I Was Like the Car at the End of “The Blues Brothers”

On a recent Saturday, I slept a ton. It was all I could do to get up and use the bathroom or wash some dishes. It’s happened before, and the circumstances are always the same: For a couple months, I run hard with work projects and personal tasks. Then I arrive at the start of a vacation, and my body completely craps out.

The other day it dawned on me that I’m a lot like Jake and Elwood’s car, the Bluesmobile, at the end of The Blues Brothers.

Elwood drives that car hard throughout the two-hour movie, especially during the mega police chase from their gig to downtown Chicago. They go 102 mph for most of the ride and the car keeps moving, even after the engine takes a bullet and throws a rod.

They finally stop when they reach their destination, then this happens:

Unlike the Bluesmobile, I was able to pick myself up after collapsing. Erin and I had a great vacation, traveling around Concord, Amherst, Northampton, and the Berkshires while the kids spent the week at Boy Scouts camp. I’m all better now.

the blues brothers movie poster