Trucker
Well we made it to Pennsylvania. And let me tell you, I have a new appreciation for truckers.
I drove the smallest U-Haul for the better part of seven hours. It’s only ten feet long and it was filled with half of our worldly possessions. That was harrowing. Trucks are all about blind spots. And it probably took at least 100 miles until I stopped reflexively trying to look in the rearview mirror. But even a small truck has a lot more mass and momentum than any SUV or van I’ve ever driven. It’s big.
What set this trip apart from all the other big drives from Albany to Bedford was that it was a solo journey. And that meant that I could eat whatever I wanted.
Really, I had hoped to stop somewhere in NEPA for some old forge style pizza. But I got a much much later start than I had hoped. So I had no time to stop for meals.
Eating in the moving cab of a truck is probably not a great idea. However, I was able to set up my mise en place at a gas station so everything was within arms reach. And I have to say it was really a decadent treat.
It’s a little embarrassing.
My dinner consisted primarily of a large chunk of parm-reg. It was one of the few things remaining in the refrigerator that we weren’t able to eat through before our departure. And I thought it would be a delightful thing to munch on. Oh yeah. That was good.
Dessert was my favorite combination of dark chocolate and walnuts.
So, maybe I don’t quite have this trucker thing down. But I’ll have one more chance at the beginning of September when we bring out stuff from Pennsylvania to New Jersey. Now it’s time to unload, return the truck, take a shower, and then take a nap.
Hopefully I won’t have to drive anywhere for a couple of days, because like a crazy person I’m driving back to the eastern tip of Long Island on Monday. And in a few weeks I’ll be making another trip from Pennsylvania to Brooklyn. August is the month of many miles. And hopefully along the way there will be some good meals as a result of it all.
I’ll keep you posted.
FUSSYlittleBLOG 
I’m glad you made it safely, Daniel.
I remember that the last time I moved here from California, it was a major pain in the ass… I actually moved from the Bay Area to Northampton, Massachusetts, and I shipped a lot of stuff because I didn’t want to drive a big van over the Rockies and through the Great Plains and etc., etc. (The move to Albany is another story… yes, big U-Haul truck.) I collect books and vinyl records, so I rented a storage unit near where my mother lives in Sacramento, and every few months when I go to visit her I ship another few boxes via Media Mail. Otherwise I’d be sitting around watching crappy television and wringing my hands.
Sounds like you’ll have a good August. I’m not really going anywhere (well, except New Jersey) until September, so I’m going to hole up and leave the air conditioner on. But I hope your “many miles” are happy and productive ones.
Do you have a personal favorite pizza place in NEPA?
I heard Revello’s is one of the landmarks. But other places seems to get better praise.
I was in Wilkes Barre for a wedding in June and a very tasty Old Forge style pizza (from a popular but unknown to me Wilkes Barre restaurant) was delivered to the reception room for the after party.