Jay and Ozzy Hit The Road

Wow, am I ever gone from Washington, DC!!!  In fact, DC has probably persuaded me to never again go into a cosmopolitan area...I have been avoiding the big cities but thought it would be nice to go into DC for a couple of days.  Went to the Zoo yesterday and had a good time there (not gonna complain about the $22.00 parking charge), no entrance fee into the Zoo.  Frankly, I do think it has seen better days, lots of exhibits closed, but I love the big cats and birds and of course the giant pandas.  As nice as some of the areas are for them, I still feel badly for the animals, especially the great apes and elephants who are so smart and emotionally advanced.  Even the snakes seemed unhappy.

Anyway, the driving in the city was more than I ever want to do again.  I don't know how people subject themselves to that kind of stress day after day...money must be pretty good.  And driving out of the city on Interstate 66 was harrowing.  (And, today, bumper to bumper back into the city.)  Anyway, gonna stay on the back roads and find the smaller quieter places to visit and hang. 

On a couple of good notes, I found a new free app for finding overnight rest areas and it paid for itself last night as Ozzy and I had a good nights sleep at the Virginia Welcome Center at mile marker 48 on I-66 which I found through the new app.  (Well if you ever plan to motor west, travel my way that's the highway that's the best, Get your kicks on Route 66.)  And, I checked my roster for my winterim course at PSU in January and there are enough students signed up to make it worth my while to return to NH to teach...good money for short time!

Ozzy and I have now made it for three months on the road without having to work.  With teaching in January and no unforeseen emergency expenditures of cash, I think we can make it at least another three months.  Bills are paid, a little money in the bank, van is running well (I did lose a hubcap this AM which I would like to replace), new eye glasses, including prescription sunglasses, on order, the kindness of friends, free wifi, a new USA Rest Stop app and mapquest are making this journey a mostly positive experience.

Onto smaller and quieter...