And the party keeps going. That’s me checking out the action at Kate’s birthday party. Sitting in one of parents’ chair from their living room back in rural Virginia. Saturday 1 December 2007. Foto by Gwen Hughes. The drive between our two homes could be as short as 1.5 hrs but usually took 2.5 to 3 hours one way with traffic on winding mountain roads and thru river valley speed trap towns.