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So I was sitting there in stopped traffic. Lots of red tail lights everywhere.
From all appearances it was just an accident up ahead.
I had been hoping to be home by now, so the vacation would end on Day 7 without going into a Day 8. But that had not happened. Here I was. Day 8. And stuck in traffic.
At the limits of where I could see, there were bunches of police/ambulance type blinking lights. Things were stop and go. But lo! Just a few hundred feet away, an exit! Well, not an exit exit, but the place where the "Northeast Extention" of the turnpike breaks off and turns North. Which was not at all the direction I was going. And would probably take me further out of my way and take longer to get home than just waiting and going through the stop and go a little while. And I wanted to get home. But I did not want to sit in traffic. So the exiti it was.
I ended up heading north a while. Maybe it was the first exit north, or maybe it was the second. Eventually I got off and started heading east again. I headed roughly southeast on the smaller roads and ended up in Willow Grove. Back roads I recognized again! Getting close to home! As I approached the turnpike again, I thought about skipping it and doing back roads the rest of the way home. But then I decided I just wanted to get home.
So Turnpike it was. Then US 1 and past the "Trenton Makes the World Takes" sign and into New Jersey, up the road a bit, then before I knew it, I was home again...
Inside, my pile welcomed me.
Meanwhile, Nacho looked at me warily, and Brain climbed the ladder to try to get away from me.
So then of course, what could possibly be on the agenda other than vegging in front of the TV?
Well, of course I also pulled out the computer and did email, cause I am addicted and all that, but mostly for the next four hours I sat there and watched some TV off the Tivo. And basically just unwound.
And then I slept for a bit.
In the morning, getting up was hard. I actually had to go to work today! Urgh! Well, I hit the snooze alarm many many times, then eventually got myself up, got ready and dragged myself outside to go to work...
So, I headed to work, and gradually started to get back in to the swing of things. I checked in with my boss James...
I talked to Eric a bit...
I think I saw a bunch of other people too, but I neglected to take pictures of them. So if you saw me that day and your picture isn't here, sorry! Then, before too long, I needed to leave the Princeton Office...
And go to the Hopewell Office...
For a big meeting...
That's Lou, Melanie, Surya, Thanh and Eric. Dan was there earlier, but he left before I took the picture.
After the meeting ended, that was it for the day for work.
I left to head back home the back way. Stopped at Burger King for a quick meal. Then wound my way through Princeton on the way home. They have a cool gothic looking tower.
Heading out of Princeton, I saw a nice bird of prey on a tree. In a great pose. But by the time I got my camera out, traffic was moving and I could barely get a shot of it as I past it and it had moved a bit. Drat. Oh well.
Finally I got home again. I was tired. I headed to sleep almost immediately.
And thus Day 8 of the 2003 Q1 vacation ended. And thus the vacation itself ended. The end.
Oh wait... my car was still in Ohio! I had to go back!
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