire week], went for a 1.5-hour drive in my still very filthy 1979 Caprice Classic sedan. The drive was therapeutic in some ways, but bittersweet in others. Noticed a lot of changes in the area since I’d last taken a drive on the country roads west of town. Progress, I think they call it.

Actually, some of the changes ARE progress … & make me wish I still had my cars to drive on a regular basis because some of the paths I used to drive are better now with roadway reconfigurations. Case in point, Plank Road through Burlington IL. For as long as I can remember, Plank Road had a “jog” in Burlington. Approaching from east or west, you had to turn right onto Burlington Rd, then left back onto Plank Road. Through town, the speed limit was 25, compared to 55 on either side.

A year ago, they started re-working that interchange:

Now (work completed), Plank Rd east of Burlington Rd is a “bypass”. Speed limit is still lowered, but only to 45. Burlington & Plank Rds meet at a traditional intersection, with a stoplight. Makes driving in & around Burlington on Plank Rd quite enjoyable now.

Anyway, days like this remind me of my “dream life”: making a living out of road tripping 24/7/365. I’d settle for a job at a mom’n’pop place along any famous 2-lane. Despite some experiences these last 3 years, I still contend meeting people in person is best, leading to opportunities & connections you would never have realized otherwise.