Don't call it a comeback...

So I thought that I would do the whole Spain blog thing and that would be that. Well how mistaken I was.

For those of you who don't know, I am currently traveling across the continental United States with a starting point of Hannibal, New York and an ending point of somewhere in Oregon I hope. The reason for this is that my sister (to avoid any privacy/patient-doctor confidentiality/lack of expressed written and oral consent of major league baseball privacy problems, we'll refer to her as Doc) is moving to Oregon for her job as a pharmacist and needed a hand setting up her apartment and carrying heavy boxes and what have you. So since I'm kind of a bum and don't have anything better to do, I got roped in to riding across the country. Not a bad deal I guess - I don't have to pay for much and get to see the country. I'll find a way to endure.

Forgive me if I am repeating things that you already know because as I write this, most everybody who reads it will actually be in the future. Apparently at some point in time around Indiana and Illinois we entered a new time zone and I have to say, I much prefered living in the future.

I am currently somewhere in Illinois, most likely somewhere North of Chicago at a Best Western. Last night we stayed somewhere in Cleveland. As you can tell, I'm like a human map. Maybe I should start from the beginning and explain everything thats happened.

We left heading down the thruway and got through New York without incident (and with me driving for the most part). We ended up getting a hotel somewhere in Cleveland around 8 (we left NY right around 2 or so) in an...interesting area. We survived the night, although my back felt like somebody had been using it as a trampoline. Got up around 730 and headed for our first big trip stop: The Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.

I had been to the HOF just a couple of summers ago with my family, so I had seen most of the stuff. It was kinda neat to go back and check out some new exhibits and whatnot. However, on the very top floor of the place they have like a rotating exhibit, meaning they focus on a certain performer for a specific period of time before they change it. The first time I went it was Jim Morrison, and that was pretty neat. This time, it was Bruce Springsteen. I'm gonna come right out and say it - I am not a Bruce Springsteen fan. Sure, I like Born in the USA and Born to Run (probably every song he sings about being born, in fact) but other than that, I could care less about The Boss really. He thinks he's cool cause his lower jaw sticks out. I got news for you Bruce - my lower jaw is way harder than yours.

After the HOF we headed west to continue our pilgrimage to Mecca, or Oregon, or whichever comes first. Let me tell you some interesting facts about the fine state of Indiana.

1. They care about their roads. The roads in Ohio were pretty poor, to put it mildly. However, the second we crossed into Indiana, the roads were all new and freshly paved and nice.

2. The speed limit for cars in Indiana is 70. I really thought that 65 was, like, a national thing. Am I stupid for thinking that? I thought it was a gas saving measure. I mean, I know about route 66 in Arizona or whatever where there is no speed limit but still. 70 is pretty cool.

3. They love their Hardees in Indiana. We passed a couple of plazas and each one was the same - it was a Hardees and a Big Burrito. I can understand the Hardees. That seems kind of middle-American and they make a mean Milkshake. But the Big Burritos seemed a bit odd to me...I just don't equate highway in Indiana with good Mexican food. Maybe that's just me.

4. We passed a Hobart Road. That was kinda cool. Too bad I was too slow with the camera. Maybe I am destined for Indiana...

We saw an interesting bit of road rage while in Indiana as well. There were signs saying that the left lane was closing, but some Enterprise van was ignoring it and banking on someone letting him merge in on the right. Well as he was trying to zoom by, a 16 wheeler swerved a bit into that lane and forced the van over. The van slowed down, and then as the truck moved back to his lane, it tried to pass him again. Again, the trucker pulled out a little more and impeded the van's progress. The van again slowed down. It didn't learn. The Van once again tried to pass the truck and this time the truck cut off the whole lane and forced the van nearly into the lane divider. I was right with the trucker. People like that van driver tick me off. I wouldn't have gone that far, but people need to learn some way I guess. I wanted to give the trucker a thumb's up, but as we passed him, I realized he looked like he had just gotten out of jail and that if he was willing to kill a driver for trying to merge in front of him, that things could get much worse if he somehow perceived my thumb's up to be a different finger...

So, I am pretty exhausted right now, and I'll leave what little I have about Chicago/Illinois for tomorrow morning or so.

Until then, stay classy, East Coast! Also, enjoy the future, I hear it is "like the past, only more informed." ~Erica Best