Exodus Update:
Made it safely.
Left Buffalo at 8am. Arived 9 hours later. Drove Alone.
Driving alone for 9 hours can give a person a state of temporary insanity. Laughing hysterically and singing to songs very very loud helps a lot.
Buffalo Night:
Judy took me and Grandpa to a place called Duffs, and the Seneca Falls Casino. Or something like that. Was quite amusing, Lost about $20, I think. Grandpa lost like $70, and Judy won, enough to do her laundry. The bright lights, and smoke filled air, made my eyes water, and want to sleep. Oh, at Duff’s, which is famous for its Buffalo Wings, we ordered 50 wings. I ate 16, even though I thought I could do more. And yes the next day I paid for it. Had to stop several times at rest stops to re-enjoy the buffalo wings.
Buffalo to Pennsylvania:
The first leg of the trip wasn’t so bad. Was sort of fun. I was really tired though. But when it started raining like cats and dogs, it kinda of woke me up. Also yelling out loud “Poseidon! Poseidon! What do you want with me?!” helped out a lot. If you don’t get that, well, that’s okay. I didn’t run into any nymphs but I did reach my Penelope. Was quite fun though, seriously, if you can imagine… me alone, in my car… in a torrential down pour yelling out “My name is nobody!” and “Is that all you got Poseidon?!” Well anyways. After about an hour of driving in Pennsylvania, my lack of sleep from the night before caught up to me. I got off at Exit 29 on th I-90 to some place called Wattsburg, just outside of Erie. There was a huge Wendy’s sign. So I figured, a little rest and then a little breakfast. So I parked in the Wendy’s lot, and closed my eyes. Then I thought maybe I should get some food then nap. Got out to go buy something, and it was closed! Guess it wasn’t going to open till 10am, it was only about 9am. So I went to the gas station across the way, and ate something from there, also caught a few winks. I don’t think I stopped again till Ohio. Pennsylvania, from what I saw of it, was rather forest’y. With High hills and bridges that over look rivers. When I crossed into Ohio, it was rather different
Ohio:
Around the time I came into Ohio, Andrea called me and told me that its going to be very windy. And it sort of was. But when I got to Cleveland, it was really really nice. The sun was out, and the heat was on. Hardly any cars on the Interstate, which runs right through it, made driving really easy. Well… maybe there were a lot of cars, but with like 5 to 6 lanes to spread out, I was zipping right past them. Was a easy drive. When I was leaving Cleveland, I got on to what is called the Ohio Turnpike. And this thing… well… its… different. I would have to say the worst part of the drive was here. Think of a long stretch of road, 3 lanes wide. The right and middle lanes for slow traffic (Trucks Bus, etc) and the third for fast. Which ordinarily would be easy, cause just hit like 80 or 75 and you pass everyone. Truckers only go speed limit. (Most at least, I did run into a case of the DUEL, once, one freaking Semi that was going like 85. scared the crap out of me, think big Semi, in your rearview mirror, right ontop of you, even though you are going 15 to 20 over the speed limit) Like I said, ordinarily, but add the fact that there were like 30 mph wind gusts, and you got yourself some scary shit. I was seriously scared for my life sometimes. The first time was what I thought a crazy fluke. Was passing a Semi when a gust of wind hit me just as I passed its fender, the wind slammed into me causing me to veer off the road and almost right into the semi. I thought, whoa close call. Well, it turned out that all of Ohio was going to be like this. Through the entire state, I found myself fighting the wind. Throwing me off course every two seconds. Couldn’t even sit back and relax, cause one gust, and im a gonner if im not paying attention. Every Semi, was a danger zone in itself. I could get thrown into it or it could get thrown into me. Oh and the point of pure adrenaline rush. Well while driving, the wind was kicking up crap into the road. The first tumbleweed I saw and ran into was nothing but a small branch. Heard it tink and tang under my car. But the second tumbleweed, was a full on adult sized version. It came flying over the divider. With a Semi to my right and wall to my left and someone behind me. There was nothing I could do but brace for impact. I watched at this huge Bush cam crashing down on my windshield scaring the crap out of me. I was thinking, this is it! This thing will crack my windshield and probably send me right into an accident taking all these cars around me down with me. Well thankfully, with me going 80 and that tumbleweed probably going 40 itself, and of course the fact that it was all dried up, the only thing I saw was the weed just get obliterated on my windshield into a million pieces. Even left a small branch stuck in my wiper blade, Was going to keep it once I pulled over at the next rest stop, but it eventually flew off. I HATE driving in WIND. Especially when, I still have 6-7 hours of driving ahead of me, and it feels like forever. If you ever drive on the Ohio Turnpike, make sure you have some sort of vice, to keep you amused. You could go crazy on that thing.
Indiana:
Not much of a problem. The weather started to ease up as I entered Indiana, but my wear started getting worse. I think I stopped like 3 times in Indiana at a rest stop, to sleep in my car. Every 15 miles, I found myself wanting to close my eyes so bad. I knew if I didn’t do something about it, id find myself snoozing right into a bumper, or right over into the ditch, or cliff. Without those naps, I probably wouldn’t be alive right now. Got to know your limitations. Do what you gotta do, even it means, napping at a Hardee’s.
Chicago Illinois:
Ahhhh the worst? Nah. Kinda felt like I never left New York….. Okay so Buffalo NY, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, all these Interstates were basically clear sailing. Once in awhile you ran into a few cars trying to get around 3 Semi Trucks, but once you passed them, you hit 75mph, and your off. But man, oh man, once I got to the city limits of Chicago, on the Interstate, I ran right into BUMPER to BUMPER. And man was it annoying. And of course, it was the same crap as always. Everyone pilling into one off ramp, which happens to be about 20 or 30 miles away (maybe an over exaggeration) causing a traffic jam that feels like it goes on forever. The interstate I was on intersected with another interstate that runs north to south, right into Chicago. So of course, it’s the one that everyone uses. After several hours of agonizing traffic torture, the moment I passed the exit, going like 3 mph, it was right back to 75mph. I really dislike traffic… no wait. Traffic is.. okay…. I dislike the REALLY impatient people who use the on ramps and the fire routes, and every other short cut to cause even more of a mess,
Well anyways once I got onto the final Interstate of my journey, I-57, It was clear sailing again. Was dying for a bed, and there were supposedly 2 more hours between me and that bed. I-57 runs North to South, and goes down to Memphis. (that’s what the sign said) my destination was mile 261. I was around mile 400. (Count down) I was told this trip takes about 2 and a half hours. But I wasn’t going to take that. I hit about 80 mph (speed limit varied from 55 to 65) most of the way down. Some girl in a red Jetta was going about 80 when I was going a easy 70. Figure why not, So I basically tailed her the whole way down. I kinda turned it into a game for myself. If she switched lanes, so did I. If she changed speed, I matched speed. Was like a video game, where you got to escort some battleship. Well it made the 140 miles, go by easily.
9 – 9.5 hours later, I finally reached the town of my destination.
Im sure there is more that im missing, but its late, and I still haven’t slept, so if there is more, it will get added in the next post. Anyways, I don’t think I can drive back to New York. So yeah, This is it for me I think. I don’t ever want to drive something like that without company ever again. So failure here is not an option. Need me a Job and an apartment, and my future will begin to unroll itself.
After im done with this Exodus mumbojumbo the topic will most likely turn into something like “New Life”. Something silly like that.
Well Keep on Trucking.