Tomorrow's The Day!
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Fly Away!
My friend Lori writes to me and wants to know what happened to the Blog. How come there are no entries since January 29th, she wants to know. And then Tamar asks me (when I call her): "Oh, you're back already??" Oh well.

So I'm compelled to write something, anything. Tomorrow's the big day...8:20 pm we leave from JFK on Aer Lingus. Lonnie has to get there from Manhattan. Me, from Brooklyn. I could take a car service...I'm only 20 minutes from the airport. But I'm dying to try the new AirTrain. It means a subway ride to Atlantic Avenue...then the LIRR to Jamaica (Queens) and finally, the AirTrain from Jamaica to JFK. I figure, liberally, 2 hours. Probably much less. Stacey wants to know if I'm crazy. "20 minutes or 2 hours??!!" But, being a member of Transportation Alternatives, I'd bike there if I could but mass transit is my second approach and I really want to try that new train that they built down the center of the Van Wyck Expressway. So I probably will do it.


The AirTrain being constructed above the Van Wyck Expressway

Didn't people always use to travel that way (and before that not travel at all)?

Everything else is ready and waiting: my camera and equipment. My electric conversion accessories: pin adaptors, extension cord. Knapsack, suitcase, rain protection. Oy, the rain...is it ever sunny there in February. Checking the weather almost daily it seems not.

I've been reading a great book, "Over The Hills" by David Lamb. He's a journalist and writer. Seems he took time off as a 50-something and decided to ride a bike cross country. Not just a wonderful paean to my favorite pastime but also a loving and nostalgic look at small town, off-the-interstate America and its people. Inspires a love of travel and back roads. Some interesting bike facts from the book.

OK....on to the AirTrain and off to Ireland. See you there!
-Matt

Late Update: My big brother, Lee, says he'll take me by car. Scratch the AirTrain. Hmmm. Maybe on the way home?