Road Trippin'

I saw a lot of highway miles this weekend as Tom, Kelly, and I took a road trip up to Connecticut to visit JV houses in Bridgeport and Hartford. We left beautiful Baltimore on Friday after work, and we took refuge at my house in New Jersey for the night, where we were greeted with Hi-Def cable, pizza, and chocolate cake. Oh, and my family was there too. It was good to see them (and the Phillies on the Hi-Def cable).


After an ample breakfast prepared by the Donovans, and after having even more road trip snacks and treats thrown at us, we made like Santa on December 26 and headed north. Tom, the laudable lad he is, did the driving, and in his Mercury Mountaineer, accommodations were very accommodating. We made good time up the NJ Turnpike, and before long we were greeted with the familiar view of the New York skyline to our right, and the distinct aroma of North Jersey in our nostrils (Tom says he likens the smell to old hot dog water. I tend to agree).


The first stop of our Tour de CT was the community of Bridgeport. We arrived around 2 pm, and spent most of the afternoon chewing the fat (not literally, of course. JVs only chew injustice! Say, that should be painted on a wall somewhere!) in their apartment. That's right, ladies and gents, JVs can live in apartments, too! Aren't we just so versatile? Anyway, after many good words, a few giggles, and a meal of pasta and corn, Tom, myself, and a small contingent of JVs embarked on the cross-state journey down an apparently scenic highway (though not when it's dark out) to the former home of the NHL's Whalers. That's right, hockey and/or Ron Francis fans, Hartford.


The community of Hartford comprises of seven- count 'em, seven- women, all living in the same three-story, wooden-floor-creaking, labyrinthine-room-connecting, house. I had a most pleasant time catching up with my fellow volunteers, some of whom we might not see again until August. Again, fun was had by all, and after a delightful pancake breakfast with butter that was made by pouring heavy cream into a jar and then shaking it for 30 minutes (the ladies tell me this has something to do with how the cream settles, but I have the sneaking suspicion that they're all magicians), we hit the reverse button on our road trip and headed back to Bridgeport.


We then said our goodbyes to the Port of Bridge, and after struggling to turn down an offer to check out an antique warehouse that would only delay our trip by a few hours (Jeff, a volunteer in Bridgeport, said he's been hoping to find a sizable painting of a sailboat before he leaves Connecticut this year, and now, I feel that he probably could have found that at the warehouse. Therefore, I regret not being able to help in on his quest...One day, Jeff, one day ye shall find what ye are looking for!), we made our way south, back to the land I love, back to the town that Mr. Moore calls "Pie Plate." Back to Pittsgrove.


My house is known for, among other things, its sufficiently stocked cupboards, and upon our arrival Sunday afternoon, we were treated to even more food (this time, tuna sandwiches). Tom and Kelly then departed for Baltimore, and I got to spend some time with the family before my next social excursion- that being, attending the Joe Bonamassa concert with my amigos Brad and Zach.


So Z, B, and S (that's Zach, Brad, and Scott for those not following along...which, at this point, I don't know why you'd still be reading) maneuvered to Delaware to check out the new King of Blues do his thing with his six-string. And do his thing, he most certainly did. I've never heard guitars sound so good as when they are played by Joe Bonamassa. The show was so good, I am even choosing to overlook the fact that we were sold imaginary seats. Details of that adventure are available upon request.


I arrived back in Baltimore around 11 pm on Sunday, just in time to catch some Z's before work the next morning. Brad and Zach dropped me off and got to check out my abode before returning to the land where the seeds of our friendship were sown (how poetic); that is, NJ. So, a 5-state, many-mile weekend filled with friends, family, and some darn good music.

For a weekend in the JVC, that ain't too shabby.


Coming soon: Comcast Cares Day this Saturday, and the introduction of recorders to my After-School students!