We awoke ourselves early yesterday, with actual alarms and other more adult devices such as laundry machines and dishwashers. It was time to re-enter the real world after 12 blissful days of travel. We finished up the laundry and cleaned up after ourselves, going through the house 7-8 times to make sure we hadn't left anything behind (I did, at least). Then we signed the guestbook, shut the trunk, and were off to the ferry.
We amused ourselves heartily by watching our video log of the trip and going the pictures before boarding the ferry. A few of us got overpriced breakfasts (Soup for Boca and I, wraps for Mess and Rizzo) with varying levels of deliciousness (soups being the clear winner) and started working/reading/napping/watching Community. Despite the raucous game of dominoes going on in the corner, or maybe because of it, it was a good ride.
Fink felt the pull of the road, and despite driving the previous trip he graciously agreed to take the wheel one final time. The GPS once again surprised us, and our estimated trip of 7 hours popped up as 5 hours. Score. The three in the back of the car played more Community (which is BACK, by the way!), while the rest of the car listened along. While we were packed in pretty tightly with the additional passenger, it was simply one more chance to get close to one another. At least that's what it looked like, I got shotgun! After Community, the three in the back fell asleep for the last few hours.
Around 8 o'clock the five of us were once again climbing the hill back home.
I'm not exactly sure if this will be the last post from the gang or not, and I am not exactly sure how to end this if it is. I don't have much profound to say, or any overarching theme or lesson that would make the suitable, fitting conclusion that the trip, and the blog, deserve. Thanks for reading though! We've been pretty amazed at the number of views we've gotten in such short time, and its made writing this little blog even more rewarding. I'm happy we took the time to write this, and I am even happier to have people to share it with.
And I would be remiss if I neglected to thank the people that made it all possible, just one more time. Beth and Stu, your generosity was awe-inspiring, and you made us feel at home even when you weren't around. Scott and Sara, how you continue to put up with us I'll never know, but I'll always be thankful for your hospitality, Cataan skills, and of course the homemade Limoncello. Mitch and Danielle -- Come to Hamilton! Duke though, is pretty awesome (and that means something coming from the son of two Tar Heels), and that's thanks to ya'll. Lowy and the Frisbee team, my only wish was that we could have all stayed around longer, but many thanks for taking us in. Jesse, muchos gracias! You are definitely a busy man, but you still took the time not only house us but dominate us in a game or 2 of taps. Hopefully I'll see you again when you come to visit, right?! Tommy and Brenda, while you may have paid back Fink's grandfather, the rest of us still owe you a ton for taking us in so openly and on such short notice. Chris and Joanne, I really wish you could have joined us at Lola, the meal was phenomenal, and thank you very, very much.
Extra special shout-outs go to Danny and his father for their bequeathment of the Philly's Guest Card -- we would have literally starved without you. Debbie, for being the most cheerful and helpful guard in Florida. Jay Q, for being the man. And that maitre d' for being so bro-chilly at Lolas.
But most importantly, I'd like to thank the four people that I took this trip with. Forgive the mushiness, but I could have been on the road with you guys for another 2 years, at least. We ran, rode, and wrangled our way through 11 states in 13 days, traveled 3,400 miles, and spent over 2 and half days in the car together. And I loved it. Forgive the cliche, but I will remember this trip for the rest of my life. Cheers, and thanks.
Until next time (and there will almost certainly be a next time), much, much love,
Nick
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Day 12
We woke up mid morning on Friday to 65 degrees and sunny weather with a slight breeze. The porch was the hangout of choice so people could do their work while enjoying the outdoors. I opened up On The Road by Jack Kerouac while Mess worked on solving some knots, Rizzo sunbathed, Nick procrastinated writing his story, and Boca read as well.
After noticing my arm being quite sunburn I decided it was time I got out of the sun. Because it was declared that we would get our hair cut somewhere along the trip and we only had a day to go before heading back to Hamilton, I decided I should just try my hand at it. Taking the pair of KitchenAid scissors (because I couldn't find any others) I headed into the bathroom for a mirror. I figured worse case scenario I really screw it up and have to get a buzz cut. Best case scenario: It's a great haircut and I never have to go to a barber again. It turned out to be alright after Boca helped touch up the patches I missed on the back of my head. Exhausted from such intensive concentration, I went to take a nap while the others did work and showered before dinner.
I awoke to the exciting news that we would be going out to dinner for a second night in a row, courtesy of the Messerlys (Thank you Chris and Joanne!). We brought up a list of restaurants and their respective menus so the gang could make a group decision on where we'd end up eating. After everyone read through the options we decided to go for the hip restaurant where the young cool kids hang out. We knew it was the right decision after Jack's interaction with whoever answered the phone. Apparently the maitre d' was the "chillest guy ever." Our 9:30 reservation was no problem for them which allowed us to continue the late mealtime routine we'd been getting in the habit of. Excited for a mix of sushi and "bistro," we drove over to Lola 41. The place had a cool, clubby vibe, enhanced by the bongo club music that was playing (check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHuk19jp5eo). We ordered some specialty sushi rolls as appetizers and then indulged ourselves in some quality main courses. Mess ordered a four cheese mac and cheese with bacon, breadcrumbs, and spinach, Nick got a duck hotpot, Boca, a pork tenderloin, Rizzo chose the gnocchi bolognese, and I sprung for the grilled atlantic salmon. All were delicious, and we all agreed that the tenderloin Boca ordered was probably the best any of us has ever had.
Stuffed and satisfied we got back to the house and decided to play a game of Scrabble. Even though we decided half way through that none of us were entirely invested in the game we continued. Boca and Mess used the knowledge they gained from playing Words with Friends over the past couple days to pull away with a win.
No longer stuffed and satisfied we made our way to the kitchen to cook up the pizzas we were originally going to have for first dinner. Boca did some pushups while we looked around for whatever toppings we had left. One pizza came out great while the other, not so much.
Once again full and sure that we would no longer be eating for the night, we went to the bathroom to get our tooth brushing picture (I'm still unsure why we took this picture.) Tired, we all crashed on my parents bed for a few minutes while the noise machine projected ocean sounds that we could have actually heard only a mile away. One by one, like in Ocean's Eleven, we got off the bed and went to sleep. After two great weeks our trip was finally coming to an end. But what a swell two weeks it was.
Until next time,
Fink
After noticing my arm being quite sunburn I decided it was time I got out of the sun. Because it was declared that we would get our hair cut somewhere along the trip and we only had a day to go before heading back to Hamilton, I decided I should just try my hand at it. Taking the pair of KitchenAid scissors (because I couldn't find any others) I headed into the bathroom for a mirror. I figured worse case scenario I really screw it up and have to get a buzz cut. Best case scenario: It's a great haircut and I never have to go to a barber again. It turned out to be alright after Boca helped touch up the patches I missed on the back of my head. Exhausted from such intensive concentration, I went to take a nap while the others did work and showered before dinner.
I awoke to the exciting news that we would be going out to dinner for a second night in a row, courtesy of the Messerlys (Thank you Chris and Joanne!). We brought up a list of restaurants and their respective menus so the gang could make a group decision on where we'd end up eating. After everyone read through the options we decided to go for the hip restaurant where the young cool kids hang out. We knew it was the right decision after Jack's interaction with whoever answered the phone. Apparently the maitre d' was the "chillest guy ever." Our 9:30 reservation was no problem for them which allowed us to continue the late mealtime routine we'd been getting in the habit of. Excited for a mix of sushi and "bistro," we drove over to Lola 41. The place had a cool, clubby vibe, enhanced by the bongo club music that was playing (check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHuk19jp5eo). We ordered some specialty sushi rolls as appetizers and then indulged ourselves in some quality main courses. Mess ordered a four cheese mac and cheese with bacon, breadcrumbs, and spinach, Nick got a duck hotpot, Boca, a pork tenderloin, Rizzo chose the gnocchi bolognese, and I sprung for the grilled atlantic salmon. All were delicious, and we all agreed that the tenderloin Boca ordered was probably the best any of us has ever had.
Stuffed and satisfied we got back to the house and decided to play a game of Scrabble. Even though we decided half way through that none of us were entirely invested in the game we continued. Boca and Mess used the knowledge they gained from playing Words with Friends over the past couple days to pull away with a win.
No longer stuffed and satisfied we made our way to the kitchen to cook up the pizzas we were originally going to have for first dinner. Boca did some pushups while we looked around for whatever toppings we had left. One pizza came out great while the other, not so much.
Once again full and sure that we would no longer be eating for the night, we went to the bathroom to get our tooth brushing picture (I'm still unsure why we took this picture.) Tired, we all crashed on my parents bed for a few minutes while the noise machine projected ocean sounds that we could have actually heard only a mile away. One by one, like in Ocean's Eleven, we got off the bed and went to sleep. After two great weeks our trip was finally coming to an end. But what a swell two weeks it was.
Until next time,
Fink
Friday, March 23, 2012
Day 11
Another relaxing day in Nantucket...
We all awoke leisurely around noon and found our way to the kitchen, with the exception of a particularly cheerful Nick who was heading out for a run as the rest of us were rolling out of bed. A thick layer of fog coated the otherwise sunny and pleasant day outside.
I made eggs for the team (eggs + spinach + a hearty dose of mozzarella cheese) to prepare us for the much anticipated beach workout Boca would be leading. We sat around the table for about an hour until Boca said he was ten minutes away from being ready to drive over to the beach. Mess and I, clearly the most motivated of the bunch, put on our athletic attire and ran to the beach where Boca, Nick, and Fink joined us 10 minutes and 45 seconds later.
Upon realizing the atrocity of a beach without a rugby ball we all piled back into the car and quickly went back to the house to pick it up. Ball in hand we were finally ready to go--- and the workout began...
An hour of sprints, frog jumps, lunges, jukes, RDL's, and glute hams later Mess decided to end the workout with a drill of his own: put a friend on your back and run from the shoreline to the top of the beach. This requires traversing a relatively daunting (in my opinion) sandy hill. Now keep in mind, running on sand is no easy feat-- I put Boca on my back and promptly face-planted into the sand, resulting in a knee to the calf, and an entirely sand-covered body. After everyone else (successfully) finished the drill, we headed to the uprights Fink and I had seen in town at the local high school.
We kicked and passed the ball around for a bit and then decided to play Taps (all you loyal readers know this has been one of our favorite games of the trip.) However, the difference between playing on land and in water turns out to be quite the game changer. It took sub 5 minutes for it to become clear to everyone that I was not born with the gift of coordination and that I would not be taking home a "W" in Taps that day.
Next, Fink said he wanted to show us a brewery on the island, Cisco Brewery. Fink told us as we drove that during the summer the brewery attracts island inhabitants from all ends of the spectrum, from wealthy yachters to rowdy sun burnt locals. The brewery had a great vibe. There was an outdoor tent with live music and a homey feeling bar. We sat and looked around for a bit, enjoying the atmosphere.
Again, we piled into the car and went to check out the beach better known for having good surfing waves. After enjoying the view we headed back to the house to clean up for dinner. After showers (hooray for basic hygiene!) we drove into town to a restaurant called The Rose and Crown. It was a cheerful tavern with live music and great food. The jazz band was fantastic -- especially the one older man who rocked not only the harmonica but also the saxophone and the vocals. Between conversation and listening to the music we enjoyed clam chowder, mussels, sirloin, fish sandwiches, chili nachos, and tortellini. The food was delicious. (A huge thank you to Finks parents who treated us to the lovely meal.) Thoroughly satisfied and pleased with our restaurant decision we made our way back to the house to -- what else -- play Settlers (Fink won). Between games we watched the newest episode of Community- it was great as always. After this, we lost Nick and Fink to the temptation of sleep and Boca, Mess, and I rallied for another game of Settlers (Mess won).
Now, all equally tired, we headed to bed. The end of another fantastic day in Nantucket. No complaints, I could easily stay here forever.
<3 Rizzo
Other Notables:
"My g-string hurts" - Jack Messerly
"I just really love crashing these guys into each other" - Nick Geisler
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Day 10!
Ahhh, the first full day in Nantucket. No alarms to wake us up, no packing up the car, no driving! It was wonderful. Considering how we stayed up until ~5:30 am the previous night, we all slept peacefully until about 1:00 pm. Just to let you know, waking up that late really throws off your eating schedule. You'll notice soon enough. We ate a breakfast of Special K with Red Berries, Raisin Bran Crunch, yogurt with granola, orange juice, and coffee while we enjoyed the beautiful weather on Fink's porch. No surprises, it was another absolutely perfect day. It was our first opportunity to check out the landscape around the place, and we discovered we could see the ocean (about a mile walk) from the porch. Fink also has an awesome telescope set up looking at a hawk's nest a few hundred yards away.
Although the eight mile run we had all agreed upon the night before (at 3:00 am) sounded somewhat less appealing, Rizzo still laced 'em up and went for a run along the beach, while the rest of us lazily hung out on the deck. She made it back just in time to join the four of us on a walk through the forest/swamp/river.
Following a trail through Fink's back yard, we didn't really know what to expect. We entered the really cool looking forest, and soon found some trees that were just asking to be climbed. We answered the call, and soon Fink and Boca occupied one tree and Nick and I the other. Thankfully, Rizzo was there to document this event, as well as make sure we all got safely down. The forest halted abruptly, so Nick and Fink peeled off their shoes and entered into the swamp, sinking deep into the mud, releasing the smell that we later referred to as coming from the gates of hell. We followed closely behind - everyone in their bare feet - through the stinky muck. Fortunately, I had decided to wear my Chacos, which allowed me to maneuver through the swamp relatively unscathed. By the time we got out of the swamp, they all smelt reeeeaally bad and were covered in (probably) disease-filled mud. Man, talk about lack of hygiene!
We then continued to hop into the river with the intentions of walking to the ocean. Well, it was further and slower moving than we had thought, so we turned around. Considering we'd brought along two cameras, three cell phones, and two book and moleskin filled backpacks, we were very careful not to fall. Nick, however, came darn close (see picture in attached link). When we were getting out of the river (not an easy task), I video taped all four of them exiting onto the bank, but, to my dismay, they were all successful.
We got back to Fink's and they attempted to wash the filth covering their bodies while I relaxed on the porch, clean as a whistle and smelling great, like always. It was around 4:00 pm by now, and we were hungry, so we decided to make some burgers for... lunch, I guess. We played Bananagrams while Nick prepared the burgers, and they were fantastic. We also watched the first half of the Wales - France Six Nations game on YouTube. Go Wales.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with more relaxation - mostly naps and reading. Eventually, we got a game of Settlers going, and Boca pulled out a fairly easy, but deserved (as well as lucky - three victory points in five cards, for all our fellow Settlers) victory. We decided to play another game, and you won't believe what happened:
Ladies and gentlemen, after countless (although we roughly estimate somewhere between 50-100) games played, and countless efforts that have come up short, I am proud to report that...
Although the eight mile run we had all agreed upon the night before (at 3:00 am) sounded somewhat less appealing, Rizzo still laced 'em up and went for a run along the beach, while the rest of us lazily hung out on the deck. She made it back just in time to join the four of us on a walk through the forest/swamp/river.
Following a trail through Fink's back yard, we didn't really know what to expect. We entered the really cool looking forest, and soon found some trees that were just asking to be climbed. We answered the call, and soon Fink and Boca occupied one tree and Nick and I the other. Thankfully, Rizzo was there to document this event, as well as make sure we all got safely down. The forest halted abruptly, so Nick and Fink peeled off their shoes and entered into the swamp, sinking deep into the mud, releasing the smell that we later referred to as coming from the gates of hell. We followed closely behind - everyone in their bare feet - through the stinky muck. Fortunately, I had decided to wear my Chacos, which allowed me to maneuver through the swamp relatively unscathed. By the time we got out of the swamp, they all smelt reeeeaally bad and were covered in (probably) disease-filled mud. Man, talk about lack of hygiene!
We then continued to hop into the river with the intentions of walking to the ocean. Well, it was further and slower moving than we had thought, so we turned around. Considering we'd brought along two cameras, three cell phones, and two book and moleskin filled backpacks, we were very careful not to fall. Nick, however, came darn close (see picture in attached link). When we were getting out of the river (not an easy task), I video taped all four of them exiting onto the bank, but, to my dismay, they were all successful.
We got back to Fink's and they attempted to wash the filth covering their bodies while I relaxed on the porch, clean as a whistle and smelling great, like always. It was around 4:00 pm by now, and we were hungry, so we decided to make some burgers for... lunch, I guess. We played Bananagrams while Nick prepared the burgers, and they were fantastic. We also watched the first half of the Wales - France Six Nations game on YouTube. Go Wales.
The rest of the afternoon was spent with more relaxation - mostly naps and reading. Eventually, we got a game of Settlers going, and Boca pulled out a fairly easy, but deserved (as well as lucky - three victory points in five cards, for all our fellow Settlers) victory. We decided to play another game, and you won't believe what happened:
Ladies and gentlemen, after countless (although we roughly estimate somewhere between 50-100) games played, and countless efforts that have come up short, I am proud to report that...
Rizzo won a game of Settlers!
It was a glorious occasion, and all sarcasm aside, congratulations to Rizzo. It was very much deserved. We then started dinner - Rizzo cooked the beef, Nick prepared the shells, lettuce, and tomatoes, and I grilled the chicken. Fink got glasses of water for everyone, and Boca was making sure everyone was in good spirits.
We sat down by about 11:00 pm, and devoured everything on the table. We were all pretty exhausted (although I don't know why, we had been up for about 11 hours at this point), so we decided to watch a modern avant garde film (thank you, Fink) called Bronsan. It's about a famous English prisoner who loves fighting, to make a long and extremely confusing story short. It was an extremely odd movie. It didn't really have a plot, but had some really cool shots and good acting. The more we discussed it after, the more it grew on us, but I'm not sure if I would recommend it. We were all in bed by about 1:30 or 2:00 am. 'Twas a great day.
<3 Mess
Day 9
GOOD MORNING CONNECTICUT! Today I woke up around 11:30, rearing to go, because today was the day I got picked up by the gang. I was told they would arrive at my friend Andrew’s house in Newtown, Connecticut at 1 to grab me before heading out to Fink’s house on Nantucket.
After staring into space for a couple minutes, I roused myself and walked into the kitchen to find my host and friend Andrew already showered and dressed. At least, I think he was showered. For those of you who don’t know him, Andrew has perpetually immaculate hair so you can never tell... He was definitely dressed.
Together we made a breakfast of cereal, sausage, and eggs while jamming to a little Regina. We decided to go with scrambled, after we botched making poached eggs the day before (we ended up frying them. probably would have helped to have had some idea of how to make them). As we ate, I looked out into the yard and smiled. Another day of balmy blue skies. Unfortunately, If my iphone was to be trusted, my time of 75 degree weather would be up upon leaving Newtown. Eager to squeeze everything I could from my last perfect day, I texted Fink to see if they’d be up for tossing around a little disc... sling some fris... slap some d... and he quickly replied that they would.
With that news in mind, I began my preparations. It felt good to lose myself in the predictable busy work of folding laundry. Shortly after noting my pleasure, I realized that I always enjoy doing chores, and yet I always postpone them or neglect them entirely. Hmm. Sorry, mom. Love you.
As usual, I finished my work only a little while before I had to. In what felt like no time at all, Andrew’s mom- wonderful woman- said my friends were here and I stepped outside with my monstrous suitcase and backpack. Lo and behold, there was the gang standing in front of the car with giant grins on each of their faces. Could have been an Abercrombie ad if they’d had better clothing. And if they weren’t sunburnt. And if they were taller, had better hair and an aryan look to them. Other than that, definitely could have been an Abercrombie ad.
Anyway, I gratefully greeted and embraced my models and we headed to the park for some frisbee action. Highlights: Rizzo’s catching, a behind the back throw from Fink, Nick boxing out Rizzo like nobody’s business (don’t know how he managed that), and me bounding like a australian shepherd with ADD. They thought I had too much energy, but let me ask you: if it’s 75 degrees, sunny, and the last day of warm weather for at least a week, who had the wrong amount of energy?
Yea, that’s what I thought.
Next, Andrew took us to a favorite local deli of his. Mess fell in love with his sandwich and decided to get a second one even though when i had asked earlier what the criteria was for our eatery he only said, “inexpensive.” Subsequent text, “*super inexpensive.”
Once lunch was done, I thanked Andrew for having me, then we loaded into the car for our 4 hour drive to Nantucket. Only a couple minutes into the ride, one of the great mysteries of the trip was laid bare for me. Parents, I’m sure you’ll appreciate this. Call me maybe is a song. It is the theme of the trip. For those of you who are curious, please follow this link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWNaR-rxAic&ob=av2e Gotta love youtube ads. Shout out to William Marsden, we did your dance move.
Despite the energized start, everyone except for Fink (thank you for driving) and I konked out after 20 minutes. Second revelation of the trip: Rizzo is a very active sleeper. She was visibly sprinting in her sleep. Heavy breathing, arms and legs pumping and everything. Oh, but first we played some Sound of Music (lonely goatherd what whaaat). Yep, I had arrived.
Time flew, and in a short while we were picking up provisions at a grocery store near the ferry. Along with a lot of dairy products- turns out we really like cheese- and some other items, Mess convinced us that a cosmo would be worth a dollar apiece. We were skeptical, but his dramatic readings in the car and aboard the ferry soon proved our doubt unfounded. After we’d burned through cosmo, we moved onto settlers, which mess won. We were all astonished.
An hour later we arrived in nantucket and drove to Fink’s gorgeous summer house, where we opened up a bottle of wine and Nick treated us to a lovely midnight dinner of pesto pasta and chicken. Talented chef, that one; I see a voluptuous wife in his future.
Because our dinner was so late and our company so good, we stayed up talking until 5 in the morning. I thought I might be disappointed with my decision the next morning, but I’m not. I couldn’t be more pleased with my initiation into the trip.
-Boca
Shout out to Lowy. Hope you liked that.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Day 8
Apologies for the short lapse, but here's the exhilarating adventures of Day 8!
We awoke to a pancake breakfast in Charleston courtesy of the wonderfully hospitable Brenda and Tommy. It was by far our earliest morning, but we had 11 hours to Philly, and the day awaited us. After breakfast and obligatory play time with the puppy, we hopped in the car with me in the driver's seat. Izzy and I party rocked the front seats and bumped our way up I-95 with only minimal bursts of road rage. Luckily, we had a whole new set of South of the Border signs to admire (Favorite: Put some junk, in your trunk!).
We cruised up the eastern seaboard with little to no excitement. It was a long day in the car. We continue to look like hobos eating meals off of the top of the car, and our hygiene, across the board, was somewhat lacking.
Rizzo took the wheel after lunch and I promptly snoozed. Awaking hours later in D.C, we engaged in some hearty philosophizing on the nature of free will, ultimately reaching no definitive conclusions. We'll get back to you when we figure everything out.
Finally arriving in Philly, we were greeted once again with open arms and good food. Dinner was excellent, as was the homemade Limoncello, and the evening was everything we could hope for after 11 hours in the car. After the food was cleared, the Bananagrams were unleashed (along with the aforementioned Limoncello), and many of peel was had.
Unfortunately, because of work (who has to work?!), Scott and Sara had to leave us, so we went downstairs to play some youthful games of luck and skill. Not that it matters or anything, but Jay and I totally won. Just sayin'...
Aaaaaannnndddd that's all folks! Tune in for the next installment, when the Wolfpack grows by one.
--Nick
Monday, March 19, 2012
Day 7
And on the 7th day...I rested...while Nick, Mess and Rizzo went for a run.
After they got back and I finally got myself out of bed we cleaned up Jesse's apartment and packed up once again. Because the prospect of driving for as long as we could before finding a wonderfully cheap motel was not the most alluring option, we continued our search for a place to stay. My mom had read that we were still looking for a place to crash and recommended contacting my third cousin(?) Tommy who lives in Charleston, SC. I gave him a call telling him our situation and was happy to hear that he was excited to have us.
With a concrete destination in mind we headed out. The four of us said our goodbyes to our new friend Debbie, who worked the guard house of the apartment complex, and began our trip back north. Everyone passed out within minutes which makes a lot of sense when you think about how tiring watching Community and playing Bananagrams can be. Around the time the three passengers awoke we began to see signs for "The Orange Shop." Pretty persistent with their billboards, the fresh-fruit store left us with no choice but to pull over and check it out (although this tactic didn't work on us for South of the Border). We tried some different free jam samples on Triscuits and purchased two bottles of fresh squeezed orange juice: one for ourselves and one as thanks to Tommy and his wife Brenda for giving us a place to stay on such short notice.
Once we got back onto the highway we decided that it was necessary we try some southern BBQ before we made our way back north. We found a place called "Shorty's" that had great reviews and was only an hour and a half away. Described as being located between a Wendy's and a BP, Shorty's seemed to be the same barbecue restaurant that we choose fast food over less than a week before. Upon arriving we we saw that the eatery in front of us was called Molson's. We were hungry and so we were unfazed by the name change. We ordered a half rack of ribs, two pulled pork sandwiches, 10 wings, and a 1/2 chicken sandwich (which was actually half a chicken!). We washed the meal down with the orange juice we picked up from The Orange Shop and some warm Arnold Palmer that had been sitting in the car. We cleaned the barbecue sauce off our hands in the Wendy's we had come to know and love since our last visit in Kingsland, GA and then once again got back on the road.
At this point we experienced our first rain of the trip. The sun shower lasted only a few seconds and was immediately erased by one swipe of the windshield wipers. Sadly, the have probably been more bugs that have hit our window than rain drops. We passed some of the time listening to intellectual lectures because, well, we are college students after all. Mess had a file of Richard Feynman describe curved spaces in two dimensions which went straight over my head, although the others may have understood it (or at least said they did). We also listened to some TED talks which were more my speed.
Around 7:30 Rizzo got pretty deliriously giggly although we are unsure of the cause.
Tommy told us about about a "delectable Scottish Cuisine that we probably didn't have in New York" so we took his word for it and treated ourselves to McDonalds. Tommy is a jokester for those of you who don't know. After raiding the Dollar Menu for dinner, we made our way to our place to stay for the night where I met a family member for the first time. The first thing I noticed was how much Tommy looked like my grandpa. After only minutes of conversation I knew they had to be relatives from his recitation of poetry and epics with ease. Tommy and his wife Brenda were awesome hosts, giving us beds and offering us plenty of ice cream. After his third cup of vanilla Blue Bell Tommy said "Who wants more ice cream? I do!" We were lucky enough to partake in his ice cream night Sundays. While in Charleston we played with the new puppy Brenda got an hour prior to our arrival as well as her beautiful birds (a golden macaw and three others, all of whom were able to whistle or talk). After hanging out and discussing our favorite movies, music, and literature with Tommy we decided it was time for bed since we had to get up for our early departure back to Philadelphia. It was a surprisingly eventful day that I am very happy worked out the way it did.
Sincerely,
S.L. Finkelstein, Esq.
Special thanks to Tommy and Brenda for opening up their home to us on such short notice! You guys are truly awesome and we can't tell you how much we appreciate your hospitality. I'm also so glad I got to meet people so close to my grandpa!
After they got back and I finally got myself out of bed we cleaned up Jesse's apartment and packed up once again. Because the prospect of driving for as long as we could before finding a wonderfully cheap motel was not the most alluring option, we continued our search for a place to stay. My mom had read that we were still looking for a place to crash and recommended contacting my third cousin(?) Tommy who lives in Charleston, SC. I gave him a call telling him our situation and was happy to hear that he was excited to have us.
With a concrete destination in mind we headed out. The four of us said our goodbyes to our new friend Debbie, who worked the guard house of the apartment complex, and began our trip back north. Everyone passed out within minutes which makes a lot of sense when you think about how tiring watching Community and playing Bananagrams can be. Around the time the three passengers awoke we began to see signs for "The Orange Shop." Pretty persistent with their billboards, the fresh-fruit store left us with no choice but to pull over and check it out (although this tactic didn't work on us for South of the Border). We tried some different free jam samples on Triscuits and purchased two bottles of fresh squeezed orange juice: one for ourselves and one as thanks to Tommy and his wife Brenda for giving us a place to stay on such short notice.
Once we got back onto the highway we decided that it was necessary we try some southern BBQ before we made our way back north. We found a place called "Shorty's" that had great reviews and was only an hour and a half away. Described as being located between a Wendy's and a BP, Shorty's seemed to be the same barbecue restaurant that we choose fast food over less than a week before. Upon arriving we we saw that the eatery in front of us was called Molson's. We were hungry and so we were unfazed by the name change. We ordered a half rack of ribs, two pulled pork sandwiches, 10 wings, and a 1/2 chicken sandwich (which was actually half a chicken!). We washed the meal down with the orange juice we picked up from The Orange Shop and some warm Arnold Palmer that had been sitting in the car. We cleaned the barbecue sauce off our hands in the Wendy's we had come to know and love since our last visit in Kingsland, GA and then once again got back on the road.
At this point we experienced our first rain of the trip. The sun shower lasted only a few seconds and was immediately erased by one swipe of the windshield wipers. Sadly, the have probably been more bugs that have hit our window than rain drops. We passed some of the time listening to intellectual lectures because, well, we are college students after all. Mess had a file of Richard Feynman describe curved spaces in two dimensions which went straight over my head, although the others may have understood it (or at least said they did). We also listened to some TED talks which were more my speed.
Around 7:30 Rizzo got pretty deliriously giggly although we are unsure of the cause.
Tommy told us about about a "delectable Scottish Cuisine that we probably didn't have in New York" so we took his word for it and treated ourselves to McDonalds. Tommy is a jokester for those of you who don't know. After raiding the Dollar Menu for dinner, we made our way to our place to stay for the night where I met a family member for the first time. The first thing I noticed was how much Tommy looked like my grandpa. After only minutes of conversation I knew they had to be relatives from his recitation of poetry and epics with ease. Tommy and his wife Brenda were awesome hosts, giving us beds and offering us plenty of ice cream. After his third cup of vanilla Blue Bell Tommy said "Who wants more ice cream? I do!" We were lucky enough to partake in his ice cream night Sundays. While in Charleston we played with the new puppy Brenda got an hour prior to our arrival as well as her beautiful birds (a golden macaw and three others, all of whom were able to whistle or talk). After hanging out and discussing our favorite movies, music, and literature with Tommy we decided it was time for bed since we had to get up for our early departure back to Philadelphia. It was a surprisingly eventful day that I am very happy worked out the way it did.
Sincerely,
S.L. Finkelstein, Esq.
Special thanks to Tommy and Brenda for opening up their home to us on such short notice! You guys are truly awesome and we can't tell you how much we appreciate your hospitality. I'm also so glad I got to meet people so close to my grandpa!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Day 6
Clearwater, FLA --
Hello!
We are finally caught up, hooray! This morning we
woke up around 11am. Jesse had woken up at 4:30am and was long gone at the
field for practice. I headed to the pool by myself, as Mess, Fink, and Nick
were slightly slower getting moving. Around noon Mess showed up and we laid by
the pool and read for a bit. Then Fink and Nick joined us and we debated
attending the 1 o'clock Phillies vs. Blue Jays spring training game...we
decided it was a go.
We hopped in the car and headed to the field.
There, we scalped tickets- 4 standing-room-only for $50. Not bad.
Unfortunately, we then proceeded to run into a woman looking to get rid of
extra tickets for only $5 each. But we can't dwell on the past, can we? The
weather was gorgeous, about 85 and sunny, not a cloud in the sky-- plenty of
opportunity for sunburn. Which we all got, minus Nick.
Pitcher Vance Worley started off the game, allowing
four hits and striking out three in four scoreless innings. The game ended up
going into a tenth inning, ending in a 4-3 Philadelphia victory (cheers!).
To top off the beautiful weather and the victory we met up with my
friend Danny from high school. He proceeded to endow upon us his Phillies
"guest card," which gave us the ability to purchase any food or
beverage from the stadium... 100% free (!!!). After being assured
multiple times by Danny that there was no actual money of his or anyone elses
on the card but that is was actually FREE, we proceeded to help ourselves to
what we calculated was about $175.00 worth of free food and drink. So a big
thanks to Dan and Larry Ceisler who, not only were the cherry on top of the
ballpark experience, but also funded our dinner from the Boston Market stand in
the stadium that we took home and saved for later. Doesn't get much better than
that.
Sufficiently sunburnt and extraordinarily full, we
headed to Albertsons grocery to pick up a liter of Dr. Chill, the road trip
price-friendly version of Dr. Pepper. We then headed back to the Grand Venezia
and met up with Jesse who joined us at the pool for a few more games of Taps
(Mess finally won one).
After a quick hottub sesh we all made our way back
to the apartment, where we showered, except for Mess who, as we know, hasn't
been on his hygene game thus far. The five of us ate our Boston Market around
the dining room table (some seriously awesome mac-and-cheese) and then played
Bananagrams together until Jesse was ready for bed. I sadly said goodbye, and
we all thanked him for the great visit and wonderfully comfortable sleeping
arrangement.
We now currently sit in the apartment living room
watching Community, tired, sunned, and ready for a long day of driving
tomorrow. After a slight turn of events, we are currently unsure as to where we
will be staying tomorrow. So, we will see where the road takes us tomorrow...
As Mr. Messerly told us -- "It is always better to travel than
arrive" and "The journey is better than the destination".
We shall indeed be living by these words tomorrow.
Adventures await.
Good night all. <3 Rizzo
Day 5
We're almost caught up now. I'm now reporting on Saturday night about our day yesterday.
So. Yesterday, Nick and Fink were up early (630 I think?) after a sound night sleep on the beach. Rizzo, Lowy, and myself woke up around 730, because the Frisbee team had to be out of the condo by 9. I would've liked to sleep longer, but I eventually took a lovely two hour nap on the beach. I'll get to that soon. So after Lowy and the other Hot Saucers cleaned up the place, Rizzo and I said our goodbyes and met up with Fink and Nick at the beach. When we got there around 830, they were just finishing up their clay sculptures, caked with mud and covered in multiple layers of sand. Nick and Fink then went to the car to change while Rizzo took a nap on the beach and I walked around and took some pictures. Eventually I realized that I was running on minimal sleep, so I crashed on the beach for the few hours that I mentioned before. Nick slept as well, while Rizzo went for a walk and Fink read.
Around noon we packed up, reorganized the car, and were on our way. We stopped an hour in and treated ourselves to the dollar menu at Wendy's (Junior Bacon Cheeseburgers ftw) as well as buy one DQ Blizzard, get one for 99 cents. It was Fink's first Blizzard. I don't know what he's been doing his entire life. We got a Butterfinger and a Brownie Batter - delicious. We took full advantage of the deals, considering how we're all broke at this point in the trip. If all goes according to plan, that will be our one and only fast food meal of the trip. We'll see though.
Rizzo drove the six hours or so to Clearwater, and we got to Jesse's apartment around 6:30. He lives in a super awesome place - pool, hot tub, tennis courts, weight room, etc, and he lives in a two bed room, two bathroom apartment by himself (his roommate just moved out, but he's going to get another soon). It's awesome. Considering the four of us have been sharing futons and sleeping on the beach lately, it was pretty great to each have our own bed/couch/mattress/couch. We hit the pool and hot tub and I learned a new game called Taps. Fink and Jesse won fairly easily every time, but I was determined to get better (don't worry, I won today - Rizzo better write about it). While we caught up with blog writing and social media, Jesse grabbed dinner. The four of us went to Target later and picked up a bag of shrimp, garlic, parmesan, extra sharp cheddar cheese, and a baguette (we love our bread and cheese), and Nick and Rizzo threw together a DELICIOUS meal of shrimp pasta. Unfortunately, Jesse doesn't get a day off during Spring Training, and he has to be up at 4am, so he had to cut out early. We were also pretty exhausted, but we managed to stay awake for the newest episode of Community (Community is back! Hooray!). We watched the newest episode of The Office, too, and Nick and I stayed awake for an episode of Archer (Danger Zone). Bed by 12:15. Smart.
Notables: Rizzo will have the total license plates tomorrow/tonight - I'm too lazy to go find my Ipod where I've written them down... Huge shout out to Jesse for housing us and finding time to hang out with us with his crazy schedule. Lastly, had lovely conversations with both Anna and Ben Messerly. Great to hear from them, much love.
We'll keep updating pictures and posts and whatnot, so keep checking in. The weather is waaaay too good by the way. It's been between 75-85 every day and sunny. No complaints there.
<3 Mess
So. Yesterday, Nick and Fink were up early (630 I think?) after a sound night sleep on the beach. Rizzo, Lowy, and myself woke up around 730, because the Frisbee team had to be out of the condo by 9. I would've liked to sleep longer, but I eventually took a lovely two hour nap on the beach. I'll get to that soon. So after Lowy and the other Hot Saucers cleaned up the place, Rizzo and I said our goodbyes and met up with Fink and Nick at the beach. When we got there around 830, they were just finishing up their clay sculptures, caked with mud and covered in multiple layers of sand. Nick and Fink then went to the car to change while Rizzo took a nap on the beach and I walked around and took some pictures. Eventually I realized that I was running on minimal sleep, so I crashed on the beach for the few hours that I mentioned before. Nick slept as well, while Rizzo went for a walk and Fink read.
Around noon we packed up, reorganized the car, and were on our way. We stopped an hour in and treated ourselves to the dollar menu at Wendy's (Junior Bacon Cheeseburgers ftw) as well as buy one DQ Blizzard, get one for 99 cents. It was Fink's first Blizzard. I don't know what he's been doing his entire life. We got a Butterfinger and a Brownie Batter - delicious. We took full advantage of the deals, considering how we're all broke at this point in the trip. If all goes according to plan, that will be our one and only fast food meal of the trip. We'll see though.
Rizzo drove the six hours or so to Clearwater, and we got to Jesse's apartment around 6:30. He lives in a super awesome place - pool, hot tub, tennis courts, weight room, etc, and he lives in a two bed room, two bathroom apartment by himself (his roommate just moved out, but he's going to get another soon). It's awesome. Considering the four of us have been sharing futons and sleeping on the beach lately, it was pretty great to each have our own bed/couch/mattress/couch. We hit the pool and hot tub and I learned a new game called Taps. Fink and Jesse won fairly easily every time, but I was determined to get better (don't worry, I won today - Rizzo better write about it). While we caught up with blog writing and social media, Jesse grabbed dinner. The four of us went to Target later and picked up a bag of shrimp, garlic, parmesan, extra sharp cheddar cheese, and a baguette (we love our bread and cheese), and Nick and Rizzo threw together a DELICIOUS meal of shrimp pasta. Unfortunately, Jesse doesn't get a day off during Spring Training, and he has to be up at 4am, so he had to cut out early. We were also pretty exhausted, but we managed to stay awake for the newest episode of Community (Community is back! Hooray!). We watched the newest episode of The Office, too, and Nick and I stayed awake for an episode of Archer (Danger Zone). Bed by 12:15. Smart.
Notables: Rizzo will have the total license plates tomorrow/tonight - I'm too lazy to go find my Ipod where I've written them down... Huge shout out to Jesse for housing us and finding time to hang out with us with his crazy schedule. Lastly, had lovely conversations with both Anna and Ben Messerly. Great to hear from them, much love.
We'll keep updating pictures and posts and whatnot, so keep checking in. The weather is waaaay too good by the way. It's been between 75-85 every day and sunny. No complaints there.
<3 Mess
Day 4
As we continue to play catch up, we thank you for your patience. With that said, he is a recap of what was possibly the greatest Thursday ever experienced by the likes of man.
Waking up bright and early in Mitch's room in Duke (Mitch-- you're the man, and thanks for a place to sleep, come visit us), we felt horrible and deathly alive and chipper as we made our way down to the car and packed up. We opted not to take Kazaz's taxi company, though their cabs "are very best," and instead hit the road with me at the wheel. The four of us snoozed until we made a gas stop in South Carolina, where Rizzo washed her feet in the bathroom sink and we ate a hearty breakfast of mini bagels and Arnold Palmer.
Back on the road, we were treated with an endless barrage of billboards for the world famous South of the Border amusement park/truckstop/restaurant/minigolf/fireworks store/mildly uncomfortably racist bonanza. We didn't stop. But we got pictures.
Continuing into the heart of the South, we (or at least, I) marveled at just how friggin' perfect of a day it was, heading down 95 towards my illustrious and mysterious "roots." We shared a series of riddles to pass the time, which Rizzo proved to be both absurdly good at and surprisingly terrible at. For reals. She either got them in a blindingly impressive 3 seconds or a hilariously convoluted 15 minutes (only happened twice -- and she got all of them, so she was clearly the winner of the day). Fink even got one in his sleep, waking up just in time to get the answer. Just for fun, here goes -- A woman lives on the 50th floor of a building, and on sunny days takes the elevator up to the 30th floor and walks up the rest, and on rainy days she rides the elevator all the way to the top floor. Why? Prizes to the first person to get it right, unless you've heard it before.
As almost a split second decision, we pulled off on a quick exit and headed in to Savannah, GA to grab some lunch and hit the town. Couldn't have made a better decision. The azaleas and dogwoods were in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the city was hopping with people. We strolled under the Spanish moss taking pictures and listening in for accents, meandering our way towards Vinnie Van GoGo's pizzeria. While the pictures say it all far better than I can, it was a pretty damn beautiful day, as we passed giant chess games, children running through water fountains, and a cute girl doing terrible art that Fink went to talk to (before he knew the terrible art thing, unfortunately).
Unfortunately, Vinnie's was closed until four, and it was three, and we were hungry. So we went next door to Anna's, where we were lured in by the promise of green beer and pizza. Both were fantastic, as was our waiter, who we loved from the minute he asked "How are ya'll doing today?" Some like his accent more than others... Won't say who.
After a delicious meal out in the sun, we knew it was time to head back to the car and go meet our host, Sir Alex Lowy, on Saint Simon's Island. It was a short trip, and we unpacked and headed to the beach to catch as much daylight as possible while the Ultimate Team went out to dinner. Despite bringing books and towels, the weather was too much for us and we were overcome by the intense desire to "pop the steam," and kick some grubbers, until the sunset and fear of jellyfish (which were everwhere) stopped us. Fink took some incredible pictures, and I suggest you go check them out.
Even after the sun went down we couldn't make ourselves leave, and we lay out of the beach watching the stars come out and listening to the waves and Hunter Thompson's The Rum Diary's on audiobook. We took his words to heart, and shared a bottle of rum while we relaxed. To say we were living the life would be an understatement. Thompson had it right, that's for damn sure.
As Mess concluded his bathroom Odyssey, an unfortunately long trip that was approximately his 9th poo of the day (we have debated whether or not it is a healthy habit), we dug back into the sand and were paid a visit by a friendly army sergeant from a nearby fort. His name was Nick, and we got to know each other while his friends ditched us. One of the best parts of going on a trip like this is meeting people along the way, and Nick proved no exception. If you're reading this, somewhere, we all wish you the best of luck in West Point next year, and who knows, maybe we'll run into you again some day.
By now, however, the Frisbee team had returned home, so we said our goodbyes and treked back to the condo. After a couple of showers, much merriment was had with the Ultimate team flippen' cups, sinkin' shots, and watchin' Archer. Before I go any further -- many kudos to you dudes on the Frisbee team, and the hospitality and friendship. Roadtrips like these are only possible for poor college students like us if there are people like you along the way to make it possible. You guys (and I'm looking extra hard at you, Lowy), are, as the kids would say, the shit.
Rumor has it that people from the tournament were meeting on the beach for a bonfire, so we all headed back over. Unfortunately, most of the flammable material on the beach was, in fact, inflammable, but the night was comfortable and no one really seemed to mind too much. We lay back in the sand, and after several minutes of Mess and me lying lazily on the beach deliberation decided not to continue along the beach looking for something else.
It was at this point that the group experience a split, with the sensible half going to acquire food (our previous dinner being a baguette with jelly) and lodging while Fink and I remained on the beach, where we dug a few cots into the dunes, built some sand pillows, pulled absurdly large thorns out of our feet, and went to sleep. Rather, we took a series of naps awoken repeatedly by being cold and/or sandy. Totally worth it....
....Because, come 6:30, the sky was beginning to brighten with the prospect of day 5. After shaking off our night and finding my lost shoes, we walked down to the sand bar in the hopes of finding some of the natural clay we had found the afternoon before. As we came across it, the sun tipped above the horizon, and day 4 was done.
Once again, I just want to thank everyone who has made this trip possible up until this point. The Finks, the Gordon/Janzens, Danielle and Mitch, the Hamilton College Ultimate Frisbee team, and now Jesse (flash-forward) -- you guys are all incredibly awesome, and I wish we could repay you with more than our fleeting company. I can't wait to see you all again, and this trip wouldn't be as great as it is without you. Mad Propz!
Much love,
Nick "Geis Geis Baby" Geisler
P.S.
I'm not exactly a numbers guy, but I think we're at 37 license plates.
There were quotes, and yet I have forgotten them -- I'll get on that.
And, if you are still having trouble with that riddle, I'm sorry. Go listen to some Rihanna or something.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Day 3
The lack in Wi-Fi up until now has resulted in the delay in posts and so I give you a recap of our Wednesday...
We got on the road around 11:30am after having some bacon and eggs for breakfast (courtesy of Chef Rizzo and Geis Geis Baby). Mess wasn't hungry which wasn't a surprise crushing half a lasagna the night before. After a little over two hours of driving we stopped for gas in Beltsville, MD. We passed through some kind of agricultural center that had some very pretty scenery.
Realizing that we were in Maryland and only about a half hour away from Phil, we decided to give him a call to see if he had left for Arizona yet. He hadn't, and so we we went to Chevy Chase for lunch. Before setting up our PB and J-tion (the South 203 method of making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term), we played with Phil's dog Sumo. He's awesome. Mess decided he'd make a bananapeppergoldfishpeanutbutterandjelly sandwich which apparently was quite tasty, although he only had half of it because he still had the lasagna sitting in his stomach. We sat out on Phil's back porch and drank some Arnold Palmer and ate some oranges and bananas to compliment our [mostly] normal sandwiches. Phil showed us the awesome view he has of the neighborhood from the widow's walk on top of his house and then we said goodbye and continued on our trek.
After waking up from a solid nap a couple hours later (so what if I sleep a lot?), we arrived at the Duke campus in Durham, NC. Following our directions ended up bringing us to the rugby field there where we briefly saw one of their players nail a bunch of dropkicks in a row. The Duke campus was beautiful (like Hamilton except absurdly larger). Going down Chapel Drive in 80 degree weather was picturesque. We met up with Rizzo's friend Danielle who brought us to the Armadillo Grill (or Dillo's as the Duke natives call it). We got delicious soft shell tacos and burritos and then went to see my boy Mitch. We ended up going to the Sig Nu frat house where the Hamilton crew put Duke to shame in flip cup (may have been the other way around). I got to see my friends Jessie and Julia from home as well which was a lot of fun. A cab came to pick us up to take us to the club of choice at Duke. As we drove towards Shooters the driver bumped some house music and told us how crazy we would find our destination to be. After making some friends while waiting in the line to get in, we found ourselves in what I would describe as a more crowded, less grimy Bundy party. There were Duke students dancing on tables, the upper level of the club, and packed tightly on the dance floor. We all had a great time gettin' our groove on.
After Shooters closed and we were forced to leave Nick, Mitch and I went to grab some food at the 24-hour restaurant on campus. Nick decided to spring for some chicken wings while Mitch and I just grabbed some eggs. We'd like to give a big thank you to Danielle for coming out with us and giving a ride home to Nick, Mess and Rizzo.
Yours truly,
Fink
P.S. Check out my tumblr blog for a photo documentation of our trip at ruggersontheroad.tumblr.com
Other notables:
We've been able to cross off 28 states on our list of license plates so far, I ran into a kid I hadn't seen in almost 10 years, and Mess hasn't been wearing enough deodorant. Next stop: Georgia.
Quotes:
"I'm ready for the day" - Rizzo (at 5 PM)
"Dogs have surprisingly good breath for how rarely they brush their teeth" - Fink
We got on the road around 11:30am after having some bacon and eggs for breakfast (courtesy of Chef Rizzo and Geis Geis Baby). Mess wasn't hungry which wasn't a surprise crushing half a lasagna the night before. After a little over two hours of driving we stopped for gas in Beltsville, MD. We passed through some kind of agricultural center that had some very pretty scenery.
Realizing that we were in Maryland and only about a half hour away from Phil, we decided to give him a call to see if he had left for Arizona yet. He hadn't, and so we we went to Chevy Chase for lunch. Before setting up our PB and J-tion (the South 203 method of making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term), we played with Phil's dog Sumo. He's awesome. Mess decided he'd make a bananapeppergoldfishpeanutbutterandjelly sandwich which apparently was quite tasty, although he only had half of it because he still had the lasagna sitting in his stomach. We sat out on Phil's back porch and drank some Arnold Palmer and ate some oranges and bananas to compliment our [mostly] normal sandwiches. Phil showed us the awesome view he has of the neighborhood from the widow's walk on top of his house and then we said goodbye and continued on our trek.
After waking up from a solid nap a couple hours later (so what if I sleep a lot?), we arrived at the Duke campus in Durham, NC. Following our directions ended up bringing us to the rugby field there where we briefly saw one of their players nail a bunch of dropkicks in a row. The Duke campus was beautiful (like Hamilton except absurdly larger). Going down Chapel Drive in 80 degree weather was picturesque. We met up with Rizzo's friend Danielle who brought us to the Armadillo Grill (or Dillo's as the Duke natives call it). We got delicious soft shell tacos and burritos and then went to see my boy Mitch. We ended up going to the Sig Nu frat house where the Hamilton crew put Duke to shame in flip cup (may have been the other way around). I got to see my friends Jessie and Julia from home as well which was a lot of fun. A cab came to pick us up to take us to the club of choice at Duke. As we drove towards Shooters the driver bumped some house music and told us how crazy we would find our destination to be. After making some friends while waiting in the line to get in, we found ourselves in what I would describe as a more crowded, less grimy Bundy party. There were Duke students dancing on tables, the upper level of the club, and packed tightly on the dance floor. We all had a great time gettin' our groove on.
After Shooters closed and we were forced to leave Nick, Mitch and I went to grab some food at the 24-hour restaurant on campus. Nick decided to spring for some chicken wings while Mitch and I just grabbed some eggs. We'd like to give a big thank you to Danielle for coming out with us and giving a ride home to Nick, Mess and Rizzo.
Yours truly,
Fink
P.S. Check out my tumblr blog for a photo documentation of our trip at ruggersontheroad.tumblr.com
Other notables:
We've been able to cross off 28 states on our list of license plates so far, I ran into a kid I hadn't seen in almost 10 years, and Mess hasn't been wearing enough deodorant. Next stop: Georgia.
Quotes:
"I'm ready for the day" - Rizzo (at 5 PM)
"Dogs have surprisingly good breath for how rarely they brush their teeth" - Fink
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Day 2
Good night!
This morning we woke up at the crack of noon, it was an accident.
We played with Finks fantastic dogs, played some ping pong (Mess 24- Fink 22), ate some great bagels, and hit the road. The new theme of our road trip is "Fink" because we now have three t-shirts from finks barmitzfah and a bobblehead of him on our dashboard. How could we refuse it?
I drove for three hours, totally crappy traffic, i'm not going to lie it sucked but the playlist was bumpin, thank you Mess .
Then we got to Philly, the weather was gorgeous: 80 degrees and sunny! The four of us went on a 3+ mile run through my neighborhood, we ended at Rocco's waterice and ate as we walked home. Then Mess and Nick found out they both got Apogee (Hooray/ extreme excitement to the max!). Jay Q came over and we played rugby in the backyard while Nick had a different interview (that he nailed-- it's tough being so great). Then we ate homeade lasagna with the parents which was DELICIOUS.
Aftwerwards, we played Settlers. The parents first game--- they totally dominated but obviously Mess won in the end. Big surprise.
Then we headed to the basement and enjoyed some classic Natural Light.
All in all it was an excellent day.
Other notables--- We played Call Me Maybe on repeat again and it was awesome, Alfia (my biffers from high school) came over, We played the Expansion of Settlers for the first time, and we now have 17 states on our license plate count.
Tomorrow---- Duke University. We all bet that Mess is in 0% shape to take the first shift driving though he vows that he is....we'll see. "Yo, I'm driving" - 2:35am Jack Messerly
<3 Rizzo
PS. Rizzo beat Fink and 1 v. 1 flip cup. Going to sleep as a Champion.
Quotes:
"It smells like yeast" - Rizzo
"Smell me bro" - Fink
"I was gonna get 8oz. of water but why not 16?" - Fink
"I'm going to drive the first shift tomorrow" - Mess [Yeah, right.]
This morning we woke up at the crack of noon, it was an accident.
We played with Finks fantastic dogs, played some ping pong (Mess 24- Fink 22), ate some great bagels, and hit the road. The new theme of our road trip is "Fink" because we now have three t-shirts from finks barmitzfah and a bobblehead of him on our dashboard. How could we refuse it?
I drove for three hours, totally crappy traffic, i'm not going to lie it sucked but the playlist was bumpin, thank you Mess .
Then we got to Philly, the weather was gorgeous: 80 degrees and sunny! The four of us went on a 3+ mile run through my neighborhood, we ended at Rocco's waterice and ate as we walked home. Then Mess and Nick found out they both got Apogee (Hooray/ extreme excitement to the max!). Jay Q came over and we played rugby in the backyard while Nick had a different interview (that he nailed-- it's tough being so great). Then we ate homeade lasagna with the parents which was DELICIOUS.
Aftwerwards, we played Settlers. The parents first game--- they totally dominated but obviously Mess won in the end. Big surprise.
Then we headed to the basement and enjoyed some classic Natural Light.
All in all it was an excellent day.
Other notables--- We played Call Me Maybe on repeat again and it was awesome, Alfia (my biffers from high school) came over, We played the Expansion of Settlers for the first time, and we now have 17 states on our license plate count.
Tomorrow---- Duke University. We all bet that Mess is in 0% shape to take the first shift driving though he vows that he is....we'll see. "Yo, I'm driving" - 2:35am Jack Messerly
<3 Rizzo
PS. Rizzo beat Fink and 1 v. 1 flip cup. Going to sleep as a Champion.
Quotes:
"It smells like yeast" - Rizzo
"Smell me bro" - Fink
"I was gonna get 8oz. of water but why not 16?" - Fink
"I'm going to drive the first shift tomorrow" - Mess [Yeah, right.]
Monday, March 12, 2012
Day 1
Greetings and salutations to friends and family!
Today we woke at the crack of 9:00 am. We packed, cleaned our room, and loaded the car. We set Fink's odometer to 0 and drove four hours to his beautiful house in Chappaqua, NY. His street name was misleading, because there were no Random Farms anywhere. We ate some delicious chicken cutlet sandwiches from Lange's Deli. Nick and I had Skype interviews (nailed 'em) while Fink was getting his summer tires put on his car. Nick, Rizzo, and I sat outside in the beautiful weather (60 and sunny), read, and Nick killed a NY Times crosswords (speaking of which, please help: 1. 'Desi of 'I Love Lucy'' _ON_ _; 2. Fanatics _ _ALO_S; thanks!). Then I smoked Nick in ping pong (21-19, 21-16) while listening to Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepson (thanks to Ben and Anna) on repeat. Then the three of us went for a walk around the neighborhood and met up with Fink at a local basketball court, where we hooped for a bit. The guys dunked and ally-ooped mostly while Rizzo made it rain, per se. Then we went back to Fink's and met his friend Zach, a sophomore at F & M (doesn't know Scott). Then we picked up some delicious Indian food and ate with his family when they got home from their trip to Texas. His family is hilarious. Also, Fink's mother, Beth, served me a mad strong coffee (part nespresso - yup, nespresso, not epresso - look it up), so I'm feeling pretty jacked about now (2:15 am). I played Bananagrams for the first time, and it was awesome, although I accidentally cheated a few times. Then Fink went to bed (noob) while Rizzo, Nick, and I played Settlers. Nick took the first game and I won the second. It's fair to say that Rizzo would've won the third. The three of us are now snuggling on the awesome couch-bed in Fink's basement. We get to sleep in tomorrow.
Other notables: We've seen 13 different state license plates so far, Rizzo learned how to play Momma Mess' solitaire, and we both learned a new magic trick. Fink drove, too. His new nickname is Sparky, thanks to Beth. Off to Philly in the morning.
Quotes of the day:
"I have such a small bladder, sometimes I wish I could just pee myself and keep going... but Depends sounds uncomfortable." -Rizzo
"His name's Zacharias. Yeah, I think it was Zacharias. Hey Stu, what was his name?" "Valecente." -Beth, Stu
<3 JDM
Today we woke at the crack of 9:00 am. We packed, cleaned our room, and loaded the car. We set Fink's odometer to 0 and drove four hours to his beautiful house in Chappaqua, NY. His street name was misleading, because there were no Random Farms anywhere. We ate some delicious chicken cutlet sandwiches from Lange's Deli. Nick and I had Skype interviews (nailed 'em) while Fink was getting his summer tires put on his car. Nick, Rizzo, and I sat outside in the beautiful weather (60 and sunny), read, and Nick killed a NY Times crosswords (speaking of which, please help: 1. 'Desi of 'I Love Lucy'' _ON_ _; 2. Fanatics _ _ALO_S; thanks!). Then I smoked Nick in ping pong (21-19, 21-16) while listening to Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepson (thanks to Ben and Anna) on repeat. Then the three of us went for a walk around the neighborhood and met up with Fink at a local basketball court, where we hooped for a bit. The guys dunked and ally-ooped mostly while Rizzo made it rain, per se. Then we went back to Fink's and met his friend Zach, a sophomore at F & M (doesn't know Scott). Then we picked up some delicious Indian food and ate with his family when they got home from their trip to Texas. His family is hilarious. Also, Fink's mother, Beth, served me a mad strong coffee (part nespresso - yup, nespresso, not epresso - look it up), so I'm feeling pretty jacked about now (2:15 am). I played Bananagrams for the first time, and it was awesome, although I accidentally cheated a few times. Then Fink went to bed (noob) while Rizzo, Nick, and I played Settlers. Nick took the first game and I won the second. It's fair to say that Rizzo would've won the third. The three of us are now snuggling on the awesome couch-bed in Fink's basement. We get to sleep in tomorrow.
Other notables: We've seen 13 different state license plates so far, Rizzo learned how to play Momma Mess' solitaire, and we both learned a new magic trick. Fink drove, too. His new nickname is Sparky, thanks to Beth. Off to Philly in the morning.
Quotes of the day:
"I have such a small bladder, sometimes I wish I could just pee myself and keep going... but Depends sounds uncomfortable." -Rizzo
"His name's Zacharias. Yeah, I think it was Zacharias. Hey Stu, what was his name?" "Valecente." -Beth, Stu
<3 JDM
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