Writing my Future

Wow. Where to start?

I thought July was a whirlwind when I returned from the Outer Banks. Turns out it wasn’t done yet!

Early Wednesday, I interviewed for a 7^th Grade Language Arts position in Mohave Valley, Arizona. After an angst filled day, I received positive news, and some interesting news.

I got the job. The first day of school is August first.

Excitement!

Serious, major, super downside: I don’t get to see Colleen before she returns from Canada. Crushed. Glad we had those three weeks out of four on various trips.

ROADTRIP!

I left New Jersey this morning around 6 AM, driving out Route 70 (it was nice to say goodbye, temporarily, to the pitch pines), up the Turnpike and then into Pennsylvania. I took Rt. 76 (yes, I listened to the G Love and the Special Sauce song) to Rt. 70, and was on 70 the rest of the way. I’m now in Terre Haute, Indiana (about an hour southwest of Indianapolis) for the night. It was a long day, but an exciting day, and I have 3 more ahead of me.

Some observations from the road:

1.       Eating alone in restaurants is weird.

2.       Goodbye Pitch Pines and Wawas (and that surprising field of lilies hiding in a gully by the side of the road) for now.

3.       Pennsylvania is what it is. Everytime I’ve driven across it, it has been the same. Although, I do like driving THROUGH the mountains. Couldn’t decide which was scarier: a mountain tunnel collapsing on me or an underwater tunnel collapsing on me. Probably about the same.

4.       Ohio did not put its best foot forward. I went to Ohio, once, with the Scherm clan and the state itself bored me. Then I went there again in high school, with the same result. Driving through it with Colleen and Katie was ok, because I was with Colleen and Katie. But this time Ohio dropped the ball. Rain. Traffic. ALL THE TRAFFIC. “It’s just like New Jersey without the beach.” Thanks, Uncle Bill. I thought I’d managed to avoid the BENNY traffic this year. I guess it was relocated to ALL OF OHIO.

5.       Indiana…maybe it’s just the Midwest. It was so sunny I couldn’t see without my sun glasses on, and it was also pouring. Really?

6.       Things I saw, in no particular order:

a.       Huge storms

b.      A tow truck towing three other tow trucks. I saw this more than once

c.       A van driving down the interstate with its side door open. And its occupants not caring about it.

d.      Two small deer. ONE, TWO. I guess I’m beating myself at that game.

e.      Lucas Oil Stadium

f.        A lot of farms.

Song of the day: 3 way tie between 1-76 (G Love and the Special Sauce, for obvious reasons) Bonita and Bill Butler (Alison Kraus and Union Station, because I drove through Wheeling, West Virginia) and Fly Over States (Jason Aldean, because I have driven through Indiana…expect a repeat performance of that one)

Meal of the Day: Chicken and Dumplings with hashbrown casserole and mac and cheese from Cracker Barrel

Tomorrow: Tulsa, Oklahoma, and my first time zone change