Page 31 - February 2021 Issue.indd
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am thankful to have accumulated of that website and to start logging the my maps quickly exposed a number of
such occasionally useful knowledge counties where I had set foot. I will not counties I had not breached surrounded
over the years, it began completely by divulge how late I remained in Room by ones I had -- an unenviable and tragic
happenstance. I was teaching high school 204 that night but I am certain it broke a turn of events in the culture of this
history about fi fteen years ago, though personal longevity record, especially for hobby. I willfully concede I have run off
I will not mention where for fear of a Friday. I sat hastily scribbling a long list more than one female acquaintance in
incrimination. It was a Friday aft ernoon mentally retracing the steps of literally my life by adding random county line
and I had shown the same video to every all the road trips I had ever taken, from coordinates to our vacations; maybe one
class. My mind was starting to wander cow-buying expeditions with my father day I will fi nd a woman that shares my
and predictably my daydreams turned as a boy to any vacation itinerary I could passion for crossing off lists of parks and
to travel. Keeping one eye on the class recall. I lost an entire weekend, never highways and counties and then some,
of course and one eye on my laptop, I leaving the house but enjoying the self- but that is a column for another time.
was scrolling through an online national imposed sequestration immensely. The fact that this topic is my Valentine’s
parks forum when someone posted the Then the real legwork began. Not month submission tells you all you need
link to a website, mob-rule.com, that only did I have to match up my travel to know about my life priorities.
helps members identify the counties history state by state with corresponding Despite those relationship mishaps, I
they traversed on their NPS-based road
highways on the digital maps provided would not change a thing about my
trips. A disclaimer: pay no mind to the
and painstakingly enter them with the pursuit of geographic milestones. “Sorry
provocative URL nomenclature -- the
utmost precision lest I be accused of not sorry” is my official stance on matters
name is an acronym based on the initials
falsely claiming a county, I naturally of the heart, because, as of press time, I
of the founder of the service, who it
had to jump in the car starting the have conquered 1,954 counties in all 50
should be duly noted does not endorse
following weekend and tackle “donuts” states. As lofty as that figure sounds, it is
anarchy.
I had subsequently uncovered. Likely really only 62% of the ultimate goal. A
Instantly, I was re-energized: not to fi nish you are curious what exactly that is in demoralizing 1,189 remain but I am not
up the lesson in any dynamic way, mind this context, and ironically for me, it giving up. In fact, very few people have
you, but to immediately register as a user has nothing to do with food: fi lling out visited all 3,143. According to standings
TIME TO TRY SOMETHING
ON YOUR OWN?
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Call Michael Shipley
410-924-4807
mshipley55@comcast.net
110 Market Street
Denton, MD 21629
BENSON & MANGOLD 410-479-0777
31
