Sisters on the Road Again!

 

Well, after 14 years, my kid sister and I are on the road again doing a two month cross country trip.  Some things are the same, we are sisters and we still love to travel. Some things are different: We have left Nellie, the Bonneville home, she just eats too much and have taken a Pontiac Vibe instead. We are older by a few years and get stiff in funny places, many of which we weren’t even aware of in 2000. But by and large, it is going to be a fun trip. There will be old haunts and new discoveries, all accompanied by four CD’s which I compiled especially for this excursion, Such lovely ditties as K-K-K-Katie and Bar-Bar-Bar- Barbara Ann and Kate Smith singing Indiana along with Rosalind Russell and Edie Adams singing Why Did I Leave Ohio, and,of course, the Andrews Sisters singing the Pennsylvania Polka.

Bill took me down to Saratoga yesterday morning—at 9 am. It was foggy and quiet in the villages through which we passed. Traffic was light, UNTIL, Bill made a right hand turn onto 149 out of Fort Ann!!! I said, you are going to Lake George on Labor Day?  He said, Lake George is dead now. Uh-huh, after covering 1/4 mile in 10 minutes he turned around and, fortunately driving with a native, we were able to take Bay Rd into Glens Falls and head down deserted Glen St to Rte 9 and so to Barb’s.

OMG—hot, and humid. Unbearable! But we grabbed a late lunch before Bill headed back to Vermont. He stopped in Hartford to visit Bets at her new digs. Says it is a nice place, but rather sparsely furnished—empty is what he called it. Well, when I get home, I’ll get some more furniture together that she can have. It is hoped Noah will also bring a chair or two-lol!

Barb’s son Charlie and wife, Cheryl arrived later in the afternoon and we visited before they took off with Damien, the dog. He’s going on vacation, too. Barb’s house smelled of skunk and we thought the beast had just sprayed outdoors near the house. But, within minutes of departure, Charlie called to say—eh, Mom, Damien was sprayed—we’re dying here in the car—lol  Oh, well, guess he had to give him a bath when they got home—about  a 20 mile drive with the smelly canine.

We watched some tv and went to bed around 10ish. It was soooooo hot in the house—I slept sprawled out without covers under the fan and died. Got to sleep finally around 2 and up at 7.  We got on the road about 846, which was later than we wanted to get going. Even with such a late start we covered over 400 miles with sun, and clouds, and sprinkles and torrential rains around Lake Erie, after Buffalo and then sun once more. That Lake affect is a pain in every season—but at least it wasn’t snow.

When we started out in Saratoga it was 83 degrees and humid. In Ashtabula it is breezy, dry and 77. Relief at last. Will be able to sleep tonight. There is something else that hasn’t changed. I have the A/C going—we have the bedroom at home at 64 degrees—and Barb is in a long sleeved flannel nightgown, under the blanket and threatening to take mine—lol  But for now, at 622 EST, it is time to eat—dining in on our stash of food—watch TV and vege. I’ll do some map study and call Bill. Then bed and, hopefully, an earlier start tomorrow. “ Til tomorrow night, take care.   The Sister Act!