Blame it on the Gin Blossoms

I did something tonight that I haven't done in a very long time and I blame the Gin Blossoms. Last week, while wandering through Barnes and Noble lamenting the lack of musical knowledge of the sales people (I mean, really, they are supposed to be able to read my mind and know what song I'm talking about), I came across a Gin Blossoms Best of cd in a super discount pile. Since, the radio was annoying me, I bought it.

It's been in my car since and it's making me wax nostalgic. It must have been sometime in high school that I first heard them, since those are all the memories I can't ditch. So tonight, I did what I used to do then, I went for a "Big Ed" run.

For those of you who don't know, I will explain. Big Eds are these luscious ice cream sandwiches. Giant chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream smashed in between. They are decadent. If you haven't had one yet, get one. It's worth any effort.

But, a "Big Ed" run has nothing to do with the ice cream, though that certainly helps. I cannot remember the exact origin of the "big ed run", but again sometime in high school. It was an excuse to go somewhere, a destination, and in the town I grew up in.. it meant going "out the road" for a drive.

Out the road.. pretty funny really. From one of the road to the other (there was only one main one) there was a total of about 32 miles, but going on a big ed run gave us the impression of movement and travel so it eased the cabin fever and the need to go somewhere. In time, "do you want to go for a big ed run?" became a code, for "I've got to talk about something or whine about something (let's face it we all whine) or .. I just need to get the heck out here right now. And, naturally, there was always lots of loud off key singing to whatever songs we loved at the time.

There was lots of that tonight as I sang along to my favorite Gin Blossoms songs. For any of you unfortunate to have been with me on a big ed run, you know it was scary. And, since it was such a lovely warm evening, the windows were down. Poor coyotes.

My big ed destination, was Shoshone, California. It's about 30 - 45 minutes away along a windy highway through the desert. I had forgotten how soothing a drive through nothing could be. A few coyotes scooted along in the ditches and I had to break for a family of quail (I did check, no one was behind me). Through the darkness, all of a sudden, you come over this little rise (I'd never done this at night before) and there are little glowing lights in the distance like earth bound stars - rather pretty actually.

Of course, I didn't think ahead for things like if the store would be open, so there was no Big Ed at the end of my drive, but it cleared my head and amazingly I enjoyed it. I need to get out more at night, the sense of space at night is much more appealing at night than during the daylight when everything is washed out by the haze and sun. It appeals to my sense of nature worship and at night, you can't tell that everything is nearly the same color.

I still blame the Gin Blossoms that I didn't get my Big Ed, but I am glad for the memories.

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