a tale from the past

Yesterday we returned from a week long trip (please note, "vacation" was not used in that sentence). We journeyed over 1600 miles and saw a LOT (including 46 different states, 5 Canadian provinces and 4 Mexican state license plates). I will tell you more about the trip and journey another time (like when I get my laundry done).

In the meantime, let us reminisce:

The year was somewhere around 2004 or 2005. Nate was driving the machine - a late 1988 (technically an '89 but it was one of the early models put out in '88, it was fancy like that) Pontiac Grand Prix. It was the deluxe version with the paint peeling off the hood. Very sweet. Also, it was missing the driver's side rear view mirror. It was a classic, trusty vehicle (may she rest in peace).

He (Nate) was on the transplant service. This is the service where he would be with the team that would meet with the donator's  remains and, um, retrieve the donated "items." The "items" would then be rushed back to the hospital where a recipient would be prepped and ready to receive such donations.

On this particular day, traffic on 170 was nuts and the transplant team was behind schedule and needed to get to another donation situation which was in the opposite direction of Barnes. Seeing that Nate would be going to Barnes and not to the next donation situation, the donated "item" (a liver, if I remember correctly), was packaged into a cooler and placed into the backseat of the 1989 Pontiac. Nate and the liver rushed off during morning rush hour traffic and made it to Barnes and the waiting recipient in plenty of time.

The story is one that cracks me up. I think it would have been even better if the liver was put into one of these:
















Its actually a lunch box you can send to school with your kid. See, you can buy it if you click: here. I kind of want to get one to send to work with Nate.