What are the chances that you could drive across five states, and cross time zones, and never find a moments refuge from the rain storms that seem to be blanketing the greater part of this nation? Unfortunately this drab scenery was what presented itself to us as we made our trip from Illinois back home to New York.

Dark clouds, heavy rain, and thick lingering fog obscured the flat alien landscapes of the mid west as we headed home. Occasionally we'd have a moment of clarity, the sun would shine through and we'd be reminded that the only thing for miles in any direction were rolling plains and farms, so I guess it might as well have just been cloudy.

The worst part of all of this would have to be the eternal whine of the 'low oil pressure' alarm. Since the radio didn't work, the only thing we had to listen to the entire time was this high pitched wail that would start and stop often enough to remind you it was still there. Though we let the car rest often enough, and though we kept the oil plentiful, that damned alarm was relentless. (I've been told by James that since his return to Hornell the car has yet to make that noise again, and the radio has started working again.)

We spanned quite the distance on our trip, but for some reason it felt like more than half of that distance was contained in Pennsylvania. We passed a great number of things I use to landmark the Keystone State (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, and the great US-15), but for some reason that state would just not let us pass. The daredevil cliffs were all masked in darkness, and the deep water that laid on the interstates only added a sense of danger to the monotony of a blank landscape. When we made it back into New York I felt a great weight lifted from my shoulders.

There was a quite joy I felt as we got off the interstate and drove through downtown New Paltz, the kind of joy that came with the realization that within the next 20 minutes I'd be asleep in my own bed. Though the rain has been falling steadily since this trip (I'm sure New York is not alone in this plight), I can't help but feel like those wicked rain clouds followed us here. Sorry guys.

Music by Chad Vangaalen.