How to Perk Up a Road Trip

Last night, The Dude, our cousin Stud*, and I drove to New Hampshire to see our cousin DMan* play basketball.  Having left work an hour early, we hadn't anticipated that our travel time would be doubled because of insane traffic.  Early in our drive, The Dude gave us earnest instructions for how to proceed if his road rage were to result in a stroke while he was behind the wheel.  (Shift the car to neutral and slowly pull up on the emergency break.)  It was not the most relaxing drive, with two different GPS aps simultaneously attempting to guide us to our destination.  One bright spot was The Dude's suggestion that we listen to New Kids on the Block during the ride.  The three of us attended an NKOTB concert last spring and came away with a huge appreciation for one of their new hits.  When "The Whisper" came on last night, there was genuine excitement in the car.

Fortunately, we made it to the game just in time to cheer with our aunt, uncle, cousin, and DMan's girlfriend as he and his team obliterated the competition.  As I told DMan today, it was uncanny watching him dominate on the court as his tall, slim physique and athletic skills remind me so much of myself.  (I empathize with Danny DeVito's "genetic trash" character in the movie Twins.)  After enjoying a great game, we were able to cruise home in just half the time, even when factoring in a late-night pitstop at Wendy's.  Stud and I basked in The Dude's pure joy as he ate his way through the Wendy's value menu.  The only thing that could have made his delight more entertaining would have been if he sang the "I Deserve This" song he performed whenever he came home with delicious snacks while we were roommates.

*I really need to figure out what I'm doing with friends' and family members' names on this blog.