(no subject)
So I'm here in New Jersey with the Lovely Kim the_redtape and we're having a blast. The trip was not without the usual roadtrip drama, of course, but I'm just glad I had company!! I left work early at four and headed home to finish my packing and clean out my car, and then at about six thirty I left to pick up Kim in Rhode Island. I had no problem getting there, as I have meetings about five minutes from her house every month for work - very odd coincidence, lol. When I got there, her mother immediately asked for my phone number (as expected, my mother would have done the same, lol) and I realized - OOPS, I forgot my charger. Aaaand I only had like, half a bar left on my battery. So we spent the next twenty minutes driving to two different Radioshacks so that I could buy a new charger. So already I'm -$30 and I haven't even bought anything related to Hanson, lol. Then, Kim realized she forgot her camera and the cd she wanted Hanson to sign in case we got the chance, so we ran back to her house to pick those up. And then we were underway!!!
But not, of course, without stopping at the liquor store to pick up some spirits. =D
Had no trouble finding the highway, but at that point the adventure began. For realz. I forgot to check my odometer, so after driving for approximately forty minutes, I realized I had no idea where I was or how much farther I had to go. Kim, being the Mission Control Leader, is reading me the mapquest directions, but no matter how many times she repeats herself, I can't retain the information. So we continue on our quest to find the elusive George (err...the George Washington Bridge). After another hour or so, we begin seeing decisive signs of life in the form of....NEW YORK CITY!! Which just happens to be Kim's favorite city. There was a bit of drama with the camera, because we (Or, Kim) was trying to get pictures of the amazing city and the "Welcome to New York" sign, but my car was bouncing. =( That was not my fault. That highway needs to be repaved. Srsly.
Did you know: You know a black man/Won't show the way....When every eye is on the porch/We can only breed contempt....Well the men in black suits/Came up to the porch....Georgia/We've both learned to count the miles....She wakes and bakes her place in line....
So...that was exciting.
So we're driving...and we're driving...and then things start happening to the highway, like mergers and turnoffs and exits that could be our exit but we then find out are not, and the lanes get about 50% smaller and there were millions of 18 wheelers and they were closing in around us...and then!!
We found George! It was great. We squinted to make sure we were reading the signs correctly, and made sure we got on the lower level of the bridge. And then - more drama.
I turned right instead of left, and there were a few VERY tense moments where I thought we'd get lost, but then it turned out okay. The highway merged back onto the New Jersey Turnpike, and all was well. And we were in New Jersey! The last leg of our journey!
Or so we thought.
We kept seeing signs for a tollbooth, so I got my wallet ready, but there was nothing. And I kept swerving in and out of lanes because I had no idea where we were going next. Were we turning? Going straight? Was there a tollbooth? Wait, is that a tollbooth??? No, it's just a bridge with a McDonalds. Oh. No. Two McDonalds. Whaaaa?
And then there were two more McDonalds. And then two more. It was the twilight zone. I was going to be stuck driving the same stretch of road forever and ever.
But lo! There was the tollbooth. FINALLY.
OMG. $4.95??? WTF??
But anyway. So we drive through. I go very slowly, to make sure we take the right route this time, and we make it successfully.
But now...Mapquest is telling us to take US-1-9. Huh? We're not seeing signs for this. So we keep driving...Oh look! There's the sign for Newark Airport/Elizabeth...which is where our hotel is...buuuuut Mapquest doesn't say to take that exit. So we keep going....
And then belatedly realize we probably should have taken that exit, as now we're being shot out onto another highway leading to somewhere totally different. So we decide, quite rationally, no freaking out, to get off at the next exit and stop and ask for directions. That's gotta be easier than trying to figure out the rest of the highway system. Right?
Uh huh.
We pull off and drive down to the right...cause the guy in front of us was turning right, and I figure, that's gotta be a good way to go. And Kim, very excitedly, spies a White Castle! So we have to take a picture. And next door is a Burger King, and luckily the door says the front counter is open until 3AM so we can go in and ask for directions. But they locked us out...=( Maybe the drive thru? Except, we'd feel ridic sitting in the drive thru writing down directions, so luckily Kim sees a Hess station down the street. So we go there.
Miss, I need your id. Wha? ID? ID?!!! I left it in the car (VERY SLURRED SPEECH)...Oh, it's here. And I want my APOLOGY when you see it too! I'm not apologizing.
I'm sorry, but I swear to God I thought we were going to be mugged. So the Hess station didn't last long. We very slowly and very calmly walked back to the car, got inside, locked the door, and SPED the fuck off. We decided that taking the highway would be easier.
And IT WAS. Dear Lord. We got back on headed the opposite direction, soon saw signs for Newark Airport, got off on the RIGHT exit. There was a small mishap involving a three point turn in the middle of a public street, but luckily at 12:30AM it wasn't very crowded. And the cop didn't show up until after I was turned around.
And then we were there! Amazing.
There was ANOTHER small mishap with the parking, but I'll save that for tomorrow.
Wish us luck at the show!!!
But not, of course, without stopping at the liquor store to pick up some spirits. =D
Had no trouble finding the highway, but at that point the adventure began. For realz. I forgot to check my odometer, so after driving for approximately forty minutes, I realized I had no idea where I was or how much farther I had to go. Kim, being the Mission Control Leader, is reading me the mapquest directions, but no matter how many times she repeats herself, I can't retain the information. So we continue on our quest to find the elusive George (err...the George Washington Bridge). After another hour or so, we begin seeing decisive signs of life in the form of....NEW YORK CITY!! Which just happens to be Kim's favorite city. There was a bit of drama with the camera, because we (Or, Kim) was trying to get pictures of the amazing city and the "Welcome to New York" sign, but my car was bouncing. =( That was not my fault. That highway needs to be repaved. Srsly.
Did you know: You know a black man/Won't show the way....When every eye is on the porch/We can only breed contempt....Well the men in black suits/Came up to the porch....Georgia/We've both learned to count the miles....She wakes and bakes her place in line....
So...that was exciting.
So we're driving...and we're driving...and then things start happening to the highway, like mergers and turnoffs and exits that could be our exit but we then find out are not, and the lanes get about 50% smaller and there were millions of 18 wheelers and they were closing in around us...and then!!
We found George! It was great. We squinted to make sure we were reading the signs correctly, and made sure we got on the lower level of the bridge. And then - more drama.
I turned right instead of left, and there were a few VERY tense moments where I thought we'd get lost, but then it turned out okay. The highway merged back onto the New Jersey Turnpike, and all was well. And we were in New Jersey! The last leg of our journey!
Or so we thought.
We kept seeing signs for a tollbooth, so I got my wallet ready, but there was nothing. And I kept swerving in and out of lanes because I had no idea where we were going next. Were we turning? Going straight? Was there a tollbooth? Wait, is that a tollbooth??? No, it's just a bridge with a McDonalds. Oh. No. Two McDonalds. Whaaaa?
And then there were two more McDonalds. And then two more. It was the twilight zone. I was going to be stuck driving the same stretch of road forever and ever.
But lo! There was the tollbooth. FINALLY.
OMG. $4.95??? WTF??
But anyway. So we drive through. I go very slowly, to make sure we take the right route this time, and we make it successfully.
But now...Mapquest is telling us to take US-1-9. Huh? We're not seeing signs for this. So we keep driving...Oh look! There's the sign for Newark Airport/Elizabeth...which is where our hotel is...buuuuut Mapquest doesn't say to take that exit. So we keep going....
And then belatedly realize we probably should have taken that exit, as now we're being shot out onto another highway leading to somewhere totally different. So we decide, quite rationally, no freaking out, to get off at the next exit and stop and ask for directions. That's gotta be easier than trying to figure out the rest of the highway system. Right?
Uh huh.
We pull off and drive down to the right...cause the guy in front of us was turning right, and I figure, that's gotta be a good way to go. And Kim, very excitedly, spies a White Castle! So we have to take a picture. And next door is a Burger King, and luckily the door says the front counter is open until 3AM so we can go in and ask for directions. But they locked us out...=( Maybe the drive thru? Except, we'd feel ridic sitting in the drive thru writing down directions, so luckily Kim sees a Hess station down the street. So we go there.
Miss, I need your id. Wha? ID? ID?!!! I left it in the car (VERY SLURRED SPEECH)...Oh, it's here. And I want my APOLOGY when you see it too! I'm not apologizing.
I'm sorry, but I swear to God I thought we were going to be mugged. So the Hess station didn't last long. We very slowly and very calmly walked back to the car, got inside, locked the door, and SPED the fuck off. We decided that taking the highway would be easier.
And IT WAS. Dear Lord. We got back on headed the opposite direction, soon saw signs for Newark Airport, got off on the RIGHT exit. There was a small mishap involving a three point turn in the middle of a public street, but luckily at 12:30AM it wasn't very crowded. And the cop didn't show up until after I was turned around.
And then we were there! Amazing.
There was ANOTHER small mishap with the parking, but I'll save that for tomorrow.
Wish us luck at the show!!!