Precipitated

We left New York City mid-afternoon after a day of cold, wet rain, in keeping with the Clammy Monsoon Season in effect since June. It didn't rain the whole way to Ithaca, but only because it was snowing the rest of the time.

Visions of New Jersey
Between traffic in Manhattan, traffic in New Jersey, and the weather, it took us seven hours to make a trip that usually takes four. We did get to explore a side of Northern New Jersey that none of us had seen before after throwing ourselves at the mercy of the GPS in a desperate attempt to escape an anticipated 30 more miles of traffic. Every time Aaron called he would ask if we were back and I would whimper about not even being in Pennsylvania yet. We soon pulled over to get gas only to be told that the weather (rain and snow, yes, but not really even stormy) had knocked out their credit card capabilities. Then my dad put on Jersey Boys and I had to quickly master the "fade sound to one corner of the car" feature of the stereo. The local hotels began to beckon, despite it being 7pm. We powered through, though, and eventually enjoyed the consolation of actually being in Scranton while The Office aired.

Epic journey aside, we had a lot of fun and ate and ate and ate, including at many establishments that allowed for my Very Specific Dietary Needs Diet. One evening I managed to order my own personal Indian buffet.
The Others saw God of Carnage while I took my requisite nap (Tommy is your best bet for a thorough review, complete with sound bites). They also gave the New York Times careful consideration so as to be able to converse with the locals. This has the added benefit of being able to prove what day it is, should I need to demand ransom.


We also gave careful consideration to the TVs they now have in cabs. This leads to long lasting motion sickness, which I guess I deserve due to lack of morning sickness.

Here we are, in a cab.
I spent the rest of the time shopping for stuff to bring back to Aaron and Dylan. Dylan, as I mentioned, got no more than a lollipop, but Aaron made out rather well, with loot including a cupcake, a candy bar from Dylan's Candy Bar, a corned beef sandwich (by request), and several dashing shirts for work. That should about make up for having to wrangle all the creatures by himself for a few days.

Stay tuned tomorrow for: last weekend