New Jersey

I love Jersey.  Even after circling the air space above Trenton for a good half an hour just waiting for Newark to clear our plane to land, I still love being back in the Garden State.  Even after having to drive through Newark and Elizabeth to purchase gas because I was somehow below Empty after leaving the airport parking lot (was someone in Newark siphoning my gas?).  Even after returning home to find my toilet wouldn't flush (although it worked again this morning for some unknown reason).  And even after fighting the normal traffic on Route 1 to get to work today, it's still good to be home.  There is nothing like sleeping in my own bed and eating in my own house and driving in my own car and not listening to people talk about NASCAR like it's football or baseball or an actual sporting event.  Not that South Carolina was that bad.  Greenville was a "normal" enough city - good sized, sort of like an Edison or Woodbridge I guess.  Lots and lots of mammoth chain restaurants and hotels for travelers.  Lots of businesses.  A major highway, that actually had a bunch of traffic on it during rush hour.  Not a lot of trees.  I didn't notice a bunch of churches and only saw one sign on an exit for Bob Jones University (which nobody where I was actually mentioned).  The weather was unseasonably cold, at least according to those down there, and we had frost on the cars in the morning.  But we got out before the ice and snow storm that they'd been predicting (and panicking about) all week.  They're not used to snow I think.  All in all, it wasn't horrible.

The plant visit was probably the highlight, but I don't know if I can discuss it on this forum, especially with my company about to get bought out by a big corporation, but I don't know if I can discuss that either.  I know I have no interest in working for a big corporation after my very brief experience with it last year but I think there's an upside in the deal as well.  I guess I don't really care either way.  It'll suck no matter what.  But back to the trip, I spent the full entirety of my time in either the warehouse, the plant, a restaurant, or the hotel.  A lot of people who don't travel for business will often think there's something good about seeing the rest of the country for work.  There's not.  Even if there were some local attractions to get to see (Bob Jones?), first of all, I didn't have a car (my boss rented one) and if I did, we didn't exactly get back to the hotel until after 9 pm after spending 12+ hours walking around a warehouse and talking to strangers who are not exactly happy that you're asking them a million questions about what they do.  So no, besides the 3 beers I downed in 10 minutes in front of the clients at PF Chang's it wasn't exactly the most culturally enlightening experience.  And there's a fucking PF Chang's right at the Quakerbridge Mall 10 minutes from my house.  I can have their delicious lettuce wraps without flying 1,000 miles.

Long story short, I'm back home.  I hate flying.  I hate traveling.  At least to South Carolina.  I'm sure it was nice in Florida, but it was fucking cold in Greenville.  But the Giants are in the NFC Championship.  Syracuse crushed my alma mater on Wednesday (wait, isn't Syracuse my alma mater?).  And the Cowboys fans are suicidal.  So that's all good news.  I could use another vacation though.  I don't like all this fucking work.  I much prefer blogging.  How can I make money at this?  Anyone know?  Bueller?

Some songs about the Garden State.  Enjoy.  Have a good weekend...

• Download Red House Painters - "New Jersey".mp3
• Download Eluvium - "When I Live By the Garden and the Sea".mp3
• Download M83 - "Fields, Shorelines, and Hunters".mp3
• Download Pavement - "Newark Wilder".mp3
• Download Bob Mould - "Brasilia Crossed with Trenton".mp3
• Download Yo La Tengo - "Night Falls on Hoboken".mp3
  
  • Caution:  This is a large file (17+ minute song)
• Download Bonnie "Prince" Billy and Tortoise - "Thunder Road (Bruce Springsteen)".mp3

Comments

[New York New York]

Any state that makes you long for New Jersey must be a real s--t show. You really like New Jersey that much?

[Sea Isle Guy]

Jersey is just a magical place for so many. Personally, I preferred some of the more green and open areas of the state around the Ft. Dix area. It goes against everything that you stereotypically think NJ should be (namely, concrete and traffic)