Tom and Cindy's Big C Adventures: I'm the Driver

In the thirty-plus years that Tom and I have been married, he has been the driver. Early in our relationship when I would drive, he was always a nervous passenger, constantly telling me what to watch out for, what lane I should be in, and not to get so close to the edge of the cliff! Clearly it was much more relaxing for both of us for him to take the wheel.

Moony parked in our driveway.

Starting in March, when he started feeing ill, I took over the wheel and have been the driver ever since. I've put over 3,400 miles on Moony since mid-March. Yes, my car has a name. I named my first car that I bought with my babysitting money and the next two cars, but gave up the practice for the next 35 years of my adult life. Four years ago when I purchased the nicest car I've ever owned, a 2008 Mini Cooper, I gave it the name Moony. My first two Volkswagons (1963 and 1967) were named Moon and New Moon, so it seemed appropriate to name my new special fun-to-drive car Moony.

As the driver, I like to plan my driving stops so that I make a loop rather than zig-zag or backtrack. Tom can confirm this (with a slight eyeroll or sigh). Driving to Tom's radiation treatments in North Portland, five days a week, I preferred non rush hour times when I could zoom there on the highways and then take the back roads home through the more picturesque areas.

You know what highways look like, so here are some photos to give you a flavor of the rural drive. These were taken within the last year but not on our treatment trips so as to minimize my increasing requests for stopping and taking photos. * all photos taken from the driver's seat of Moony.