Summer Trip Begins

Dhrits and I have been on the road since Friday.  For three nights in a row I only was able to get three hours sleep or so.  On Friday, I drove for about twelve hours and we stayed in Richmond.  On Saturday morning, we arrived at RKF Stadium in Washington D.C. and was able to work about three hours or so.  That day, we ate at one of my favorite vegetarian restaurants located in Rockville, Maryland called the Vegetable Garden.   I got the "Chicken" Curry, some "Chicken" Drumsticks,  wonton soup and a spring roll.  Later that day, we rolled into West Chester, Pennsylvania, where we stayed at a Holiday Inn for two nights.  We almost always stay at Holiday Inn's because we get half-off the normal rates with my iata card.  For example, in Richmond we paid $49, in West Chester we paid $57 and in Pittsburgh we are paying $44 a night.  

We arrived in Camden, N.J. on Sunday morning and got to the show early.  Although we arrived at 9 a.m., people didn't start getting to the concert until around 11.  The good thing about it was we were able to sneak into the lot and park for free.  The bad thing is we had to wait around for a few hours.  It was cold outside, in the 40's early on with a stiff chilly wind from the North. Reminded me of my childhood in Connecticut.   I dozed off in the car and tried to catch up with my sleep for an hour or so.  I woke up and changed into long pants so I didn't chill right to my bones.

With the weight loss has come less cushion on my butt which now starts to hurt after long rides.  I especially felt it on the first day.  One of the few pitfalls of losing weight, I guess.  The first couple of nights I hit the treadmill.  I was so tired Saturday night that I actually dozed off while running five mph, albeit for a split second.  Another split second and I may have been thrown across the room.  Maintaining my exercise regimen is important to me, so I have to keep it up no matter how tired I am.  The problem is so much driving, working and online schooling can keep me from getting into the ambitious mood that is neccessary to amintain my regimen.  I watched the Celtics lose game seven yesterday when I could have been running.  Now that they're out of it, I don't think the television will occupy my time very much anymore.  I generally just let Dhrits have the remote in the hotels and occupy myself with other things, the computer among them.  He seems perfectly content with the remote in his hands.

We rented a full size car at $32 a day.  It's a Hynudai Sonanta.  I didn't want to put so much wear and tear on my car anyway.  It works out for Radha because now she has my Yaris to drive during the summer.  It has good pickup and more room but of course not as good gas mileage.  My Yaris gets almost 40 miles per gallon.  

Today we drove to Pittsburgh.  I always liked the look of this working-class city.  It is very hilly with three rivers going through it.  It looks old and industrial but not overly dirty, with brick and stone buildings interspersed with sky scrapers from decades past.  The streets are narrow downtown.  One section of the area that I like and remember from about five years ago is an area called Shady Side, which has some half-way decent restaurants and historic buildings.  Glani, Vinode, Mahananada and I ate at a nice Thai, Indian and Middle Eastern restaurants when we were there then.   Dhrits and I are going to the Bruce Springsteen concert tomorrow and then driving to D.C. on Wednesday for the Coldplay concert on Thursday.  The drive is about 250 miles.  

I have some interesting, and in my mind humorous stories to tell in my upcoming blogs but am too tired now to relate them sufficiently now.  Stay tuned.