My Drive Home

I’ve taken to slowing down toward the top of the hill in Middletown. A trooper has been parking there recently. Running radar, right?

I was driving the little car home from work tonight. My year with Premier has ended and I’ve returned their Forester. They were great. The car was great. I recommend Premier highly because Bob’s a good guy and the cars are well made.

Anyway I’m driving home and I’m playing with this toy. I have a large dongle plugged into my car’s computer which transmits to my smartphone. It shows me things this 1999 model normally doesn’t divulge.

Seriously, how much of a dweeb am I?

One screen, three dials. One reads fuel flow, another long term miles per gallon and a third instantaneous miles per gallon.

If everyone had these we’d all save a lot on gas. Like I said, it’s a toy! I’m trying to get good mileage… without really slowing down.

Right now the car is telling me it’s averaging 30 mpg–higher than when I took the screengrab on the left. I doubt that number. Still a few days from a fill-up.

Idling uses .2 gallons per hour. Who knew? It also gives a meaningless instantaneous reading.

I’m very aware as I drive home. I try to be diligent.

I slow down toward the top of the hill in Middletown. A trooper has been hanging out recently. Running radar, right?

I caught him the first time from a distance. He was very well hidden in a very dark spot. I caught a tiny glint from an approaching vehicle. Lucky catch.

I slowed down as I approached his lair tonight. Sure enough, back again. He parked parked high up in a passthrough in the median. If he wants to write tickets, I-91 is like shooting fish in a barrel!

Attention I-91 officer: You get points for being the “Stealth Trooper!”

I know where I should be at certain times as I drive. When on-time I’m on the Wilbur Cross Parkway exit as I recite along with the radio, “WNPR and WNPR HD1 Hartford, WPKT and WPKT HD1 Norwich, WEDW-FM Stamford, WRLI-FM Southampton and WAIC in Springfield, Massachusetts. I’m Bruce Barber. Have a great night.” Midnight.

I wonder if that will creep Bruce out? It is a little weird.

The part of the Parkway I travel is a little narrower than I-91. It’s in very good shape. Traffic is light. Heading home it’s mostly downhill.

Little traffic. Lonely souls passing through and me going home.

I get off near the Oakdale Theater. I know it has some corporate name at the moment. It’s still “The Oakdale.”

From there it’s suburban roads in Wallingford then into more rural territory. I drive past a huge orchard with dozens of neat rows of fruit trees. There’s a view from Blue Hills Road I need to shoot. I keep saying that.

The road narrows. I veer left for a short connecting street then quickly left again. It’s really rural now. I travel an area that qualifies as a hollow. How many get that in 2012?

On most nights I have already seen my last car! It’s quiet. It’s dark. If there’s going to be fog it’s going to form here before any other place on my route.

I saw two deer tonight. Separate sightings. They were both in the area behind Sleeping Giant State Park. Two raccoon too.

My home is on a small hill. I gain 200 feet of elevation in the last mile.

It’s 33.1 miles from the Courant/FoxCT plant to my garage. I’d rather not tell you how long it takes. I drive when traffic is light.

It would be nice if they’d move the station closer or I could move closer or maybe the governor will grant me speed limit immunity? Probably not.

The drive is worth it.