On I-90 West to Buffalo

I have notes, and I will post a detailed description of what happened in Beantown just as soon as I can. (Probably after I get some rest.) But I'd like right now just to describe the return trip, its fresh in my mind I did no take any notes while driving.

Anyway we left Boston at around 5pm and somehow, even though Lesley took a nap and was quite willing to help with the driving I made the entire 850~900km trip stopping only four times, each time I made sure to do as my parents always told me and make use of what the Americans call a "restroom". No napping for me though, the purpose of each stop is listed:

1. caffeine
2. gas and food (*blush* McDoos, but I was on the highway, I didn't have a choice... at least I only had the sandwich, no fries or pop)
3. gas
4. gas

The last gas stop was as close to the Canadian border as possible to cash in on that cheap American gasoline. We made it home just after 1am, which, when you factor in stopping for gas and all that good stuff was still a pretty impressive time. The downside to that impressive time, I was basically incapacitated for much of the rest of the day.

Anyway a few observations, one, the best way I found to take in caffeine, Starbucks bottled Frapacinos. Because they are in a bottle you can have a sip at mile 200 and then seal the bottle and not even look at it until mile 350. Maybe next time, I'll just buy some caffeine pills, if I can find a time release pill, but if not I'm loading up on girly bottled luke warm ice coffee and I don't care!

Also despite what we like to say about American drivers, they are supposed to be a lot politer and more careful I can assure anyone out there this is not always the case. First just watch all the New Yorkers or Michigan drivers who use the 401/403/QEW to short circuit the south shore of lake Erie, if you've never driven to London Ontario, its not at all worth it to experience the road racing that these lunatics do on our highways.

But it gets better, I was somewhere between Syracuse and Rochester when a model of bad driving occurred. I was in the left lane behind a rather sluggish older model red Saab from New Jersey (for readers from TISC, the only reason I know it was not Richard A, is he's from Ontario!) Seeing a car in the right lane about a kilometer ahead I pulled into the right lane with the intention of passing the Saab on the right. Naturally what does Jersey do? They hit pedal to the metal. At no time what I did made the grade for unsafe driving, neither really did Jersey. Ultimately I passed Jersey, after they passed the car about a kilometer downrange, mentioned above. Sadly while extreme, that sorry tale does represent pretty typical driving for some of the people I had to contend with.

The most ludicrous part of the whole sorry adventure, the road was almost empty, much of the time I had high beams on because otherwise I wouldn't be able to see far enough, there was no other light. (But I personally love the drivers who don't remember to turn the high beams off when they are coming up behind someone. Nice guys, real nice.)

Sorry, this entire entry has been about driving, but then on the other hand, I just drove somewhere between 1700 and 1800km in the last 72 hours. I swear I think if I see another white lane divider I'm gonna be sick!