Road Trip Diary: New York to Maryland... and back.

Dad listens to the radio murmur quietly; one of the pious pundits talks furvently of righting wrongs and wornging rights.

No one listens.

The iPod says it's 5:43 and however many seconds. At teh moment, i only posess the right earphone; the left is firmly planted in mom's ear. "You have to buy me an iPod. It relaxes me in the car," she says.

So far as i know, we're still in New Jersey; i haven't seen any evidence to the contrary -- no toll booths, no "Delaware Welcomes You!" sort of signs.

Just road.

I wish i had my camcorder -- it hasn't arrived yet -- so that i could play. Nothing serious, just shots of the road, and all.

Oh, just paid a toll. NJ Turnpike, $3.10.

There you go. Still in Jersey.

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And on your right, you'll see Aladin's mystical city of gold. It's really a factory of some kind; i have no idea what they produce. Every time we'd drive down, and it was night-time, it would be lit up; and my parents would tell me it was Aladin's city of gold.

You can see it from the Delaware Memorial bridge. I think it's the Delaware Memorial, at any rate, because the first thing you see after the bridge (past the city of gold) is a row of toll booths, crowned with the words "Delaware Memorial Bridge".

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just saw the sign for Baltimore. "Baltimore / Wilmington". Saw afew others that say "Baltimore / Newark".

We're headed for Baltimore. Sort of.

Actually, we're headed for the school, which is kind of near BWI airport. But that's beside the point.

I'm listening to "Gethsemane" form a Russian recording of Jesus Christ Superstar. I can follow along (in English) because i knew it entirely by heart (in English).

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"I think we're in Delaware rush-hour."

Well, there ya go. We're in Delaware. (Of course, the Bridge was probably a pretty good hint.)

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I wish i had a camera of any kind with me right now. Especially my 35mm -- i call it 'mahalo'. I mean, granted, the light sucks, and i'm in a moving car, so they might not look too good when i developed the film; but it would make me feel better.

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Yay! We're in Maryland! They actually had a sign, Not like that inconsiderate postage stamp people call Delaware.

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Well, we just had dinner. It's dark, there aren't any streetlights, and i really can't see what i'm writing.

Strike that. There are the streetlights.

iPod says it's 8:04.

I got a book on friendship bracelets -- y'know, how to make them, and all. I'm going to be so absolutely wired that i won't even be able to write straight.

Not that i'm writing straight right now. I've got my feet on the edge of the seat, my knees on the back of the passenger seat, and i'm holding the book up at an angle so that i can catch other people's headlights.

A big shout-out to the blackish/dark-green/dark-blue (sry, can't tell) truck with Virginia plates.

What i'm thinking i might do is stop writing soon. I always do that.

Writing, i mean. Well, thinking too. I mean, i get into the car, and it's like, omG, Ki, shut up! Just stop thinking! So on long road trips, i bring a notebook, and when i've got that pencil in my hand, i just keep writing.

It doesn't matter if if follow the rules of capitalization -- i usually don't anyway -- the rules fo punctuation go right out the window.

Hell, half the time, it isn't even legible.

Like now.

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You know what's scary?

Let me set this up for you. I need you to imagine this.

You're in the car. You've been in the car since 2:30 this afternoon. It is now 9:01. (You've been out of the car only twice -- once for dinner, and at that rest stop in Jersey.)

You have passed the sign for "Univ of Md. / Baltimore Co." twice -- once, you went straight through into Catonsville, and now, the second time, you're back on a highway.

It suddenly crosses your mind: Did i remember to pack mascara?

(the answer, by the way, was 'yes')

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SATURDAY AFTERNOON Sometime around 4. NJ.

Well, i'd say i did pretty well.

Strike that. I kicked ass.

I was the only one that looked professional, and i knew what i was talking about.

Got a sweatshirt, and some tee-shirts, and bumper-stickers, and all...


I feel really good about this, even though i only got about a half hour's sleep in the suite at the Baltimore Best Western Travel Plaza.

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