you really don't want to know

slope day sucks. >:-(
four more hours, at least.

Just south of Homer on route 81 northbound, there’s a new rest stop. I was on 81 southbound, and noticed there was a state trooper sitting at the entrance to this rest stop, with his rollers on. I wondered why, since he didn’t seem to have anyone pulled over, and he was at an odd angle.

A minute later, I saw why. There was a WALL of headlights coming north on 81. A full 10-man escort on police motorcycle was leading an 18-wheeler with “The Vietnam Wall Experience” painted on the side. Behind the 18-wheeler were motorcycle headlights as far as the eye could see. I found it very touching. For almost 10 miles I drove on, still watching the unending train of motorcycles. I welled up with tears a little, because honestly, the Wall has always had that effect on me, and this enormous show of remembrance just really hit me. Anyway, I got to the part where northbound and southbound split apart, and all I could see was rockface for several miles. I couldn’t see northbound traffic anymore, because they were several dozen feet above my head, on the other side of the natural divider. I drove along those miles, all choked up, thinking “please let there be more, please let there be more, please let there be more….”

I got to the point where the highway joins again, just before my exit to Cortland, and again all I could see was motorcycle headlights as far as the eye could see. At that point I seriously lost it, and I’m crying again now just thinking about it. Ride on guys. Remember.