Relax-day in NJ
So I guess I ought to mention what we're doing up here and all. Context is a good thing.
radiantbaby and I have been alternating holidays at our parents' places: one at her parents', one at mine. Since my parents separated recently, though, we hadn't spent a holiday up here with my father in NJ. Sure, we visited once for a quick weekend, but that was rushed. Y'know, weekend and all.
And then along comes ISS-cum-IBM telling me I've got 3+ vacation days this year even though I just started, and further that if I don't use them I'll lose them. So I do what any rational person does and take off the entire three-day week of thanksgiving for a nice long vacation. And heck, while we're at it, radiantbaby has some family is just across the state line, we thought perhaps we could visit them as well.
So in planning, it turns out radiantbaby's family is having a huge Turkey-day blowout. They often do, being a large family of traditional Irish and Italian Catholics. Any excuse to get the entire family together and feed them all way too much good food. And radiantbaby and I are certainly invited, and heck, we can bring Dad along too if we like. Why not.
We couldn't get up here on Saturday, of course, because as a member of the DeKalb Choral Guild I was singing Brahms' Requiem on Saturday and Sunday with the Kennesaw State University choir and the Cobb Symphony Orchestra. Great shows, incidentally: I'm going to try to post something about them as I have time. So that pushed Driving Day forward to Monday. Yesterday.
And a long drive it was. Up I-85 into South Carolina. Catch I-26 over to northeast Tennessee, where we pick up I-81 through unending hours of Virginia (damn, that's a huge state), corners of West Virginia and Maryland, and into Pennsylvania. Then hot I-78 (not to be confused with GA-78 for all you Atlantans) into NJ, and we're home free. As we pulled into Madison around 11pm, we had to slow down for a dear to cross the road.
So it was home-made tacos and chatter from Dad for a bit, then sleep. I got up about an hour ago, and Nicole will be getting up for lunch as soon as I finish the post. Today's itinerary includes visiting Dad at work for lunch and possibly heading into The City this evening. Tomorrow's pretty open. Thursday is back to PA for meeting people and eating turkey. Friday is more radiantbaby-family visitation over there in PA. And Saturday is open. If we're good boys and girls and the stars align for us, we might actually get to see calliopeo and darkteddybear. That would be pretty nifty.
And Sunday is the long trek back to The A-T-L for work on Monday. I'll probably be working a half-day.
On to rouse the radiantbaby for lunch! Whee!
radiantbaby and I have been alternating holidays at our parents' places: one at her parents', one at mine. Since my parents separated recently, though, we hadn't spent a holiday up here with my father in NJ. Sure, we visited once for a quick weekend, but that was rushed. Y'know, weekend and all.
And then along comes ISS-cum-IBM telling me I've got 3+ vacation days this year even though I just started, and further that if I don't use them I'll lose them. So I do what any rational person does and take off the entire three-day week of thanksgiving for a nice long vacation. And heck, while we're at it, radiantbaby has some family is just across the state line, we thought perhaps we could visit them as well.
So in planning, it turns out radiantbaby's family is having a huge Turkey-day blowout. They often do, being a large family of traditional Irish and Italian Catholics. Any excuse to get the entire family together and feed them all way too much good food. And radiantbaby and I are certainly invited, and heck, we can bring Dad along too if we like. Why not.
We couldn't get up here on Saturday, of course, because as a member of the DeKalb Choral Guild I was singing Brahms' Requiem on Saturday and Sunday with the Kennesaw State University choir and the Cobb Symphony Orchestra. Great shows, incidentally: I'm going to try to post something about them as I have time. So that pushed Driving Day forward to Monday. Yesterday.
And a long drive it was. Up I-85 into South Carolina. Catch I-26 over to northeast Tennessee, where we pick up I-81 through unending hours of Virginia (damn, that's a huge state), corners of West Virginia and Maryland, and into Pennsylvania. Then hot I-78 (not to be confused with GA-78 for all you Atlantans) into NJ, and we're home free. As we pulled into Madison around 11pm, we had to slow down for a dear to cross the road.
So it was home-made tacos and chatter from Dad for a bit, then sleep. I got up about an hour ago, and Nicole will be getting up for lunch as soon as I finish the post. Today's itinerary includes visiting Dad at work for lunch and possibly heading into The City this evening. Tomorrow's pretty open. Thursday is back to PA for meeting people and eating turkey. Friday is more radiantbaby-family visitation over there in PA. And Saturday is open. If we're good boys and girls and the stars align for us, we might actually get to see calliopeo and darkteddybear. That would be pretty nifty.
And Sunday is the long trek back to The A-T-L for work on Monday. I'll probably be working a half-day.
On to rouse the radiantbaby for lunch! Whee!