You have dysentery!
The G-quinox is rollin' towards the left coast. Everything has been smooth as Uncle Joe's bald head so far. I am in Nebraska right now. Watch out people, the view and the return of the joeyGjourney blog are lookin' kind of "
corny"...
Random observations from Interstate 80...
-the prettiest river = 1)the good old Allegheny (maybe I'm biased to the Keystone State)
-the nicest truck stop = western Illinois - free air, ice, and smiles
-the greatest invention = Sirius satellite radio. My go-to song is actually a beautiful bluegrass tune -
"Hills of Alabam" by Claire Lynch - click and preview track #4!
-Cabela's aren't just local to Hamburg, PA!
-Indiana looks like Ohio and Ohio looks like Pennsylvania
-Touchscreen/PhotoHunt is only a quarter/play in the midwest
I have been making great time and the drive has been pretty uneventful - both good things! My favorite pastime has been watching cars roll up on my left and stare at my DE license plate. I proceed to watch them mouth "Dela-
where?" I happily oblige them with a tip of my
Philadelphia Phillies hat. The cruise has also been in the budget. My mom did an awesome job packing me food to get me across the country (and probably back again!) and trusty GM equipped me with a vehicle that averages around 27mpg. I have been enjoying the scenery and talking to friends and family along the way. My friend Chris has an application that can track where I am to a map on his phone, which is very cool in a stalking-type of way. He knew I was in Des Moines before I did!
After breezing through the PA, OH, IN turnpikes, I stayed last night I stayed in South Bend, Indiana for my first night. I stopped by the University of Notre Dame. While not a big fan of the Fighting Irish (I prefer the Peaceful Polish), the campus was very classy. I wondered if the students strolling the campus ever took the time to look around and appreciate it. They had a bagpipe band rehearsing in the middle of the campus! Regardless, go Hurricanes!
A picture I took of "Touchdown Jesus"
Nice, but no Barbelin on City Line Ave.Today I entered the Central Time Zone, crossed the Mississippi into Iowa, and nipped off a good chunk of Nebraska. I abandoned my never-ending supply of Mama G. rations tonight and ate in the quaint, rustic town that I am staying in -Kearney, NE. I ate at the Chicken Coop and yes, I had chicken. Day 3 is tomorrow with a run through the rest of Nebraska, winding through Wyoming, and ending with a hotel in Salt Lake City. Get your Mormon on! These four days are going quite fast, but well within the speed limit :)
The town in Iowa where I caught a little mid-drive shuteyeI hope everyone is doing well! Don't hesitate to call because I would love the company.
Alright, check your tire pressure... Swagger Like Us!
-half dome, amanda from glacier point
-vernal fall, nevada fall from washburn point
-tunnel view, el capitan, bridalveil fall
-taft point, me
-taft point, me
-valley view, el capitan, merced river
-lower yosemite falls, rainbow
-nevada fall, amanda
-fissure near nevada fall
-nevada fall
-el capitan reflected in merced river
-moon over muir trail
Great day, but I will focus on one thing, my favorite hole-in-the-wall pizza and beer hot-spot. Golden Boy Pizza is named after De La Hoya and is literally a hole in a wall of the Italian district. Clearly what I envision heaven looking like. Walls riddled with bumper stickers, iPod blasting a mix of obscure Rolling Stones and new Mos Def, counter-top seating only, with a sweet girl behind it who probably is involved in some sort of Roller Derby on weekends. What about the pizza? Big ceiling tile-size slices of sicilian, crunchy/chewy, crusted goodness. I went with the Clam and Garlic and had a Combo (pepperoni, sausage, tomato, onion, zucchini) for seconds. There is a large beverage selection including Root Beer on tap along with a dozen or so other "beers." I love places where it feels like you are getting more and you definitely get more than an isoceles "piece" at Golden Boy.
The parade was, well... worth the wait! They say how the Philadelphia sports teams go; so goes the city. It was evident yesterday that the greater Philadelphia area was feeling fine in the sunshine. Everyone and their Victorino seemed to take public transportation yesterday. I drove by the Claymont SEPTA stop and saw a sea of red. So I kept going, drove by car over the Platt Bridge, smoothly into the city, and even found a free street parking spot about 10 blocks from the celebration. It was a perfect closer, just like Brad Lidge. 
PHAN-tastic. Felt like I was at a rock concert last night. Ears ringing, voice hoarse, and palms aching from high-fiving everyone in the City of Brotherly Love. Once in a lifetime.....
I think we need a rewrite of this song for the World Series next week. Thanks to my dad for the chuckle of the week. He was talking to my aunt (and Tampa resident) and she asked, "How many teams are in the World Series this year?!?"
Oh for October. Glad to see the Phils win game 1. Cole Hamels really buckled down and won the game in the 5-6-7th innings. The announcers were disheartening Brett Myers for Friday night, but let's hope he shows up. I know I will. In my apartment donning my Phillies gear. Woodland, CA will be Broad & Pattison West for this series.
All those nights at the Best Western Genetti Motor Lodge in Hazleton, PA paid off. I am staying at a BW in Salt Lake tonight. Day 3 is a wrap and last leg kicks off tomorrow. Amazingly, I've kept at a 700 mile / day clip pretty consistently.
You have dysentery!
