Whither Springfield?

I find myself in Springfield, Ohio quite a lot. Regular readers (you know who you are) understand that's because the company I sell for (Electric Eel: for all you drain and sewer cleaning needs) is based there. But it's struck me lately that dear old Springfield just doesn't get enough love.

It occurred to me while driving there awhile back that you rarely see the mileage to Springfield when tooling along the Interstate. Dayton, Columbus, Cincinnati, they all receive their due. At intervals you will see signs letting you know that Dayton is in 57 miles or Cinci 131. In fact just south of Toledo in Ohio on Interstate 75 there is a sign which proclaims that Tampa, Florida is a mere 1100 miles down the road. But how far to Springfield?

Even coming back from Indiana on Interstate 70, which goes directly to Springfield, you will get no help about the distance there. Yet you will be told how far it is to Dayton, despite the fact that it is not on 70. Indeed I-70 runs about twenty miles above it. Why can't we know about Springfield? 

Or am I asking the wrong question? Is there some dark secret to which I am not privy? Perhaps the question isn't, Whither Springfield? Maybe it's, okay, Springfield, what did you do?

An Electric Eel Monday

Tomorrow morning I make the trek to Electric Eel in Springfield, Ohio. There's nothing unusual about that; I do it virtually weekly. But this time it will be different. I'm going in the wee hours of a Monday morning.

In forty some years, and very much more frequently of late, I honestly can't remember if I've ever made the trip at the start of a week. Typically, I go midweek, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. I distinctly recall going on the occasional Friday as well. Yet Monday...I don't believe I've ever made a Monday trip.

That it's a relatively unimportant thing I will not argue. Still, it is going to feel odd walking out the door at 1 or 2 o'clock tomorrow morning to go to the plant. In a weird way, I'm looking forward to this trip more than any in along time. I'm sure it's a good way to begin the week.