I Feel Like an Ent

"I always like going South; somehow, it feels like going downhill."  - Treebeard (the ent) from Lord of the Rings

And this feels true to me, as I am 500 miles south of home.  Closer to my kids than I am home, yet I still can't afford to go down there this weekend.

...dammit...

But I am convinced that Treebeard's saying is somewhat true.  I am at a lower elevation in St George, Utah than I am in Idaho Falls.  If I go North to Great Falls, Montana, it feels like I'm going uphill.

I wonder if this old tree's ramblings actually holds some truth?  Or is it just on the I-15 corridor in the areas I travel?

Hmmmm.... let's meditate on that one...

While I'm considering the uphill/downhill theory, let me again voice my frustration on being so close to my kids right now.  My territory for my day job goes all the way down to the Utah/Arizona border.

When I'm at the very bottom, I'm only 5 hours away from my kids.  This is the second time being down here in the last few months, and I still can't figure out a way to turn these trips into a quick-border-hop visit with my children.

That extra 5 hours adds another day to my trip, and about $200 in hotels and gas costs.  The time I have... the money... not so much.

BUT I'M SO CLOSE.  SO VERY CLOSE...  ARRRRGH.

I guess all I can do is cross my fingers?  Maybe I'll get an email from someone wanting to buy ad space on my blog, or pay for a sponsored review.  If I somehow get visited by the cash fairy in the next 6 hours, I'll be able to head South at the end of my workday instead of driving home.

We'll see.  Fingers crossed, but hopes are not up.  South Utah can just tease me a little more, I guess...  And I need to work on putting more money in the piggy bank.