Day 35 - The Day I Got Back Home

Day 35
Manhattan, NY - Ipswich, MA

Home with Barley.  Sigh.  8:30am training tomorrow.  Back to work, but not back to the grind.

Day 34 - Room Service, Philly bus tour, Greenwich Village

Okay, vegetarian Chinese food gives you crazy dreams just like the regular stuff. Last nights dream involved me staying with who I think were Heifer International volunteers. They had a giant pizza oven in the house in which they stored people who had died on giant pizza boards. After realizing what was going on I decided I'd need to let the police know. (sound familiar yet). I played dumb while they jammed someone on in and then told them I was going to the top of the hill to plant some lilacs. Just as I made it to the random wheelbarrow with lilac roots, the leader came running out toward me yelling, "planting some lilacs, huh!?!". In the middle of my fight or flight thought I awoke. After checking the closet and under both beds I fell fitfully back to sleep.

This morning was my first room service. If I'm paying that much for pancakes they better taste good. They were sadly dry and had syrup from a bad year. However a first none the less.

So, I met an interesting fellow. You see his truck broke down and his wife wouldn't answer the phone. He just needed $7 for the bus...could I get some money to help him? Creative, but no. As I walked away he screamed, "someday you might need help!". I'm hoping if I do he's not the only person around for me to ask.

Bus tour, downpour, lunch place tried to rip me off, Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, NYC rush hour, The Jane, Greenwich Village, Home Restaurant.

One more night.

Day 33- Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge & The Mariott in Downtown Philly

Day 33
Poconoke, MD - Chincoteague, VA - Philadelphia, PA (With a little Delaware in there.)

Too busy enjoying my hotel room to blog tonight.  Ahh....soft pillows, quiet air conditioning, clean carpet and soft towels.  I'm watching tv for the first time in 32 days and am considering ordering room service breakfast.  It is scaring me how quickly I am getting used to this.

Day 32 - The Outer Banks

Gull also waiting for the ferry to arrive

Day 32
Ocracoke, NC - Pocomoke City, MD
6 hours that took me from 8am until 10pm  :-)

Questions I asked myself today (technically yesterday I guess):
1)  Is that rain?
2)  I wonder exactly how cold "unheated" showers are?
3)  Why do people have dogs if they just leave them to sit out in the rain?
4)  Can it really be called a crepe if it's prepackaged and warmed on a round surface?
5)  I wonder if those people howling at the moon last night were actors from the new Twilight movie?
6)  How long could the wait be for a free ferry to Hatteras?
7)  I wonder if I'll ever get to Hatteras?
8)  How long would it take to swim to Hatteras?
9)  Ooo, a sandwich shop...I wonder if they have good sandwiches?
10)  How long could it take to make a tuna sandwich?
11)  Could I ride out with you to catch the tuna?
12)  Why is the family of the barfing, sea sick girl sitting on the deck of the sandwich shop where people are eating their lunch?
13)  Can I get that to go?
14)  Should I stay longer at this refuge or drive on to the next one?
14.5)  Is that tree with ROATAN written on it still around?
15)  Why is that family taking photos of themselves in every position possible on the replica Wright Brothers plane?
16)  Is that woman actually laying on top of Wilbur?
17)  Should I stay in Virginia Beach, should I drive on, should I stay in Virginia Beach, should I drive on?
18)  The shortcut costs $12?
19)  Why are all these people driving so slowly?
20)  How late will I drive before I stop?
21)  Will I drive to Ocracoke or stay on the highway?
22)  How dirty could the room really be?
23)  What's that on the carpet?
24)  What's "that" on the carpet?
25)  Could this toilet be any lower to the ground?
26)  What smells like its burning?
27)  What is that smell in the water?
28)  I wonder how long it will take me to go to sleep?

Day 31 - Ocracoke

Day 31 - Jacksonville, NC to Ocracoke, NC
Ferry ride: 2.5 hours
Stomach: Queasy
Campground: Right over the dune to the beach
Pony Pen: Saw some ponies having dinner along with a beaver chewing on some grass.
Grocery Store: fully stocked...slightly expensive
Fire: dying down
Today's blog: Finished

Day 30 - The day I only drove to Walgreens

Day 30
Jacksonville, NC - Jacksonville, NC

Two nights in the same place.  I think I like it.  I slept until 10:30am and then lounged around in my pajamas.  Made a bagel, organized my car, cleaned out the cooler, did some laundry, lounged around some more.  Went out to dinner with my aunts Cindy and Paula and then on to see The Help.  Highly recommend everything I did today to everyone.

Day 29 - Drive, Charleston, Drive, Sleep

Day 29
Madison, GA - Charleston, SC - Jacksonville, NC

Up at 7:00am to make it to Charleston for lunch and a 2pm nature boat tour.  I was hoping to do a series of, "You know you're too sweaty when..." but got concerned about my audience approval rating.  I will say, you know you're too sweaty when you sit down in a public restroom and catch yourself on the wall as you slide off the seat.  CAUTION:  Charleston is too hot to visit in the summer.  I was surprised there weren't people laying in the streets passed out from heat exhaustion and dehydration.  Very hot!  Very hot!  Great tour.  Saw dolphins, oystercatcher, gulls and some other birds I have yet to identify.  Then I drove 4.5 more hours to Cindy & Garrett's.  A bed with sheets that smelled good, a clean rug, friendly people, sofas, pets, hummingbirds & a safe place to park.  Ahhh....