On the road again...

I woke Sunday morning in New Jersey (after perhaps one too many glasses of champagne with dinner) at 4:45 to be on the road by 5:00. I did it all right, but not without driving through an ice storm in the pitch black morning. It was freezing and Janis didn't want to start, but when she finally did, onward we went. I traveled just over 1000 miles that day, landing in Alpharetta (just outside Atlanta) Georgia in the evening at Joy and Greg's house, where I was warmly welcomed. And while it was a loooong drive, at the same time, it was quite beautiful. I was able to really take in the views of the east coast highways—from the dude ranches to the “adult toy stores” (which are a-plenty down south!) to the gorgeous farmland...I was happy to be driving through all of it. (Though I would like to take a moment to thank the following people for the mixed CD's: Bob, Jim, Tanya, Anna and Larry. They helped a lot.)

Bizarr-o things I noticed between New Jersey and Georgia:

1.) Buttzville, NJ had the worst weather ever. Ice. Wind. 35 on the highway. Oh, the irony.

2.) While crossing the Mason Dixon line, I actually had the Mason Dixon song playing (partially by coincidence—I skipped ahead, knowing it was in a song or two once I saw the sign indicating I was fast approaching it). Thanks Tanya, for the mix. It was a bit less uneventful than the song. Man, that is a good song. I gave that about 7 or 8 listens in my travels.

3.) You really can wear the same socks for 4 days and get away with it. Just turn them inside out every other day and air them out at night.

4.) I drove 14.5 hours and saw only 4 cops. I found this to be more than shocking. I see more than that driving to the store some days in Plymouth.

5.) Most of the cities Pennsylvania end in “burg.” Pittsburgh. Harrisburg. Gatlinburg. Each time I stopped in Penn., the sales clerk or gas station attendants told me to button up because it was “cold one out there.” It was nearly 40 degrees! I laughed at all of them. Wimps.

6.) If you have a cold and you cannot taste, the absolute worst snacks to eat are Bugles and Whoppers. Neither of them are known for their fabulous texture and neither of them were worth it. I ate both bags in their entirety.

7.) It is possible for someone to consume 2 Red Bulls, 1 large tea, a coffee and a diet soda and still get sleepy. Usually a decaf tea will keep me awake, but these beverages did nothing for me.

8.) There are no Mobil stations between NJ and GA. Where did they all go?

9.) I still am not sure what Meatloaf would not do for love. And I gave the song a good long listen...10 or 12 times. (Again, thank you Tanya for your musical genius)

This pictures was taken on a cold morning in Allentown, PA, just as the sun was coming up. Billy Joel was no where to be found. I even tried Dunkin Donuts.