Nomad Life - Day 227

After another restful sleep at Kim and David's condo in Ocean City, I was awake with the sun - when I saw the first light (at 0535), I got up and started teleworking,  It was another beautiful morning (sunrise, sunny, clear, 60s)!  Like the day before, I skipped breakfast (to minimize any mess in the condo) and opened the window to ensure I could enjoy the best kind of beach atmosphere (clear, sunny, light breeze) - aaaaaahhhhh...  While I worked, I could see lots of pelicans diving, sunbathers enjoying the sand and surf, airplanes and boats passing in front of the view.  After my morning meetings ended (1115), I walked a few blocks south to Seacrets ("Jamaica USA") to have lunch.  When I'd wandered through on my first night in Ocean City, I'd noticed a large number of security folks (orange shirts) and got to see them in action today (checking the IDs of everyone who looked at all young; they ignored me).  Hoping to minimize my time away from work, I quickly ordered "Daisy's Delight", touted as an "OC Favorite" - it consisted of creamy crab dip, with only lump crab meat, topped with cheddar cheese and scallions, served in a bread bowl).  Even though it was the middle of the day, I also got a "Moore"garita (created by the owner, Mr. Moore), made with Don Julio Silver, Tiple Sec, lime, sour, OJ, splash, Sprite and float of Grand Marnier.  The food was delicious and I enjoyed sitting among the palm trees behind the Resort.  The server told me that the owner grows the palm trees at a property in Florida and, when they are fully grown, they are shipped to Maryland for installation in the sand when the Summer season is about to begin.  They remain outside until the Summer season ends and then they are removed (and "recycled").  In other words, the whole "cabana" atmosphere is only temporary - even though Seacrets is open all year, it only has the outdoor amenities for a few months a year.  The server also recommended several restaurants and night clubs that I should visit before departing (I thanked her).  Before leaving, I walked along the shoreline and was surprised to see people sitting in "booths" in the surf!  The water didn't seem nearly warm enough but, I guess, they were hardy souls who wanted to eat in the water.  This was even more surprising because of the many Laughing Gulls who wandered around among all the tables under the palm trees - I imagine they would have an easier time of stealing food from tables in the water...  As I was leaving, I ordered an "Orange Crush Slushie" to go.  Very glad I stopped in at Seacrets!  Back in the condo (1230), I had  more calls and meetings while listening to the pleasant surf outside.  Frankly, I would have liked to stay in the condo for the whole week.  However, I'd promised Joe and Trinka that I'd move to their home later in the day.  For this reason, I wrapped up my telework day at 1545, packed up everything I'd brought inside and then cleaned up the condo.  By 1610, I had loaded up my car and was headed north (from 51st Street) towards Delaware.  On the way, I talked to Mollie and marveled at the lower gas prices (below $4.  When I reached DE-54, I turned towards the west.  Almost immediately, I passed a pretty lighthouse (sadly, my camera was not ready).  Crossing over a few short bridges, I made my way on to a peninsula that separated Assawoman Bay from Little Assawoman Bay.  Apple Maps took me on a winding path towards Joe and Trinka's home and, by the time I arrived (1645), I had seen a good bit of the residential sprawl that had begun to cover previously unused land during the last decade.  Joe greeted me enthusiastically and took me on a tour of his beautiful home.  Trinka, who was battling the same cold I'd had during the previous week, was also very gracious.  Joe and I got some beers and sat out on their patio - it was so pleasant!  Assawoman State Wildlife Area was located just behind their home, so they had permanent green space.  Hummingbirds came to drink water from a pretty feeder they had Bluebirds poked their heads in/out of several birdhouses in their yard.  The sun was setting behind us and the cooler air made for yet another awesome day on the Eastern Shore!  Before long, Joe began cooking sausages and peppers on a wonderful grill he had in the back yard, while Trinka made some pesto pasta.  We visited throughout this time and I felt very welcome and relaxed.  At about 1830, Owen and Ryan (Joe and Trinka's twin sons) woke up from an afternoon nap and joined us for dinner.  We sat together at a large family table and had a great time visiting and telling stories.  The food was very good and everyone was in good spirits.  After the dinner cleanup was done, Joe, Trinka and I went outside to enjoy some Manhattans (in NYC skyscraper glasses) on the patio.  The sun set during this time and we enjoyed the views that developed (planetary conjunction of Venus and Jupiter).  Our talk went almost until 2130!  Eventually, we returned inside the house but then got caught up in watching a digital photo display passing by on the TV - it showed lots of cool family memories and kept us up for nearly 45 more minutes.  By then, I was feeling tired so I asked if I could retire for the evening.  Joe got me set up on the guest room (a loft area) and I checked on my computer/WiFi connections.  After saying goodnight to everyone (2230), I got ready for bed, did a bit of Duolingo and then called it a day (2300).  In addition to the awesome weather I've had this week, I'm being showered with so much love from all my friends!

Nomad Life - Day 226

Even before I was fully awake this morning, I saw the light from the sunrise (coming from the opposite end of Kim and David's condo in Ocean City) - what a wonderful wake up!  When I finally did get out of bed (at 0635, before my alarm), I immediately started teleworking.  I also opened the window again to take full advantage of another beautiful day (sunny, clear and in the low 60s).  Since I didn't want to make a mess in the condo, I skipped breakfast.  While getting ready, I realized there were no towels so I went out to my car to get one.  Within a few hours of beginning my day, I found that all of my meetings had been canceled - this left only document review to get my full eight hours.  At 1115, I took a break from my computer and walked from 51st Street to about 40th Street.  My destination was the Dough Roller, which I'd noticed the day before - they purported to have some of the best pancakes on the Eastern Shore.  Taking them up on the claim, I ordered "brunch" (pancakes, eggs and sausage).  The food was actually good.  Afterwards, I walked back to the condo and resumed teleworking by 1215.  With the window open, every moment of my telework day was very relaxing.  The sound of the waves, along with the sunlight streaming into the room, was so nice.  The temps stayed below 70 inside the room because of the natural shade (as the sun crossed overhead).  Outside, I could see a lot of sunbathers enjoying the beach and surf but I never had time to join them.  Instead, I worked until 1615 and then transitioned to the (seemingly never ending) task of catching up (at least the Nomad Life entries) on my travel blog.  Along the way, I ended up in phone calls with  with Joe R (coordinating a visit to his home), Mollie (Thanksgiving Planning) and Brother Jim (checking in).  My original plan had been to leave the hotel in the afternoon (to stay with my friend and his family) but Joe told me his wife had gotten sick.  As a result, I offered to stay at the condo for another night and, instead of me heading to Delaware, have Joe come to meet me in Ocean City (Joe accepted).  Meanwhile, Kim kept asking how the condo was - I made sure to let her know how wonderful this break had been.  At 1700, Joe R arrived at the condo and I showed him around.  After that, he drove me north until we passed into Delaware.  We continued until we reached the Indian Inlet so we could have dinner at the Big Chill.  This restaurant was located on South Indian River Inlet Beach and inside Delaware Seashore State Park (South Unit).  I got a good fish sandwich and a local beer.  During our meal, Joe and I had a great seat on a balcony with a view of the ocean, surfers, and a Coast Guard vessel running drills near the channel buoy.  We finished eating at 1900 and then Joe drove me (via DE-1) across the Inlet so we could visit the State Park (North Unit).  After parking, we went walking on the beach (I reached the wo mile mark for my daily step goal).  Joe told me about (and showed me) how sand was being pumped from the South Unit beach to the North Unit beach to preserve the northern one from eroding away.  We also admired the efforts of the fishermen who were working the heavy current just under the bridge.  As before, we were blessed with wonderful weather and I enjoyed watching the sun set across the Indian River Bay to the west.  Joe sent photos to Kelly and Stephanie ("wish you were here").  Afterwards, we headed back to Ocean City.  As we approached the condo, I suggested that we stop for some ice cream at Dumser's (1850).  We got lucky on the length of the line and I was able to enjoy a (small) sundae while Joe got a frappe.  I'm not sure I agree with the hype about Dumser's but it was nice to have the tasty treat after such a nice beach day.  At 1910, Joe dropped me off at Kim and David's condo and I went walking towards the north (as far as 63rd Street) to get the rest of my 10K steps for the day.  On the way, I encountered lots more college age kids - I think they far outnumber the rest of us!  I finished my step goal and my walk at about 2000 and then returned to my blog (slowly catching up).  After that, I watched movies and YouTube videos until 2230.  Like the night before, I left the window open in the condo until the last minute but closed it just before going to sleep (I still wasn't sure about the overnight temps).  The image of the moon rising just above the moonlit surf was magical!  Just before I turned out the light, I realized I'd forgotten Duolingo exercise so took care of that first.  Finally in bed for good at 2245.  Amazing beach day!

Nomad Life - Day 225

For the first time during my visit to Virginia Beach, I woke up (at 0620, before alarm) feeling better.  I started teleworking immediately in the dining area of Erin and Austin's home.  During this time, I got to say goodbye to Austin when he left for work (0730).  Also, I ate a light breakfast (snacks).  Erin came out to see me at about 0830 and then helped me set up a load of laundry.  While that was running, I headed into a series of meetings for my job.  Throughout the morning, Erin was busying herself with household chores, including working in her garden.  Meanwhile, Kiki slept almost the whole day away!  At about 1130, I made an order at Panera for our lunch - Erin picked it up when she went out to do some errands of her own.  When she returned (1200), we ate lunch together and chatted about my upcoming Nomad Life travels.  After we finished eating, I folded up all my clothes and packed up the car before I resumed teleworking.  I stayed online for my job until 1350, when I reluctantly said goodbye to Erin.  It had been a wonderful visit and we were both sad that it was ending.  Departing from Little Neck, I drove west on Virginia Beach Boulevard (through several red light cameras and a lot of annoying traffic) until I finally reached US-13.  At that point, I felt ready to cross the Chesapeake Bay!  Sadly, I then got stuck in a line at the tollbooth (for someone who didn't have the proper payment).  By 1415, though, I was on the bridge.  The weather was wonderful and the low volume of traffic (except for the one lane sections through tunnels) kept me moving smoothly.  I reached the north end of the bridge (Eastern Shore) by 1430 and continued north on US-13.  The weather was still great - 73 F and sunny.  I was past the turn for Cape Charles by 1445 and started listening to an audiobook.  At 1535, I stopped for gas at Stuckey's in Happsville, VA - they had the cheapest price ($4.09) I'd seen since Harrisonburg.  Shortly after that (1555), I crossed into Maryland and then switched to US-113 at Pokomoke City.  I felt so lucky to have missed so much of the typical Summer traffic.  At 1635, I reached MD-90 and used the causeway to reach Ocean City.  After driving south on MD-528 for about a mile, I located Kim and David's condo on the beach side of the strand.  I had to locate the correct parking spot, find the right building and use a code to get inside but, when I did, I was blown away by what I found.  The unit was located right on the beach!  The sound of the ocean waves was so soothing and, with the sun already past the roof (meaning that I was in the shade while sitting on their deck/balcony).  Despite the temptation to call it a day, I resumed teleworking (1700).  One compromise: I did leave the window open for the calming sounds and cooler air.  At 1800, I took a break (see why below) and departed the condo in search of dinner.  I'd already seen a place called Macky's Bayside Bar & Grille on the map so walked over there (arrived at 1815).  Inside, I sat at a table with a young server named Molly and ordered a beer on tap and a series of smaller dishes.  For my dinner, I tried the steamed "Maryland Style" shrimp (with Old Bay), Street Corn Crab Salad (with tortilla chips) and a side of zucchini and squash.  The food was very good (and filling) and I liked the service (Mollie attends UNC-Wilmington and her mom was sitting at a nearby table).  My meal was done at 1930 and I then explored the beach area behind the pub.  The ambiance was great - they had nice tables and a little bar right near the water.  From Macky's, I walked south along the "inland sea" side of the Coastal Highway and tried to stay as close to the piers/beach as I could.  This resulted in some good birding and I encountered (for the first time) a Clapper Rail, American Oystercatcher and Boat Tailed Grackle.  Along the way, I looked around inside the Candy Kitchen (in business since 1937), passed Area 51 (a liquor store with a flying saucer on the roof) and wandered around at the Seacrets Resort.  At the latter venue, I encountered cabanas, palm trees, cheeky laughing gulls and lots of beachfront ambiance.  When I noticed a shuttle boat (for transient boaters to be taken to/from their moorings), I talked to the young guys who worked there.  They told me all about life in Ocean City.  As I was leaving, I found that Seacrets has a distillery.  Beyond that, I passed Dumser's Dairyland (open since 1939), the 45th Street Taphouse and the ALoft (interesting lodging with a hostel feel).  Continuing down the waterfront, I walked behind the Convention Center and walked (on docks) through boat slips until I'd reached 378th Street.  Without a crosswalk nearby, I dodged traffic in the middle of some intersections until I was on the east side of the Coastal Highway.  From there, I walked north to 51st Street again, stopping in places with beach access in a few places.  By 2100, I was back at Kim & David's condo.  Resuming my telework day, I joined a work meeting in progress (there were some important activities going on in Los Angeles) and stayed online after it was over.  With my work day finally complete (2130), I spent the rest of the evening taking care of blog stuff, social media posts, texts with family and friends and Duolingo.  I finally went to bed at 2315.  Until then, I'd kept the balcony window open and only closed it because I wasn't sure how cold it would get overnight. Feeling so privileged to be staying at such a beautiful place by the ocean!

Scandinavia Trip - Day 30

My journey (that started in Helsinki the day before) continued overnight as I made my way (extremely slowly) towards Washington, DC - I was still sleeping on the train (still in New Jersey) at midnight.  We arrived in Philadelphia at 0115 and the train parked there for three hours.  I'd known about this plan but, by then, was having trouble sleeping because the seats weren’t very comfortable, the lights were never dimmed and my fellow passengers were quite loud (even the "the quiet car").  Still, I managed to doze off/on for about two hours.  At 0420, the train started moving from Philadelphia to Wilmington and, at each subsequent stop, we stayed in the platform longer than usual.  More people boarded and the train was soon nearly full - this meant that we got lots of people (including small children) who didn't follow the rules of "maintaining Library-like silence".  The sun came up and all the other passengers started getting really loud before we arrived in the District of Columbia at 0620.  I felt good to be getting closer to my car and walked to the Metro platform.  There were no restaurants open so I gave up any notion of eating breakfast.  Since it was a Sunday morning, the WMATA train spacing was huge that I had to wait until 0635 a west-bound train to arrive at Union Station.  I took the Red Line to Metro Center (arrived at 0645) and then switched to the Orange Line.  At 0715, I got off at West Falls Church Station and began the slow, methodical walk to Kim & David’s house.  Fortunately, it was still rather cool but the humidity and sunlight implied a much warmer day was coming.  I took my time and stopped often to rebalance the bags I was carrying.  Fortunately, there was a sidewalk all along the roads I traveled.  At 0750, I reached my friends' home - whew!  I did a little bit of visiting with Kim before she left for work (0815) and then took a shower.  From 0830 to 1430, I took a much needed nap in their guest room.  When I woke up, I did some reading and relaxing before heading downstairs to visit with David.  It was great to talk with him (we have similar professional backgrounds) and I told him how much I appreciated how he and Kim had so lovingly watched my car while I was away.  At 1910, I left Falls Church to attend Mass at Marymount University in Arlington, where Kim was playing the organ.  By then, the temps had reached into the high 70s and the humidity was palpable.  The service lasted from 1930 to 2025 and I got to enjoy both Kim's playing and some amazing vocal and violin performances by her students.  I also got to meet the Campus Chaplain, Father Gabriel, who was very interested in my Nomad Life story. Afterwards, I went with Kim (in her car) to a nearby Silver Diner (still in Arlington).  Kim entertained me with her ordering, food selections and special requests - it was like old times.  We had a good conversation and the food was tasty (like I remembered from when I used to take my daughters to this chain while we all lived in NoVA).  After getting done (2150), we drove back to Marymount University and I picked up my car.  From there, I followed Jim to her house (we arrived at 2215).  In Kim and David's condo, I spent the next hour visiting and telling them about my trip (they don't use social media).  Since I hoped to get back on "normal time" after being away for so long, I said goodnight and retired to the guest room again.  Before going to bed, I did some reading and Duolingo - it was lights out at 2300.  It's been 30 days since I last slept in this bed and everything that I experienced in between seems like a blur.  One thing is certain, though: it was a GREAT vacation!

Scandinavia Trip - Day 1

My Scandinavia Trip begins today!  Unusually, I'd scheduled my departure for New York much later than I've normally done.  As a result, I slept well and felt very rested when I awoke at 0600 (before my alarm).  For about 90 minutes, I lounged around in bed - reading, doing puzzles and completing Duolingo exercises.  By 0730, I transitioned to finishing up the remainder of my packing.  Feeling good about the bag configurations, I ate breakfast (at Kim & David’s in Falls Church).  Beyond that, I completed a final re-org of my car and ensured that the stuff I was leaving behind in the USA would be safe (some of the items I was most concerned about were left in the dining room at Kim's request).  At 0925, I went to find a beautiful day.  Because of track construction on the Orange Line, I'd scheduled an Uber pickup.  When the car didn't arrive as I'd hoped, I discovered that I'd screwed up the time of my reservation (set up for PM vice AM).  In the end, I barely realized this error in time and was lucky that I managed a rescheduled pickup at 1025.  Fortunately, I ended up with a very nice driver.  He drove me east through several pleasant neighborhoods until we reached the George Washington Parkway.  Sadly, there was some traffic due to construction).  However, these annoyances were offset by the beautiful views of DC skyline.  In any case, we made it to Union Station at 1100 and I was quite relieved.  The temps were in the high 70s by this point so I was relieved to find that the train hall was adequately air conditioned.  Almost immediately after I walked through the main doors, I received a text about my train (track information, etc.) but also noticed that there was a huge line queuing down the entire length of the Station.  Since it looked very far from where my gate was located, I continued walking.  Just as I learned this was, in fact, the line I needed to join, I ended up getting grabbed by an Amtrak employee who put me in the queue much closer to the front.  Even with all this preparation and coordination by the Amtrak employees, it was still a mad free for all to get through the gate.  Along the way, the Business and Priority passengers did a lot of grumbling.  On the platform, there were only two conductors and two doors open for boarding the train.  For this reason, I felt VERY lucky to be able to access the quiet car (located second in line, behind the Business Class car).  Even after all the rushing, y train took a long time to board.  Surprisingly, the train (Northeast Regional 88) departed on time (1127).  Almost immediately, we got lots of warnings about speed restrictions (due to heat) so our arrival time in NYC seemed in doubt.  We passed through New Carrollton MD at 1140 and I waited for a longer break (Baltimore to Wilmington) to get some food from the Cafe Car.  In the end, this proved to be a mistake, since there was a VERY long line for food.  In the end, I spent 40 minutes in line and didn't get started with my lunch (turkey sandwich, along with cheese & crackers) until 1250.  We arrived in Wilmington at 1255, Philadelphia at 1315, Trenton at 1350, Newark at 1430 and (finally) New York Penn Station at 1450.  Along the way, I did a lot of reading, puzzles and eBird to pass the time.  Otherwise, I spent time looking out the window at the passing scenery.  During this window, I also made plans to visit with Eileen's daughter, Heidi, at around dinner time.  Once I was off the train, I wandered around nearby in search of storage.  I was initially unsuccessful (stores wanted too much per bag and wouldn't do an hourly rate) and started thinking about just carrying my bags for the rest of the day.  Fortunately, though, I stumbled across a good solution off W 36th S (just west of 8th Ave) at 1520.  Even though the establishment was a sketchy adult video store, the price and terms were good.  After that, I walked across 8th Ave and made a reservation at Lady Wilde’s NYC for dinner a few hours later.  My next goal was to attend Mass and I figured out that there was a Catholic Parish (St. John the Baptist) only a few blocks away.  While walking in that direction, I encountered wild crowds near Madison Square Garden because there was a Knicks Game scheduled.  At one point, I ended up with musicians and other performers - somehow, security didn't seem to notice me.  This allowed me to take a shortcut across an open plaza area that was (apparently) blocked for public use.  As a result, I arrived just in time to attend the 1600 Mass.  The church was very pretty but sparsely attended.  The Priest annoyed me slightly by adding a political component to his Homily but then everything went like normal.  The service was over by 1650 and I walked back to Penn Station (MSG entrance) to try to buy a Long Island Railroad ticket for Jamaica.  I was successful in this (the pass was apparently good all day).  While in the building, I found someone to talk to about my old Metro pass - they gave me an envelope to send it in for a refund.  With some travel admin completed, I went back outside and walked north.  The weather was wonderful and I thought about going to see the USS Intrepid (only a few blocks away as the crow flies).  However, I started encountering road construction and closed sidewalks.  Realizing that time was too short, I stayed inside a square area that was bounded by 8th Ave & 10th Avenue and W 35th St & W 38th St.  Since I'd told Heidi that I'd be at Lady Wilde’s at 1730, I made it there and got a table.  While trying a virtual check in for my FinnAir flight, I found that I’d been assigned a middle seat near the extreme back of the aircraft.  Uncharacteristically, I ended up paying a small fee to change the seat - I didn't want to be in the middle for the flight.  In the end, this decision proved to be a wise one.  Heidi showed up later then I’d hoped (I had limited time before I needed to get to JFK) because she had just returned from a hike in Connecticut.  Regardless, her energetic attitude and happy demeanor were very uplifting.  Starting at 1745, we ate dinner at Lady Wilde’s, an upscale pub.  I had some local beer and pasta and Heidi got a salad with salmon,  It was nice to catch up for the first time in person since our visit in August.  The food was good and the establishment never got too crowded.  Afterwards (1900), I departed to pick up my bags - Heidi actually followed because she wanted to see the sketchy adult video store.  We then walked back to Penn Station together (arrived at 1915).  After saying goodbye, I got on Express LIRR to Babylon at 1920 - the train actually departed at 1926 and we made it to Jamaica by 1952.  For the first time since the MTA decided to get rid of the old transit cards, I paid for the JFK AirTrain with my phone (it worked OK but not as easy as WMATA).  I got on the train at 1955, just as the doors were closing.  It ook a while (almost a full circuit of the airport) to reached Terminal 8 at JFK but I got off the AirTrain by 2015.  After that, there was lots more walking.  Just before I reached the check-in counter for Finnair, I had to repack my bags after I realized the zipper broke on my duffel bag.  Fortunately, I fixed the issue and even managed to stay under the carryon weight limit.  Done with the check-in and bag drop, I went to the TSA Pre-Check area but found that the security lines were mingled.  The process wasn't too slow, though and I reached the other side of the TSA area by 2040.  After reaching my gate (2050), I spent two hours relaxing.  During this time, I figured out that I’d walked over 4.5 miles since leaving Kim & David’s! With the warm weather, I'd spent most of the day in a short sleeved shirt.  With the aircraft temperature in doubt, I put on a longer shirt (this also proved to be a good idea).  Boarding for my flight commenced at 2215 and I was in my seat by 2230.  Somehow, I got lucky and didn’t have anyone in the middle seat next to me!  The aircraft (A350) taxied at 2255 and we took off at 2307.  Feeling very good to have made it all the way to my non-stop, direct flight to Finland!  We flew (in the dark) over Mount Washington and, later, over Labrador towards the southern tip of Greenland.  We were still in the air at midnight.  Excited to be on my way! 

Nomad Life - Day 188

With a wide-open weekend day, I didn't figure on getting up early.  However, the hotel conditions weren't the best for sleeping and I was awake by 0615 (no alarm set).  Trying to make the most of the situation, I did some reading, puzzles and Duolingo before moving on to blogging and social media updates.  At 0800, I went to "breakfast" (hardly any food and no drinks but coffee) in the Lobby of the Econolodge (Clarks Summit).  I went back to my computer after that and didn't check out of my room until 1030.  By then, it was 38 F and overcast.  I wasn't in the mood to battle traffic on I-81 so decided to take the "scenic route" to the west.  Leaving Clarks Summit, I used Shady Lane Road to reach PA-307 and then followed Country Club Road, along with some unnamed side streets to PA-92.  Along the way, I crossed the Susquehanna River (at towns of Falls & West Falls at 1055) and then followed PA-92 to PA-292.  I passed through the town of Dallas at 1110 and then got on some gravel roads that continued west.  Next, I accessed PA-309 but it was only for minutes - after that, I followed more back roads.  Eventually, I found myself on PA-415 and then made it to the (more substantial and direct) PA-118.  I followed this road into Ricketts Glen State Park (1145) and then continued north on PA-487 so I could do some hiking in the center of the park.  I had to climb a big hill - I learned later that it was called Red Rock Mountain (2449 feet).  During this time, I snacked on some more baked goods that Eileen had packed for me - mmmmm...  At 1155, I reached the Visitor Center (located in Colley Township in Sullivan County) for the State Park - sadly, it was closed.  I spent time looking at paper and wooden sign maps until I figured out what the best trail for me was.  The park had Ice Climbing options!  After a short drive, I parked at the closest trailhead (lots of road closures) and got geared up for a walk in the woods.  From the car, I used the Lake Rose Trail to reach the Lake Rose Parking Lot (closed to cars).  Nearby, there were signs that the Falls Trail was closed (Mud Season?) - there was actual police tape crossing the entry to the trail.  I heard a local lady giving other hikers guidance that the falls were accessible via a different route.  Following this advice, I didn't try to hike on the Falls Trail and, instead, took the Bear Walk Trail.  I was the only person on that trail and I eventually discovered that it only tracked went east.  I wanted to go south, towards the water, so ended up bailing on trail and backtracking on the road for a while.  After a little while, I used a dirt road to return to the Bear Walk Trail.  When I reached the Lake Rose Parking Lot again, I saw a dad and his two sons bypassing the police tape for the Falls Trail.  Hoping to find the scenery I'd been seeking for over an hour, I followed them and soon encountered some pretty waterfalls.  There was no evidence of ice climbing opportunities with the warm temperature but I could imagine the appeal when the water was frozen...  After lingering for a little bit, I backtracked to my car.  By 1325, I'd finished a hike of about 3.7 miles and felt good about my detour through the "wilderness" of north central PA.  Returning to my drive towards Northern Virginia, I used PA-487 to return to PA-118 and then drove west.  I reached Hughesville (Lycoming County) by 1355.  By then, it was 46 F and the sun indicated warmer temperatures ahead.  Using PA-405, I headed to I-180.  This drive went well until Google Maps suggested that I exit on to PA-147.  Soon after that, I crossed the Susquehanna River again (West Branch).  Beyond that, I followed US-15 to US-11 and the town of Shamokin Dam.  I arrived there at 1435 and parked briefly at the Northumberland Boat Club Snyder County.  The river was covered with all kinds of seagulls and my temperature gauge read 49 F.  After my brief pause for birding, I got back on US-15 and followed it to the south.  Initially, there was a LOT of traffic and annoyingly long cycle lights.  Later, it got faster and I felt even better when I transitioned to US-22 (Google Maps' suggestion).  This decision caused me to cross the Susquehanna River for the third time during the day.  Just after that, I got off the four lane highway and took PA-443 into Harrisburg.  Alongside the (mostly one way) road, I noticed an interesting bike path (I figured out later that it was called the Capital Area Greenbelt).  Passing through the northwestern corner of Harrisburg (1530), I crossed the Susquehanna River for the fourth (and final) time.  Shortly after that, I noticed the temps had risen to 58 F and that the scenery looked very familiar.  Within minutes, I understood - I had rejoined US-15 and was following my "normal" route to the DMV...   My friend, Kelly, texted that she and her husband (John) weren't going to get home until almost 1900 so I immediately saw an opportunity to stop for Mass.  A quick web search revealed that I was only three miles from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Mechanicsburg - and they had a Mass scheduled for about 10 minutes later.  I headed over there immediately and joined the packed pews for the 1600 Mass.  The church seemed quite vibrant and had a giant Parish Hall attached to the main sanctuary.  When the service was over (1655), I drove back towards US-15 and, after getting stuck at the lights while driving through Dillsburg, decided to get some dinner at the Arby's there.  While eating my meal (1805 and beyond), I had some strong Deja Vu feelings about the many times I'd been in the area - all those trips to hike the Appalachian Trail in the northeast...  In fact, it was right in this parking lot when I realized my 1998 Ford Explorer had bought the farm.  Once I was done eating (1725), I continued on US-15.  Fortunately, the speeds picked up tremendously as I drove south.  I passed through Emmitsburg (MD) at 1750 and was soon transitioning to I-270.  There was a traffic jam just north of Rockville (due to a cop pulling over an expensive car).  Once I got beyond that, it was mostly smooth sailing to I-495.  There was the normal slow down at the Cabin John Bridge but I made it into Virginia by 1850 and arrived at Kelly & John’s (in Vienna) at 1900.  It seemed like a long time since I'd visited them at home but it was also very familiar.  I also got a bonus this time: Aidan (Kelly's son) arrived a bit later - it was good to see him (all "grown up") after so many years.  For a short time, we hung out in the living room.  Later, though, we walked a short distance to Open Road for drinks (arrived at 2000).  Kelly, John and Aidan bought dinner but I resisted the temptation.  Along the way, we met another one of their friends (another John) and everyone talked about their Trivia Team (they'd all been to a tournament earlier in the day).  Aidan and Kelly departed earlier but John and I stayed at the restaurant until about 2230.  After walking back to John & Kelly's, John and I took Gipper for a walk.  For the rest of the evening, we all visited (with some bourbon) - it was well after midnight before I even thought about bed...  I didn't' note the time but I think I finally settled down to sleep at 0100.  What a great weekend day!

Nomad Life - Day 36

With one minor interruption in my sleep, I got close to eight hours overnight!  At 0600, I awoke and realized that I felt quite refreshed - it was very easy to get my telework day started from the La Salle House (good internet).  At about 0730, I ventured out of my room and made my way to the cafeteria where the Brothers set up light breakfast fare (cereal, fruit, yogurt, juices).  Somehow, I'd already missed seeing Brother Colman (he'd come and gone almost an hour earlier) but I talked with some of his Brothers while I quickly ate.  I then walked down to Brother Colman's room and we chatted briefly before making our way to the La Salle House chapel for Morning Prayer.  Between 0800 and 0830, I got to experience some of the monastic life of the Brothers: chanting, prayer in unison, personalized readings and intentions and the sharing (within their community) of shared priorities and vision.  I was able to also appreciate some of the beautiful artwork I saw in the chapel - overall, a very special experience!  Afterwards, I sat with Brother Colman while we ate a snack and helped him with some more IT issues (WhatsApp).  Before long, though, he told me he had to get ready for a doctor's appointment but added that I was welcome to stay for as long as I needed/wanted.  Saying goodbye to Brother Colman (0920), I resumed teleworking in my "cell" at the La Salle House.  During this time, I received the best news as a dad: one of my daughters (Erin) had gotten married!  She'd told us previously that she and her fiancé, Austin, planned to elope but I was never certain of the date.  It felt good to know they'd finally tied the knot and the news of their nuptials made my work day a bit brighter.  We'll be celebrating together soon!  My meetings finally ended at 1200 and I packed up my car.  Before departing Beltsville, however, I had a short meeting with the Director of the La Salle House (Brother Richard), who welcomed me to stay with the brothers again in the future.  I admitted that I had felt quite relaxed and restful in this place of solitude and told him I hoped to return for a visit soon.  Next, I drove north on US-1 to locate a restaurant a friend had recommended.  I arrived at Jailbreak (in Laurel, MD) at around 1230 and joined up with my friends, Tyler and Amanda, for lunch.  Tyler was one of my new hires back during the time I was a hiring manager and I'd helped to get him his first job.  Since then, he'd moved up very high in his career and it was great to learn about his professional life and personal happiness. During the next hour, we enjoyed some delicious food (corn pasta for me and flatbread for them).  I also tried one of Jailbreak's signature beers (Crooklyn's Finest) - it was also good.  At 1345, I said goodbye to my friends and headed towards Mollie's house.  This required some back road driving to the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and then a long slog (LOTS of traffic) around the I-495 Beltway and into Virginia.  Fortunately, I had a meeting for work to keep me entertained and this helped the drive feel a bit (but not a lot) shorter.  The weather was nice but I saw distant clouds that looked threatening.  After passing through the gauntlets of the Wilson Bridge and (when I got on I-95) Occoquan River, I finally started to get to some faster speeds.  Unfortunately, the Virginia drivers seem to have made passing exit and entry ramps a messy evolution - I noticed several years ago (in Massachusetts) that Interstate traffic slows considerably due to the last minute lane crossers... Despite the long drive from Laurel to Fredericksburg, I was still pleased to get off the highway at about 1600.  Google Maps took me on what appeared to be a quite circuitous route (east into old Fredericksburg, south on US-1 and then back to the west and across I-95 again) to Mollie's apartment but it didn't matter because neither she nor Alex were actually there.  Hoping to find a happy hour, I drove north to Plank Road and stopped in at the Durango Grill.  They seemed to be selling beer at very cheap rates (as low as $1 for Bud Light) and the clientele were definitely filling up on "swill." The staff were nice, though, and I ended up trying a few local beers and enjoying a good buffalo chicken sandwich, mac & cheese and cherry cobbler before I was finished.  By that time (1745), Mollie told me she was home and I headed back to her apartment.  When I arrived, I was greeted warmly by Maple (her dog) and got settled in their guest room and doing a bit more telework.  After finishing my work week, I headed back outside to get the rest of my 10K steps in Mollie's neighborhood.  Since I'd barely walked at all during the earlier part of the day, this required a nearly three mile walk to reach my goal.  The weather was a bit warm and sticky but was still glad to get some exercise.  The sun was shaded a bit by some smog or thin clouds - it was possible to look directly at it and the orange ball was quite subdued.  I called Erin to congratulate her and Austin but wasn't able to reach her.  In an attempt to find some new birds for my eBird project, I used the Merlin app on some noisy house sparrows and it worked great.  Hopefully, I'll be able to keep increasing my lifetime bird totals with this tool...  Back at Mollie's, I caught up on some reading and made preliminary plans for the following day.  By 2200, I was ready to go to sleep (Mollie and Alex already had retired for the evening).  Less than 15 minutes later, I was fast asleep.  Another great day of Nomad Life!

Nomad Life - Day 35

My day began early again (0530) and I was teleworking working in Kim's kitchen when she came down to turn up the heat for her condo (she was surprised to find me awake).  I continued my work day throughout the morning, including saying goodbye to David (he was leaving for work at 0730) and listening to one of Kim's piano students playing (0930).  Breakfast was yogurt, bread and fruit (eaten on the fly).  During one break before noon, I was able to pack up my car and get ready to leave Virginia.  There was also (barely) enough time for me and Kim to eat lunch together (very rushed) in her kitchen prior to her own departure (1230).  My meetings continued until 1400 and I then got in my car in an attempt to try to get in front of the DC rush hour traffic.  I did listen to another Telcon on the way but it didn't last long - after that, I listened to audio books while I made my way from Falls Church towards Beltsville, Maryland.  The weather looked ominous during my entire journey and the road construction in the northwest suburbs of our Nation's Capital were brutal until I finally reached (via the northern Beltway) the I-95 junction.  From there, I was able to reach the La Salle House (where I planned to spend the night).  It was much earlier than I'd planned to be there so I continued north until I was able to access US-1 and locate a small mall complex in the town of Laurel (MD).  With many options for eating and a large area to walk, I spent the next hour (1510 to 1610) trying to get to my 10K steps.  At times, there was some significant precipitation and I ducked inside (Shoppers and PetSmart) so I wouldn't lose walking momentum.  Eventually, I decided it was time to get some food and I settled on Longhorn Steakhouse after I realized that Chick-fil-A was closed for renovations.  I sat down at the bar and was pleased to find that they had a special margarita (not quite happy hour but close) - I enjoyed one of them while also eating my (early) dinner (the meal consisted of a half-pound Steakburger and some grilled Brussel sprouts).  By 1710, I was finished eating and noticed that the rain had stopped.  Resuming my walk around the complex, I somehow missed a call from Mollie and then played voicemail tag with her for the next 20 minutes.  Finally, I was able to connect and we talked for close to an hour about my upcoming visit to see her, some work challenges and other activities on the horizon.  When we were wrapping up the call, I got back in my car and returned to the La Salle House (arrived at about 1830) so I could meet up with Brother Colman (age 94 & 11/12).  Many years ago, I connected with him (via email) about our shared Coogan family roots and we've visited off/on since that time.  During nearly every visit, he's asked if I would like to stay at the La Salle House (home of many retired Christian Brothers); this was the first time I've been able to accept his generous offer.  By 1845, I was inside and he was taking me around the building, introducing me to the other residents.  Most of them admitted that they'd heard of me ("the OTHER Jim Coogan") before and were happy to put a face to the reputation.  During the next few hours, I helped Brother Colman with several IT (phone and computer) issues that had been frustrating him recently - we also watched a bit of the Philadelphia Eagles versus Dallas Cowboys game (opening night of NFL Season).  At 2115, Brother Colman admitted that he was quite tired and I said goodnight to him - at that point, I realized I too was feeling pretty exhausted and retired to the wonderful room that the Brothers had set up for me in the La Salle House.  There was evidence of monastic influence on their lives but I felt quite comfortable with the accommodations they provided.  Before bed (2215), I did some reading and Duolingo and settled into my warm bed.  Very glad that my Nomad Life is allowing me to visit with so many people and experience new things!

Nomad Life - Day 29

After another great sleep in the comfortable bed at the home of my friends (Steve and Kelly), I awoke to my final morning in New England - at least for the foreseeable future.  There were already two important goals that I needed to accomplish as soon as my feet hit the floor: (1) obtain my new laptop and make it functional for work and (2) drive from Connecticut to Virginia.  After doing some reading and games (including Duolingo), I got ready and packed up the car (with all but my work computer).  By 0615, I was teleworking.  Steve came by a bit later to say goodbye (he had to go to work in Hartford) and I thanked him for giving me a nice headquarters for a week of my Nomad Life.  By 0800, Kelly had also come by to ask if I wanted her to make me another Taylor Ham, Egg and Cheese sandwich for my breakfast (how could I refuse?).  With my day already going well, I got in my car (0830) and headed towards the FedEx facility in Glastonbury.  The distance was only about 8 miles but there was back-to-school traffic, a major police activity (traffic stop with drugs?) and some lights to navigate.  I eventually managed to get on CT-2 and the rest of the trip went quickly.  As a result, I was one of the first customers of the day at FedEx (on Glastonbury Boulevard) when they opened (0900).  Fortunately, my laptop was quickly retrieved and I backtracked to Kelly and Steve's (arrived by 0915) to get set up for my provisioning meeting with the IT department.  This meeting took a lot longer than I'd hoped but, fortunately, I stayed on track for my planned noon departure.  During this time, Kelly left home (to do some errands) and graciously offered to have me stay with her family again - I hope that can happen again soon!  Wrapping up with my work day at 1215, I double checked that I had everything I'd brought to Connecticut and headed out of the neighborhood towards the west.  It seemed like a good idea for me to get gas before trying to pass through New York City so I located a nearby Irving station and made my way there (arrived at 1235) to fill up my tank.  During this time, it started to sprinkle - the clouds to the west also looked ominous and I wondered if my streak of good weather days was about to end...  When I tried to tell Google Maps my plans, I figured out that I had no cell signal - as a result, I ended up driving along the eastern side of the Connecticut River for a while.  Tryon Street ended up giving me pleasant views but I didn't get a signal again until I reached Old Maids Lane.  During my planning, I'd seen routes that followed I-84 and I-81 that might take about eight hours with light traffic conditions.  However, the fact that it was Labor Day Weekend was not helping with the time estimates.  Added to that, I had hoped to find a way to visit as many of the 50 states during my first Nomad Life year and wanted to make sure not to miss Delaware.  As a result, I chose a more southerly route and started with about an 8+45 duration (if only the traffic and weather would cooperate).  I should note that this itinerary seemed to indicate that I'd be at Brenna's just after 2100. at From this point, Google Maps took me to I-91 via CT-17, CT-17A and CT-66 (through Portland and across the River).  After less than a mile on the Interstate, I was able to access CT-15 (Wilbur Cross Parkway and, later, Merritt Parkway).  By this point, it was already 1330 and I began to worry about how far behind the Google estimate I'd finally get.  The ride on the Parkway itself went pretty easily (just a few short slow downs) but I drove through some nasty rainstorms (couldn't see anything at all at times) before coming out into the clear as I crossed the Housatonic River.  I was also able to use this time to make calls to my daughters, my friend Kim and Brother Jim - plans appear to be final for the coming week!  Traffic conditions and weather mostly cooperated as I shifted towards I-87 (just east of the Hudson) and I started to believe I'd be able to cross the George Washington Bridge without much delay.  Sadly, this didn't turn out to be true and I soon found myself in one of the worst traffic jams I've seen in years.  Between about 1445 and 1530, I probably only moved about a half mile on the entrance ramp for the bridge.  What a difference from my arrival by train a few days earlier!  On the plus side, there was time for audiobooks and watching the people selling fruit between the slowed cars.  Still, my time estimate for arrival continued to move ever later...  When I finally reached the New Jersey side of the Hudson, it was already much later than I'd hoped and I did everything I could to try to make up time.  The idea of going through Delaware started to look worse and worse - every route I tried (New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Turnpike, I-287, etc.) looked horrible.  Google Maps kept trying to take me west via I-80 and I finally gave up trying to fight it.  Unfortunately, this route ended up having annoying six minute slow downs at almost every major exit.  Not wanting to be trapped on the Interstate, I kept exiting the highway and using a combination of surface streets and US-46 to make my way west.  The arrival time for Brenna's house ticked up to about 2200 and I communicated this to my daughter during one of the slow downs.  Through a combination of Google Maps, instinct and continual determination to skirt the worst of the slow downs, I managed to reach the Delaware River at the town of Belvidere - I crossed a bridge on Water Street that I used to use during my AT trip days (no toll) and then took the Martins Creek Belvidere Highway to PA-611 (saw power plant with big cooling towers).  After Google Maps took me on a few more side streets, I intercepted US-22 and headed west towards Harrisburg.  From this point, I only encountered one more slow down for the rest of the day.  When I got on I-78, I calculated that I'd already spent almost six hours driving about 240 miles (40 mph average) - fortunately, I managed to cover almost the same distance during the next three (plus) hours.  Thank goodness for the 65+ speed limits for the last half of the drive!  Although I wasn't really able to enjoy it, the weather was wonderful again (mostly mid-70s and sunny).  Even better: the traffic was thin, especially after I passed the Susquehanna River.  I got an even better boost when I ended up getting passed by a PA State Trooper - once I settled in behind him (at a good distance), it was smooth sailing all the way to the Potomac River.  At times, I felt pretty good about this drive and remembered all the years of passing through the area for hiking trips and transits to see the kids.  Soon, I'll be traveling much different routes to reach the west coast!  I quickly transited Maryland and West Virginia and reached the Virginia border just before the sun completely set in the west.  The speeds beyond this point stayed high but I began to deal with the slow and unpredictable tractor trailer traffic (ugh...).  Still, I was very pleased when I arrived in Harrisonburg before the predicted arrival time - I was Brenna's apartment by 2150.  WHEW!  This was a painful drive (about 480 miles, 9.3 hours and no stops) but, with it in the rear view mirror, I can say I'm happy to be back in the Old Dominion.  Brenna and Jesse had gone on a hike with their Young Adult Group friends and were not at her apartment.  This gave me time to unpack and then, to my absolute surprise, start making significant progress towards my normal 10K step goal.  I was nearly finished with my walk at about 2300 when, suddenly, three big fire trucks arrived to investigate an activated sprinkler system in Brenna's neighborhood.  Fortunately, this wasn't connected with Brenna's building...  My daughter and her boyfriend arrived a short time later and, after realizing this was just an interesting diversion from normal tasks, moved on with their lives.  I briefly joined them in Brenna's apartment (to say hello) but then finished my walk outside (2345).  Settling on to the couch a bit later, I managed to also catch up on some reading and get my computers set up for the morning.  As a result of this kind of "extra admin", I didn't got to sleep until after 0030.  No worries on the lateness, though - my driving is done for a few days.  Glad I'm going to have quality time with my daughter!

Busch Gardens Trip - Day 6

After a wonderful (almost) week of visiting my daughters, it was time to head back to New Hampshire.  I was awake at 0500 this morning and quickly got ready to depart.  Mollie had asked me to wake her up before I left and we were able to chat a bit as I was packing up the car.  By 0600, I departed Fredericksburg (via VA-3) and headed north on I-95.  Traffic was light and I made great time around DC (via the west side on I-495) and onto I-270.  My breakfast was the Chick-fil-A sandwich (Mollie had graciously given it to me).  The drive reminded me of many, many hiking trips I'd done over the years and the miles clicked quickly by as I drove through Frederick and got on US-15.  Passing through Thurmont, Emmitsburg, Gettysburg and Dillsburg, I enjoyed the voyage down memory lane...  I listened to audiobooks along the way and was soon in Harrisburg (PA-581, I-83) and on I-81.  From there, things continued to be pretty easy - driving wise - and the weather was beautiful.  I'd made plans to meet up with Carolyn for a late lunch so targeted Albany for my route towards home.  The only stops I made before then were for a short break at the NY Welcome Center (just south of Binghamton, before I got on some back roads to cut the corner to I-88) and at the BJs (gas fillup) and Walmart (can/bottle redemption) in Oneonta (1215).  Otherwise, my trip on the Interstates went quite well and I was on I-90 by 1300.  Taking a gamble (like my last trip) on possible tolls, I drove south to NY-7 and then was very careful as I drove across Schenectady and Niskayuna to reach Latham, where Carolyn lives.  I met up with her by 1345 and we drove a short distance to the Metro 7 Diner so we could have lunch.  The food was really good and we had a nice conversation.  Finished up at 1430, we drove back to her house to chance into some hiking gear so we could take a walk on the Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway (part of the larger Empire State Trail and Erie Canalway systems).  The weather was wonderful and, after parking near the intersection of River Road and Buhrmaster Road (1455), we ended up logging just under 4.5 miles on the trail in about 1.5 hours.  Our out-and-back route took us along the Mohawk River and all the way to eastern access road (Onderdonk Avenue) for the Water Treatment Plant.  We saw lots of birds but the most interesting one was a type I'd never encountered before: American Redstart.  It was very cool to note another new species for my eBird account and Carolyn got into the action as we encountered others.  Finished at 1625, we returned to Carolyn's so I could get back on the road - we said goodbye by 1635.  From Latham, I drove east on NY-7, north on I-87 and then east on NY-7 to Troy.  During this time, I talked with Brenna (who'd called while I was walking on the trail).  At 1650, I stopped at the Friendly's in Troy for my free birthday sundae (mmmm) and then ate it as I continued east into Vermont.  The rest of the drive was the typical route (NY/VT-279, US-7, VT-11/30, VT-103, I-91 and I-89) that has been so common since I've been living in New England. The best part of the drive was when I realized how cool the temperatures had gotten as I crossed the Connecticut River (70s - nice).  I arrived at my condo by 1930 and quickly unpacked the rental car.  Feeling quite good about getting the drive completed early, I relaxed with windows open (and a light breeze).  It was a great trip!

Busch Gardens Trip - Day 2

The long drive last night, followed by the later bedtime, created a scenario where I wasn't awake until nearly 0700 this morning.  This might have been OK, normally, but then I had problems accessing the internet through the hotel WiFi.  Eventually, I made a connection to the network and was able to log a few hours of work in my room at the Econo Lodge at Clark's Summit.  At one point, I visited the lobby for the advertised Continental Breakfast - all I found was coffee and two Twinkies.  Not wanting to have to leave the hotel for food, I ate these snacks in my room.  This turned out to be a mistake...  At 0915, I finished my first meeting of the day and had enough time to check out of the hotel and drive a short distance to a lower priced gas station (Conoco in Chinchilla at 0925).  I then tried to access my next work meeting from my phone but encountered a problem with the Teams link - this meant that I had to use my phone to access the internet on my work computer.  Once I sorted out the mess, I was able to listen in on a work call between 1000 and 1200.  Meanwhile, I headed south on I-81.  Like yesterday, it was very hot outside (high 90s) - fortunately, the air conditioning continued working well.  With very little traffic and only minimal slow downs for construction, I did really well on the drive towards Harrisonburg.  Passing through Harrisburg just after noon, I had a break from work for a little while before my next meeting began.  I was able to listen to some more audiobooks and that helped me with the drive.  During this window, my stomach started really hurting - I think the breakfast did not agree with me...  Somehow, I continued south, without stopping, and crossed through Maryland and West Virginia before finally arriving in Virginia.  My back also hurt a good amount from the uncomfortable seat.  Overall, I was not enjoying the way I felt.  At about 1400, I joined my next work meeting and, about 20 minutes later, rolled into Harrisonburg.  I was at Brenna's shortly after that and she helped me carry things into her apartment.  My meeting ended at 1500 but I spent the two hours teleworking (despite the continued discomfort).  Brenna tried to make me feel better by making me a snack (beans and rice) - it seemed to work.  Meanwhile, it rained (hard) outside and I was glad I wasn't still driving on the highway... Next (1700), we drove to the nearby Harrisonburg Mall and spent about 30 minutes walking around inside the building with pleasant temperatures.  During this time, I was also able to make a reservation at a hotel in Virginia Beach (part of a deal I made with Brenna and Erin to ensure we could all stay together on Friday night).  We returned to Brenna's at around 1745 and Jesse (Brenna's boyfriend) arrived shortly afterwards.  It was my first time meeting him and I found him to be very nice.  After some initial chit-chat, Jesse drove us to a restaurant that Brenna had raved about, Babylon Cuisine, that served delicious Middle Eastern food (arrived at 1820).  We got a family platter and tried all kinds of kabab, shawarma and other meats and veggies.  Our visit was fun and interesting and, even though we departed from the restaurant feeling quite full, we headed over to Grammie's Ice Cream stand (Bridgewater).  Each of us got some tasty desserts (1940) and ended up sitting outside for almost 90 minutes.  We had some more great conversation and even were joined by some lightning bugs.  At 2100, we departed for Brenna's apartment, arriving about 15 minutes later.  Since I hadn't yet gotten all of the steps I wanted for the day, I spent the next 45 minutes walking in the parking lot.  The weather was still hot and humid and I worked up a sweat.  By 2200, I had reached my goal and met up with Brenna and Jesse again.  Saying goodbye and good night shortly afterwards, I checked my work computer once more (wrapping up my teleworking for good) and then settled down to sleep a short time later (2315).  I think I was asleep less than 15 minutes later.  It was definitely a good day of working, driving and visiting!

Christmas Trip - Day 12

Even though I had planned to drive home today, I still did some teleworking in Chantilly as soon as I woke up (before 0500).  Like yesterday, the morning was quite slow (all meetings had been canceled and most people were on leave).  I took a break to get some breakfast (comped again) in the hotel restaurant and then resumed teleworking.  At about 0745, I packed up my car, checked out of the Holiday Inn and departed for New Hampshire.  My first stop (after using VA-28, I-66 and I-495) was in Beltsville, where I spent over an hour (0830 to 1000) with Brother Jim in his retirement home.  I helped him with some computer problems and we had a nice conversation.  During this time, I also got a bit of teleworking done (mostly just checking email; everything was quiet).  At 1000, I said goodbye and headed north on I-95.  Along the way, I thought about all the hiking trips I'd done on this route...  I changed to I-695 and skirted around the northwest side of Baltimore.  There were a LOT of speed cameras in the construction zones (ugh).  Made it to I-83 without much incident and then settled in for a long drive to Harrisburg.  Fortunately, the weather was great and, initially, I didn't have too much traffic. When I got to the Susquehanna River, however, the traffic jams started and it took me a while to get to I-81.  Even then, I had some stop-and-go all the way to I-78;.  North of that junction, though, the drive was very easy and I thought it would be smooth sailing all the way to Binghamton.  Unfortunately, there were a lot of left lane cruisers, some big trucks, and construction - this slowed me down a little.  I made a couple of stops for short breaks and even kept my computer signed into my work network for several hours as I drove.  Just after getting to the New York State Line, I took some back roads towards I-88.  It was during this time that my sister, Carolyn, started texting about some sort of problem with my dad.  When I called to find out what was wrong, I learned that his dog, Ana, had died.  I thanked Carolyn for letting me know but didn't immediately contact my dad because I needed to stop for gas.  After getting off the Interstate in Oneonta (NY) at 1605, I found that my Mirabito card (still) didn't work.  Instead, I went in search of another station.  Along the way, I redeemed more cans and bottles at Walmart (1815).  Next, I headed over to BJ's, where I filled up the gas tank (1830).  Once I was back on I-88, I made really good time as I drove east.  West of Albany, I got off the Interstate (Duanesburg) and took US-20 all the way to I-87.  Next, I got off the Interstate again and took NY-7 towards the east and across the Hudson River.;  After a brief break at McDonalds in Troy, I resumed driving towards Vermont.  Unfortunately, I got stuck behind some slow traffic and it took forever to reach VT-7.  However, once I got on VT-279, I made good time to US-7 and Manchester.  At this point, I called my dad to express my condolences about the passing of his beloved dog (had to leave a voicemail).  My drive continued (via VT-11) across the Green Mountains and I found a good "rabbit" in front of me who made the trip go quickly.  I followed VT-11 all the way to the western outskirts of Springfield and then used some back roads through town.  After that, I picked up VT-11 again and used it to reach I-91.  During this last leg of the trip, I made good time to I-89 and arrived home at 2030.  It was only then that I realized I hadn't eaten anything since the middle of the day!  Still, I didn't feel hungry...  As I usually do, I sent a Smurfey picture to the girls, unpacked and then went to bed early.  This Christmas trip to Virginia worked out much better for me than the last one I did - it was great to see friends and family and meet some new people.  What a great ending to 2024!

Christmas Trip - Day 2

Woke up at 0615 in Carlisle (PA) and started teleworking immediately.  A bit later, I got quick breakfast in the hotel lobby (good) and then resumed teleworking.  I had lots of meetings early but was finished with my morning work session by 1015.  After checking out and packing up the car, I drove (via I-81) from Carlisle to Martinsburg, WV.  On the way, there was lots of traffic and road construction (annoying lane closure at one point).  Still, I made it to the local Chick-fil-A by 1145 and met my colleague, Mike G, who treated me to lunch.  We spent the next two hours in a working session (while eating).  Afterwards (1345), I thanked Mike and left Martinsburg and headed south on I-81 again.  Once again, the traffic was tough (trucks, ugh).  I tried to break up my rising frustration by stopping at a Welcome Center, just after entering Virginia.  When I asked the staff inside where there might be a good place to walk nearby, a nice lady at the desk directed me to the Third Winchester Battlefield Park, which was only one exit away.  This seemed like a good choice for some afternoon "outdoors time", so I drove there and spent some time (1430 to 1515) exploring the trails and learning about the history of the Shenandoah phase of the Civil War.  The weather was wonderful (temps in the 60s)!  As I walked through fields and past cannons perched on low hills above the Shenandoah Valley, I reflected on how this part of Virginia has always been one of my favorites, mostly because of its long views (mountains, farm fields, cows) and Civil War history.  The best reason, though, is because Brenna lives there!  Speaking of my daughter, I tried to text to find out when she might be home, but was unable to reach her.  Since I still had some time before I needed to be in Harrisonburg, I decided to try to check out the nearby Woodstock Brewing Company (one of my work colleagues was one of the founding partners!).  However, I hadn't yet reached that location before Brenna suddenly texted that she was home.  I immediately redirected my route towards Harrisonburg and drove all the way (via I-81) to US-33.  While exiting the highway, I had a speed camera scare (yikes) [fortunately, I never got a ticket from the City of Harrisonburg].  I arrived at Brenna's apartment at 1630 and we spent a short time visiting.  Later, I unloaded three boxes of nostalgia (games, books, magazines, etc.) and practical items (storage containers, kitchen utensils, spices, etc.) into her apartment.  Brenna was very happy to look through the items and took almost everything I'd set aside for her.  Surprisingly, though, she gave me back the Harney Tea I'd bought for her at Valentine's Day (she said it was too "tart") - I'll have to pick a different variety next time...  While Brenna had been going through the boxes, I did another 1.5 hours of teleworking.  At 1730, I made an online order for Panera (used the rest of my gift card) and then followed Brenna through her apartment as she pointed out some things that might need fixing.  One easy "repair" involved some light bulbs (burned out in the overhead fixtures).  So, after picking up the Panera order (1800) and eating in the restaurant, we drove across the parking lot to the Home Depot.  Together (and with help from the staff), we located the hard-to-find long fluorescent lightbulbs.  By 1900, we were back at her apartment and I helped her install the bulbs (she said they'd been out for "a little while").  Our next activity was for her to watch the rest of "Oppenheimer" (she told me she had been enjoying it).  During this time (and when she started doing chores), I did another 1.5 hours of teleworking.  With my work day finally complete (2030), I decided to watch some of the Hulu "Shogun" series - it was very good.  Just as I had decided it was time for bed, Brenna decided that we needed to have a conversation about some things that had been troubling her.  In the end, I think she was glad we'd talked.  After saying good night to her (2230), I did some reading until it was time for me to try to sleep - officially turned off the lights at 2300.  It's great to have "Bren time"!

Virginia Beach Trip - Day 5

Sadly, my whirlwind visit to Hampton Roads was going to end today.  I woke up at 0530 and got ready for my departure.  Once I finished packing my car, I said goodbye to Erin and Brenna - I left the house by 0615.  Driving a short distance, I got gas at Wawa (Rosemont) at 0630.  After that, I drove north (via I-264, Independence, side streets and US-13) towards the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.  When I paid the toll at the southern end (0645), I learned it was higher (by $5) due to the weekend.  Traffic was initially light and the weather was good.  At around this time, I had my first call with Eileen (she was driving to Indiana and had suggested we keep each other company during the day).  I made it to Cape Charles very easily and listened to audiobooks on the way.  Continued on US-13 to Pokomoke City and then took US-113 towards the northeast.  The traffic increased as I approached the beaches - oh no...  I crossed into Maryland during another call with Eileen.  She had to make some stops so I switched back to listening to audiobooks.  During this time, I found myself fighting with Google and Apple Maps for the fastest and cheapest way to reach New Hampshire... Arrived in Milford, DE by 1000 and got on DE-1.  Again, I had to pay higher tolls (weekend/beach rates) at each of the toll booths (1015 and 1040) but made good time on the highway.  As I approached I-95, the map apps told me it was best to get off the four lane highway.  However, the route was unfamiliar and I ended up driving north (slowly, through a series of lights) on US-13 until I finally intercepted I-295.  From there, I was able to cross the Delaware River.  Instead of using the New Jersey Turnpike, I stayed on the Interstate and made good time as I drove along the western edge of New Jersey.  Of course, I knew (due to previous experiences) that this solution wasn't going to be effective forever.  Still, the ride was pretty good (very little traffic).  Temps soared during this timeframe and I was glad to have good AC.  I stopped for lunch at McDonalds in Burlington, NJ (1155).  Once I was back on I-295, I made my way north towards Trenton, talking with Eileen briefly.  I got off the Interstate at the Princeton Pike (Route 583) and continued north into Princeton.  After passing the Battle Monument, I took surface streets through the college town.  Got on US-206 after this but the drive was mostly slow going.  In Somerville, I was able to get on I-287 and pick up speed again.  During this phase, I listened to more audiobooks and had another good call with Eileen.  When I reached Suffern (NY) I hit the worst traffic I'd seen all day (trying to get on I-87).  Fortunately, my plan had already been to exit onto NY-17 and this turned out to be a good decision.  After that, the speeds were mostly steady and I got to travel through many of the towns I used to visit often while hiking the AT.  When I reached Monroe, I stopped at Walmart to recycle cans/bottles (1415).  I was on the road again by 1430.  Instead of continuing north, I got on US-6 (it crossed NY-17 at that location) and headed east.  Unfortunately, I hit really bad traffic on the way towards the Hudson (delay was about 15 minutes) but eventually got to a roundabout for the Palisades Parkway that allowed me to escape it.  Continued on US-6 to Bear Mountain Bridge Road and crossed the Hudson River (toll by camera).  On the east side, I got on NY-9D and headed north - more AT nostalgia.  Near Cold Spring, I switched to some surface streets to reach NY-301 and then cut northeast towards the Taconic Parkway.  After getting on that road, my travel speeds increased dramatically and I made great time towards the north.  Passed the time with more audiobooks.  Meanwhile, I noticed that the weather to the west looked ominous.  I made it almost to I-90 before I got off (on NY-295) and took it to Canaan.  Switching to back roads (Queechy Lake Drive), I eventually reached NY-22 and followed it all the way to New London and Lebanon Springs.  As I've thought whenever driving in the Northeast, "they sure re-used a lot of names"...  I kept thinking I'd be crossing the border into Massachusetts but it never happened.  Instead, I was on NY-22 all the way to NY-7.  From there, I drove east towards Vermont and got on NY/VT-279.  Reached US-7 just as it started to rain.  The precipitation got worse after that but I otherwise had a great time going north towards Manchester.  Once on VT-11/30, I thought I'd be stuck behind some slow traffic (from DC).  Instead, I made a great pass and caught up to a speedy Dodge Charger that took us on a "road race" through the Green Mountains.  Other cars (including DC car) saw what we were doing and we basically had a convoy.  At this point, I suddenly learned about a Tornado Watch in the Upper Valley (yikes!).  For this reason, I decided to do my shopping before reaching West Lebanon.  I stayed on VT-11 (instead of getting on VT-103) as I passed through Chester and made my way to Springfield.  At Shaw's, I picked up a free item (1835).  The weather still looked horrible when I came out of the store so I wasn't in a big hurry.  Stopped for gas at Irving (1845) before getting on I-91.  On the way home, I encountered more nasty weather - this led to some dropped calls with Eileen.  Eventually got on I-89 and crossed Connecticut River.  Made it home by 1930.  Surprisingly, it wasn't raining in Hanover yet so I was able to unpack the car.  A deluge started after that.  Secure inside my home, I felt relieved to be home after a rewarding trip.  There were definitely a lot of lessons that I had to relearn from the times (long ago) when I lived in Hampton Roads.  Feeling quite exhausted but this was an awesome trip - can’t wait to return!

Virginia Beach Trip - Day 1

I've been planning my trip to see Erin's new house for about a month and today was the day of departure!  I was up before my alarm clock (0445) and was finished packing up my car by 0600.  Got started on my telework day before leaving the condo.  Stopped for gas at Irving in Hanover (0625) and then drove to White River Junction for my required maintenance on my Subaru.  I arrived early and did some more telework from my car.  Next, I checked my car in (0700) and moved upstairs to the waiting room so I could telework some more.  After a little while, I took a short walk (before it got too hot).  My car was ready just after 1115 and, after I paid, I was able to re-org the packing for the upcoming drive to Virginia Beach.  I left WRJ by 1130 with an ETA at Erin's of 2200 (I left her a voicemail so she'd know I was coming and she texted back that she would be ready).  Like most trips towards the south, I used I-91 all the way past Hartford (CT).  Initially, the traffic was OK and the weather was pleasant.  Encountered some construction but it really didn't slow me down.  Listened to audiobooks on the way.  Unfortunately, I started hitting huge traffic jams when I arrived at CT-15.  I tried to bypass it, with some success, but the slow down only got worse as I drove west.  Google Maps was very frustrating and kept updating the arrival time to closer to midnight.  However, whenever I did my own thing (e.g., getting off the four lane highway), it updated back towards 2200 arrival.  Eventually, I just gave up and stayed in the traffic (horrible on Merritt Parkway) as it made its way towards NYC.  At one point, I tried to stop for a bathroom break but the rest area parking lot was completely full.  Typically, I would have headed towards the GW Bridge by that point but the traffic was soo bad that I decided to cross the Hudson on I-287 (Tappan Zee).  Traffic OK as I approached the Mario Cuomo Bridge but Google Maps tried to keep me on the east side of the river.  I blew that off and, once I was on the west side (1550), took US-9W to reach the Palisades Parkway.  It was slow going at times but, at least, I wasn't trapped anywhere...  I talked to Eileen and then exchanged call attempts with Erin.  Before I was able to get back on an Interstate, I had to use some surface streets but eventually arrived at the entrance to the New Jersey Turnpike - it had taken me almost five hours to reach that point.  I stopped for a break at the Vince Lombardi Rest Area and then got on I-95 (picked up a toll ticket).  Unfortunately, I was immediately in another traffic jam...  This one didn't last too long, though, and I ultimately made great time all the way through New Jersey.  The toll at the NJT Exit (1825) was very high - will have to explore ways to avoid that in the future.  Also had to pay a toll to cross Delaware River Bridge at 1830.  From there, I used I-95 to reach DE-1.  Paid yet another toll (1910) but it was worth the cost: I was able to make great time on good road.  During this phase, I was able to talk with Mollie (1840).  Paid another toll (1845) before arriving at US-113.  From that point, I was glad that I still had good traffic speeds.  Stopped for gas at BJs in Millsboro (DE) at 2010 and then picked up dinner at Chick-fil-A right next door.  On the road again quickly (after about 15 minutes) and made up some time after that.  Used US-113 all the way to Pokomoke and then took US-13 to Cape Charles.  By then, it was getting dark but it was nice to not have any traffic!  Paid one more toll at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel (2220) and then had a good drive (no problems) over to Norfolk.  Arrived at Erin's new house at about 2250 and got to visit for a little while with her, Austin and Mollie (and Kiki).  After that, I started teleworking again - I was tired but wanted to avoid using much more leave.  Spent some time reading before bed (0045).  Glad to have made this drive (for the first time in many years) without too much trouble but was definitely reminded that the drive distance/time/tolls ($43.70) was much worse than I'd hoped - need to figure out ways to minimize some of these issues...  

Graduation Trip - Day 2

Despite my late bedtime, I was still awake early (0630).  Started teleworking immediately, with a short break to get breakfast from hotel lobby.  After confirming a late checkout, I stayed in my room for work meetings and other projects until noon.  Taking a decided break from my job, I had a call (networking and budget planning) with Heidi V.  Meanwhile, I left Carlisle at 1200 and drove south on I-81.  Later, I spent some time talking with Eileen and Mollie and listened to audiobooks.  At 1315, I stopped for lunch at Chick-fil-A in Martinsburg, WV and met up with my work colleague (Mike G.).  For the next two hours, we ate and talked about several work projects.  Just after 1530, I said goodbye to him and started south on I-81 again.  Passed the time with more audiobooks and Pandora music.  The traffic was OK but there were (as usual) LOTS of trucks.  I arrived in Harrisonburg just after 1700 and headed to Brenna's apartment.  She hadn't been answering my calls but she was home and saw me in the parking lot.  We spent a short time visiting but both agreed that we were hungry - as a result, we then (1745) left her apartment to find a place to eat.  We drove around for a while, looking for someplace "just right" - Brenna took me to a few places that had actually closed (without her knowledge) and she had quite a list of things she did/didn't want.  Eventually, I convinced her to stop at a place called "Joe's Diner" (located close to the Cracker Barrel) and we ended up having a really nice meal there.  I had a club sandwich and Brenna had biscuits and gravy.  While eating, we had a nice talk - we might have stayed even longer (after finishing our meal) but Brenna wanted to go for a walk.  So, we then (1845) drove west to Bridgewater and stopped at Wildwood Park, where we took a long walk (probably almost an hour).  It was a nice place, complete with waterfalls, trails, picnics and dogs.  We had some more nice chatting and saw some baby ducks.  By 2045, we were back at Brenna's apartment, where we spent the evening talking and working (I continued my telework day and she did some of her own work).  After a pretty full day, I went to bed (2200) - whew!

DC Trip - Day 4

For some reason, I was up very early (0500).  Unfortunately, I couldn't go back to sleep so did some reading and then packed up my stuff early.  I left my hotel room at 0615, checked out of the hotel and stopped in at the McDonalds next door to get some breakfast (0625).  From there, I walked to the Crystal City Metro Station (the weather was great again).  Next, I made my way (by Yellow Line and Red Line) to Union Station.  I arrived there by 0715 and ate my breakfast in the Amtrak waiting area.  At 0800, we were told to get in line for boarding The Vermonter.  However, we were delayed (no announcements) and, by the time we were finally allowed on the train, we departed about 20 minutes late.  I got a "your train is delayed" message when we were already almost to New Carrolton...  Fortunately, I managed to get a seat in the quiet car and got some work done for most of the ride to NYC,  Sadly, the internet was not reliable and several people around me completely ignored the quiet rules.  The worst thing of all, though, was when we got to Penn Station and the crew changed - the new conductor(s) were rude, loud, annoyed and threatened to throw people off the train who didn't cooperate.  It took a while to get back to working after that...  We reached New Haven (still late) and I got to walk around for a little while.  I asked one of the conductors about the sleeper car that had been on the train in DC but had "mysteriously" vanished along the way (he said it was unusual to have it).  By 1350, we departed (with our newly installed diesel engine) and headed north along the Connecticut River.  We stayed behind schedule until we reached Springfield (only about 10 minutes late) and then proceeded to sit at the platform for almost 30 minutes.  The doors were all closed, the announcements were vague and hard to hear - sheesh...  We finally got moving again at 1535 (the turn around maneuver wasn't as bad as the last time).  After a full day of meetings and other work, I turned off my computer at around 1630 and looked out of the window for the rest of the trip.  We passed homeless encampments, kids waving, flooding and other familiar scenery.  The Vermonter stayed behind schedule all the way home and arrived in White River Junction at 1830. I immediately got in my car and started driving towards the UVAC - the Amtrak was so slow in departing that I actually easily beat it across the railroad crossing.  I hadn't made a reservation for a swim lane and, when I was suited up, found all of the lanes filled.  Fortunately, the Warm Water pool was completely empty - as a result, I was able to swim for 30 minutes (34 lengths).  It felt strange (and, I imagine, the lifeguards thought it was unusual) but I was glad to log some laps.  Afterwards (1920), I drove to West Lebanon to do some shopping at Shaw's (done at 1940).  Back home by 2000, I unpacked and finally got a chance to relax.  Very glad to be done with this work trip (and hope there aren't many more required for a while)...

DC Trip - Day 1

I was asked by company to take a business trip to Washington, DC so I made arrangements to take "The Vermonter" from White River Junction.  This morning, I teleworked early (meetings lasted until 1030). After that, I finished packing and departed my condo (1055).  On the way to the station, I got messages from Amtrak that the train was already delayed by 25 minutes (for a car that was blocking the tracks). In attempt to use up some of the extra time, I went walking near the train station.  The train finally arrived at 1205 - its roof, windows and entry stairs were full of snow. There were some big lines of people wanting to get onboard (Dartmouth students going on Spring Break) and we were warned by the conductors that the train was going to be full by the time we reached New Haven.  As we headed south, I walked around a bit - one interesting thing I noticed was that there were rear facing seats (I've never seen that on previous trips).  Temps continued warming up along the way but there was still plenty of snow all the way to the VT/MA state line.  Also, the Connecticut River was running VERY high.  I got good views from the eastern side windows.  Despite the larger number of passengers, the forward cars were "closed" for use.  I tried to do some teleworking but the people around me were quite loud (making phone calls, etc.).  We arrived at Springfield just after 1500 and spent a bunch of time doing the ridiculous "train backing into the station" routine...  I wanted to walk around for a bit but the crew said we were "leaving shortly".  About 20 minutes later, we finally pulled out of the station.  We made good time to New Haven, recovering all but 10 minutes of our delay (arrived at 1640).  Fortunately, there was a time for me to walk on the platform for about 20 minutes (while Amtrak changed the engine from Diesel to Electric).  We were on our way just after 1700.  I continued to telework.  For a little while, we seemed to be doing well - at one point west of New Haven, however, we started driving very slow (there was never any explanation given).  After Stamford, I went to the Dining Car and picked up some dinner (1815); I ate in my seat as the sun went down.  We finally arrived at Penn Station (NYC) at around 1900 and the train emptied almost completely.  At first, I thought I'd get an empty seat next to me but lots of people boarded just before our departure (1910) and I got another seat-mate.  After heading across the Hudson River, we seemed to be going fast as possible but I soon noticed that the Conductor time estimates for each stop (Newark, Trenton, Philadelphia, etc.) were off by five to 10 minutes each.  The end result was that we got almost 45 minutes behind schedule by the time we arrived at Union Station (Washington, DC).  Sadly, this seems to be the typical experience for me (and Mollie) for this route.  I was off the train at 2255 and raced to the Metro platform - fortunately, I was able to immediately get on a Shady Grove bound Red Line train and took it to Gallery Place.  Another man on the train asked me for help because of confusing signage and muffled announcements (I was able to help him).  Next, I took the Green Line train to L'Enfant and then waited (walking while I had the time) for the next Yellow Line train to come.  By 2320, I was off the Metro at Crystal City Station - from there, I walked for 15 minutes (south on Richmond Highway) towards my hotel.  The area was a bit sketchy but I made it to the Holiday Inn OK.  I checked in at 2340 and, after dropping my bags in the room, then took a walk in the hallway to reach 10,000 steps for the day (kind of surprising, with all the other issues I'd experienced).  Back in my room again, I planned to go to bed.  However, I was not tired at all.  Instead, I read and did some online puzzles until I was able to get to sleep (well after midnight).  Unfortunately, I ended up dozing (fitfully) all night long.  At least I made it to DC...

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 6

Last day with the girls (sad).  I was awake by 0600 and packed up the car.  Next, I got an early breakfast, did some reading and then did some walking near the hotel to pass the time.  I let the girls sleep in until about 0800 and, after they’d gotten some breakfast, we departed the Best Western (0900).  The girls had hoped to see Ellen and Robert one more time but got texts that said the rendezvous wouldn’t work.  Instead, Brenna got the rest of her leftovers from The Albemarle and we left Asheville.  We used I-26 to reach I-81 and had some interesting talks (mostly about the family, Bear’s health, Brenna’s December plans and other news discovered during Thanksgiving).  After a mostly uneventful drive, we reached Blacksburg by 1215.  We stopped at Mollie’s apartment and I got to see her place for the first time.  After she’d unpacked a little bit, we drove down the street to eat lunch at the Cellar Restaurant (arrived at 1240).  We had some good food and more conversation before I took Mollie back to her apartment.  I left her some Wilson Creek and requested she figure out how to return one of my old Virginia license plates to the DMV (she said she would).  Back on I-81 by 1345, I had a nice talk with Brenna.  Meanwhile, we made good time for a while until we arrived at the I-64 merge.  After that, the traffic got so bad that Brenna suggested we “take the scenic route”. I agreed and we drove on US-11 almost all the way to Harrisonburg.  After reaching Brenna’s apartment (1600), I got to see inside (she almost didn’t let me) and helped her unpack the car. I left her a bottle of wine too and then said goodbye.  It was hard to believe that my visit with the kids was over - hope it isn't long before I see them again...  After getting gas at a nearby Exxon (1620), I got on I-81 and headed north again.  About three hours later, Brenna called to talk to me some more about our trip.  We were on the phone for about 30 minutes and it was a great way to end the day.  During my drive to the north, I only stopped once (took a bathroom break just after passing I-80) and listened to several hours of audiobooks.  I arrived at my hotel (Quality Inn) in Binghamton just after 2200.  In the room, I organized my bags and did some reading.  After a busy day, I went to bed at 2330.  Looking back on the week, I was glad to recall how my daughters and I had a great time visiting with everyone and making some awesome memories.  Highlights included: sampling brews at New Belgium, Wicked Weed and Thirsty Monk; learning about ciders and meads at Noble Cider Downtown; gorging ourselves at a Thanksgiving feast held at Isa’s Bistro; driving along the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway; hiking part of the Mountains to the Sea Trail; visiting a chocolate factory and a honey store; savoring delicious North Carolina BBQ at Bear’s Smokehouse; playing all sorts of crazy games in the cozy common area of The Albemarle; and visiting for hours on end with so many of our relatives.  Very glad we live close enough to join in the fun and festivities and look forward to more family gatherings like this!

Thanksgiving Trip - Day 2

Despite my late night, I still woke up at 0615 and started teleworking.  At 0640, I went down to the hotel lobby and checked out.  I also grabbed some food from the breakfast buffet (for the road).  Once in my car, I stopped at a Sunoco gas station for a fill-up (0640) before heading south on Street Road.  I reached I-95 after about six miles but there was a huge delay getting on the Interstate.  Instead, I took US-13 towards the south and merged later (Cornwells Heights).  After that, I had lots of traffic until reaching the outskirts of Philadelphia.  Listening to audiobooks on the way helped pass the time...  After I reached the Philadelphia Airport, the traffic sped up considerably.  Upon entering Delaware, Google Maps suggested I get off the Interstate to avoid a toll.  For once, I blew off the recommendation (0800) and made up almost 10 minutes of earlier traffic delay.  I was in contact with Erin all the way to Baltimore and arrived at her apartment building at 0900.  Without much delay, I met up with Erin in the lobby and got a parking pass.  We then went up to eat breakfast (takeout from Potbelly's she'd already picked up for us).  I gave Erin some items I'd brought from home - she liked some of them.  It was nice to visit with Erin and Kiki!  While in her apartment did some more teleworking until around 1030.  Erin told me she was disappointed that work prevented her from going to the Thanksgiving Celebration in Asheville.  Eventually (reluctantly), I said goodbye to Erin and got back on the road.  As I continued south on I-95, it started to rain...  While driving, I coordinated with Brenna to plan for meeting up with her in Harrisonburg and also talked to Mollie about her own schedule.  Listened to more audiobooks as I crossed the DMV.  Encountered traffic nasty (and rain was worse) all the way to I-495.  Reluctantly (because I never know how things will go), I went around on the north side of DC on the Beltway.  Luckily, I didn't see as much traffic as normal.  Got on I-66 west of the City and, with the brand new HOV lanes, made good time to Haymarket.  Encountered the typical annoying drivers all the way to I-81.  Rain started to let up but then had to deal with the regular 18-wheeler craziness all the way to Harrisonburg.  I made it to Brenna's school by 1315 and, since I was early, I went inside her classroom for the rest of the afternoon.  I did help a little (probably one hour of volunteering) but teleworked the rest of the time.  Brenna had some meetings until 1615 so I had over 45 minutes of quiet to do some more work projects.  Mollie and Alex arrived in Harrisonburg at around 1630 and I met up with them in the rainy parking lot.  We transferred Mollie's luggage to my rental car and then found Brenna (she was in the school office).  Since she wasn't ready to leave work yet, Mollie and I drove to a nearby Arby's and got dinner (1645).  We ate in the restaurant and then ordered some food for Brenna.  Since Brenna had gone home in the meantime, we next drove to her apartment complex.  Mollie and I waited in the car for Brenna while she was packing and I dropped off some items I'd brought her.  Eileen called just as we were all getting in the car so I couldn't talk long,  Meanwhile, the rain had really picked up and it was hard to see where we were going (bad lighting, bad lines on the roads - yikes!).  We stopped for gas at Walmart in Harrisonburg (1815).  After that, we made our way to I-81 and headed south.  It was raining and dark and I had a heck of a time avoiding collisions with crazy truck drivers.  We made one stop for gas and had to wait on a truck that foolishly wedged itself into the car parking area - shaking my head...  Fortunately, we had some good talks on the way.  It finally stopped raining after we passed Wytheville and we arrived in Marion soon after that.  Since I've gotten to know the Travel Inn during all my years of hiking trips, I stopped in the lobby to see my friends (the proprietors).  As I expected, they had available rooms at an affordable price.  We were in our room by 2140 and I did some more teleworking.  The girls did some re-packing and got cleaned up before we all went to bed (2300).  Whew!