NJ All Day -- I have until 9pm to get to Secaucus, NJ and pick up my child after her work, so I drive slowly through some pretty suburbs towards Princeton when my dear friend Baba calls. She lives in NYC but will not be there over the long weekend. Talking with Baba is a real treat, so the morning takes on an even better glow. Petey and I had breakfast in Princeton, sitting at a table in the shade across from the campus, really enjoying the morning and the people-watching.

We went through suburbs and small towns and stopped everywhere we saw something interesting to stop for. A lotta lotta little coffee shops and little main streets. I loved every minute. We got to Secaucus early, had a bite to eat and napped in the parking lot until Eelin left work.

We went into Manhattan via the Lincoln Tunnel, and the West Side Highway; and to Brooklyn through the Battery Tunnel. I am glad to be at a stopping place. And I am super joyed to be with daughter person. We immediately began to plan excursions and meals. I am no longer alone on the road. I am with my most precious person. And talking and eating resumes.

VA to NJ -- I used to live in Virginia Beach. I loved it! Not much remains the same, but the drive along the beachfront streets was lovely. And there is the ARE, still majestic up on the hill. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel is a favorite trip of mine, as is the meander up the DelMarVa peninsula.

This is a Delmarva island.

Jack had recommended the Lewes – Cape May ferry. Sure! I didn’t reserve, but there was plenty of room. We were rocking quite sharply, as much as 10 to 15 degrees when we were out in the most open water. I took Petey out on the deck in the wind. Picture this Yorkie with hair blowing straight back. There was too much wind to make a photo possible. We will try to get one Monday when we go on the Port Jefferson, NY to Bridgeport, CT, ferry.

This is the ferry looking back as we pull out of the ferry slip.

Cape May, NJ is as picturesque and quaint as I had been told. It is a place to spend the summer and soak up the atmosphere. The former Mr Wonderful did a season of summer stock Shakespeare there before I met him, and he talked ceaselessly about how nice the town is. BUT… I wanted to spend the night on the Jersey shore, and started to look for a motel as soon as I got to Cape May. I must have been on the totally wrong roads. No motels, none. So I went over to the ocean front road, Ocean City and so on. Where were they hiding all the motels?

Atlantic City is NASTY!

And scary, so the new plan was to take the Atlantic City Expressway and speed for 295 around Philly and up to Trenton. We found a pet friendly motel and collapsed for the night. They also had high-speed internet. Woohoo!

Asheville to Franklin, Virginia. -- Lotta driving, lotta hills. A very long day. Petey has never met a rest stop he doesn't like (me, too).

There is a huge storm. In the motel parking lot, garbage cans go flying. Ernesto, having given Miami just a glance, is coming up the coast inland. Another thing I forgot, to take in the chairs off my second floor balcony. I truly thought I had totally prepared for any bad weather while tripping; I did clear off the patio and so on. Sheesh! But super neighbors Robert and JP did spiderman over to the chairs and brought them in anyway. I am so impressed and very very grateful.

Talk about eating and talking. Four houses all in a row, Robert & JP, me (and Petey), Oci and son Lucas, and Ed & Otto at #6, shared yard work (mostly the guys) and defrosting freezers in Wilma’s aftermath. We cooked and ate to keep from wasting. (Waisting, instead.) Eelin (daughter) tells her friends this story about me and my neighbors after Wilma. “Mother called me every time they were about to start a new meal. She called every 45 minutes.” Fairly true picture.

I miss my neighbors right now. I am loving to think about them while telling this story.

Asheville -- Barb’s cat, Goober, is very sick. Barb took him to the vet while Jack took me exploring Asheville. Do I want to live there? Jack and Barb are there, nephew is in Charlotte, close enough. Sister Gilly is toying with moving there. Family central! It has a nice sound and feel. The neighborhood of Montford is very sweet, charming, the kind of place I would like to live if I did move there. We’ll see.

Jack commits to driving my car down the mountain tomorrow morning. Whew!

Atlanta to Asheville, NC -- well, to Fletcher, NC really. Excellent to be in mountains. I was enjoying the heights and the total difference from flat, flat So Florida until I came to my brother's driveway.

Almost vertical and not paved to speak of, ruts and gullies and going straight up. Little car, four cylinders, has buckets of charm and cuteness, but not much hill climbing gumption. I missed the driveway, took a wrong turn and found myself in real trouble, ditch on one side, mountain dropping off the other, road blocked by small backhoe and smaller but very fierce beagle, can't go ahead, can't turn around, WON'T back up. Nuh uh, not back down the mountain. How did damsels in distress function before cell phones? Brother showed up, as did backhoe-and-beagle owner, bailed me out in no time. Men seem to be fearless with cars.

Lovely lovely brother (Jack), lovely lovely brother's wife (Barb), lovely lovely house on the mountaintop. Barb has hummingbird feeders out front and back, and the little hummer guys sip at the sugar water, and chase each other without stopping. Attempts to snap a shot of hummingbirds total failures, they move FAST!

We talked and ate, ate and talked. Is there a theme developing here?

Jake Rutansky in a moment of extreme candor. When it comes to “tell-it-like-it-is”, Jake can Jake can put Dr Phil to bed.


Jacksonville to Atlanta. Judy's house! So welcoming! So VERY nice to see Judy. I don't think I let her get a word in edgewise. We sat on her patio, talked and ate, ate and talked. Judy looks very beautiful and I am very very glad to be with her.

Judy on her deck. Yes, that is roasted peaches, plums and raspberries on Hagen Daaz vanilla.

I could have started this a lot sooner, but you know how it goes.

Petey and I set out on our walkabout Friday the 25th at 5:30 am.

Petey came face to face with a cat at Lori Murray's house for the first time since I have known him. An unmannerly display ensued.

I taught a class at E&Y Orlando in Energy Drains which was a lot of fun for me, and, according to the evaluations, was received well enough.

Had a nice dinner with Joe Rutansky in Jacksonville that night. We talked forever, but not long enough. In my day I have closed a few bars, but this was the first time I closed a taco stand. Spent the night at Joe's mother Bunny's house, where really nice conversation continued.