Sunday, July 31, 2011

....and 684 miles later...


...We're stopped for the night. It's a joe jim-bob basic Comfort Inn - clean enough, basic, and (most importantly) it's a comfortable bed for the night.

We did a bunch of driving. In the end, I think pop did more driving than I did, but he seemed ok with it, so there we are.

Route 90 was busy, and this hotel is busy tonight. Don't know why, and the staff person at the front desk doesn't either.

Not much more to say now, but, I'm looking forward to brushing my teeth, taking off these jeans, and going to sleep.

First leg completed


At the NY Thruway, about 15 miles east of Buffalo. A busy place, but we HAD to stop.

Let's see: Left Shelburne at about 9:45 or so, and took Route 2 into Troy New York. Areas of NY state are still majorly depressed -- lots of property for sale, lots of property looks completely abandoned. But, still see working farms, fancy hourses, quite a bit to see.

Got to check out parts of the old Erie Canal system. It was a heck of a sight. The system is, apparently, still in use. Dad expressed an interest in a boat-trip up the canal system -- it would take more than a week - most likely two - but it could be fun to research and plan.

We hoping to put another 300 miles behind us before we stop tonight. All is well so far. Getting about 18 MPG, not too bad. More later today...

T-minus 12 minutes - more or less


(photo is the view, looking west, from mom and Dad's place in Shelburne)

So, I'm here, read to go, but Mom and Dad aren't here. So that means we're putting a hold on the countdown. Just like a Finn to be late.

It's all cool, though, thinking about it:

Pop has to get home from Church, take care of a few personal items here, and then we hit the road. I assumed a 9 AM start - see what happens when you assume?

I swung into the bank-in-the-box, checked balances, and we're good on that front. Stopped at the Big Y, picked up water, ibuprofen, aspirin, seltzer, granola bars, and some diet pepsi (it was on sale). Not sure if a caffeinated beverage is the best idea, but it's better than plastic-infused water. Ick.

Looking forward to the trip. Will update from the road as I can. Internet access being what it is, who knows when I might get back online?

T-minus 3 hours 30, 23 minutes


Will start my day with a good breakfast - coffee, eggs, some juice. Will stop at the grocery on my way to pops, in order to pickup bottled water, some snacky things, and maybe some fruit-juice cans. Just some stuff to put into a cooler.

Checking the map, I think our route will start out on local roads, but will put us on Route 90 before too much. I hope we can get to Cleveland-ish area by the time today is through.

Made a few decisions - stupid, technical ones, all things considered -- going to move music to the PC laptop and just take that. The little "hackintosh" netbook is just too small to read on, type on, etc. I might regret the decision later, but for now, here we go.

I think it's going to be a fun trip. More soon!

Saturday, July 30, 2011

T-minus 18 hours and counting...


Going on a 2400 mile journey is supposed to be something that you plan for, something that you consider carefully. I'm treating it like it was a trip to the corner store for a loaf of bread, a package of milk, and a stick of butter. Why I'm treating it so callously, I'm not sure.

Did a lot of work around the house today -- none of it having to do with the trip. And, Bek and I are heading out of the house momentarily to go to a family get-together. That leaves only a few hours tonight to sort my self out, pack what I need to, and try to get things in order.

In any case, it's going to be intriguing.

Why are we going? I can tell you that it's for this: it's an LT-40 sawmill, with about 250 hours on it, and it's something my dad's wanted for some time. He's got the money, the time to make the trip, and (most importantly) Mom said "yes".

So, we get into his truck, and start the trip tomorrow morning, 9 AM. With luck, we'll hit as many major highways, and as few crunchy traffic snarls as possible, and get to someplace in Ohio by Sunday night. Not sure if we can make it that far, but I don't think it's out of the question.

In any case, I'm going to try to keep track of where we go, what we see and do, and what (if anything) happens out of the ordinary, unexpected. I plan to take as many photos as possible, as well. Whee!