REPORTING IN
January 31, 2006

I SURE HAVE MISSED COMING OVER HERE TO VISIT AND HAVE NO REASON OTHER THAN JUST CANT SEEM TO GET IN GEAR ANYMORE. ALL I DO IS MOPE AROUND THE HOUSE AND ON OCCASION GET OUT WITH MY DAUGHTERS AND THANKFULLY VEL GETS ME MOVING NOW AND THEN. WE HAVE BOTH BEEN RECOVERING FROM OUR TRIPS TO THE HOSPITAL AND SEEMS LIKE WE DON'T MEND AS FAST, PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY. REALLY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WORTH WRITING ABOUT, ONLY OUT TO EAT AND TAKE A RIDE BUT TODAY IT WAS LIKE OLD TIMES SO JUST HAD TO TELL ABOUT IT. LOOKS LIKE ALL OF YOU HAVE KEPT THE HOME FIRES BURNING AS I HAVE BEEN READING YOUR POSTS MOST OF THE DAY. SO ON TO OUR JAUNT. THIS IS A LONG READ AS USUAL, USING CAPS FOR US WHO HAVE TROUBLE READING THE SMALL PRINT.

IT WAS A GORGEOUS DAY, SUNNY AND 60 DEGREES. WE LEFT HERE AROUND 11AM AND HEADED INLAND, HAVING NO IDEA WHERE OR WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO. FIRST PLACE WE WENT WAS TO A LITTLE OLD TOWN OF TUCKAHOE WHERE THEY ARE REFURBISHING AN OLD RAILROAD STATION. IT IS REALLY A NEAT PLACE. THEY ARE HOPING TO BRING IN MORE TOURIST TO USE THE TRAIN AND GO DOWN TO CAPE MAY.

THE TRAIN HASN'T BEEN USED IN MANY YEARS IN THAT AREA, THEY DO HAVE IT IN WORKING ORDER DOWN IN ONE STRETCH OF ABOUT 8 MILES AND MUCH FURTHER DOWN TOWARD CAPE MAY. ANYWAY, THERE WAS A NEW BUILDING PUT UP PLUS THE STATION IS ALL FINISHED. ACROSS THE STREET IS AN OLD GRAIN STORAGE BUILDING AND THEY HAVE MADE THAT INTO A MUSEUM AND A PLACE TO SEE DIFFERENT TRAINS RUNNING AROUND. SHOULD BE A NEAT PLACE TO TAKE KIDS.ANYWAY AFTER THAT WE LEFT AND HEADED DOWN ONE OF OUR FAVORITE STATE ROADS, RT 49 WHICH TAKES US ALL THE WAY TO RIVERSIDE PARK, ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PLACES, RIGHT ON THE DELAWARE RIVER, BUT WE DIDN'T GO THERE, WE CRISS CROSSED WITH SEVERAL TURNS BETWEEN RT 47, AND 49. SEEMS LIKE WE NEVER CAN NEVER AVOID THOSE 2 ROADS. YOU KNOW HOW VEL LIKES TO MAKE RIGHT HAND TURNS. ANYWAY, WE DROVE ON FOR ABOUT 40 MILES AND WE WERE ON A ROAD HEADING TOWARD THE SALEM NUCLEAR ENERGY PLANT.

LOOKED FAMILIAR BUT THEN SEEMED LIKE SOME OF THE HUGE TRAFFIC LIGHTS WERE REMOVED, HAD BEEN IN THAT AREA SEVERAL YEARS AGO, DID SEE SIGNS THAT SAID "CENTER LANE FOR EMERGENCY TRAFFIC ONLY". WE DROVE AT LEAST 4-5 MILES ON THIS ROAD THINKING WE COULD MAKE A TURN OFF AND HEAD BACK TO CITY OF SALEM. AS WE GOT CLOSER WE COULD SEE WHAT LOOKED LIKE A PARKWAY TOLL BOOTH AND KNEW WE WERE NOT GOING TO FIND A TURN OFF ANYWAY WHEN WE GOT RIGHT IN FRONT OF IT, THERE WAS A PLACE TO TURN AROUND, WHILE WE WERE LAUGHING AND DECIDING WHAT TO DO, LO AND BEHOLD, HERE COMES A STATE TROOPER FROM THE PLANT AND PULLS IN ON AN ANGLE IN FRONT OF US.

VEL STARTED TO WIND THE WINDOW DOWN TO TELL HIM WE WANTED TO GET OUT OF THERE, HAHA, THINKING HE WOULD JUST WIND HIS WINDOW DOWN TO TALK TO US, HE GOT OUT, UT OH! HERE HE COMES OVER TO THE CAR,

WE WEREN'T SCARED BUT IT WAS SORT OF INTIMIDATING. WE STARTED TO EXPLAIN THAT WE WERE JUST OUT FOR A RIDE, BUT HE DIDN'T REALLY SEEM TO WANT TO TALK, JUST WANTED VEL'S DRIVERS LICENSE AND REGISTRATION, AND MINE TOO. OMG, DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER TO LAUGH OR WHAT, THOUGHT WE BEST BE RESPECTFUL AND REALIZE THE SERIOUSNESS OF OUR MISTAKE, AFTER ALL, WITH WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR COUNTRY, NO ONE CAN BE TRUSTED.

WELL HERE ARE THESE 2 OLD LADIES OUT FOR A JOY RIDE AND I KNOW HE THOUGHT WE WERE A LITTLE NUTZY. A SECURITY WOMAN WHO WAS ON DUTY AT THE CHECK POINT CAME OVER TOO. HE GAVE HERE OUR IDENTIFICATION AND SHE TOOK THEM OVER TO DO A CHECK, WHILE WAITING FOR HER WE DID GET CHANCE TO EXPLAIN THAT WE WERE JUST OUT FOR THE DAY, AND WE THOUGHT THE ROAD HAD A TURN OFF. HE ASKED US IF WE SAW THE SIGN THAT SAID "CHECK POINT AHEAD, VISITORS TO THE LEFT". LOL, NO WE DIDN'T SEE IT, GUESS WE WERE BUSY SIGHT SEEING OR TALKING.

ANYWAY, COULDN'T HELP BUT FEEL A LITTLE NERVOUS, AFTER ALL THIS WAS SERIOUS, ALL KINDS OF THOUGHTS WERE GOING THROUGH MY MIND. SUPPOSE THEY WOULD SHOOT AND ASK QUESTIONS LATER. HAHA. ANYWAY, GUESS THEY FOUND OUT WE WERE GOOD OLD GALS. THE LADY WENT OVER TO THE OFFICER AND WE COULD SEE THEY WERE LAUGHING. VEL SAID "LOOK THEY ARE LAUGHING AT US". HAHA, GUESS WE MADE THEIR DAY, AS THE LADY WALKED PASSED MY SIDE OF THE CAR, SHE SMILED AND WAVED HER FORFINGER LIKE WE WERE BEING NAUGHTY.

WELL WE DID HIGH TAIL IT OUT OF THERE LAUGHING ALL THE WAY. FINALLY GOT ON 49 AGAIN, CROSSED OVER BACK TO 47, THEN MADE A FEW MORE TURNS AND ENDED UP ON A RT 45 THAT TOOK US WAY NORTH OF WHERE WE WERE. WENT THOUGH ALL NICE LITTLE TOWNS THAT WE HADN'T SEEN BEFORE, SORT OF NICE TO SEE SOME SMALL TOWNS STILL HAVING INDIVIDUAL STORES AND NOT HUGE SHOPPING CENTERS. HAD HEARD OF A LOT OF THEM BUT NEVER BEEN THERE. WE ENDED UP AT A DINER IN WOODBURY FOR A LATE LUNCH. IT WAS REALLY NICE, ALL IN GREEN WITH PINK SPLASHED HERE AND THERE. THE SERVICE WAS GOOD AND THE FOOD GREAT. VEL HAD CAT FISH AND I HAD FLOUNDER, ONLY TROUBLE IS THE PORTIONS ARE SO BIG.

DECIDED TO KEEP GOING NORTH TIL WE CAME ACROSS A STATE ROAD THAT WE KNEW WOULD TAKE US HOME. SURE DIDN'T WANT TO GO BACK THE WAY WE CAME, PLUS WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TRACE OUR ROUTE. HAHA, NOT WITH ALL THE LEFT AND RIGHT TURNS, IT SURE WAS A FUN DAY.

FIRST TIME WE EVER GOT QUESTIONED BY A POLICEMAN OR A TROOPER IN ALL THE MILES WE HAVE TRAVELED, THOUSANDS OF MILES OVER THE YEARS. ANYWAY WE GOT HERE TO MY HOUSE AROUND 5 PM, WE MUST HAVE TRAVELED AT LEAST 125 MILES OR MORE. CAUSE OTHER THAN OUR VISIT WITH THE COP AND EATING, WE WERE IN THE CAR THE REST OF THE TIME. I HOPE I DIDN'T DISAPPOINT YOU WITH MAKING YOU WAIT TIL NOW TO SEE WHAT HAPPENED. MAYBE WE DIDN'T GET IN TROUBLE BUT JUST GOES TO SHOW THAT WE COULD HAVE. DON'T THINK THIS TAUGHT US A LESSON THAT WE SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL AS TO WHERE WE GO CAUSE IT WAS SORT OF EXCITING AND EMBARRASSING AT THE SAME TIME.

ONE GOOD THING WE LEARNED IS THOSE WHO PROTECT RESTRICED AREAS ARE REALLY ON THE BALL WHEN VISITORS APPROACH. SURE GLAD WE WEREN'T OF A DIFFERENT NATIONALITY. HAHA. GOOD THAT WE HAD HAIR LIKE Q-TIPS TOO. SO MY DEAR FRIENDS, LOOKS LIKE VEL AND I ARE BACK ON THE TRACK OF DOING THE UNUSUAL. GOING PLACES WE DON'T BELONG.

HAVE A GOOD DAY ALL. VEL, ANYTHING YOU CAN ADD, I KNOW WE SAW A LOT BUT I AM RUNNING OUT OF CONVERSTION. LOL. PS. ALWAYS BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS AND READ SIGNS. HAHA. TOLD YOU IT WAS LONG, HAHA.