We’re heading to Arlington to pack up our condo there and get it ready to hand over a Realtor, so we’ll be offline until the end of the month.

XM Radio’s 50s channel (50s on 5) was just finishing up playing all the songs released during that decade when I turned the Liberty off U.S. 221 and onto Alum Ridge Road for the shortcut over to Rte. 8 shortly after 5 a.m.

A client emergency sent me headed for DC in the wee hours of the morning — a four-to-five hour drive depending on traffic and the alertness of Virginia’s State Police (Question for another time: If Virginia is a Commonwealth, why do we have a “State” Police?).

Two hurricanes out in the Atlantic with Francis threatening to hit Florida sometime soon.

Somebody fooled with Mother Nature and she’s royally pissed.

In Hillsville to run some errands and stopped off at the Citgo station for gas. Just down the hill on 221 many tents and trailers are already in place for the annual Carroll County Gun Show and Flea Market over Labor Day weekend.

“Ready for the gun?” The question brought a frown from the guy behind the counter.

“Ready to get the hell out of town. I always go fishing over Labor Day.”

“So, you’ll miss all the fun and games?”

“That’s the general idea.”

I’m driving in this morning and the traffic report talks about backups on I-5.

I-5? Yep. Listening to the traffic reports for Los Angeles on XM. I’m zipping along 221 just outside Willis at 60-65 (OK, 50-55 if any State Troopers are reading) and laughing out loud at reports of hour-long backups on I-5 near LA.

Then I switch over to the XM channel for traffic in the DC metro area (our old haunt). Sure ’nuff. I-395 is clogged by an accident and I-66 is bumper to bumper west of the Beltway.

I’m laughing. Bet they ain’t.