Road Trip ............

When I checked my outdoor thermometer before I left my apartment this morning it was already 49, and the sun was shining brightly. Today, I decided, I was going to take a drive down into Monmouth County.  I haven't been down there in months and I was looking forward to this.

I stopped at Dunkin' Donuts and picked up some breakfast for the ride. I chose a medium, unsweetened iced tea instead of a decaf coffee, and I was wearing sneakers instead of my waterproof boots.

Today was my own, personal "First Day of Spring".

I had the radio on CBS-FM as I drove down Route 9 onto Route 35 and turned onto Middle Road in Hazlet. I stopped at the library, but didn't find anything interesting. I got back onto Middle Road and headed towards Middletown. I went to make a right turn when this bike rider shot past me. If I'd made the turn I would've hit him.

I didn't turn. I followed him and when I passed him ..

Point, press, Flash.

I took the next right and continued on towards Middletown. Along here, I passed the set of offices where the real estate agent who sold us our first house used to work. He got us a good deal, but I'm pretty sure he cut a lot of corners. I didn't see his name among the signs.

I stopped at the Middletown Library and picked up a couple of books. I was still thinking about our old house and I decided - spur of the moment - to take a drive past it.

I made a right on Thompson, by the Target, and headed towards Route 36. I passed the office where my daughter's pediatrician used to work - it's a dental office now. Up ahead I saw this guy walking on the opposite side of the street.

There was no one else around.

Point, press, Flash.

I made a left onto Route 36 and headed towards Union Beach. I passed the building where our real estate lawyer used to work. It's still there but he isn't.

I made a right onto Anderson Street. The house is still there and still looks the same. Except we didn't have the mailbox, they've taken out the bushes that were in front of the kitchen windows, the fence is gone, and the front steps are missing.

By now, I was getting kind of nostalgic. Maybe because this is where my daughter was born and raised and now she's going to have a baby of her own.

Oh well, someone once compared life to a river - you either go with the flow or you drown. I headed back.

It was starting to cloud over now, and was feeling cooler.

They're still doing construction work on Route 35 North, but there was very little traffic so it didn't cause me much of a delay. Just as I was coming up on Lawrence Harbor I saw this guy.

Sometimes, I just can't resist it.

Point, press, Flash.

I stayed on 35 instead of getting back on 9. This took me up through Perth Amboy. I came up on this guy waiting on a corner.

And sometimes I can resist. The area was just too open.

I stopped at Wegman's and picked up some things.

I headed home.

It turned out to be a bit more nostalgic then I had expected but I enjoyed the ride.

There's nothing like a road trip.

A Good Day ............

I haven't slept well the last few nights. There's nothing really wrong, it's just a touch of anxiety. My daughter is expecting her first child - my first grandchild - any day now so I keep waking up every hour or so to check my phone. I'm afraid I might sleep through the call. I'm tired, but it's a good thing.

This morning I got up at my usual time (between 6:30 and 6:45) to check my vitals and take some pills. I then went back to bed for another 1 1/2 hours. Around then, the kids upstairs are stomping around getting ready for school. I got washed up, dressed, and was out the door by about 8:45. It was a bit chilly, but it wasn't raining. I had some errands to run, and a plan on how to do them.

I forgot to mention this before but - a couple of weeks ago - I finally had a radio installed in my car.

It was a belated Christmas present from some family members and I still forget to turn it on right away. I'm getting better with it though and, one of these days, I'll check the manual for how to use the CD Player. Still, having music and news in stereo instead of through a single ear bud is a good thing.

My first stop was ShopRite. I go there a lot but on Mondays and Thursdays I also pick up my lottery tickets. Today, there was no line. And I picked up some Ritz Crackers that were on sale - 2 boxes for $3. Those were good things.

I headed up St. George and then realized that I meant to stop for gas. I cut through some back streets and then through a Krauser's parking lot. That's where I saw this guy smoking a cigarette.

Point, press, Flash.

I drove back to the Wawa's on Routes 1 & 9 and filled up. $2.01 a gallon. That's a good price.

I stopped for the paper then had breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts - a medium decaf coffee and a toasted blueberry muffin with butter. I sat down with my book but didn't get much reading done. I could hear the conversation that these two guys nearby were having. They were in the middle of agreeing that we were probably being observed by aliens and that the government knew about it. By the time I'd finished eating, they were discussing why no one could get a clear picture of Big Foot and whether it would be legal or not to shoot him.

Breakfast and a comedy show. That's a good thing.

Next stop, WalMart - they have a prescription ready for me. Because of where I was parked, I couldn't just turn up Avenel. I had to cut through some back streets to Prospect and come out there. When I stopped at the sign to make the left I saw the checkpoint.

My inspection sticker is up-to-date, I was wearing my seat belt, and all my documents were good. Still, they had traffic backed up and they'd pulled a bunch of cars over already. I made my turn without getting involved .That's definitely a good thing

WalMart had my prescription ready and there was no line at the Pharmacy counter. It was still early so I decided to drive down Amboy Avenue through the Clara Barton section and then make the right turn onto Main Street into Metuchen.

It was overcast out but it was warm in the car and I was enjoying the music. The only problem was the potholes.

The winter had been so bad that there isn't one street that I've been on that doesn't have at least a couple of them. The main roads aren't too bad because the townships have been trying to keep them filled. I've seen the work crews out - here and there - for the last couple of weeks. But the side streets and back roads look like a war zone. There are some streets that are so bad that they've had to close sections of them completely while they redo them.

This took me out of my way and I wound up driving up James Street to get around one of these. Along there, I saw this woman heading my way.

I was too busy watching out for the potholes to pay too much attention to her. I made it to New Dover and turned right.

The road along here was in much better shape, probably due to the upscale nature of the neighborhood, and I was able to look around a bit more. Up ahead, I saw this guy preparing to do some line work.

These guys always kinda bothered me. They have different size trucks that do the same thing but they always seem to use the really big ones on these narrow two-way streets. I had to slow as I passed him.

Point, press,Flash.

I drove around him and headed home.

I stopped at Subways and picked up a 12-inch tuna on Italian with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sweet pepper, and mayo.

I was home in time to watch "The Price Is Right".

It was a good day.

Found It.............

Spring is here! Well, not officially. That won't happen until next week. But it sure feels like it.

We got slammed last Thursday with about 5 inches of snow. Thankfully, it was powdery so it only took me about 1/2 an hour to clean off the car on Friday. While I was out there, the young people who were parked in front of me - who had cleared off their SUV the night before - drove off. I pulled into that spot and then was able to push the plowed snow over towards the curb, opening up the spot I'd been in. I didn't move it again until Saturday.

Sunday, we turned the clocks ahead an hour. When I went to change the one in the living room, I found that the battery had died. Kind of ironic, don't you think?

Monday, I was out and about - running some errands that had piled up. I'm still looking for a new, microwavable bowl for soup and now I needed a battery for the living room clock. No luck but there was a definite warming trend happening.

Tuesday, I did a friend a favor - which took a bit longer then I expected - but I got a free breakfast out of it. A little warmer again.

Today was for me. Another warm day, though the sun was only able to break through a couple of times. I stopped at Shoprite first. I picked up some cat food and then checked out the batteries. I remembered to bring the dead one from the clock and - although the numbers didn't match - I was able to compare the size and picked one out.

I stopped at KMart and checked out the cookware. I was hoping for something lighter but wound up buying a microwavable, Pyrex bowl that was on sale for half-price.

I drove out of the lot feeling good. As I turned right, I noticed this guy.

I couldn't tell if he was on his phone or not. It didn't matter. I passed him by.

I took the next right onto New Brunswick and then a left onto Inman. I was just listening to the radio and enjoying the day. That's when I saw this guy.

He looked like he was doing what I was doing. I drove by.

I made the left on Grove. There's a strip mall with a Stop-N-Shop on the right and a senior citizen's development on the left so the road has several sets of rumble strips to slow cars down. This woman was crossing there.

I stopped. She waved at me. I waved back, smiling. When she got on the sidewalk, I drove on. Feeling even better.

I stopped at the library in Metuchen but didn't find anything. I headed back home along Rout 27.

I was coming up on the right turn on Parsonage when I noticed this person coming in my direction.

I didn't know where he was coming from or where he was going but he was out there walking. I took the right and then the next left.

I stopped at Subway's for a tuna on Italian bread with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, sweet peppers, and mayonnaise. I drove home.

I went out to get a microwavable bowl and I found it.

I went out to get a battery and I found it.

I went out to enjoy the warmth of the coming Spring and I found it.