The trip out East, Part 2

Let's see, where did we leave off? So I got to the hotel at 11:30pm. Took care of some business and made it to bed around 12:30am. Exhausted but could not sleep... I realized I had a long day of training the next day, and I would have to drive into downtown New York afterward, and here I was all very alone in a hotel room in New Jersey. But Calvin & Hobbes comics always save the day, I mean the night... I fell asleep reading them with the lamplight on full blast above me.

6:00am! Time to get up! Time to get ready! Time to eat breakfast and pack up all my stuff and - uh oh, I was supposed to be there in 15 minutes and I would still have to figure out the way and I just didn't think it was right to be late for something the company had paid me to attend, so I ran out the door without checking out of the hotel. It was gyp the hotel or gyp the trainers, what do you do? Hopefully it would be OK to come back and check out at 5pm.

Oops it was NOT as easy to get to the business destination as thought. Sure it was right down the street, but it was in a Center, which means you drive all over windy curvy roads past various Suites till you finally beyond all hope realize you're at your number. You get out and go in and go up the elevator in good faith, 'cause there aren't really any signs for the company you're looking for... <Bam> there it is on the glass door right in front of you. Yippee!

It wrapped up sooner than I expected. I left around 4pm. We were done at 3:30 and they had found out I was driving to New York that night so they said, "Go now and you'll be good!" But I don't like to be rushed. So I asked my questions and said good-bye and left, and found my way back to the hotel. And discovered my room key no longer worked. Surprise! I guess not, I told them 1 night. Two can play at this game, I thought, carrying my sack of casual clothes... I stopped in the hotel's public restroom to change and then checked out.

Well it was now around 4:30pm and they had said, "If you wait till 4:30, don't even bother trying to drive out until 6:30, you'll be on the road forever." I thought about the drive ahead. I was quite tired. I decided to be cool and stop off at a bookstore in the hotel neighborhood, spent some happy time browsing, finally at 5pm I couldn't take it any more, I just wanted to leave and didn't care about the traffic, so I bought myself a water bottle and some chocolate and headed out.

Oh my goodness, it was time for the great drive to New York! I turned on the GPS and typed in the address-- uhh--- OOPS! OH MY GOODNESS, it's time for the great drive to New York with Google directions because the GPS cannot locate Ben and Franci's perfectly legitimate NY address! Oh boy, this will be fun! And in heavy evening rush hour traffic! Of course I totally trusted my Google directions, more than the GPS by this time.

And off on Highway 1! Which is probably the first highway ever in the U.S., don't you think? How historic!

To be continued...