The Memory Lane of Atlanta Highways 120 & 9

This weekend, i drove to Atlanta & back for my Windsor (we still call it that even though nobody works there anymore) League fantasy football draft.  Since Phil has moved to Florida, i now have to make the drive, 5 hours each way, by myself.  I left home around 7am Saturday, arriving in Marietta in time for lunch with Shane Jones & David Ayers at Wild Wings, sitting outside at the "tiki bar".  Shane also brought his son Stephen

The Hyatt at Windy Hill, where i normally stay for these weekends, was inexplicably sold out, so i booked a room at a Wingate close to where the draft would be held.  After lunch, i drove from Marietta to Alpharetta, through old Roswell, to the hotel.  This is the route i drove hundreds of times when Julie & i were dating.  So it was a hot afternoon (top up, it was so hot) jaunt down memory lane

The QT on Old Canton & 120, for a late night Diet Dr Pepper.  East Cobb Church of Christ, which we visited a few times.  That new (new when we moved away, anyway) fancy shopping center.  East Hampton subdivision, home to a swim meet & a place to see Christmas lights.  The movie theater where we saw Sixth Sense.  The strip center that used to be anchored by a toy store (or was it a KMart?), where i bought Candyland for Caroline.  Holcombe Bridge Road, where a mile or so east would be Brookwood Grille, site of our first date.  Crossville Road, where a mile or west is Van Gogh's restaurant, a wonderfully romantic dinner with the pre-ordered & personalized dessert.  North Fulton Hospital, where Emily Grace was born

Roswell town square park area - some sort of art festival.  The stoplight at Willeo Rd, at the bottom of 2 big hills, where i almost wrecked the U-Haul as we moved Julie's stuff into my house.  We ate at that Chili's and shopped at that bookstore & a dozen other places.  The church that was on that one prime corner, cleared to make way for a ritzy office park.  The twists & turns & lane shifts that i expertly navigated on a daily basis to set records & personal bests (a minute in the car is a minute i'm not with Julie), still latently mapped in my brain.

It all reminded me of the wonderful time we had together inAtlanta.  Memories that are the beautiful hardwood floors carpeted over by time, life, and fatigue.  These journals, in all their forms, are my way of keeping the carpet peeled back