So my really long post, as promised. I suppose I will start with me because I am egocentric and this is after all MY blog. I am laying here on (my bed which is not actually mine though my sleeping bag is on it) in my room (which counts as mine because I pay for the use of it) typing on my computer (which is fully mine- paid for with a summer of hard work) that is not connected to the internet. When I get around to messing with the stupid modem I will actually online this for the masses cause I know a couple of them care.

The ride up in state by state format:

Penna was mostly dark and there were no cars on the beautiful highway and it was all for me. I felt vaguely poetic but as I was driving it was hard to wrestle the thoughts to paper and so they escaped me. Then the sun came up and I found some tunes on the radio and the world was a very good place to be.

I was all of the sudden in New York and I didn’t get to drop any more money into the PA economy. (They make me pay taxes in that state because I don’t leave enough money there when I am home for breaks) New York wouldn’t have been much except I stopped at a rest-station to use the rest-room and fell asleep. It wasn’t exactly like that. I called mom to let her know that I was in NY and alive and she talked for a while. . . I woke up cause I forgot to use the aforementioned rest-room and realized I had paralyzed my right arm. It had some crazy parking brake indentations and it was a pretty interesting color. I spent some time pulling out the pins and needles and went on my merry way. I remember skirting the city and paying to cross the bridge but maybe I remember wrong. I thought I would have some warning but. . .

I was in Connecticut. And I needed gas. Damn the way life works out. I might have made it through sept a little bit ahead of me a blue Astro van was dancing with a trailer truck and some other cars. 3 lanes of bumper to bumper 65 mph New England traffic slowed to sludge in seconds and the two breakdown lanes filled up with idiots trying to get by the mass. The only time any movement happened for a good half hour was when an ambulance or fire truck tried to get through and everyone had to move into theoretical spaces out of the way. There were lots of flashing lights. . . So I bought gas at the top ranked Sunoco in the great state of Con or so the perky little girl on the recording informed me. Apparently it was because of good regular customers like me. Well gee aren’t I swell. I bought the cheap flavor because it also happened to be the most expensive Sunoco in the state. Never buy gas in Connecticut. Pushing to the next state will be less work than the work hours you pour into your gas tank. I consequently found out that my car gets significantly lower gas mileage on ‘cheap’ New England gas. And I found a new set of roads that leads me around Hahtfahd which was spectacular. I have no problem driving in 65 mph B to B traffic on curvy city roads but well moderate traffic with the slow-goers pushing 80 gets you places a whole lot faster.

Connecticut practically pukes* you onto the MassPike. And that ladies and gentlemen is when I knew I was home. I got cut off twice in the first 5 minutes and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy. I wanted to flick them off and shout ‘I missed you!’ at the same time. All of the sudden I could forget I had turn signals, weave through traffic at breakneck speed and drop my R’s with a smile. And boy did I smile. I was driving my roads again and I could shut my eyes and the car would know where to go like a horse headed home sept this time we steered towards Ipswich. I got off at the wrong 1 north but I fixed that shockingly well and I definitely got lost in the center of Ipswich but only because I followed the printed directions and not what I remembered. The only other oops the whole trip was when I drove past the house.

All told it took me 12 hours including one nap/potty break and 2 chunks of stopped traffic (the second was on the mass pike but it was just people being Massholes** so it doesn’t really count for much. I was stuck in the mix too) and no I did not stop and eat anyplace. I had chips. . . and they were organic. . . and blue.

------ If you intend to finish this marathon of reading in one sitting more power to you, if you are getting eye strain call this chapter 2 and take a lil break. I won’t mind. --------

So the house then… It is amazing. I don’t remember it being so woof. I got about an hour just me and the dog and the cat to roam around falling in love with it again before my landlady (henceforth to be referred to as LL) came home. I claimed my room or it was selected for me, whichever you are more comfortable with. There was junk in the other available domicile so I crashed in here and decided a bit later that I did in fact like it better. So Lz gets stuck with the one that is bigger and gets the ocean and the morning sun and the bigger closet and the cool shelf thing. I get to flash the neighbors.

I have all of my stuff moved in and I know how everything is going to go after I return safe and sound from Peru and I am more than a little excited about this amazing house. And I can put bolts into the screen porch for my hammock and my Igs can stay in my room or wherever and there is a compost pile and we recycle (paper even- score!)

So today (7/24) I went to church for the first time in eons and I was late because I am just that awesome. (Curse Ipswich and my bad sense of direction) And it was amazing and well the feeling isn’t really the warm fuzzy cause that fades pretty quick it is like a deep gush of goodwill to everything that moves and its pretty hard to kill (Kinda like Jimmy Buffet in ‘God’s Own Drunk’ sept I definitely wasn’t drunk. We don’t get drunk. . . in church) And I got to see tons of HQ people after church including 4.

I made it home with no issues and spent good bit of time talking to LL about random things. She is an artsy-fartsy environmentalist but surprisingly down to earth if you can make those 2 compute. And I found some open space on the floor of my room which led me to my books.

I started reading text books for Peru- which may not sound exciting but do you know how many cool populations questions and weird ecological phenomena are hidden in that rainforest (and my text). I am all goosebumpy just thinking about it. (Why ARE there so many different types of trees in the rainforest?) I have decided that I NEED to see an anteater and a 3-toed sloth or I may just die. And I want to try cerviche except that will probly kill me too. It might just be worth it. Ha, there is this whole section in the back of the book about things that can do you serious harm and the author cautions to leave it alone or don’t pick it up and usually adds though I don’t think you will be tempted. But mom haven’t you always want a pit viper or a 5 foot boa or a poisonous centipede? How about a bullet ant, an urticating caterpillar or a bird eating tarantula? Honestly how can I NOT pick these things up? I am a very tactile person. I think that is why they stuck me in mammals. There aren’t too many of those that could kill me except for rabid dogs in the city and well, the jaguars. But it might be an honor to be killed by a jaguar and if they can find my body they can ship me-pieces out cause I have insurance.

I am so excited. You have NO idea. I can’t type anymore because I am too giddy. This is long enough anyways. But that’s ok because it needs to hold you over for at least a few days.

- Tabanid squisher :)
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* I recounted being puked into MA today at church and received several comments on how accurate that description is. You have fun figuring out the anatomical details there.

** The other day me and my good buddies SM and Shuffdog were talking about what people from different states were called. (ie Pennsylvanians, Mainers) and we were running out of states and SM asked what they called people from Mass. Me and Shuff said Massholes at the same time. SM kinda chuckled awkwardly until we thought about it and confirmed that we have no clue what else you would call them. I still donno.