I'm driving through the night to Bromont with Emily and Jeff Beshear, their son Nicholas, and their labrador Theo. If you don't know, Emily is an upper level rider and coach, Jeff is a rider and equine vet, and together they own and operate Brickland Farm, a training facility in Somerset, VA. Needless to say, young Nicholas is the brains behind the operation. We left Brickland around 8pm on Tuesday in their RV and I will be posting updates of our drive throughout the night.
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8:13 PM - Location: Central Virginia, Status: Leaving Brickland farm
55 miles to DC
Frankly I'm just glad to be on the road because getting my passport turned out to be an absolute nightmare. Like everything, I left getting my passport until the last minute, and I nearly missed Bromont as a result. We used an expedited passport service--let's call it HushMyPassport.com--and they guaranteed delivery by Tuesday at the latest. I know, I know, we were cutting things pretty close, but it was guaranteed right?? Making a long story sort, I got a call at 9am this morning saying that for unknown reasons the courier hadn't picked up my passport on Monday and so it wouldn't be arriving Today. The only way for me to get my passport was to go to the passport office in Washington, DC. Fast forward 5 hours and I was completely lost in DC, driving down Pennsylvania avenue, and getting directions from a Taxi driver--while we were both driving. God bless taxi drivers. Anyhow, I managed to get the passport with 3 minutes to spare before the passport office closed, paid my $8 in parking and only got lost once on the drive home. Fortunately, the day can only get better from here and all I have to do before bed is drive to Canada.
10:30 PM - Location: Just across the PA border, Status: Working on the computer
Well, it's 10:30 at night, Emily is driving, and I'm doing the same thing I would be if I was sitting at home--working on the computer. We have just crossed into the keystone state--why is it called the keystone state anyhow? Honestly, I completely missed our short journey through Maryland because I was busy writing emails and adding the USPEA banner to out sidebar, which I think looks great.
Let us go then, you and I, when the evening is spread out against the sky...
Either way, Elanor Rigby is a top 5 song of all time, no doubt. While we're at it, Prufrock is a top 5 poem, along with Ulysses, but if I start reciting that I'm going to start crying.
It little profits that an idle king...
If you only memorize two things in your life memorize those. Sorry, like vampires, my inner nerd thrives at night. Now to more emails. Links: Prufrock, Ulysses
9:20 PM - Location: Sheetz, Status: Bathroom break -- 7 games of Pok'emon, 3 games of UNO, 1 government quiz by yours truly (inspired by my trip to Washington), and 1 Gatorade later and it's bathroom time for Nicholas. Oh the wonders of traveling with a 7 year old. 9:30 at night and Sheetz is packed--welcome to Northern Virginia. Pop quiz time: how many Air Force Ones are there?
11:40 PM - Location: Somewhere in PA, Status: Refueling
Bromont One sitting in the hanger
Time for me to begin my shift after quickly refueling at a Pilot station. Why don't more gas stations sell Vault energy drink?? And why does Pepsi make Diet Mountain Dew (which tastes awful) look almost exactly the same as regular (which tastes decent)?? I will be pondering these questions and more over the next few hours.
5:00 AM - Location: Upstate NY, Status: Tired
Well my 5 hour driving shift has ended and it was thankfully uneventful. The worst part is always right before dawn. The RV drives like a boat, which reminds me that there are a lot more boating accidents than most people think--primarily due to intoxication and the fact that boats take a lot longer to stop than some people think. Unlike boats, cars decelerate faster than they accelerate, which modeling has shown to be one reason for traffic backups. While I was driving I saw a tractor trailer that was pulling two full length trailers in tandem. In other news, it's colder than I anticipated in upstate New York--probably around 40 degrees right now. Sorry, I ramble when I get tired. Alright, off to try to catch a bit of shut-eye before the border crossing. Thankfully Ally is handling the morning post.
8:00 AM - Location: Border, Status: Sleeping
I woke up just long enough to show my passport to the officer. No questions asked.
9:00 AM - Location: Bromont!!!
Arrival! I woke up to the Bromont gate keeper directing us to the camping spot. First impression: Canada is green and hilly. That's all for now. The jogs are this afternoon and until then I'll be out and about Bromont.
[[Note: if my posts suddenly stop for a while this morning, it's probably because my wireless card is out of service area. That or a Moose ate me.]]
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The route:
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A few quick links from Tuesday:
Nearly 50% of Brits have never ridden, which is nearly 50% more than have brushed their teeth
Two Air Force Ones