Our new BFF, Bobby the 3rd, a non descendent of famous franchise restauranteur, Bob Evans.

July 21, 2021 - Wednesday morning

63 degrees/sunny/calm winds

Pentoga Road

Every now and then I meet a young adult who makes me miss my days of teaching. It doesn't happen often anymore, but it did last night. 

Our waiter, Bo introduced himself and in my sappy way, said, "Good to meet you Bob. Are you a descendent of Bob Evans who owns this place?"

I waded even deeper and though I knew his name was Bo, concocted a fictional lineage and began calling him Bobby the Third, the young man who will inherit his grandfather's, Bob Evans, restaurant franchise.

Bo took it all in stride. Full of yes pleases and no thank you's, Bo told us he's planning to attend a local college to earn his Xray tech certification with plans to further his education at the University of Michigan and earn a more advanced degree(s) in medicine.

We told Bo about our own Bay College that is located in Iron Mountain and of their programs. I also gave Bo my personal phone number, something I seldom do, should he find himself exploring an alternative college in our area. 

I don't know where I'm going with his except to say that Bo's parents have done a great job of raising their son. Good kids don't happen by accident.

What? A youngster who is actually working to earn money for school, has manners, is capable of speaking in full sentences and conjugating verbs, makes eye contact, and possesses a realistic dream of the future? Other than my oldest granddaughter, I didn't know there were any of those left.

Congratulations, Bo and Bo's parents. Whatever you are doing, keep it up. The future is, indeed, bright.

Oh, and thanks, Bobby the Third, for restoring my faith in a tiny bit of the future. It makes my day a whole lot brighter. 

Our drive from Utica, New York, to Coldwater, Michigan, was a good one on Tuesday. Traffic was either bumper to bumper heavy, four lanes across, or so light that occasionally, we were only one of three or four vehicles on the entire interstate.

The usual bottlenecks, Buffalo and Cleveland, were white knuckle affairs, but thanks to courteous and kind drivers, rather than zoom off towards some distant city like Atlanta or God forbid, Los Angles, I was allowed to slow down, put on my blinker, and enter the correct lane. 

Truck traffic was, at times, choking, to say the least, with ours being the only car in sight.

We saw more truck-trains than I've ever seen before, but then, I seldom get out of the Upper Peninsula where they've yet to be invented, well, at least on Pentoga Road.

Amazon is making its presence known. We probably saw twenty or more Prime semis yesterday, all carting packages to places unknown.

Vineyards along Lake Erie

We were twenty miles east of Toledo at a rest area when we made the decision to bypass the construction and chaos of Detroit. Continuing on for fifty miles, we hung a right on interstate 69 and will drive north today, bypassing Lansing and continuing onto northern Michigan and eventually, the UP.

Sargie wants to do some shopping along the way so our ETA, or if we even arrive home tonight, is still questionable. We may be in Michigan, but we're still over eight hours away. 

OK, time to get this uploaded. It's been a fun, fast, and furious trip, but I'm feeling the tug of home. That's why we call it Pentoga Road.

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Coldwater, Michigan...

Big Indian selling gas, diesel, duty free cigarettes, and oh yeah, Hiawatha Hemp. I guess it depends on who's making the money...