"What are you going to offer me?"

I talked with my wife Saturday morning. We were both waking up and talking about what we had ahead of us that day.

I had been out of town, covering a high school football game Friday night. It was about two hours away, so I got back home about 10:45 p.m. My son David came along--I dropped him off at his place before getting home. My wife was just heading for bed when I got home; we talked a few minutes, I checked a couple things on the computer and then lay down, too.

I had another game to cover Saturday. This one was in the afternoon, about 70 miles away. The weather forecast said it would be sunny and mild. David was staying home this time, and I got an idea.

"Do you want to come along?"

"Why? What are you going to offer me?"

She asks this because sometimes I can offer some special incentive for her to come along and keep me company. Things like towns that have a shopping center or a quilt shop. Places where she likes to stop along the way. Some especially nice scenery. A good restaurant.

But in this case, there was no such place. Between here and there, it's mostly forests on each side of the road, 75 miles west through the national forest and after the game 75 miles back east. The fall leaves have mostly fallen, and the countryside can be rather barren in places. No big towns. Nothing much larger than a convenience store. It's just a long drive.

If we had more time after the game, maybe we could have visited N, who lives about 20 miles further west. Maybe take her out to supper. But that's another 20 miles each way, and I wanted to get back home. Also, I hadn't mentioned it to N as something we might do, and I don't like to drop in on people unexpectedly.

Still, it would have been nice to have someone to talk with and keep me company on my long drive. I have to walk up and down the sidelines during the game, true, but I could come over and sit with her during halftime. Maybe fetch her a hot dog (high school football cuisine; that and nacho chips). And when she goes with me to a sports event, I always pay her ticket.

But in her eyes, going for a ride with me and sitting through a football game wasn't an appetizing enough prospect for a sunny Saturday. She said she'll stay home. Maybe she would go to a rummage sale. Maybe she would work on her vacuum cleaner.

So I made the trip by myself.

It was a long drive.