Hot and humid?

I promise to never again make fun of the phrase people use when it's hot..."Well, at least it's a dry heat..." I know we're spoiled in SF, and in California in general but the past week has really made me appreciate it. We flew into Washington DC and rented a car for the three weeks we're bouncing around New England. Of course the nice man at the car rental counter "hooked us up" with a mid-size car - we reserved a compact - and all who know us know perfectly well that we like our cars small, like our.....oh, tried and failed to think of something cheeky there...like our underwear - no, doesn't work, like our credit card bill? Oh well, if you think of something funny that would have worked, please say it to yourself. Anyway, we held out for a compact, a Chevy Cobalt, better gas mileage, easier to park - all of which I of course explained to the rental car guy, none of which he cared about. Making friends, sharing the gospel of small cars and fuel efficiency.

We drove to Gettysburg PA to spend one night on our way to MA. We had just enough time to check out the battlefields (and sweat), walk around town (yes, more sweat), have a good Italian dinner (AC, now I understand you), and do the cool retro 1950's style electric map in the visitors center. The map is really useful in understanding how the battle of Gettysburg progressed, and why it was such a watershed moment in the Civil War, even though the war went on for another ...3 years I think? Sad to think of how many lives were affected. The display on battlefield medical treatment was gruesome.



It was on to visit Rich's cousin Lori in Northhampton next. Northhampton must be the Berkeley of MA, we felt right at home. Took a nice walk around the town and campus of Smith College and had a great brewpub dinner. Lori has traveled a lot so we had lots of great travel talk. We are now considering re-arranging the itinerary to go to Turkey, both Lori and my brother-in-law Christopher speak very highly of Istanbul, as did a woman we meet last night out with friends. So, who knows....

next entry, Boston and a great night out with Jim. Two words: drag queens. After that, an amazing farm in MA and a hot and humid NYC.