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Well, it's been a little more than a week since my last entry BUT my whereabouts have remained the same. After spending seven days relaxing in both Rochester and Hamilton, I have been sent back to Connecticut for another two weeks of endless claim excitement. I could hardly keep my jaw from hitting the floor when I received that email from workforce management. With this tour, I've been in this state on and off since December. At least this time around, the weather has appeared to be favoring spring so I'm looking forward to the occasional sunny and mild day.
My week off was extremely relaxing. I drove back to Rochester last Friday and met up with Brookes who promptly scooped me up from the rental car shop at the airport and we immediately went down to Easy on East to check out this live show. The band lacked something (electric guitars with just an egg and pad percussion drum beat which of course was drowned out) but there was something sipping a beer and knowing that I was free for a week which made the night a real good time. The following day I bought a nice Gary Fisher cross-sport bike with the help from my roommate Dan who is a bike guru. My old bike was a freebie that I received from a friend at UB and although the frame was in good enough shape, the gearing and tires need work. I was meaning to go out and buy my own bike anyway and it's always nice to have two. I took the bike out the next day around downtown Rochester and the Highland Park area. It was almost perfect cycling conditions other than the sub-40 degree weather breeze and it was also my first time really exploring Rochester outside of a car. I think I've found a new hobby which is walking or biking around city areas on Sundays; less people.
After a couple days off in Rochester, I needed a change of scene. Thanks to this job, it's nearly impossible for me to sit still for long and do nothing. I went to visit my parents in Hamilton for a nice quiet couple of days, and I do mean quiet. Their house, which is built on the same property where in high school we used to have wicked bonfires and drink all the Old Milwaukee bottles we could stand, is about 300 feet from the road in the woods and is the most peaceful place imaginable that doesn't rhyme with Schpesuncook. Dad has mastered the art of wildlife summoning with the deer and turkeys and Mom has created a beautiful botanical scene for those same critters to play in. With the Sirius Jam On station playing in the background at all times, being there is like instant therapy and one can't help but feel spiritually and physically recharged.
Today is my official first day back at work, having arrived in Connecticut Saturday evening. I will be here for two weeks working in the Resolution Desk office which is going to drive me insane. It's like converting an outdoor cat into an indoor cat, wild to domestic. There's always a transition period involved which usually involves me sneezing and being stuffy due to the recycled central air and dizzy from the flickering fluorescent lighting. Yesterday we only worked until 1pm and that gave me a chance to visit Providence, Rhode Island for the afternoon. The drive there was really interesting, as about 10 miles outside the city, there are mini communities of old rustic lake houses surrounding several lakes. The downtown area was pretty neat too, lots of historic buildings to go with the new restaurants and shops. Three rivers split up the downtown area and I was surprised to see how clean they looked. I guess in the summertime, the city lights several bonfires on the water where the three rivers meet. I also drove around Brown University and Johnson and Wales where all the students were out tossing the Frisbees and hanging out in the quad. It was a cool scene considering Johnson and Wales is right in the heart of downtown. Providence is the pot hole capital of the U.S. and actually caused my bumper to become undone. I tried my hardest to avoid them but it was like a T-Rex walked on the road and left a huge footprint. The bumper has probably seen its last days, having been cracked previously from an accident back in 2007 (which probably contributed to the detachment).
All and all, it was about 60 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Not quite flip flop temperatures but it's getting there…by golly it's getting there!
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