Driving Miss Monsoon

TOP: And this is all we saw for, oh, 3 HOURS on our drive down

2nd: Yup, just the sign you WANT to see when you're off mountain biking

3rd: Manayunk arts festival in full swing

4th: Our favorite mid-trip restaurant is closing. RIP Mamasitas

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We headed down to philadelphia last weekend to do some visiting and eating. An old friend of mine had just sold his company and wanted to take a few of us out to dinner as a thank you for our help in getting him off the ground. It was an awesome meat-fest at one of those brazillian meat houses, dead animals on a skewer, plus boatloads of mohito-like drinks. Not a bad way to spend an evening.

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But first, we had to get there. I drove to Binghampton, then switched off for a quick snooze. I believe my last words were "huh, those clouds look a little dark don't they". Anyhow, within a mile of kathy taking the wheel, the heavens opened up into an epic thunderstorm, huge lightning bolts flying everywhere, trees down all over the freeway (and, of course, this was all happening in a major road construction zone to increase the fun), torrential rain (as in it was like you were underwater the rain was so intense. Kathy drove for about 3 hours, which turned out to be 20 miles, before she finally found a pullout to changeover. And, I swear, within 2 miles the skies turned completely blue again, and the sun came out. I guess we know now whose side god is really on...the atheist's!

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Following the meat-fest, we went up to Jim Thorpe PA and mountain biked the lehigh valley trail. It's an awesome trail, riverside for miles, and we got to watch a ton of rafters and kayakers below us on the river. Lot's of history in the area also, as this was the major coal mining region for a fledgling united states.

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Sunday we met old friends andi and lou for breakfast and then hit the manayunk arts festival. I can say in good faith that I did not purchase ANY jewelry there; I cannot make the same statement of "she who has her own income again". Lovely necklace however.

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Another mirror ride home. I drove for 3 hours of bright sunshine, 1 mile after Kathy took the wheel, another huge thunderstorm and torrential rain. And then clear again once we switched off in Syracuse.

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Along the way we stopped for dinner at our favorite little mexican half-way house near binghampton. It's tucked away in a little no-name town, and we stumbled upon it maybe 5 years ago when we were desperately low on gas one drive. As we walked in, there is a sign saying that the restaurant was closing that night at 9pm forever; the owners were retiring. It was sad to see, and I have to give a shout out to the Mamasitas crew on Lennoxville PA for 5 years of awesome fresh made guacamole, burritos, and lemonade. Enjoy your retirement, and godspeed.

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"Crying the Mexican Blues" Lumpy out