We engaged in one cut-it-out segment of the trip, and jumped from State
College up to Interstate 80, completely skipping the western chunk of
the state (perhaps for another time... or, perhaps NOT for another time).
As you'd expect, there were the usual little stops here and there, but
the bulk of the trip today involved Philadelphia and walking about.
In an effort to get things moving sooner (i.e. back on schedule),
I set the alarm for 6am instead of the somewhat random times the last
few days.
6:18am
Tubby actually muddled from the bed and did his morning thing. I,
for one, was already ready to roll.
6:34am
Out of the hotel and onto the interstate, we did a mile or so of
the stop-and-go traffic as folks moved from highway to highway. I
was bored, but figured a nap so soon after waking up would be inappropriate.
7:05am
We hit downtown Harrisburg
and began our wanderings.
7:29am
Our Chevrolomobile was pointing down the highway and we began our
trip to the next town up the line. Along the way, we got to pass through
some nifty valleys with the fog at 10-15 feet off the ground, making
the place look like a sea of fluff with the occasional island of tree
branches and leaves poking through.
8:54am
We hit State College
as we neared Interstate 80 (after we trimmed western Pennsylvania
off the map completely for this trip). While I knew a college was
likely there given the name, I'd never realized it was Penn State.
9:14am
I led the group back to the interstate after a perilous detour at
the mini-market with fresh Krispy Kreme doughnuts. (Of the six I bought
the crew, I didn't get any, Robin one, and guess which Tubby twit
ate five...)
10:49am
Lots more driving, and we find we are in the seemingly ultimate
party feel of university life. Ooh, where were we located; sorry.
It was Bloomsburg.
11:12am
Departing, we make good time until we start hitting the lane closed
deal all the way down to 580 and beyond.
11:38am
Soon after a merge, while still stop-and-go, Tubby moves the car
to be down the center, as if to stop (or at least slow down) the number
of cars trying to get ahead of us. Funnier yet, a semi truck behind
us copied
the tactic, and it worked out for us all quite well.
11:43am
Sitting in traffic anyway, I shot some pictures of the trees nearby.
It seems that the current Indian Summer may not be totally messing
with me, since I see fall colors -- leaves that are red, orange, yellow,
goldenrod, brown, and sometimes forever green. (Pictures would be
like the ones here,
here,
and here.)
12:20pm
We finally arrived in Stroudsburg,
fed the car, ourselves, and fired off a few pictures. Literally, three,
if memory serves. The town was nice and cute and all, but it didn't
have much to kick me with the feeling that they had something new,
different, unique or particularly fun for all ages. So, we moved forward.
12:49pm
After lunch, we hopped onto Interstate 80 again, except oops --
wrong road. We figured it out, but not before we ended up in New Jersey,
and having to return to Pennsylvania and pay the $0.75 passenger car
toll.
1:58pm
The car stops for a look-around in Bethlehem,
but it seems to be somewhat vanilla in nature.
2:29pm
We left Bethlehem, obviously, and I saw the next up was Allentown.
Given trying to get to the big city at a decent time, we did a glaze-over
visit of Allentown, and hit the highway south.
As we were creeping along 16th Street (aka Highway 611), we saw
a guy in the center divider holding up two cling-wrapped pies. Yessir,
he's selling pies much like the homeless occupy the center lane (in
some towns) and beg for spare change. Does selling pies here work?
I'd guess so -- he didn't seem like it was his first day on the job
by any means.
5:46pm
We're returning to the car, and a city cop screams by. Naturally,
I was forced to take a picture by Mr. "I Like Flashy Lights."
So enjoy the
picture, or just skip it.
6:13pm
Safely running south on Interstate 95 for the stopping place (Wilmington,
Delaware or thereabouts), we got an in-your-face of the sun
setting.
6:47pm
We find a EconoLodge on the south side of the Interstate 295 bridge,
which is conveniently near dinner and shopping options. And the place
offers free internet connection (network wire not included).
7:02pm
After settling in, we head to Wal-Mart to purchase a network wire,
and a few other things for Tubby, including Diet Pepsi to load the
fridge for our morning departure.
7:21pm
We get to register 10 to check out, and we are met with two amusing
experiences. The first is the clerk, Gina, telling the woman in front
of us she's missing the cover of the Fahrenheit 9/11 DVD. Looking
at it, I point out she's actually picked up FahrenHYPE 9/11, which
is a documentary on the original documentary by Michael Moore. The
woman said she didn't want to buy that one, and left it behind.
7:22pm
Tubby puts his stuff on the belt, and is a bit bothered by the lack
of those separator thingys.
7:23pm
Gina rings Tubby out and gives him a total of $41.12. Really,
why? Looking at the purchases, it seems I've also paid for the diapers
and cereal for the guy behind us, and the credit card is already
charged. The conversation, as near as I can capture it:
Tubby: That's not mine (gesturing to the bag
of diapers and cereal)
Gina: Oh shoot. What the... I don't know what
to... (flips on the flashing light for a supervisor)
Guy Behind Us: Yeah; those are mine.
Gina (to Tubby): Well, what you have to go
is go to customer service for a refund.
Tubby: The credit card already went through?
Gina: Yeah.
Tubby: Even though I hadn't signed it... neat,
I guess.
Gina: Hu? Anyways, take this wit'ch you to
customer service, and they'll refund you.
Tubby: That doesn't do this guy any good...
(voice trailed off, of course; Tubby's a mumbler)
Gina (to Guy): You'll need to get another box
of cereal.
Tubby: The diapers aren't mine, either.
Gina: For... oh.
Other Guy behind Guy: Can't he [Guy] just pay
him [Tubby] for the stuff...?
Gina: (blank stare)
Tubby: Yeah, that's easy. It adds up to...
$11.50.
Gina (to Guy): Yeah, but he [gestures to Tubby]
ain't got no baby.
Tubby and Guy both ignore this incredibly stupid statement. Guy peels
off $11 and gets change for $1 from another customer -- Gina didn't
know how to open the till without ringing something up, apparently.
Guy hands Tubby $11.50, and we all exit the store, leaving Gina completed
at her wits end -- and I can only surmise that is a short trip indeed.
7:25pm
Our purchases are dropped off at the car. Tubby discovers he wasn't
so brain-dead as to leave his Eeyore sweatshirt in the Motel 6 near
Washington DC two nights ago. (So much for my trip to Disneyland to
replace the missing garment -- dang.)
7:27pm
We stumble into Applebee's for dinner. April is our server, is tipped
about 17%, and we leave.
8:31pm
And yes, we're back at Wal-Mart. We discover, while reviewing our
dinner check, there is no tax charged on sales here. So, we returned
for two DVDs from the store, figuring at the inflated price of $20,
we'd be saving $2 or so in tax, or at least that much in shipping,
so the cost of the DVD is actually that much cheaper.
8:44pm
The car was topped off for the morning, and we locked into the motel
for the night.
8:51pm
The ritual of writing updates began with the sounds of some show
on Lifetime, then something else, and finally ER.
12:51am
The updates are done and posted. And I can't figure out why they
are taking as long as they are on this trip, but I assure you, it's
making me sad.
1:14am
All things said and done, I'm off to bed. Nighty-night.
