Vacation Recollections

[elSicomoro]

What's up you silly bastards? Back to the work deal after a well-deserved vacation. Overall, the trip wasn't bad...I'll give it a B.

I took the train out to Philadelphia International Airport to meet my mom and my brother on Wednesday. Since they were flying in on US Airways, and US Airways has PHL locked up tight, I figured they were flying into terminal B or C. Instead, the plane was scheduled to arrive in terminal F...our new "commuter" terminal (also locked up tight by US Airways). The new terminal feels like it's out in the middle of nowhere, though it offers incredibly easy access to check in, go through the checkpoints, and be on your way.

The plane took off 30 minutes late from St. Louis, but my mom reported an uneventful flight. They flew in on one of those small turboprop planes. Maggie might know what it is...it looks like an overgrown Cessna. I was kinda surprised b/c when I flew to and from St. Louis last summer, I was on a 727...it's a 900-mile flight. I guess US Airways is trying to find new ways to stave off a shutdown.

We spent the night here in Philadelphia and headed for Boston on Thursday morning. The trip should take about 5-6 hours, but wound up taking about 8 or so. Midday traffic on the Bronx-Queens Expressway in NYC was a bitch, along with an accident on the Verazzano. Took about an hour and a half to get through the city. Then we hit a nasty accident in CT, near the RI border...took about 3 hours to get through there. Once we got past it though, it was smooth sailing into MA.

I like Massachusetts as a whole, though it's definitely different than being in the midwest or the mid-atlantic region. More on that in another thread.

Traffic in the Boston area is simply a fucking mess, although The Big Dig is slowly showing progress (the Ted Williams Tunnel to Logan Airport will be complete in December). If you plan on spending a significant amount of time in the city, particularly downtown and the north end, take the T (MBTA--Boston's public transit system). I-93 (the Central Artery) is a fit-throwing hell ride that makes driving in NYC seem like a joy.

We made the wedding on Friday--20 minutes late. My moron cousin was supposed to know the way to the church from Brockton (where we were staying)...he didn't. I should have known better...he doesn't drive. Earlier in the day, my brother and I drove to NH for all of 10 minutes, while mom and Rho did some shopping at the mall. (Big surprise there. )

The reception was a typical Schmitz family party. (NOTE: This is the family of my stepfather--his deceased brother's wife and their 7 adult kids.) A Schmitz soiree usually involves lots of sports talk, goofing off, and heavy consumption of Budweiser. Most of the folks got relatively tanked, then proceeded to make asses of themselves trying to dance to current tunes by Nelly and Eminem. I myself got a nice buzz on, and can actually dance. Loads of fun.

Saturday was Sightseeing Day. The weather just sucked--it rained heavily all day, which just added to the traffic mess. We saw some sights, bought a few souvenirs, etc. We went bowling later in the evening...I used to be such a good bowler, but I completely bombed. I think I got a 55 in the first game and an 85 in the second. My average used to be about 150. While bowling, I did something to my knee which has not yet healed...I fear I've done something more serious than just twisting it. More on that later...

Sunday, we all piled in the van and headed back to Philadelphia. The ride back was much smoother--5 1/2 hours, only 45 minutes to get through NYC via I-95. Monday, Mom and Tim flew back to St. Louis, without a hitch.

Overall, the trip was good--the weather sucked on Saturday, my mom started irritating the shit out of me towards the end of the trip, and my brother was a jackass at times. But as a whole, a fun time was had by all.

The end.