Greetings from the Garden State!

Well work has sent me to New Jersey for the week. I flew into Newark Sunday and I'm currently staying in lovely Secaucus for this next week.

It's everything I ever dreamed and more!

First of all the roads...I could see my hotel from NJ Route 3, I just couldn't get to it. Everything in this area seems to be off of service roads. Then when you miss your service road or go the wrong way, no U-turns. In Jersey they have jug handles. You realize this as you speed past one in the left hand lane when you needed to be in the right. See the example of the jug handle signage on wikipedia for a little slice of the driving heaven I got to experience Sunday night.

After about 45 minutes of not being able to get to my hotel even though I could plainly see it, I was just about ready to take my rental Malibu Maxx off roadin' and driving across lawns. I was just driving around for almost an hour, laughing manically like Chevy Chase from European Vacation. "Look kids, the Secaucus Hilton Garden Inn. I CAN'T GET LEFT!!!!!!!!!!".

Then, it just so happens that the Cubs are playing the Mets this week. Last night after my run, I slipped out to a bar to grab dinner and a beer. I had been watching the game back at the hotel and it was tied up 4-4 (the Cubs blowing a early 4 run lead) going into the late innings. Well, wearing my Cubs hat, I ended up walking into one of those Fado-esque, faux-Irish pubs that seem to be popping up everywhere. I was just in time for the bottom of the ninth with the game still locked up, place stocked with Met fans. Long story short, bottom of the 9th, two outs, bases loaded with Mets, Carlos Delgado at the plate, Michael Wuertz on the mound.

I looked at the waitress, who had just alerted others at the bar of my allegiance, and said, "Don't worry, he'll walk the winning run in."
Ten pitches and many foul balls later my prophesy came to fruition.

(By the way, I'm sooo back to hating this team and I think Sweet Lou is too.)

The waitress handled it well. All she said was, "I'll get another Guinness started for you" as I hung my head. She got a hefty tip for that.

Well three more days of restaurant bars and hotel rooms 'til I get back. I'm considering going to Uno's Chicago Grill just to be a snobby Chicagoan to a New Jerseyite trying to serve me "Chicago-style" food ("You call THIS pizza!"). I have been informed by my class full of native New Jerseyians that I can't leave state without trying Taylor Ham one day for breakfast, which they make sound like the next coming in pork roll form. That should be interesting. Wish me luck.

Oh, and despite what they all say here, I do not have an accent.....THEY are the ones who have the accent!