I'm getting really fucking tired of travel.
Okay, going to Guatemala was fun, despite the intestinal parasites. Going to see my family a couple of weeks back was... well, not fun per se, but it was good to see my nieces, nephews, parents and even my sisters. I spent basically all of July on the road in some form.

I've been home a week, resting and puttering around the house and taking care of things I neglected for a month. I was looking forward to more quiet time...

...and then I got a call from a weepy daughter who seriously misses her Dad and is getting frustrated and fed up with her aunts (can't say I blame her, it's a wonder she's lasted this long) and wants me to come up there for a few days. As this is seriously out of character for her, I'll be leaving first thing in the morning for a ten hour drive.

*sigh* Guess the house will have to stay minging for another week or so. And my kitties will be sad as they were just getting used to having me back- Josephine has spent every night snuggled up to me.

Ah well, duty calls...
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Wed 5 Aug 2009, 19:42, 21 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

Your a good dad
For long drives I recommend ECA pills and metal music
( willenium Fist bump for verification, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 19:50, Reply)

Gah! Thank you for reminding me- my iPod is about out of charge.
One more thing to take care of...

Tonight I'll get gas in the car, load it and get a bunch of things I can eat and drink while driving a stick shift. Hopefully I'll only need to stop in Hazelton for gas, and can make it in good time.

And hopefully Pennsylvania won't be too bad to go through. Last time thee were large stretches of I-81 torn up and long delays as a result.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Wed 5 Aug 2009, 19:54, Reply)

Is the speed limit still 55mph in the states?

( willenium Fist bump for verification, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:05, Reply)

In some areas.
There are parts of the expressways where it's 65 or 70 (depending on the state), but loads of 55 zones to beware of.

Especially in NY- the cops there are rabid.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:07, Reply)

Its 70 here too
But lorries are limted to 60mph, slowing everyone down
EDIt:had some run in with NY cops?
( willenium Fist bump for verification, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:10, Reply)

In the past, yes.
But mostly it's a case of not seeing very many cops at all during the trip until just after crossing from Pennsylvania into NY- than seeing one car after another pulled over and a stern looking knob in a silly hat lecturing them. (Ever seen the movie "Major Payne"? That's what they remind me of.)

It's an easy money maker for the state, so they have those fuckers swarming like gnats on the expressways. There was one exit in Syracuse that was famous for having at least four troopers at any given moment stacked up and waiting behind a corner. I had to pass them every morning on my way to work, and marveled at how many of them could park in that one little area...
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:26, Reply)

In 2004
the government changed the rules so that local authorities would get the proceeds from any traffic offense fines. As a result the most cash strapped councils are going mental for speeding and parking stuff.
( willenium Fist bump for verification, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:30, Reply)

HGV's (trucks) and PCV's (buses)
Are restricted to 62.5mph - ie 100KPH, to comply with European regulations - in the UK.

The restrictor is a governor on the drive train and they are notoriously difficult to calibrate.

I'm a part time bus-driver. We have a DAF that won't get above 57MPH, and a Scania that gets to 68 before the governor bites.

As a part timer, I very rarely get the Scania....
( The Disappointed Caravanner of the year, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:44, Reply)

I was at a bus depo today
as they were in need of some SCIENCE
( willenium Fist bump for verification, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:45, Reply)

Weren't you in Manchester today?
Which depot? I'm asking because you could have been with former clients of mine.

Feel free to gaz if you wish to be circumspect.
( The Disappointed Caravanner of the year, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:50, Reply)

I read that as "blahblah my life is so exciting blahblahblah I travel all the time blah blah blah paris hilton naked"
amirite?
( Lisette von Falcon, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:22, Reply)

NO

( willenium Fist bump for verification, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:22, Reply)

so she's not naked?

( Lisette von Falcon, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:27, Reply)

shes wearing a stuffed badger

( willenium Fist bump for verification, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:27, Reply)

are we human, or are we dancers?

( Lisette von Falcon, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:57, Reply)

God I wish.
More like "Dammit, I just want to stay home for a bit!"

Exciting? Hardly. The most fun I've had lately has been trapping squirrels.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:28, Reply)

Aw, for your sake I hope you get home soon.
I'll be going on two trips in the next two weeks, the most I've travelled in years, so I'm quite excited.

Also, trapping squirrels? What are you doing with them?!

How was GUATEMALAAAAAAAAAAAA?
( Lisette von Falcon, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:30, Reply)

The squirrels?
www.b3ta.com/questions/offtopic/post494912

I'm up to five of them so far. And I saw a sixth one this morning sniffing around out there.

Guatemala was fascinating. A friend of mine is a social worker who does a lot of stuff down there dealing with intercountry adoptions and deportation hardship cases and brought me along as her assistant as she had to travel into some really backwoods places. (San Marcos is one of the nastiest cities I've ever seen- I suspect we were about the only gringos there, and the place was dirty and polluted as hell. I got propositioned by a girl as we walked to the bus station to take us out beyond El Rodeo. It was like a nightmare version of Newark.)

I managed to do a few fun things there- I climbed a volcano and got to stay in a hostel on Lake Atitlan for a few days, and saw a fair bit of Antigua- but most of it was spent traveling by chicken bus on scary roads at frightening speeds driven by scrawny little guys with pinpoint pupils.

I was actually relieved to return to Florida.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:40, Reply)

blimey
for some reason I'm reminded of the scene in La Bamba where the pimp offers his lady with a promise of 'smells like fish, tastes like chicken'

damn squirrels *shakes fist*
( Lisette von Falcon, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 20:49, Reply)

Painting squirrels is fun.
Especially when I see their bright blue butts run off into the underbrush and know that I've just utterly humiliated the little fuckers.

None have returned yet...
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Wed 5 Aug 2009, 21:00, Reply)

sad times

( Lisette von Falcon, Wed 5 Aug 2009, 21:02, Reply)