Yankees Game at Home...
Construction on I-80...
The Puerto Rican Day Parade in Midtown...
Thunderstorms...
Dan working a 14 hour day...
Seemingly unrelated and yet....Isn't it funny how you watch things come and go, come and go, each thing moving in its own time and space...Every once in a while they all collide at the same point in time? You will see how 6 seemingly unrelated events turned a 165 mile, 3 hour trip to Danville, Pa to visit friends, into an almost 11 hour drive!
My dear friends from Idaho were on a little trip East to visit DC and decided to drive up to visit another dear friend living in Danville...We were all going to meet up at her house for a little catch-up and some lunch/dinner...Fun!
I piled the kids in the car...Dad had been called into work and would therefore be unable to make it and unable to help drive...undeterred we headed out. Beautiful day, happy children, friends ahead!
HALT!!!!!
We came to a complete stop heading toward the George Washington Bridge (GWB) less that 15 miles into our journey. Unfazed I tune the radio and listen for possible causes...Yes, that would do it...Puerto Rican Day Parade in Midtown... Oh well, it is NYC and these things do happen.
1 Hour later...
Yay! On our way again...with nothing but blue skies and open road ahead! We enter the Poconos Mountains on our way and pass a sign reading "Welcome NASCAR! Race Today!" Well it didn't seem to be hampering my drive and on we go...
We arrive only 1 hour late - not bad! We ate, the kids played, and we gabbed to our hearts content! Everything I hoped it would be, including much too short.
Around 6:30ish we head out hoping the trip home would be a little less busy (the parade was over hours ago!) Again we hit the open road...
HALT!!!
Another 1 hour wait...this time we were shuffled into a single file line for non-existent "construction" that was going on. (First hint at frustration...I mean it is a school day tomorrow)
Just as we picked up speed to a nice 40 mile an hour pace we hit dead on with a RAGING rain/thunderstorm. You know, the kind in which your windshield wipers are completely impotent! We were forced to stop on the freeway and wait for a break in the weather....finally we are able to creep along at a 20 mile an hour pace.
Traffic seemed to be building at an incredible speed...why? Well we were just entering the Poconos again and the rain cancelled the remainder of the race. There were now 100,000 crazy NASCAR fans exiting the raceway and entering I-80.
At this point my car is now running low on gas...normally a trip of this type would not require a fill-up...stop for a bathroom break and some much needed fuel.
Finally...a little movement on I-80. We were able to travel for about an hour at semi-normal freeway speeds when I again tuned the radio for the upcoming GWB update.
HALT!!!!!
Traffic was backed up an hour inbound...no wait on the outbound--of course. (VERY FRUSTRATED) Why so crazy? The parade, the Yankees game, the crazy NASCAR fans...who knows!!!!
At approximately 12am we arrive home and spill out of our care, exhausted, just before as Dan pulls up from a LONG day at work...
The question is...
Was it worth it? YES!!!
Does it get any better than this? (Only if Merr was there...)
Brie and Travis
The kids with their "mean" faces!
They had a fabulous time getting to know each other.
4 comments:
Sounds like a trip with the Feldman Family. I remember as a young child waking up in the back of the Mercury Montego in the middle of night as Dad changed a flat on the side of the freeway. I still need therapy from some of those "vacations." Somehow though we still managed to have fun just like you did.
I know...isn't living here the craziest thing ever? You think everything is grand, then you sit outside the George Washington bridge toll plaza for 4 hours and you start thinking...NO MORE...I CAN'T TAKE ANY MORE! Then, you finally get back to this cozy little village and you think...ahhh, home. Living in NY: It's a love/hate kinda thing.
Jenn, I am just now reading about your adventure on the way home. I am soooo.. sorry it was such a disaster. Thank you for making the trip. I feel so lucky to have been able to see you guys again. The kids were adorable together. Than you again!!!!! Love, Brie
Yay! i hope you guys had a great time...can't wait to hear about it...
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