Thursday, January 13, 2011

Road Warrior

Finally back home.

Enjoyed the way north today, mostly to myself, up through about exit 8 on the NJ turnpike. We should have snow emergencies every time I travel back and forth to VA. Dry roads all the way to just this side of the Tappan Zee, no snow on the road until CT.

Despite listening to "Sweet Baby James", the turnpike was not covered from 84 to Boston. In fact, the entire road surface was clear to pavement. Can't speak to how it's doing out towards Stockbridge.

It was, however, completely covered from Hartford all the way to the MA border. With 10 miles of that down, it did indeed seem like 10,000 to go. I won't say it was nightmarish. But it definitely wasn't dream-like. Lots of us bushwhacking our way to Boston at 30-45mph. And Reins Deli was closed. And that stupid Exxon next door doesn't have a bathroom. Ended up eating a leftover tuna fish sandwich with some chips and a coke from the floor board cooler while sitting at the rest stop just after.

11 hours total.

Big shout out to Lieutenant I-Forgot-Your-Name, who pulled me over just east of Danbury on the trip down. He read me the riot act for passing on the right and generally driving like a jerk, but very kindly didn't write me up. I got my mind right and spent (most of) the rest of the trip down and back in the right lane (getting passed while) sticking pretty close to the speed limit. He'd be happy, I think.