I’m on another plane today after running the mile minimum necessary to extend “The Streak” due to all the packing preparations. Our destination is Chicago, so the four hour flight seems like a puddle-jump compared to our recent trip to Thailand. We’ll be gone a week, so the pups will be well cared for by Kimberley. Frankie the cat will be predictably upset so we can expect some revenge shenanigans from her when we return. She’ll probably refuse to eat and use everything but her litter box to get even. Tally will be excited to go on more walks with her energetic play pal and Tinker will think she’s starving, worried about if we’re ever coming back? Both schnauzers clearly noticed the suitcases being packed this morning and transferred to the car. We never tell them “goodbye,” that would only serve to add to their stress levels.

I felt the usual travel stress myself while driving to the airport. “Did I forget anything?” dominates my thoughts. “What could go wrong?” is explored over and over in my mind. The real purpose of this trip is to visit my wife’s 97-year old mother and give her a break from assisted living. Unfortunately, she’s living a life no one would envy. Her visit is in conjunction with my wife’s Chicago business meetings tomorrow. We’ll stick around Chicago for a ballgame and some dinners before we make the drive into Indiana. At least this time we’re not also going to Indianapolis or Elkhart for sister visits, so the driving will be much less hectic. We’ll save that for three months from now when we likely will return.

I’ve not yet committed to my 50th High School Reunion that could be part of that next visit to the Hoosier state. There’s also the 98th birthday to celebrate and my 68th. Thirty more years of living would not be my preference if I couldn’t travel, read, write, or even watch TV. My aging mother-in-law was born in the same year as my parents, who have been gone now for well over four years. She’s been mostly deaf since childhood and is gradually losing her eyesight due to kidney failure. Soon her savings will be depleted on nursing care. With this in mind, twenty more years will be more than enough for me. That’s another 7,300-plus days of daily running on top of today’s 3,756 USRSA streak. Maybe even 10,000 consecutive days is enough – that could happen when I’m only 85! I’d also like to ski when I’m 80, but 70 is first. One day at a time!