Last Days in NJ

After we moved down to the DC suburbs I had to go back to Jersey for work. I honestly felt a magnetic pull towards taking the train out of the suburbs into nitty gritty NYC.

 There is something homey, dirty and busy about Penn Station (NY) that is hard to find in any other city in the world.

I couldn't wait to get there and feel the rush of people, the smell of smog and trudge my way home to my little town in Jersey. Off I left from the prim and proper station in DC at Union Station. Traveling by train is one of my favorite forms of travel. This trip didn't fail. I sat in the "quiet car" where it is prohibited to speak or make noise. Three hours later the train pulled in to Penn Station. All of the sleepy people aboard the quiet car were suddenly jumping to their feet and pushing their way forward. In New York you must push your way forward or you will be the one getting pushed. I elbowed my way through the crowd and dashed up the stairs. The NJ Transit Train was leaving for my town in 6 minutes and I needed to get a ticket! Of course, the ticket machine wouldn't accept my credit card so I just ran and jumped on the train figuring to pay with cash (you get charged 5 dollars more if you pay on the train). The conductor didn't have change, rolled his eyes, argued with me about the ticket machines working and said he was coming back to charge me as soon as he got change. He didn't come back! $16 dollars saved!

Getting back to our little town alone was very strange. I walked out of the station and passed the 1940's movie theater, went down Main Street and passed the old pharmacy, the fancy pet store, the expensive consignment shop, the barber, the ice-cream shop. Our little town got stuck in the 1940's architecture and for some reason I took it for granted that it was just like this. Coming from DC suburbs I realize that cute little towns with Main Streets and a train to NYC are actually pretty unique.

The Train Station

Shops on Main Street

The Old Library

I got to my little townhouse on the edge of Main Street and it looked empty but inviting. It was so strange to go in, hear echos and remember where my couch used to be, where I used to sleep, where we ate so many times in the tiny dining room. There wasn't a stitch of furniture left so I went to a hotel by my work.

The kittens didn't like staying in our empty house either. Fatty sat like a morose chicken and didn't eat. Bentley walked around perplexed wondering where everything disappeared to. Neither of them wanted me to leave when I came from work to feed them. I didn't want my old kittens feeling sad and getting sick so I did the best thing for all of us that I could think of. I had a family party! I wanted the last memories in my little house to be good ones so I made really good college food: onion rings and hamburger meat.

Good bye, Fridge!

 The last moments in my house were so nice. I loved smelling the familiar smell of food in my home. Then I packed up the food to take to my hotel, put the kittens in their travel bin, locked the house one last time and left.

I didn't want to get kicked out of my hotel for bringing the kittens so took them to a Kitty Hilton...otherwise known as my office...There they stayed in total bliss. They jumped here and there on my desk and window. It smelled like me so they were happy, there was office furniture to lounge on and every one who discovered they were there came in to pet them. One little 5-year old patron came with her dad. I told her, "It's a secret they are here so don't tell my boss!" She nodded understanding our secret. As soon as she left my office she went up to a stranger, poked their leg and whispered, "Hey, Miss Librarian has her cats in there, it's a secret and don't tell her boss!" When my boss came that night she absolutely LOVED them, didn't know anything at all. Nope, not she. All the librarians took turns petting them. The IT guy, otherwise known to the kittens as Uncle George and his wife now known as Aunt Sue even made a special trip to see "The Boys". Fatty and Bentley LOVED the library and their new fan base. I think libraries are natural places for cats, there are so many books to sleep around. But these kittens didn't make it out of my office. It seemed as if they knew there was a world of books waiting for them outside  of my office door.

Anyway, the day to finally lock up my office and leave came. I was having a really hard time sleeping so was waking up at 4:30 each day. This day wasn't any different and I wanted to have a good road trip on the way down and enjoy the fall weather. Fatty and Bentley were totally confused when I told them it was time to go again. They had already assumed that my office was their new home!

Before leaving Jersey I stocked up on the essentials I knew I wouldn't find in suburban DC:

Lots of Calandra's Bakery Bread. One with a bite. Gee I wonder who did that?

6 bottles of good olive oil. 

I put the kittens in their crate in the car and off we went in the direction of Pennsylvania. I planned to go through Amish country, see some covered bridges and stop by Gettysburg. The drive was absolutely divine. Well, except for a howling cat. Fatty has some issues in the car so he howled the first hour. He got desperate and I did everything possible to calm him.

How to Calm Fatty in the Car:

1. Talk to him
2. Sing to him
3. Put your finger in the crate and get clawed.
4. Curse quietly, nurse clawed finger and turn on his favorite music
5. Start with the Dixie Chicks (He likes this on sunny days. It makes him feel like a golden retriever)
6.Switch to la Symphonia Mexicana (he likes this on romantic rainy days)
7. Finally put on Puccini's "La Boheme" (good when he is feeling fussy or depressed)
8. Stop the car. Adjust his crate, talk to cat again and get back to driving with La Boheme at a comfortable volume with the window cracked just a little for some air for the cat but not too much to disturb him, and not too little to annoy him.
9. Drive 4 hours in peace.

I don't understand my cat. Fatty is more tempermental than an old man and has the musical sophisticated taste of Park Avenue millionaire. Music really affects him. But that is for another blog.

The point is, we got on the road. I took all of the old back highways and here is where I stopped:

Shoemakersville sounds like a place I could like!

Covered bridges in PA are so romantic

Farmland with Jersey cows

Small town PA. I think this was called Chester

Americana at its best: Maple doughnuts!

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Six to take to our new house! Not exactly what I should be eating but hey...they are Maple Donuts!

mmmm Steak

 I stopped at Gettysburg and was shocked to see the entrance was $30! I refuse to pay to see where people die so went around the back.

Why would they put a book with no title in his hand?! It just doesn't make sense! Is it the Emancipation Proclamation? Is it the Aeneid? Is it Alice in Wonderland? I don't understand why it is an empty book? 

A nod to all the horses who died. 

Battleground

I found this rickety old farm house romantic

I had to stop here!

Yes, I got a few apple pies!

Fresh preserves

Finally we got to our new house and the Chef was awaiting us with  food and our old beds to sleep on. It feels really good to sleep in your own bed after you move.