Success

Today, I successfully ordered a tall peppermint hot chocolate at Starbucks. After failing at this for the better part of a decade, I have finally defeated the monster!

A few of you will understand the gravity of this achievement. :o)

Thanks to Amber, I've learned the rules and was finally able to successfully apply them.

Hooray for small big victories!

J. Edgar- A Movie Review

Since the move I've found a group of ladies that go to the movies almost every Tuesday night. They have kindly taken me in and allowed me to be a part of the group. Since it's a group venture, sometimes you end up seeing movies you wouldn't have picked on your own. This week's movie falls into that category. It's been fun to get outside my movie box and see movies I might have otherwise missed.

This week was "J. Edgar". Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, this film was bound to be masterful. Even if you don't like the movie itself, you can't deny the greatness of the acting, careful attention to detail when jumping time frames, great directing and absolutely masterful makeup.

The makeup in this movie was probably the most impressive part to me. It actually took me a minute or so to realize that DiCaprio was J. Edgar.

Pretty impressive, don't you think? Here are a few others and an actual shot of J. Edgar Hoover for comparison.

DiCaprio as J. Edgar from a different angle.

The real J. Edgar Hoover.

DiCaprio as young J. Edgar Hoover.

While the movie is a bit long, and in my opinion spent a little too much time on the Lindbergh baby (though this was a major part of Hoover and the establishment of what we know today as the FBI, I thought they could have shortened the time on this a little), over all I was impressed with the movie. My comment to the Engineer was, "I appreciated it for what it was." (The Engineer is much more likely to see a historical biography type film than I am, so I look forward to seeing what he thinks of it when it comes to RedBox.)

DiCaprio gives an amazing performance. I don't know that I'd say "award winning" (the character didn't require as great a shift as when DiCaprio played Howard Hughes in "The Aviator"), but he does a great job.

When walking out of the movie the comments were varied, but most agreed it was a good movie. Most of the commentary surrounded the actual character of J. Edgar. One person thought the movie didn't portray him as nearly as bad as she had imagined given what she knew from actual history. I didn't know much at all about Hoover before seeing the movie, but what I noticed was that he almost certainly did things that would be considered unethical and immoral, but at the heart of it all he was only trying to do what he thought was best for America however misguided.

Does having the right intentions make his actions acceptable? Probably not, but it helps you to understand a little more why people do the things they do. I almost compare it to parenting. At the end of the day, most parents make decisions that they believe in their heart to be the best for their children. Sometimes they turn out to be, sometimes they don't. As the child, if you can look back and know that even the mistakes were made with your best interest at heart you can usually make peace with what you consider to be the mistakes your parents made.

There you have it. My review. I still say the most impressive and best part of the movie was the transformation of characters from young to old. The makeup is crazy-good!

DiCaprio photos are all from Warner Brothers and if you want to know more about J. Edgar Hoover according to Wikipedia, then go here.

Snow Boots

Where have these been my whole life?! 

My new snow boots might just be the warmest things I've ever put on my feet. Some days I don't want to take them off when I come inside...

A Little Yankee Doodle Humor

I've only lived here for two months and I already found it hilarious. Goes to show how many of them have moved in. There's also an affectionate interesting nickname for people from Mass... They call them Mass-holes. (Just spend a few minutes on the road near a car with Massachusetts plates and you'll fully understand why...)

On to the joke--

One day a man from New Hampshire is driving down the road with a guy from Maine, a fellow from Vermont and a guy from Massachusetts. The guy from Maine starts throwing bags of potatoes out the car window.

"What are you doing that for?" asks the man from New Hampshire.
"We've got so many potatoes," he answers, "that I'm sick of looking at 'em."

Then the fellow from Vermont starts throwing out jugs of maple syrup.
"Why are you doing that?" the man from New Hampshire asks.
"Got too many of these things lying around," the Vermonter replies.

Immediately the man from New Hampshire throws the guy from Massachusetts out of the car.

Some One is Ready

Some one is ready for the "Game of the Century" (as at least one game a year is dubbed) tomorrow!

(In case you aren't from the South or live under a rock-- we're talking LSU vs Alabama. SEC Football. #1 vs #2. Kind-of-a-big-deal football game.)

He's been telling me about it all day... literally. He has made all sorts of noises today! Lots of "talking".

Here he is trying to "High 10" --

We're hoping LSU will give us a win for my birthday. We're also hoping for some stellar announcing from the likes of Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson. At least we will be entertained even if our team doesn't do well.

(By the way, click the link connected to "stellar announcing". It's worth the read, especially if you've ever watched a CBS Game of the Week.)

Notables

1. I have yet to see any signs for bail bondsmen here. (In the big O-P we had three within two miles. They were abnormally common. Of course we also lived within two miles of the county and city jails there. I haven't seen a prison yet since I've been here. I hear they have them, I just don't know where.)
2. They do not keep the power lines as clear here as they do in the South. Trees will be missing large chunks out of the tops to keep them from touching the power lines in the South, but here they seem to be allowed to grow wild and free.
3. It has been pointed out that I have failed to mention that there are exactly 472,000 Dunkin' Donuts here. (And that's just on our side of town...)
4. I have also been asked to mention the roundabouts or rotaries. There are only a couple near us, but I hear there are a lot more that are a lot more complex on the Cape.
5. Small, family-owned local businesses are everywhere and they are some of the most interesting places to visit.
6. Where have snow boots been my entire life?! They have become my favorite shoes. Warm doesn't even cover it. I love them!
7. Our cat has gotten fatter since we moved here. We're not sure if she's power-loading extra layers of fat for the winter or if her hair has just gotten thicker. Time will tell.
8. Sixty-eight degrees feels soooo much warmer than 64. (That's the inside temp-- evening vs. daytime on the programmed thermostat.)
9. Good jobs are hard to find. This is true everywhere, but since our state boasts one of the lowest employment rates in the US (5.4%), I don't think a lot of people here have truly grasped just how bad it is in the rest of the US. Just an observation from a few overheard conversations today.
10. I have a new dentist and he is awesome. He had heard of Troy University and also watched college football. That alone is enough reason for me to fully commit to that particular office. (There are 100 more reasons why I'm sticking with this office, but they aren't as exciting or fun as the fact that he had heard of my college and that he knew that there was a HUGE game this weekend for the SEC. Even got a big "Geaux Tigers" out of him... my Engineer was pleased.)

Posting

I have not been in the mood to put together any posts. I can't explain my lack of motivation other than it exists.

It's not that I don't have things to blog about. I have about 10 drafts saved. Just no motivation to finish them up...

Hang with me friends. I will try to get back in the swing and get something posted soon.

First Snow

We have survived the first snow of the season!

The snow started falling around 7pm and fell for several hours before turning back into rain and then moving out. We woke up this morning to clear skies and crunchy, icy remnants on the driveway, sidewalk and grass. It was very much like the snow fall we had in Alabama.

 It was really exciting to see it falling out the window. We always loved to sit and watch it before we moved-- you know, that one day a year we got an inch of snow. I know the novelty of it will wear off, but for now, we are enjoying our little intro to New England snow (even if it did come before Halloween).

Indigo Girls

Mr. Awesome (The Engineer) forwent a GooGoo Dolls concert to take me to an Indigo Girls concert.

(I dare you to tell me that doesn't make him the most amazing guy in the world...)

There were some extenuating circumstances surrounding the GooGoo Dolls concert-- such as they rescheduled for a date we couldn't do. The tickets had been his surprise birthday present, but unfortunately (for The Engineer), it didn't work out with the new date. Luckily (for me), the Indigo Girls happened to be preforming that same night, less than two miles away, for half the price, AND it was a benefit concert to raise money for a local auditorium. (Are there any better reasons to use as justification?!)

Thankfully, the opening band, Common Rotation, was awesome! So awesome that for The Engineer's birthday he got to get two of their albums. (This is also thanks to reasonable album pricing by the band-- Thanks guys!) I also think this made up for the fact that we were indeed at an Indigo Girls concert for his birthday. ;o)

Indigo Girls with Common Rotation singing
"Closer to Fine"

Indigo Girls

After about three songs of the Indigo Girls I looked over at The Engineer and apologized for bringing him to Lilith Fair. It was hilarious to see a room full of middle-aged women going nuts! He was a good sport and we actually both had a great time. They sounded just as good as they do on their albums. I told The Engineer I thought this might be due to the time they got started as a band. Back then you actually had to have talent to be a star. Now, if you have the right persona and engage the media correctly even if you can't carry a tune in a bucket you can be a star. (*cough *cough, Taylor Swift, *cough *cough, Lady Gaga.)

Notables

1. The sky seems closer here. The Engineer and I both said this to different people around the same time. I'm not sure why we feel this way, but we both thought it.
2. The Fall color is awesome! Even going to the grocery store is beautiful!
3. Turkeys on the side of the road here are as plentiful as deer on the side of the road in Alabama. And, they are HUGE.
4. The Fall foliage is still showing itself in places, though from what I can tell, peak has passed. I don't have a picture, but all the trees and bushes in the Target parking lot were red and my thought was, "Well played, Target. Well played."
5. Our dog has discovered squirrels. It is hilarious! He will stand on the edge of the deck and stare at them until he thinks they aren't watching and he will take off after them. At first he didn't understand that they climbed the trees. He just knew for some reason they disappeared. He has since figured that part out.
6. Starting a business isn't hard as long as you have lots of free time and lots of money.
7. I LOVE having NPR on every other radio station, and I love that they play all my favorite programs every day. It's such a thrill to listen to them "Live" instead of just as a podcast! (Yes, that equals nerd, and I'm okay with that.)
8. Gas dropped below $3.40 last week. That is indeed notable.
9. I miss having a schedule some days.
10. Laundry and dishes are never done.

Dining Room

We've finally gotten things pretty much settled in the dining room. I'm loving my vase that was purchased at a yard sale from an artist named Lois Wills. She is sooo talented! (From what I understand, she is in the process of getting a web site going, so as soon as I have a link, I'll add it.)

I've also been enjoying my table runners that were made special for my wedding by several ladies that went to the church I grew up in. It makes them all the more special to have.

Reminiscing

We are finally getting around to hanging photos and such on the walls and actually printing out some of our photos from our big adventure last Christmas. It was a lot of fun looking back through and remembering all the fun! Here are a few photos we printed out that are now hanging on the wall and making us smile.

Fall

Our neighbor's tree. It's among the last to start turning on the street and it's pretty nice to look out the window in the morning and see it showing off it's color.

(Mostly) Happy Pup

Admittedly, this guy has not had the easiest time adjusting to the move. He looks at us a lot as if to say, "Hey, this has been a fun vacation, but when are we going home?" And, when we get ready to leave for work, or errands, or dinner, or whatever, he often gives us a look that says, "Hey, wait, don't forget me! I want to go home too! Don't leave me here!" 

In between woeful looks, he does give us some happy faces. Especially when he's playing with his yellow ball or his bone.

He's going to make it and we are confident that at some point he will realize that we are "home" and that we aren't leaving him forever when we go to the grocery store.

What is Love?

He always saves the middle cinnamon roll for me.

Bent Object of My Affection

Bent Object of My Affection is a must have!

Go buy it right now at your local independent bookstore-- http://www.indiebound.org/hybrid?filter0=bent+objects&x=42&y=10

Terry will also sign one for you if you go to his site and purchase the book there-- http://bentobjects.blogspot.com/

Seriously, go. Right now. The rest of the blogs in your reader, including this one, can wait.

Terry's first book, Bent Objects: The Secret Life of Everyday Things, was awesome, so while you're there, buy it, too!

Mall Food

Please take a good look at the Texas BBQ Factory.

Please also notice that it is a Chinese restaurant.

I don't understand.

In other food court news, this made me it feel a little like home.

I do miss the stand-alone CFA though, because this one doesn't do breakfast and life just isn't the same without Chicken Minis.

It Makes Me Slightly Nervous

When I see all the full walls of scarves, hats and gloves. I do not know that I can ever truly be prepared for the Winter that lies ahead. It seems like every store has multiple walls like this.

Thankfully, I have a new friend who has been giving me lots of great tips on surviving our first Winter. And she grew up in Maine, so I think she knows a thing or two about Winter.

Photo Drive

Took a little drive around the other day and knew one spot I had to go: the Martha-Mary Chapel.

The chapel sits on the grounds of the Wayside Inn. The Wayside Inn is the oldest operating inn in America. They were first licensed in 1716, and continue to operate today. Other things to see on the grounds include a Grist Mill and the Redstone School House, which legend has, is the school to which Mary's little lamb followed her.

The Inn was purchased from its original family by Henry Ford in the 1920s. He had the school house relocated to the grounds and had the chapel built and named after his mother and mother-in-law. His goal was to preserve what America was like during that time period. The Wayside Inn is one of several sites for which he had this vision. Others can be found in Dearborn, Michigan, and Richmond Hill, Georgia.

The school was in operation as a one-room schoolhouse until the mid-1950s.

Here are a couple of shots of the grist mill, chapel and school house from last year during the summer.

And, the following are a few shots taken along the drive to the Wayside Inn. The Fall really is beautiful!

Hmmm...

Should I be concerned?

Snow poles to mark your driveway, ditch, etc.

Carrier Store versus Apple Store

Here's the question--

Do you get your new iPhone at the Apple Store or your carrier's store? Because there seems to be a huge difference in the number of people at each place. 

AT&T is the only carrier shown below, but the story was the same at the Verizon store. 

People in a long line with a full (and I do mean FULL) store at the Apple Store, and no huge line and just a handful of people at the AT&T store. They were not out of phones at any of the carrier stores, so I just couldn't figure out why you'd stand in line at the Apple Store when you could get the same thing a lot faster literally 150 feet further down the mall. 

Any suggestions?

AT&T: A How To Guide

How to take your number from one family plan from your home state, and your husbands from another family plan in his home state, to create your own family plan in the North.

Step 1:
You Can't.

Step 2:
Keep talking to people to try to figure out some way to make it happen.

Step 3:
Give up and admit defeat.

We have made numerous phone calls and visits to AT&T stores to try to achieve our initial goal. We have finally come up with a work-around which involves an admission of partial defeat.

Here's how the process went:

Day 1:

• Get account numbers from current accounts from primary account holders. (Remember, both are more than 1000 miles away.)

Day 2:

• Call AT&T to get everything rolling and get all the way through the process (30+minutes) before the customer service representative realizes she can't do it. She doesn't know why and gets her supervisor who says there was a way to do it and gives us an explanation (45+minutes) that was confusing and turns out was also impossible.

Day 3:

• Go to AT&T store to try to get clarification on the possibility of combining phone numbers from different markets(states) into a single family plan. 
• Receive explanation that seems satisfactory and makes goal look achievable. 
• Leave disappointed that it can't happen right away because a release of one phone number from previous family plan is needed.
• Make phone call to primary account holder and have them call AT&T to release the line. This is done in less than an hour and seems to have been the easiest part. (Thanks PPS!)

Day 4:

• Go back to AT&T store to explain situation and get new account started now that all the "ducks are in a row". 
• Talk to extremely nice sales guy who explains that nothing we have been told up to this point is correct. The phone numbers cannot ever be combined into a single account no matter what. 
• Find out that it is possible for one of us to keep our original number but the other person has to get a new number in the same area code as the one who keeps their number. 
• Settle on this being the only option that will work. 
• Discuss and decide who will keep their original number since we've both had our numbers for 10+ years. 
• Share decision with sales guy. 
• Find out we will have to come back tomorrow.
• Enjoy seeing a light bulb go off over our heads when we realize we can just port the second number into GoogleTalk and therefore, technically still keep both original numbers. 
• Do a small happy dance.
• Hang out in basement blogging about the experience while singing along as your husband jams out Papa Roach, Creed and 3 Doors Down on his oh-so-cool green electric guitar.

Day 5:

• Return to AT&T store to get new account set up and FINALLY get new phone.
• Do a BIG happy dance along with the other three people in line with you that are also upgrading from an iPhone 3G.

Notables

1. I heard the geese flying over today. This is apparently not a great sign for the winter ahead.
2. My daily observations are restricted to a pretty small area-- you know, the one I'm in on a daily basis. They by no means define the entire North, or the entire Northern experience. Some are specific to my state. Some are just random things that natives haven't even had happen before. Keep that in mind when you're reading.
3. Book Clubs seem popular here.
4. The One City, One Book program is awesome. The author of our book this year is coming to speak next weekend. I'm excited to hear him and get his explanation of a few things. I also have a book review post coming.
5. Our library lets you check out books on your Kindle. How awesome is that?!
6. At dinner last night we heard two guys mention two names that perked our ears right up-- Garcia and Lattimore. Yes, they were talking SEC football, and even though it was the Gamecocks, it was still SEC football. I wanted them to be my new best friends, but The Engineer would not let me leave our table. (He's pretty good about keeping me from embarrassing myself more than I normally would.)
7. Wal-Mart sells live lobster.
   
   |
8. I think I will always be a dunce when ordering at Starbucks. I think I have it down and then when I get to the cashier I panic and can only say "small, medium and large" in conjunction to mispronouncing the name of the actual item I am wanting to purchase. I should have taken lessons from Amber before I moved. I have not given up on myself yet, but this series of failures leads me to believe I may never get this one right.
9. Some of the mailboxes face the sidewalk instead of the street. (I wonder how many mailboxes got hit and how many cars lost their side-view mirror before they changed it?)
   
   
10. We live near a river and there is a walking/biking path built across it. I try to take my dog for a walk there every day. It is beautiful! And, I'm pretty sure my little buddy enjoys it too...
    
    

It's A Sign

This is one of those that are pretty unique
to our area. Our friends said they hadn't
seen them in many other places.

Swagger...

I'm posting this in honor of The Engineer...

If you didn't see this game you should search the internet for the highlight reel. An impromptu decision gave the punter a would-be 52-yard touchdown run. However, due to an "excessive celebration" call it was called back to the 10ish yard line. Either way, great play calling by the punter himself. Bummer he had to be the guinea pig on a new rule. Would have loved to see an Aussie punter get a TD.

Warmth in a Cup

I foresee many of these in my future...

Lazy Bones

Two bags full of 'em--

Looks like these guys are getting settled in and claiming their space. The cat had to pick the nicest pillow we have to call hers. She has her own bed and even access to the pup's throne-like bed, but no, she prefers the one silk item we have in the house... What a princess. (I blame The Engineer for this.)

From the Yard

I mowed the lawn today and there were TONS of these mushrooms growing. 

You can also see that half of our grass is dead. It was like that when we got here, so I cannot be blamed for killing off the grass (ahem, yet, cough, cough).

Also, one of the mystery bushes in front of the house has bloomed. It looks like an Azalea flower, but the leaves are not like any I've seen on an Azalea bush before. You master gardeners out there got any suggestions as to what it might be?

Ah, of course, the acorn. These things are everywhere. It's no wonder the squirrels are so big! They seem to have more than plenty to get them through the winter. If I showed you a photo of how many half eaten ones are laying in the side yard you probably still wouldn't believe it.

007

Just call him "Double O" for short. The pup is officially licensed! 

(Location and actual identifying information was removed to
 protect his safety in the field. When you're licensed
 you can't be too careful...)

Sad Day

Whether you love Apple or hate them you cannot ignore the impact the company has had on the world as we know it. Specifically the world in which I have lived. Being born in the early 80s, I remember a time when there weren't computers in every home (you know, before Al Gore "invented the Internet"). My world went from one with landlines in every home, few cellular phones(you know, the ones with the corded receiver that came in a bag and stayed in the car), and a lot less channels on TV.

Then as all those things became mainstream and innovations moved forward in the computer industry, our world shifted. It changed into something we had never seen before, perhaps never even imagined. One of the people who will always be synonymous with the advancement of computers and technology, and of course smart phones, passed away today. Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, died at age 56.  I didn't know him personally, but many of the decisions he made in his lifetime have had a profound affect on mine. His innovations, along with the others in his field-- colleagues, competitors, friends, classmates-- have changed everything about the way I live my life. Every-day dependence on computers, smartphones, the Internet, is not something those a generation before me would have ever imagined. I would not have imagined it even at 16 when I got my first chunky cell phone that only functioned to actually make phone calls. His influence and ideas have shaped our world. And even though he wasn't the same kind of "world-changer" as Martin Luther King or Mother Theresa, he was still a "world-changer" and it leaves me a little sad tonight. It leaves me feeling like one of "the greats" has passed on.

Love Apple, or hate them, you can't deny the greatness of Steve Jobs.

Laughing While I Can

We have had two thunderstorms since arriving in the North. One, last Friday night, consisted of rain, very minimal lightning if any, and a small clap of thunder.

I participated in a volunteer event this past Saturday and people were talking about the thunder storm and how scary it was. It made me chuckle to myself. Apparently there are not many thunder storms around here. I figured I should laugh while I can, because when that snow starts falling the tables will most certainly be turned and people will get their kicks over watching us greenhorns figure out how to work the snow blower.

I heard them talking on the radio this morning about a thunderstorm coming through sometime today. I again chuckled to myself--"Ha! They don't know what a real thunderstorm is."  And then one of the biggest thunder claps I've heard in a long time about scared me off my chair. It will probably be the only one we hear, but it was a decent one and I could understand being scared of that one!

Notables

1. I was in and out of the DMV in 15 minutes with my new license in hand. Talk about a faster pace!
2. I was offered a homemade chicken enchilada while I waited for my state inspection to be completed by a local mechanic. Awesome!
3. If there is a space between two cars equaling 2 feet longer than your vehicle, it is safe to merge into that space.
4. A safe following distance at 70+mph is just under 10 feet.
5. Our new favorite game is trying to decipher all the personalized license plates. We've seen some doozies! (JNESSA, B3LAVTA, RNOV8TR, THE-WIZ, HUGADOG, OZZZY, NINO, YOUZ, LV-MUZK )
6. You can be around 100+ people for an entire day and not one of them will mention football.
7. You can always count on your friends to "watch the (insert SEC team here) game with you" via Facebook. It's almost the same...
8. There are tons of things to do here. This weekend there was a Chili Cook-off, the Circus and Help-Portrait all in the same few block area.
9. People are pretty nice.
   
10. Having an actual season called Fall/Autumn that lasts more than three days... priceless.

Help-Portrait

Took part in a great event today called "Help-Portrait". It was organized by Jeremy Cowart, a photographer to the stars. It's a movement to give back. To think about photography a little differently. To give photos instead of just take them.

The event I was part of had tons of volunteers! Eight studio set-ups that could accommodate up to 24 families per hour for shooting. There were people of all kinds there as far as volunteers and guests go. I met a friend, so that was exciting! We talked about going to an Indigo Girls concert, so as soon as they are back up this way I know I have someone to go with! Hooray!

The event itself went well. We had at least 50 families come through before noon and I think the afternoon was supposed to be a little slower. It was so interesting seeing folks who have never had photos taken have a chance to get them made with their families. I can hardly imagine not having photos of my family from my childhood. We didn't do a lot of professional photos, but we did have a lot of pictures! A lot of people who have fallen on hard times don't even have snap shots.

Anyway, it was a great event that went off really well. Most people were in and out in about an hour and walked out with their prints in hand. I was glad to be a part of it and glad to meet some new people. I think we're going to like it here.

Reality

I think it's finally starting to set in. It happened today after dropping my mom off at the airport. I've been expecting it, but wasn't quite sure when it would actually hit-- I live very far away from almost everyone I know.

I told the Engineer I was just waiting for a "sad day" to come along. I knew when we decided to move that it would be exciting and fun, but I also knew it would be hard and that there would be days I was "homesick" and sad. In three weeks time I didn't have one single day where I felt sad. (Of course I have not really slowed down long enough to think about whether I missed our old home or was sad or not...)

Today, though, it sort of sunk in. When I dropped my mom off at the airport and we said goodbye it seemed real. That it really would be months before I saw her in person again. It was sort of strange and overwhelming and sad at the same time. I was sad to say goodbye to my mom, but I think this departure represented the whole of friends and family and the realization that they are all very far away and that I won't see them again for months or maybe longer.

On top of reality setting in about the move and the changes I also finished a book that really made me think pretty hard about some things. As it shapes-up into a cohesive thought I'll share it. For now it's just one of the many things swirling about in my head.

Notables

1. Gas is at least 30 cents more per gallon.
2. People drive VERY FAST on the main highways-- we're talking 70+ (more often + than 70 in a 55 on one of the main roads), but seem to obey the speed limits as long as they are posted at 45mph or less.
3. Lanes appear and disappear within a 50-foot span.
4. There are more homeless people here than we are used to.
5. They don't joke when they say "Live Free or Die".
6. There are no seat-belt laws for those over 18.
7. There are no helmet laws for motorcycle or bike riders as long as they are over 18.
8. Perhaps it should be "Live Free AND Die" in some cases. On the other hand, perhaps it's the state's way of wedding out the idiots and keeping the gene pool a bit deeper.
9. I can already hear myself talking a little differently. I feel like I have to speak more clearly and enunciate better to be understood.
10. Some things just don't translate well here. Yesterday I met a lady named Ann and she said her name twice and I thought she was saying Ian both times. She finally spelled it for me. Sometimes the accents do feel almost like a foreign language.

From the Drive

Unfortunately there are not a lot of photos from the drive. There are two reasons for this:

1. We drove through 11 states in two days and that took roughly 24 hours of actual driving time. (We stopped off at the half-way point for a snooze and then hit the road again early the next morning.)
2. We drove in the middle of the remnants of tropical storm Lee for roughly 24 hours. It was like driving through a tunnel of white. All we could hope to see was the road in front of us and the fog and rain that surrounded us. Not too many scenic spots to pull off and take a photo in weather like that.

The pup and the cat settled in for the drive. Don't they look pitiful!?

The cat perked up when we made bathroom and refueling breaks. (She only thought she wanted out. We put her on the leash to see if we could get her to take a potty break and she panicked and just squatted her whole body as close to the ground as possible, presumably to try to "hide".)

One of most interesting stops happened just outside Charlotte, NC. We found ourselves a 2-seater!

Day two found us crossing the Mason-Dixon Line and formally entering "The North".

To be honest, not many of my Pennsylvania experiences have made me want to smile. I used to refer to it as "the state of no bathrooms" instead of the "state of independence". This goes back to an insane road trip from Knoxville, Tennessee to New York City. We left Tennessee around 6pm and drove through the night to NYC. Somewhere around 4 or 5am we were all in desperate need of a bathroom break. We were in Pennsylvania and must have stopped two or three places before we found a bathroom someone would let us use. I haven't really cared much for the state since. (The remainder of that trip included just over 24 hours in NYC, a parking ticket, our car getting broken into and a miserable 12-hour drive back with a busted out car window.

Back to my feelings on Pennsylvania-- In the midst of all the negative feelings, I must admit I had a very enjoyable visit to Lancaster County in 2010. (There's not much to dislike about the Amish.)

This trip through was, as mentioned, smothered in rain and fog. The state had some major flooding that closed down main interstates. Thankfully, we were just ahead of the flooding and were able to pass through before roads shut down. (The engineer and his dad in the 26-foot moving truck were not so lucky.)

I'm told the Poconos are beautiful. Maybe one day I'll see more than fog and rain and no bathroom stops in Pennsylvania.

More to come on the drives and the move before long! Stay tuned!