A Trip North

So last weekend I ventured north to see family and friends. My trip was uneventful, a nice surprise for a Friday mid-morning/early afternoon through New York and Connecticut. My most pleasant surprise was that I encountered no construction in Connecticut. The odds of this happening are as great as having Madonna on my iPod. Aint 'gwan happen son.

So this lightened my trip a bit. I cut off 95 north to 395 north into northeastern Connecticut to see my friend Jimmy and his family. He fled Rhode Island into western Connecticut and built himself a house. A very nice house. and if I could ever be motivated to get a USB cable for my phone, you could see the pictures. Tough luck for you.

I spent an enjoyable two hours there and then hit the highway to my moms in Rhode Island. 

If I whined about the cold here, it was simply worse there. Really cold. I don't know how I tolerated it for all those years. But I digress.

Visiting family is tricky for me. I have limited time and members of my family think I should spend it all with them. I still have people I need to see. My good friend Chris is nearby and I always make it a point to swing by and see him and his family. I've known the guy over 20 years and there is not much more enjoyable than sitting down to watch a Bruins or Sox game and having a few beers with this guy. 

I also got to see my father's aunt, my great aunt. She will be 97 in June. I took pictures but again, USB cable...

When I woke Sunday morning the snow was flying and I kinda felt like crap. Sore throat, achy. My mother later informed me that Cassie had been sick for a few days. Okay so now I suppose I'm sick. I had some hot tea and then packed up the car. The snow was falling heavily and had accumulated to over 5 inches since midnight when it started. The streets were a mess but I figured the main roads and highways would be clear. Ha! Silly rabbit. This is Rhode Island and you would think they would oh I dunno, scrape the five inches of slush off the roads. At the very least do the highway. Hmmph! Usually I can be from my mom's house in Warwick, to the Connecticut state line in about half an hour. maybe 45 minutes. At 25 miles an hour in five inches of snow/slush this time differs greatly. It took me over an hour to get to Connecticut where, apparently, they have snow plows and aren't afraid to use them. The road cleared considerable and after about ten miles I was able to hit the pedal and cruise at my normal speed. I breezed right through NYC and the George, which was another surprise. 
Safely home, my wife made me a little lunch and then I sacked out, having only 3 hours sleep the night before. Who drives five hours in heavy snow after only 3 hours of sleep say you?. Me.

So the trip was shortened by a few hours but that's okay. I got to squeeze in a visit with all the important people. 

Pictures to follow. Stay warm.