Travelogue Chapter 5: Indiana, Pennsilvania, USA (or 'What did Chapter 4 ever do for me?')

Dear Readers,

The madness. To those of you I owe replies - my apologies. I have been restricted to trians planes and automobiles and have not had much opportunity to be on the information superhighway. I'll see what I can do now - if I don't get back to you be asurred i wanted to and will try over the next few days.

I'm currently squeezed into a half-sized chair in the children's area of the library in a little town called Indiana, Pennsilvania. I left Portland on MOnday morning in a drunken, but decidedly satisfied haze. Once again I owe great thanks to Ryan and Jeremy and Kerry and Renne for helping bid fairwell to
POrtland in style with a pretty wild night and Ryan most specifically for dragging himself out of bed after what can't have been more than five hours sleep to drive me to the airport. I'd tell you all a little bit about that night but well... nevermind. Topping the thank you list is kerry who put up with me all week, and really lifted my spirits, and kept me entertained and happy at what otherwise would have been a very very difficult time. Kerry, you can expect a pretty hat (or two) in the post over the next while, you've probably seen the hat you loaned me already on the head of a Portland vagrant, and I can only give you my apologies and a promise of recompense.

So, I made it to New YOrk via Denver Collorado (where people actuallly wear cowboy outfits who are not going to fancy dress parties). It was the most spectacular flight I have ever been on in my whole life - and thankfully I managed to keep down my breakfast. I had only time to get into a NY taxi, see the Chrysler building and stay the night with Sarah in Manhatten (thanx :-)). And hit the road with Dave and Rob. A 380-mile drive got us to Indiana Pennsilvania to visit the lovely (I assume - haven't met her yet) Michael (don't correct my spelling that is her name even though it is not usually associated with the fairer (I use the term loosely) gender) - an old flame of Dave's - and over the next two weeks we're making our to vegas for a wedding! Oh, don't put those two facts together, they're not the happy couple (but hey anything could happen) - rob's uncle is tying the knot (having loosened a few of his previous ones it seems) and we're trying to make the wedding.

This has been a very factual nuts and bolts chapter it seems, just briefly I'll mention the ways in which Rob's 'value-for-money' ethic makes me happy. We got the cheapest rental deal available within a hundred mile radius of New YOrk city by taking a train journey to the little town of South Amboy, New Jersey -
where he somehow successfully stood his ground and refused to pay the extra levvy for being under twenty five, but did concede under some peer pressure to getting the collision insurance. We arrived (minus Dave who had 'other arrangements') at the HOliday Inn at one in the morning and Rob managed to get fifteen dollars knocked off the bill - and had an night-cap cigarette from the couple of hundred he bought from some native Americans because they don't have to pay the duty on them (being under their own law) and can sell them a lot cheaper. NOw anyone else who wakes up about seventeen minutes before the latest time for check-out (as we did) might panic, but under rob's exceptional organisational skills we managed to take full advantage of facilites and squeeze in a morning swim and a shower before we checked-out.

Well, the children are starting to freak me out - I think they want me to playwith them. I don't know - a lot of them look sticky. Sorry for the rush.

Signing off,
James.

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