While I attempted and failed - perhaps wisely so - to schedule a meet-up with local friends of mine, it was just Chad and me for a birthmonth lunch at the Hard Rock downtown. (Members, such as Chad, get a meal discount during the month of their birthday ( Read more... )

METAIRIE LA - In planning a vacation, there are things I can't control (road construction, weather) and there are things I can (Chad... to a point, obviously ( Read more... )

REYNOLDSBURG OH - I was hoping for an earlier start this morning, but I hadn’t considered where my rental car was in relation to the rising sun. Sure, sunrise was at 6:40, but the house was in between my car and the sun, so I missed out on the natural portion of the thawing process ( Read more... )

LILLINGTON NC (8/23) - I didn’t know what happened.

I woke up this morning, and noticed my right eye had apparently been in a fight, because it was puffy and swollen. Through my good eye, I found an appropriate MedExpress equivalent, and dropped Chad off back at the Broadway complex before seeking medical attention.

Two cheers to Beach Family & ( Read more... )

POINT PLEASANT NJ -- The day started off with several sports-oriented stops.

First off was the south Philly suburb of Chester, where the Philadelphia Union defeated Columbus on the pitch last night, 3-2. Unfortunately for my cousin Michael, the team shop was closed, so no Philly scarf for him ( Read more... )

SALISBURY MD -- I felt unguestlike, leaving a note for Sandy as we left the apartment (at 8:15!), but we couldn't just twiddle our thumbs until she woke up. I loaded the car while Chad went to the City Diner a block and a half away to set us up with a table. I took the Diner up on its location-named dish (the Strawberry & Broad ( Read more... )

CHARLOTTE -- While I was loading the car with the luggage, I had the TV on CBS This Morning. On my next-to-last trip back, Chad told me, "The ship is on the move." (It wasn't a cryptic statement; yesterday, activists from Greenpeace had suspended themselves from a West Portland bridge with the intent of blocking a drilling vessel from returning to ( Read more... )

CALGARY - A rain system came from BC overnight, hitting metro Calgary as freezing rain and Medicine Hat as snow. And while driving in winter weather is a serious matter, I did get a chuckle out of seeing a tractor trailer stuck at a traffic light on an uphill grade as I was leaving my hotel ( Read more... )

MEDICINE HAT AB -- The heated garage did as advertised; this morning, the car read 10C (50F) when I turned it on. Of course, it plummeted to -24C (-11F) by the time I arrived in the dark at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building for the 8am tour ( Read more... )

REGINA -- Who says I don't have drive? They weren't in the car with me for over 500 miles today. This raises several questions.

1. What about gas in Canada?The country does have gas, and at first glance, you'd think it cheap. Today I paid $1.079 in Edmonton and $1.119 in Saskatoon for gas -- but don't forget, Canada does litres, not gallons, and ( Read more... )