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After waiting in the parking lot for a while waiting to see if Ron called back, I decided that it was cold in the parking lot, and I was hungry. So I left Ron another message saying I was going to go eat, and that if I had not heard from him by the time I was finished eating, I would go ahead and check in.
So I went looking for food. There was a Dairy Queen right next to the Comfort Inn, but it wasn't in the GPS database, so it would not do. There were a bunch of places in the nearby town though. So I went looking for them. The first few were closed. Then one was only take out. But then I found Papa Sal's.
There was one couple in there eating, but they left soon after I ordered, so I was the only one other than the employees. That was OK, I had lasagna.
As I was eating, Ron called me. He was home. He had a couch I could crash on. No Comfort Inn for me tonight.
So after I was done eating, I headed to Ron's house, which is labeled Sugar Lane, even though I don't think Ron calls it that.
Ron met me, offering me some sort of strange demonic glowing orange goo.
Since I had already eaten, I declined.
Ron's wife Ursula was also there, although because I screwed something up on the camera, she was in a very blurry mood.
Daughter Paisley came by to visit as well.
While I did a bit of email, Ron put on a documentary about the old Sci-Fi movie "Metropolis" on his big projection home theater setup. We watched the bit about how they did the special effects. It is amazing how much they were able to achieve with rudimentary technology.
We also looked a bit at one of Ron's old computers that was acting dead. I think it was dead.
Then it was time to sleep. So I did. a full eight hours!
When I got up in the morning, as is appropriate for Ron's house, the first thing I saw was a bizzare looking UFO thing on the ceiling.
After recovering from the initial shock, I got up and got ready for the day.
First thing we did, was go order a Valentine's Day Pizza Party for Ursula. She is a teacher, and Ron had six pizzas delivered to her school for her and her kids.
Then we went to eat at a Subway that used to be a car wash.
After grabbing my stuff at Ron's place, it was time to get on the road again. I reached the 200 mile mark, just outside of Greensburg, PA on a slightly larger road than I prefer.
I kept going.
My route was taking me directly into Pittsburgh. I had expected to pass by significantly north of Pittsburgh. But here I was. My route took me on to 5th Avenue, and into Shadyside. I was only a couple blocks from where I used to live when I went to school at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. I couldn't resist. I took a detour of a few blocks onto Summerlea. There it was, the place Beth and I had lived for... 3 years was it? Well, at least two anyway.
My bedroom was the one on the left on the middle floor. I liked that apartment.
But, now since I was looking at old apartments, I might as well look at all of them. Right before Summerlea I had lived in a studio on the ground floor of Amberson apartments.
I lived directly under the right side of the awning in the center. My two small windows looked out onto the entryway of the building. You can see my windows here.
Sunlight never once entered my apartment.
Going back in time further, when I first arrived at Carnegie Mellon, CMU was renting an old hotel building as off campus housing. It was pretty much the only place where singles were available to Freshmen. So I lived at Hampshire Hall.
My room was one of the windows on the first floor at the extreme left of this picture. I forget exactly which one. It has been a long time. But I am thinking maybe the one with the little junction box above it. I seem to remember that. Maybe.
Then I called Chad to try to start making arrangements for when we were going to meet the following day. Chad lives in Ohio, only about 90 minutes from the random spot, so I was going to be sure to visit him. He also wanted to actually do the last bit of the trip finding the random spot. When I called, I told Chad where I was. Chad had also lived in Hampshire Hall our freshman year. He said I should take pictures of "Name of the Game" and "House of Sauce", two establishements that had been across the street from Hampshire when we had lived there.
They were still there, although they had both changed their names.
Then Chad siad I really needed to go by Carnegie Mellon and take some pictures, because it had changed so much since we had been there. Chad had not visited at all since he graduated. I had, but it had been around five years. So I agreed and headed over to Carnegie Mellon.
I parked in the garage and started a little tour.
We called these the "New Dorms" because they were built while we were there. Of course, they are now a decade old. Time goes by way too fast.
Looking down The Cut at Hunt Library. Neither of the two buildings on the side were there when I was there. On the left is the new Student Center, where Skibo was when we were there. On the right is the new Arts Center.
A lot has changed, but they appear to have the same shuttle bus. I wonder if Earnie the bus driver is still there.
The area behind Doherety and Wean had a few new additions. Pitt's Tower of Learning is in the background.
The clock and the fence are still there.
Hunt Library had not changed at all.
I gather they finished the niches at CFA though.
Not much change looking down toward Hamburg either, although there are new buildings behind Hamburg.
Then I went into Hunt Library, and up to the 3rd floor, where in college I had been a work study student at the Fine and Rare Books room. Chad had worked there too. So as I'm looking around, who do I run into, but my old boss Mary Kay!
We chatted for about 15 minutes to catch up a bit and just chat. Then Angie came into work. Angie had also been at the Rare Book Room when Chad and I worked there.
After talking to Angie for a bit it was time to keep going. A couple more places to go on campus before I continued my trip West. First to Baker Hall. Looks kinda like it did ten years ago.
And Wean...
And the University Center which replaced Skibo.
And of course I had to go in to see the new home of WRCT, where I'd done a talk show called "Curmudgeon's Corner" while I was there...
It looks similar to how it did. Messy. Couches. Studio Booths. Looks great. I miss it!
Then right outside WRCT I saw these scary faces, and I knew it was time to leave.
So I got back to my car and headed West toward downtown Pittsburgh.
Then I had a problem. The GPS was trying to get me to take one of the bridges across the river that was an Interstate. I would have nothing of that. So I wandered around downtown a bit. I found a good bridge after a bit. I forget which. The 7th or 9th street bridge over to the North Side or some such.
After corssing the river I went up and over and around a few hills, but before long I was at the 175 mile mark, in Bellevue, PA.
I continued on my way, across another bridge (non-Interstate of course) and heading off West away from Pittsburgh. As the day was drawing to the close I took a wrong turn and very briefly got on the Interstate. Butduring that brief stretch I got to the 150 mile mark... Right at the West Virginia border, near Weirton, WV.
Then I took the exit, got back on to back roads, and Day 2 was over.
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