Ramblin' Woman

Since I already packed the novel I was reading, I started the morning with two American Girl books about vacations. Samantha Saves the Day when the boat she and the twins Agnes and Agatha took to Teardrop Island floats away. She has to navigate the twins and the kindly Admiral through the Sharp rocks around the island during a storm. Felicity Saves the Day reunites her with her beloved horse Penny. Her equine friend proves to be instrumental in helping her find her father's runaway apprentice Benjamin and convincing him to return to her father's service.

Lissie and Sam are far from the only ones to have eventful vacations! Paddington Takes the Road when he repairs a tricycle and joins the Tour De France. Of course, Paddington being Paddington, he goes down a steep hill, only to realize he forgot to add brakes. Donald Duck has an even worse time in The Grand Canyon. He falls off his burro, and Mickey has to take a raft though the rapids to rescue him.

Switched to the 2002 Strawberry Shortcake during breakfast. "Strawberry's Big Journey" takes her, Orange Blossom, Angel Cake, and a worried Ginger Snap on the road to see a certain flower at Tangerine Torta's home. Angel Cake and Ginger Snap complain about getting lost, and they encounter a young mechanic named Banana Twirl who wants them to stay in her little town. Even though things don't work out the way they planned, Strawberry reminds them that the important thing is they had fun on the way.

Mickey and Minnie go on their own adventure "Around the Clubhouse World" in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Professor Ludvig Von Drake has them get stamps on a passport from each country they visit. They encounter artist Donald and flapper Daisy in France, Goofy as a gondolier in Italy, Chip and Dale ready for the Dragon Dance in China, and Big Pete reveling in Egypt, a land where cats are gods.

After Mickey ended and I finished making the bed, I figured it was time to go. Soon as I had my bags downstairs, I called Uber. No trouble there whatsoever. He picked me up in 6 minutes and got me there in a little over 20. There wasn't even much traffic on the Schuylkill Expressway for once. 

Normally, I love walking around in 30th Street Station. It's a huge old barn that looks more like the lobby of an expensive hotel and makes me feel more elegant just being there. It's also in the midst of a years-long remodeling. The stained glass windows are blocked by scaffolding, and the stores are replaced by narrow booths. I got a pumpkin spice donut and a matcha latte at Dunkin Donuts, then sat down to read. After I got tired of sitting, I used the bathroom, then walked around until it was time to get in line.

No trouble whatsoever with either train. The train going to New York was full, but I did manage to get a seat to myself. I ate lunch and did crosswords. It got in about 15 minutes late, but that could have been worse. Bought a big soft pretzel outside of Moynihan Train Hall. Used the bathroom inside, then had a snack in the main hall and walked around until I saw a line for the train to Albany. The train was actually going to Chicago. I got to see the outside of the sleeper car and dining car. 

The train stopping at Albany left on time and arrived on time. It was full until we left Poughkeepsie, then most everyone got off, and I finally got the seat to myself. Before that, the lady who sat next to me spent the two and a half hours we were on the train reading. I colored Cheer Bear and Funshine Bear in the ancient Care Bears coloring book that goes so far back, it's based on Adventures In Care-a-Lot from the late 2000's. 

I love the view going to Albany. All you see in New Jersey are train tracks and suburbs. Upstate New York is a fairy land of shining lakes, beautiful old mansions, forbidding factories, bobbing boats with crisp sails billowing in the breeze, and lacy suspension bridges. No wonder Washington Irving thought there were Headless Horsemen running around in the area. 

Lauren was there right when I got in. She had her own adventures to talk about as we drove to Outback Steakhouse on Wolf Road about 20 minutes from the train station. She did a "buddy walk" with some of her co-workers that was really a long hike. Needless to say, between her hike and my long travel day, we were both famished. Neither of us are the biggest steak fans, but Outback does have other meats. She had seared ahi ahi tuna on a bed of vegetables, with green beans and mashed potatoes. I had grilled chicken with green beans (they were out of any other vegetables) and a baked sweet potato. We shared a Bloomin' Onion and brown bread. Oh yuumm! It was all so good, the only things left after we finished was half of the bread and a quarter of the Bloomin' Onion.

Finished the night after we got home and I took a shower with the Match Game Saturday Classics marathon. The classic cop show CHIPs was just getting started when Match Game was finishing its run on CBS. Brianne Leary, who appeared as a cop in its first year, actually turned up on Match Game before the show was even conceived. She was a contestant in 1976, and won quite a bit of money, too. She became the only contestant to later appear on the panel when she turned up for several weeks in 1979. Robert Pine (later the father of actor Chris Pine) was actually a semi-regular who appeared fairly frequently from 1979 through 1981. Randi Oakes did a few weeks during the syndicated run in 1980, and she and Pine would both later turn up on The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour. 

Let's hit the highway with the members of the highway patrol and keep the streets of LA safe for matching in these hilarious episodes!

Match Game Saturday Classics - CHIPs Actors on Match Game Marathon

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Began a gloomy morning with two American Girl books about vacations. Felicity Merriman loves visiting her grandfather's plantation for the summer. She can spend all her time outside and riding horses with her beloved grandparent. On one of those rides, she discovers a message from her father's apprentice, who ran away to join the Continental Army. Felicity Saves the Day when she warns him about rough men who were hired to find him...and convinces him to return to her father.

Josefina Montoya is also visiting her grandparents in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She's excited when a handsome young American comes to trade with her father and grandfather...but then he seemingly doesn't keep his promise and give the the things they traded for. Josefina Saves the Day, with the help of her older sister Francesca, in order to show that Senior Patrick kept his promise.

Two short stories also involved adventurous vacations. "The Grand Canyon" from the vintage Disney anthology Storybookland takes Donald and Mickey deep into the canyon on the back of burros. When Donald is thrown from his burro, Mickey and two rafters have to brave the river rapids to rescue him.

Paddington Takes to the Road when he and the Brown family is visiting a small French town where the Tour de France runs. He repairs a rusty old tricycle in order to join the race and win a prize. Trouble is, he didn't replace all the pieces on the tricycle...including the brakes...

Finished the packing after I got dressed (including the laptop), then had breakfast while watching Strawberry Shortcake In Big Apple City. Strawberry is off to a TV bake-off in the title metropolis...but so is the Peculiar Purple Pieman, who will do anything to win. Good thing Strawberry meets a lot of new friends in Spinach Village who help her out, including eventual series regulars Lemon Meringue and Orange Blossom.

After I ate, I made the bed, then walked around the house to make sure I didn't forget anything. Did three classic shorts on train travel and vacations while I worked. "Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip" with his beloved dog Pluto, but dogs aren't allowed on trains. Conductor Pete keeps trying to throw them off.

It's "All Abirrddd!" for Tweety and Sylvester when they're both on the same baggage car together. Sylvester thinks it's the cafe car and keeps trying to have Tweety for lunch. Spike the dog and the conductor wishes he'd just wait and have his lunch later.

"Boobs In the Woods" has Porky on a relaxing vacation in the mountains. A really daffy Daffy keeps getting on his nerves, until the normally sweet-natured pig reaches the end of his sausage rope and reveals his collection of licenses.

Jodie picked me up around 9:25. There was no trouble getting there. No traffic at that hour of the day, even in Cherry Hill. She dropped me off easily at the Cherry Hill Train Platform.

The trouble started when I bought my ticket and checked the schedule. To my shock, it said the train to Philadelphia came at 9:28! Amtrak must have been using an older schedule. Now what was I supposed to do? Jodie was long gone, and there was no way I was going to call her back and have her take me to Philly.

I finally signed in to Uber, like Rose and Jodie have been pestering me to do for months. After I figured out how to work it, I called the cheapest car they had listed. Fortunately, he was also the fastest car they had listed. He was there within three minutes of my calling him. It cost me 28 dollars, but he was a really sweet guy. He told me some great stories about doing ballroom dancing with his wife and driving people to Eagles games and concerts in Camden. He dropped me off a block from 30th Street Station in less than 20 minutes, shortly after the train was originally due to arrive.

Had trouble when I got inside, too. The new Quik-Chek machines absolutely refused to swipe my phone. I tried every machine, and none of them would do it. I finally went to one of the ticket sellers, who printed them out herself.

After all that, I needed some serious grease. Went straight to Wendy's and bought a BBQ Cheeseburger, fries, and Minute Maid Cherry Limeade. The burger was tasty, with crunchy onion rings and tons of barbecue sauce, but very messy. The fries were nice and crispy. I made a quick bathroom break after lunch before returning to the main room.

The train to Philadelphia was 20 minutes late. Good thing I had a long layover in New York anyway. Once I finally made it on the train, I had no difficulties for the rest of the trip. The train to New York was full until all the commuters got off in Trenton, after which there was plenty of room. Penn Station was busy, but no more or less than it normally is on a Friday. I spent my time there walking around, getting money for the trip from the PNC Bank ATMs, eating snacks, and reading until the train to Albany arrived (on time).

I love the train ride to Albany. The view is stunning. I got in line early enough to snag a window seat. The Lake Shore Limited lives up to its name, passing glittering rivers, bobbing sail boats, towering mountains carpeted in green pines, quaint little lighthouses, sprawling mansions and ancient factories. The train was full. I sat next to a young man who spent most of the time sleeping or reading his phone. By the time we'd pulled into Albany, the clouds had vanished, and it had become a beautiful sunny, chilly day.

The Millers met me at the Albany-Renneslauer Station. After a bathroom break, we drove past small upstate New York towns and quaint old villages. No traffic here, either. By the time I got in, the dinner hour was just starting, and most people were probably eating.

We had our dinner at Mario's Restaurant, a fancy Italian place about 15 minutes over the New York border from the Millers' home. They were busy when we arrived, but it started to clear out even as we enjoyed our crusty Italian bread, steamy popovers, and navy bean salad. By the time the Millers were eating Veal Oliver (huge slabs of breaded veal with lobster sauce and sauteed vegetables) and I was having an amazing lasagna, they'd gotten, if not empty, a little quieter. Despite the huge meals, we had enough room for dessert. Mr. Miller had creme brulee. Mrs. Miller tried the Chocolate-Raspberry Cake. Lauren loved her chocolate-coated Cherry Gelato swimming in raspberries and raspberry sauce.

My banana ice cream parfait was amazing. It was house-made banana ice cream layered with brownie cookies, chocolate fudge sauce, and hazelnuts. The fudge sauce was so chocolatey (I wouldn't be surprised if that was made in-house, too), and the cookies were soft and sweet. The Millers all enjoyed their desserts, too. Lauren raved about hers, especially that raspberry sauce.

We finally got home around 9:30. I'm downstairs in Lauren's room, chatting with her and watching the late 70's-early 80's Card Sharks on Buzzr. Considering I was too excited to sleep much last night, it's probably just as well that we're just going to be shopping and playing mini-golf in the Pittsfield area tomorrow.

Goodbye to You

After I finally got everything packed, Lauren, her parents, and I headed out around 10 for the Albany-Rensslauer Train Station. We dodged still more road work, including on the parking lot, as we drove through endless small farming communities and suburbs. It was cloudy and slightly humid, but nothing really terrible. I picked up a quick turkey-whole wheat sandwich for lunch before getting into line.

The Albany train was right on time...the only time I could say that the entire day. I ate my sandwich about 20 minutes or so after I boarded. At least none of the trains today were busy, including the one going to Albany. I was able to enjoy my lunch, color a picture of Han Solo and a strange cat-like creature that apparently got the drop on him in my Star Wars Marvel coloring book, and admire the stunning views of blue lakes and bobbing yachts.

The trouble started when we neared Penn Station. It took us 20 minutes just to pull up to a platform, thanks to congestion and track work. When I did finally make it to the main concourse, it turns out the train to Philly was 20 minutes late anyway. The 20 minutes gradually extended into 45 minutes. Good thing I had a long time between trains in Philly. I ate the remaining snacks I had on hand and watched the monitors.

Other than some rain as we neared Philadelphia, the train to Philly was even quieter than the one to Albany. I mostly listened to music and looked over the Starlog magazine. The view of graffiti, suburbs, and junk yards wasn't nearly as inspiring.

As soon as I got into Philly, I texted Dad and Lauren, then had dinner. Grabbed a quick egg sandwich, called "The Good Egg," and a red velvet-white chocolate chip cookie at Au Bon Pan. Had enough time to hit the bathroom before heading down to the tracks to catch the train to Cherry Hill...which was 10 minutes late. I once again texted Dad and explained the situation, then texted Lauren and told her I was almost home.

Dad was there when the train did arrive in Cherry Hill. It was warm, humid, and very wet. That rain I saw on the train to Philly seems to have been a full-blown thunderstorm here, with lightning and high winds that apparently left a mess in Dad's pool.

I didn't get home until after 8. In good news, Charlie did finish the roof, covering the exposed beams with what I assume to be white plaster. While he didn't leave as much of a mess as he did last time, there were still things that were where they shouldn't have been. He also turned off the fans, which meant the apartment was boiling hot when I arrived. I figured he'd, you know, need them.

Finally got to the first few episodes of Sailor Moon S as I got online. The third season opens with a monster attacking Rei as she wishes for peace. Usagi had been hoping they were all gone, but nope, the Sailor Guardians are back in action! New, more powerful monsters means a new scepter for Sailor Moon, new powers...and two new Sailor Guardians. Sailor Neptune and Uranus are determined to take out the monsters on their own, without any help from the other girls. And what do tomboyish Haruka and girlish, musically-gifted Micheru have to do with it all?

(Oh, and Lauren's fine. She went out to an area diner with her parents after they left Albany. She apparently spent the rest of the afternoon playing video games. They spent it napping. I had a great time, even better than last year. We always have fun when we get together.

And today marks the end of my vacation. I'm a little annoyed that I'm working at 9 AM tomorrow. They couldn't have eased me in and let me work a little later?)

Going Mobile

I opened my eyes around 6:30. I shut them again...and didn't open them until quarter after 8. Having gotten a later start than planned, I settled for reading a couple of short stories from the Disney Storybookland anthology, a Paddington vacation-themed short story Paddington On the Road, and two American Girl Molly short stories.

In Paddington On the Road, the Browns are on vacation in a charming French village. The big excitement is the Tour de France bicycle race passing through. Paddington wants to join the race, so he borrows an old tricycle, cleans it up, and enters with the others. His inexperience with bikes and fixing them shows when he goes downhill...and can't stop...

Molly MacEntyre had two summer-themed short stories in the 90's. Molly Takes Flight introduces her grandparents and Aunt Eleanor. Her young aunt has joined the WASPs, the female flight corps in the Air Force. Molly's upset about losing her aunt's attention, until she shows her the joys of flying.

Molly Marches On takes us to Camp Gowanigan, the setting for Molly Saves the Day. All the new campers are going on a hiking trip that ends with a special surprise. Tired of their noise and wanting to prove she's as good at blazing trails as her heroine Sacajawea, Molly and her friend Susan go off on their own. They never do get to the surprise, but they do find an equally lovely one of their own.

Put on an episode of The Backyardigans as I ate breakfast and packed my laptop and the attendant wires and mouse. Pablo is "Le Master of Disguise," a suspicious little character who can quick-change into anyone. Inspector Austin follows him onto the Orient Express. With shady passengers like Conductor Uniqua, Cowboy Tyrone, and Circus Performer Tasha on board, it's going to be tough for Austin to track down the crafty penguin.

Switched to Strawberry Shortcake In Big Apple City as I finished packing my luggage and the kitchen. Strawberry is off to the big city as one of the two finalists in a televised bake-off. The Purple Pie Man is the other, and he'll do everything he can to make sure Strawberry doesn't win. Good thing she makes a lot of new friends who help her out, including eventual series regulars Orange Blossom and Lemon Meringue.

Made a really quick run to WaWa for more money. I was glad I'd be spending most of the day on the train. While warmer than yesterday, it was also back to being sunny, hazy, and humid. I kept my ride short - went in, used the ATM, went out.

Hastily made a tuna and tomato sandwich and gathered snacks while running a few shorts. The Three Stooges become "A Pain In the Pullman" when their monkey gets loose on a train and wrecks havoc and they can't get into their upper berth. Their noise upsets a pompous singer who demands they either quiet down or be thrown off.

Mickey Mouse has a similar problem with pets on trains in "Mr. Mouse Takes a Trip." He has to sneak Pluto on-board and past Conductor Pete. Pluto, however, isn't as small as a monkey and can't be hidden as easily. The two do their best to dodge the kitty conductor and still make it to their destination.

It took me so long to get organized, I still wasn't ready when Dad arrived. Thankfully, we had no problems once we got on the road. Dad even drove me to Cherry Hill in his beautiful early 60's Mustang convertible. Despite the warmth, it did really feel nice, with the wind in my hair. A couple of people on the White Horse Pike (including a man in an orange Mustang from the later 60's) leaned out and complimented Dad on his awesome car.

Once I got to the Cherry Hill Train Platform behind Shop Rite, it was smooth sailing. The trains to Philadelphia and Albany were right on time. The one to New York was slightly late, but nothing outrageous. Only the car going to Albany was full. The other two were barely half-full. I shared my seat going to Albany with a young businessman in a gray suit who watched videos on his cell phone the entire ride. 30th Street Station wasn't too crazy. Penn Station was, but their new digital monitors did help somewhat.

I love the view going to Albany. All you see on the trips to Philly and New York are wetlands, graffiti, junk yards, and suburbs. The Albany line earns it's name "Lake Shore Limited." The tracks passed shining lakes with tiny sailboats bobbing along, lacy bridges, massive green mountains, and lots of lovely old mansions and fascinating decaying factories. It's really beautiful.

Met Lauren and her parents Mr. and Mrs. Miller at the Albany-Rensslauer Station. We had dinner at a really nice Italian place about 15 minutes from their house, Mario's Restaurant. They were so busy, we ate outside...which suited us just fine. Not only was it quieter outside, but the view of the holyhocks and roses planted in front of the porch and the classic mid-century pop piped in was far more relaxing. Even the waitresses were happier to serve us - they could hear us give them our orders!

Mrs. Miller and I ended up having big squares of lasagna. Lauren had Veal Parmesan. Mr. Miller had Veal Oliver (veal with seafood sauce). I ate Mr. Miller's broccoli - he's not a fan of broccoli. I had chocolate mousse for dessert. Mrs. Miller's choice was a chocolate-covered cherry-vanilla gelato. Her husband opted for cinnamon crunch ice cream. Lauren loves raspberries - she went with chocolate raspberry mousse cake. We all had crusty bread, beans in olive oil, and iced tea. It was expensive, but very, very tasty. Our waitress was really sweet, too. She said she'd worked there for 39 years and had lots of experience.

I'm bushed from traveling for 7 hours. It's probably just as well that our only plans for tomorrow are a trip to a flea market in Lauren's area that only happens on Sundays.

I'm On My Way Home

Lauren, her parents, and I headed out to Albany around quarter of 10. Dark clouds gathered even as we left. We actually had several snow squalls as we passed through lovely small towns in Massachusetts and upstate New York. After Mr. and Mrs. Miller stopped at a Rite Aid just outside of Albany to buy something, we headed on to the Albany train station.

The train station at Albany is small but beautiful, all blond wood and dramatic high ceilings. It's also the most recent of the train stations I visit on these trips, apparently having been built in 2002. We all sat in the waiting area, watching Face the Nation and a travel show on CBS, until my train arrived.

This time, there was no trouble on the Albany-New York train. It was flurrying again when I got on the train, but that ended even before we rolled out of the station. Despite the conductor continually claiming the train was full, the car I was in wasn't that busy, and I had no problems getting a seat to myself. I took many photos of the gorgeous view of a partly cloudy sky over green and rust mountains and steel-gray water going back.

New York was, once again, more of a problem. It was the train to Philadelphia that was late, with long lines. We rolled out of the station fifteen minutes after we were supposed to. (Not bad, considering some south-bound trains had delays of anywhere from five minutes to an hour or more.) It didn't help that a hockey game must have just ended at Madison Square Garden over the station shortly after I arrived. We were overwhelmed with a wave of hockey fans in Rangers jerseys.

This train was so busy, I just barely grabbed the last seat in the car. That had it's own kind of romance. I was in the very front of the car with the baggage that either didn't fit in the overhead compartments, or people didn't have time to shove them in. I felt like I was riding a baggage car in the 30's.

When the train finally did roll into the 30th Street Station around ten of 6, I went right to a busy Cosi's for dinner. They're a fancy coffee shop/cafe ala Au Bon Pain and Starbucks. I had water, so I didn't bother with warm drinks. I bought half of a mozzarella, tomato, and basil pizza and a cup of tomato-basil soup. Yum. The pizza was nice and thick and saucy. The soup was delicious, creamy and chunky and a little spicy but not bad.

On my way out of Cosi's, I mis-stepped and turned my ankle. While it hurt, I didn't hear anything crack. I think it's just a little twisted. I spent the next half-hour sitting at a wooden bench, waiting for the departure gate to show up on the old-fashioned flapping board.

Though the NJ Transit train was relatively full for 7 at night, once again, I had no problems getting a seat. Dad picked me up in Cherry Hill. (I doubt anyone would drive into Philly at 7 at night and get me.) I finally got home around quarter of 8.

As soon as I got in, I put everything away. I put any toiletries or items I used purely for traveling in my small overnight case and pushed that under my bed. All of the laundry - including new clothes - went in the laundry basket. I'll do that tomorrow.

Oh, and I called the Acme when I got in to ask when I'm scheduled. I work tomorrow from 3 to 8. I'm actually glad I work later. It'll give me the chance to get the laundry done and call Charlie or his parents. The heater is broken again. It's freezing in here! It was barely in the 50's when I came into the apartment. I'm shivering in my robe and nightgown here.

Long Day's Journey On the East Coast

Started a beautiful blue, sunny day with cartoons on travel as I rounded up the last things I needed to pack and ate Apple-Dark-Chocolate-Chip Muffins for breakfast. Did a couple of cartoons while I got ready. Strawberry Shortcake In Big Apple City was one of the original Strawberry specials from the early 80's. Strawberry hits the city to compete in a nationally-televised bake-off. The Pieman is close on her tail, but she meet some new friends who help her with his devious tactics.

Garfield isn't much happier out in the woods with Jon and Odie in Garfield In the Rough. He'd rather be on any vacation but camping. Their boring trip into the wilderness becomes a lot more dangerous when they discover that a killer panther is loose in the area!

Austin is having his own problems pursuing "Le Master of Disguise" on The Backyardigans. Pablo can dress up in any costume, making him very hard to find! He can only be recognized through his distinctive laugh. Austin searches for him among the passengers on the Orient Express, including Conductor Uniqua, Cowboy Tyrone, and Circus Performer Tasha.

I dragged my things downstairs at 9:30. Rose didn't show up until almost 10 minutes after that. And I didn't realize she was going to bring her smaller car. I had the other, larger suitcase for her to take home. Between trying to jam two suitcases in her tiny trunk and her being late (and then missing the exit for Cherry Hill), we were not going to make the train to Philly. She ended up driving me to the 30th Street Station instead, letting me off of at the Citra Centre. (I loaned her the toll money - she hadn't planned on going to the city.)

Things went better at 30th Street Station. I like that station. It's so big and elegant, the Frank Sinatra music the guy at the shoe shine booth was playing seemed totally right. I half-expected to see Sinatra practicing with Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra somewhere. I did make a mistake when I mixed up the train times, but the man at the track turned me around.

The train to New York was relatively calm. I was in the quiet car, which probably helped. It was busy but not full. I quickly called Rose to tell her I was on the train (and to tell Khai the train was passing by the Philadelphia Zoo), then sat back and watched the trees, suburbs, and graffiti fly by.

By the time the train arrived at New York around quarter of 2, Penn Station was more of a zoo than the Philadelphia Zoo! Unlike big, grand 30th Street, it's an ugly neon maze. Unless you want to eat or shop, there isn't much to do. I packed my own food and wanted to save my money. I spent most of the almost 3 hours I was there either walking around in circles or sitting on the floor near the waiting lounge, eating my snacks and reading.

Not only was the Lake Shore Limited to Albany and Chicago more than 20 minutes late leaving, but the line to get on the Albany car went half-way around the main room! I was lucky to get on at all. At least the Asian Indian girl I sat with was sweet. The gorgeous view helped, too. The line is aptly named; the lakes and rivers of the Hudson River Valley area are beautiful. Yachts with billowing white sails bobbed on rippling glass waters surrounded by rolling green hills. It was like a painting or a picture from a storybook. (I hope the shot the Asian Indian girl took of the sunset with her phone camera came out - the sunset was amazing, all pinks and purples and blues. I regret having left my camera in my big bag that went on the rack.)

It was almost 7 when the train finally arrived at Albany. I'd called Lauren about a half-hour before and told her I'd be late - it was supposed to have arrived at 6:20! Lauren, her parents Mr. and Mrs. Miller, and I had dinner at a Denny's about 10 minutes from the station. We all had breakfast for dinner. Mr. Miller had french toast. I had Blueberry Muffin Pancakes (blueberries and white chocolate chips). Lauren had a make-your-own-Grand-Slam - scrambled egg whites, hash browns, bacon, sausage. Mrs. Miller had The Grand Slamwich, a huge egg-sausage-and-cheese on toast concoction. Mr. Miller ended up eating most of his wife's hash browns. I was so hungry, I ate the last of Lauren's hash browns and a bit of Mrs. Miller's Slamwich. We shared Apple Crumble with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

(And I don't know how this happened, but two guys with a baby walked in while we were having dessert. They had a baby carrier with them. As we were leaving, we heard a waitress complain that the guys had eaten their meal and walked out without paying, and left the baby carrier, to boot.)

We finally got into Pittsfield around 9:30. Lauren and her parents live in a big, lovely home on a quiet street in the hills. I'm sleeping in their guest room/office. Right now, Lauren and I are chatting together online in her room in the basement and watching stuff on YouTube. Tomorrow, we're going to begin our exploration of her area with a trip to a bookstore in Lenox and a chocolate cafe in Pittsfield, along with walks in downtown Lenox and Lee.

And I hope your Columbus Day was a lot less hectic - and equally full of discoveries!

Doing Research

Since I got up late today, I spent the morning doing research for my day trip to New York next month. I've already narrowed down the area I'm interested in to Midtown, Times Square, and Fifth Avenue. I was up until 2:30 last night reading The Unofficial Guide to New York City.

Two attractions stood out - The Paley Center For Media and Radio City Music Hall. The Paley Center (formerly the Museum of Television & Radio) is what the original label says - a museum and research center for TV and radio. You can watch actual old radio and TV programs right at the museum, and they run shows all day long. And most people know what Radio City is, the gigantic Art Deco home of the Rocketts, the annual Christmas Spectacular, and many concerts and movie premiers.

(And while I'm in the Radio City area, checking out the rest of Rockerfeller Center might be cool, too. We did get to see part of it on our sightseeing tour in 2001, but not all of it.)

I finally went out for a walk around 2:30. While it was a little cooler than yesterday and that nice breeze had returned, the humidity lingered. I walked down Manor and over to the Oaklyn School. Now that it's out for the summer, I can go to the playground in the back of the school whenever I want. A grandmother was already there with several children when I passed through.

After I got home, I read Garfield comics for a little while (including the ones where Jon and Liz start going steady - how many decades did it take them?), then changed into my work uniform, grabbed dinner, and headed out.

Work was steady when I came in, dead when I came out. Other than a few annoying old ladies, there were no problems. In fact, I picked up some extra hours tomorrow, 11-4. Normally, I wouldn't take them on my only other day off this week besides Monday, but they aren't very long or late, my only plans for tomorrow was going swimming (which I can do after work), and I really, REALLY need the extra hours. This isn't like the winter, when they were giving me anywhere from 28 to 32 hours per week. I've been lucky to get 20 a week since at least April.

Bike Trouble Again

Not a whole lot going on today. It was cloudy, hot, and humid, and not surprisingly, I spent most of the morning working on the computer. I looked up the departure gates for my trains going out of 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and Penn Station in New York. (I didn't know the 30th Street Station was this huge, gorgeous old building. It's from 1929, according to Wikipedia, and really cool. Now that's traveling in style.)

There wasn't really anyone around to change my tires, and I still don't have the right tools. I took the mountain bike to work...which would have been great, if the seat was on right. My neighbor switched the good seat on the mountain bike to the cruiser and put the broken seat from the cruiser on the mountain bike, and it just wasn't tight enough. I had to hold on tight to stay upright on the bike, but I did make it to and from work without incident.

Work was steady, with no major problems. I had no relief and left on time. It rained while I was in work, but was just wet by the time I finished.

Going Mobile

I'm writing this at home, on my own computer. After one last game of Mario Party 8 this morning, Lauren drove me to the Pittsfield Bus Terminal and stayed with me until the 10:30AM bus to New York arrived. She's the best best friend there is, and I miss her already.

The bus ride to New York was actually quite pleasant. It poured in the morning, but the rain let up around the time Lauren and I left for the bus terminal. By the time the bus hit Waterbury, Connecticut, the clouds were breaking up, and the sun was definitely out as we made our way through the mild traffic in the Bronx.

The Bronx wasn't the problem this time. The bus drove down 9th Street to get to Port Authority, and the traffic once we got past 5th Avenue and Central Park was appalling. No wonder they call it "Hell's Kitchen"; it sure felt like it. The bus was a half-hour late in arriving, and I barely made it to my next bus.

Have I mentioned how much I HATE, HATE Port Authority Bus Terminal? There were two long and disorganized lines waiting to go to Mt. Laurel and to Philadelphia by the time I got down there. Of course, both of those busses were late. Around quarter of 4 - fifteen minutes after the 3:30 bus was supposed to show up - a woman tells us to make one line, because we're all taking the same bus...and the Philadelphia line is already half-way across the terminal. Needless to say, this did NOT sit well with a lot of people, including me. As one of the last people in line, I had to argue my way onto the bus. I had a 3:30 ticket. It wasn't MY fault these idiots Port Authority hires obviously have no idea what they're doing. (I had problems there last Saturday, too. I had to ask four employees before I could find the Pittsfield gate...and a janitor finally told me!)

I was not a happy camper when I finally got on the bus. I was even less happy when I realized the bus was jammed to the gills and I ended up with the guy next to me snoring in my ear half-way to Mt. Laurel. Thankfully, the trip wasn't quite as bad as the last time I rode a bus that was full. The weather remained sunny, the traffic that had been so horrible in downtown New York had disappeared by the time the bus chugged its way through Lincoln Tunnel, and I didn't smell any smoke coming from the bathroom.

I called Dad right after I left New York and when I got in. I ate a lovely dinner of steak, corn, pierogies, and an old tomato recipe of Jodie's mother's after he picked me up and brought me over to their house. He, Jodie, and Jessa had spent the day watching football. Dad was watching - and yelling at - the Miami Dolphins-Arizona Cardinals game. Roughly translated, the Dolphins aren't very good these days. (Arizona slaughtered them, 31-10. (We also caught part of a much better game between the Jets and the Broncos. The latter just barely won, 39-38.)

Rocky Mountain High in a New York Minute

Yesterday was a very long day. Tropical Storm Hanna held off long enough for me to go for a short ride and make a quick trip to the Collingswood Farm Market. I bought a little pastry for my trip and a jar of apple butter for Lauren's parents as a thank-you present. The morning was cloudy, warm, and amazingly humid, but I wanted to get a ride in before I spent the rest of the day on the bus. Actually, it was a rather pleasant morning. I spent the rest of it watching Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake on CBS, baking the last of the Cinnamon Refrigerator Cookies, and getting my food for the trip together.

It just started raining after Dad and Jodie picked me up and dropped me off at the Greyhound Bus Terminal in Mt. Laurel, about 20 minutes from Oaklyn. Good thing I was there early, because just as it did last year, the bus to New York appeared more than 20 minutes ahead of schedule. I had no problems getting to New York. The bus was fairly full, but I did find open seats in the back.

I HATE Port Authority Bus Terminal. It's a good thing I had an almost three-hour layover there, because I got lost. Again. For the third damn year in a row. How do New Yorkers DO it? Even the employees couldn't figure it out. I spent over an hour in the wrong side of the building because the employees I asked directions from couldn't tell SPRINGFIELD from PITTSFIELD! And the place is dirty, dingy, dilapidated, and populated with some rather nasty-looking characters. (Never mind a few little construction projects - what that place needs is a total top-to-bottom, rip-it-out-and-start-over overhaul.)

The trip to Pittsfield wasn't much better. It's a good thing the bus wasn't anywhere near full, because I ended up spending over five hours on it. By the time we finally pulled out of Port Authority at 5PM, New York Rush Hour was in full force. Traffic was pure hell, especially going through the Bronx. The rain, which had abated shortly after leaving Mt. Laurel, had returned in full force by then, too. And of course, the Bronx seems to be about three-fourths bridges. We were supposed to have been at Danbury, Connecticut within an hour. We didn't get there until over a hour and a half later, by which time it was fully dark and the water was rushing across the sidewalks of Danbury in miniature rivers.

Even skipping two drop-offs that no one wanted to get off at, we were more than an hour late in Pittsfield. Thank god Lauren is one of the most patient and understanding best friends on the planet. She was there ten minutes after I called her and told her I'd finally arrived. It was still pouring, too. Good thing Lauren's parents new home has an attached garage. We spent the rest of that night playing Mario Kart on Lauren's Wii.

When we both finally dragged our rears out of bed around 9-ish, the sun was shining, the wind had diminished, and the trees on the majestic Greylock mountain range behind Pittsfield were as green as emeralds. Lauren and I slept in, then headed for Jiminy Peak, a ski resort/mini family amusement park a few miles outside of Pittsfield. We went there the first time I visited in 2006, but my knee injury prevented us from riding three of Jiminy's biggest attractions. With my knee in perfect working order, we were free to ride the Roller Coaster and the Slide as much as we pleased.

The "roller coaster" and slide rides aren't your ordinary coaster and slides. Both are self-propelled - YOU control how fast or slow you go, especially on the slide. The slide is on a bobsled-style course; the roller coaster looks like a scaled-down version of an ordinary small coaster. I liked the slide better. The ride's longer, you have more control of your vehicle, and there's more under you when you're on your way down.

(The slide has it's disadvantages, though. My third trip down was marred by a mother and her very young daughter who went suuuuppperr slloooowww. The little girl was so scared, she and Mommy just wouldn't move. The kid shouldn't really have been on the ride at all if she was that freaked. In fact, I'm surprised the ride's attendant let her go down - she couldn't have been more than 3.)

Jiminy Peak was fairly busy when we arrived. There was a line after us when we played the short mini-golf course. After the third run on the slides, we decided it was really getting too busy. We drove a few minutes away to Bob's Country Kitchen, a small, cozy diner-style restaurant. I love places like this. I had three big blueberry pancakes and hash browns. Lauren had baked sole, summer squash, and mashed potatoes with gravy.

We spent the rest of a quiet afternoon playing Mario Party 8 on Lauren's Wii, making a quick stop for take-home Taco Bell around 7. We're planning on spending tomorrow afternoon at the mall before Lauren watches wrestling with her parents.

Here's more on Jiminy Peak:

Jiminy Peak Mountain Adventure Park

(And in other news, the Philadelphia Eagles slaughtered the St. Louis Rams in their season opening game and first home game. It was truly a great day. ;) )