We left their home at 5:45 PM, and it was already very dark. We didn't see this as a significant problem - we had driven around the area forever, hadn't we? We could surely find our way back to Houghton without the directions!
After we missed our bridge, Josh turned to me and said, "I think we missed our bridge." "American Woman" was playing on the radio.
"That's fine," I said. "We can take the next one." I had done some study of the greater Philadelphia area map, and felt I knew where we were going well enough. So we took the next bridge, the Walt Whitman.
Suddenly, it began to rain, and traffic slowed down significantly. We passed through the heart of Philadelphia on I-76, and then into what
appeared to be the middle of nowhere. "American Woman" was again playing on the radio.
"Are you sure we're going the right way?", Josh asked, as he tried to correctly use the truck's pathetic brakes in order to avoid collision.
Of course I was sure we were going the right way. I'm always sure that I'm going the right way. I let him know how sure I was that we were going the right way.
Around the time when I started to doubt we were going the right way, a sign appeared in front of us.
It was the Northwest Extension of the PA Turnpike. We were going the right way after all. But then, I knew that, all along.
And the strangest part was, we actually gained fifteen minutes.
"American Woman" came on the radio three more times on the way back, until I finally quoted the Old Testament at the radio to make it stop.
"May God deal with you," I said, "be it ever so severely, if I hear that song again." Definitely a phrase worth adding to your vocabulary.
We got back at 11:15 PM, which was phenomenally quick, considering our exciting, rainy detour on the Walt Whitman. I slept from 12 that night
until almost 1 the next day, for about 12.5 hours of sleep.
Not only did I skip church that day, I also skipped lunch.
It was also the day I began the "Journey to Jersey" series.
Perhaps it was my penance.
No longer TO BE CONTINUED, I remain, completed,
Steve
Journey
to Jersey II
|
|

NHS
Speech
"My
View" Editorial
The October
Surprise
| Round 1
| 2 | 3 |
4 | 5 |
| 6 | 7 |
8 | 9
| 10 |
| 11 | 12 |
Final Bell | Journey
to Jersey II
| Intro
| 1 | 2 |
3 | 4 |
5 |
| 6 | 7 |
8 | 9
| 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 |
14 | 15 | Journey
to Jersey I
| 1
| 2 | 3 |
4 | 5
| 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11
| 12 |
13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17
| 18
| 19 | 20 |
An Epic Saga
| Act 1 |
2 | 3 |
4 | 5 |
| 6 | 7 |
8 | 9
| 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 |
14 | 15
| 16 |
Christian
Rock Email
Freshman Room
Draw
| Part One
| Two |
| Three | Four
| Five |
|