Random Travel Notes.
Here are a few observations and thoughts that popped into my cruller during the round trip drive between New Jersey and Georgia.
Over-the-Road Trucks and Truckers
There sure are a lot of them.
I see trucks on the highway every day, but I don’t see as many as I did between Jersey and Georgia. There’s probably a good reason for that, but I’m not sure what it is. Maybe because the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area is the starting point and ending point for so much stuff that we don’t notice the in-between? Maybe it’s because there are just so many more cars on the road around here that I don’t pay as much attention to the trucks. Deep thoughts.
It occurred to me that if every single truck driver in the country decided to stop driving his or her truck for a week or two, the country would be in very deep ca-ca.
I wondered what kind of life it must be to spend days or weeks at a time driving alone in a truck and essentially living in the sleeper portion of the tractor, no matter how elaborate some of the sleepers are.
I learned from spending a few minutes listening to the Trucker’s channel on Ken’s XM Radio that truckers spend a lot of money tinkering with their trucks to get a mileage increase from, say, 6.8 miles per gallon to 7.0 miles per gallon. So, a cross country trip at 6.8 miles per gallon would require 441 gallons of fuel, while the same trip at 7.0 miles per gallon would require 428 gallons. That tells me how much driving these peeps do in order for that to make a big difference.
Farms
Every time I see a farm, I am reminded of how many things there are in the world that I don’t know shit from Shinola about.
I assume that those big, spindly looking things in various places all over the field are comprised of hay. How the heck does one make those spindly things? Speaking of hay, what the hell is “hay?†Is it just tall grass? If my lawn went a month or so without being mowed, would that be hay?
I also assume that one can become so accustomed to the smell of cowshit that one no longer notices it. I used to live in a town where linoleum was manufactured. Visitors smelled it right away, but I couldn’t smell it. I figure it must be the same for cowshit.
I saw quite a few people wearing overalls. I don’t know anyone who even owns a pair. What’s the deal with them? Why are they better than a pair of jeans? Is it because one doesn’t need a belt?
I figure that Jerry has this shit wired.
Food
In Jersey we have a zillion diners, each with a menu that can weigh a couple pounds, and yet, I have never seen biscuits and gravy on a single one of them. Damned shame, that, but we do have Taylor Ham on all of ‘em. Oh, and I’ve never seen grits on a menu either, but that’s OK, because I still haven’t warmed up to grits. Reminds me of wallpaper paste mixed with birdshot.
Gas Stations
In Jersey we don’t pump our own gas (same with Oregon), which is a really cool thing. However, the down side is that we don’t have (at least anywhere near me) convenience stores attached to gas stations at which one can buy damned near anything. Gas stations here consist of pumps and repair bays. I think, on balance, I would still rather not pump my own, thank you. I can always find a 7-11.
Rest Stops and Roads
After traveling through states south of Jersey where state-operated rest stops are common (and in North and South Carolina are downright nice looking), one enters New Jersey via Route 78 and the only rest stop one encounters is a pull off into the woods. Pissing is either done in a Porta-John or the woods. Classy.
In addition, one can immediately tell when we’re entering New Jersey on Route 78, because the road (repaired with regular strips of tar) shakes the shit out of the car.
This is what happens when the rat bastard politicians in this state raid the Transportation Fund to fatten their wallets and/or to buy votes.
By contrast, on New Jersey’s toll roads (the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike) there are elaborate facilities, which include fast-food eateries and lots of what-not, all of which are franchised out to private operators in exchange for a fee to the state. It’s all about money to the state politicians.
Peeps
In New Jersey, virtually everyone has an attitude, and we wear our attitudes proudly. However, I must confess that it is a pleasure to travel to places where peeps are a helluva lot nicer. It takes about five minutes for my Jersey attitude to evaporate when a total stranger passing you on the street says, “Good morning. How are you doing today?â€
I’m turning into a real softie.
hehehe…oh, dear man. You really need to spend some time in the country. You’d love it.
As far as overalls (bibs)… mucho comfortable! I own several pair.
Comment by Jean — October 17, 2007 @ 9:04 pm
This was a sweet post. In one of those ‘you’re as curious as the average six-year-old boy’ kind of way. Sue me: Sometimes I’m not in the mood to be mean to you and constantly have to remind you that Jackie was safe.
Guyk wears overalls all the time, I’m thinking probably for the same reason you cited, although I would imagine, for guys and goils, taking a whizz while wearing those things might be somewhat problematic.
For just that reason, I’ll stick with the easy-to-button and unbutton variety.
Comment by Wiseass Jooette — October 17, 2007 @ 9:08 pm
Yeah, it pretty much blew Kelly’s mind to find out that men actually will hold a door open for a lady. Apparently, that’s some sort of lost art-form in the Philly area.
It’s always nice to learn something new, unless it involves Symtex and Islam.
Comment by dick — October 17, 2007 @ 10:33 pm
I DO have your farm shit wired. My Dad is all about the overalls, and is very picky about certain features, especially the shoulder straps. I own a pair, mostly for shock effect or Halloweeen. I ain’t got the shoulders to wear them properly. What the hey.
Hay?
Straw is cheaper.
Grass is free.
Buy a farm,
You get all three.
Comment by Jerry — October 18, 2007 @ 1:20 am
not a farmer, but i’ve met farmers. round hay bales are made with a hay baler, a machine dragged behind a tractor.
the real question for me is, how many hayseeds does it take to make a bale that size? prolly just the one driving the tractor. i think hay is just dead grass and brush.
great post, liked the joisey boy ponderings
Comment by supergurl — October 18, 2007 @ 7:54 am
…. we definitely got your biscuits and gravy on the way, brah… and coffee served in cups that dont match!…
Comment by Eric — October 18, 2007 @ 10:24 am
I really liked this post. It’s amazing, the crap that just pops into that cruller of yours…
Comment by Elisson — October 18, 2007 @ 10:56 am
You have grass in North Jersey?
Comment by oddybobo — October 18, 2007 @ 11:28 am
Heheh…Eric called you a “Brah.” You just can’t make this shit up.
Comment by Erica — October 18, 2007 @ 12:36 pm
You and Ken need to come visit me someday. I will take you out on the farms and we can go get on a shrimp boat or we can go deep sea fishing. We have in all in the south. Very nice people and plenty of grea, fresh food. Come anytime, Cat
Comment by Catfish — October 18, 2007 @ 5:47 pm
I have never been to New Jersey, but if I were to go I would love to visit the Cape May area. Also, being from New Jersey, have you ever heard of the Jersey Devil? I saw a program on the Travel Channel that talked about the Jersey Devil. It was quite fascinating. I guess it’s just forklore, but interesting nonetheless.
Comment by Kevin — October 18, 2007 @ 6:26 pm
Jimbo, if you hit the country roads on the way home, you’re actually liable to see some one give you the finger. I’m not talkin’ ’bout the Jersey style finger, or the Kyle Petty salute, I’m talkin’ about the index finger raised off the steering wheel as in simply sayin’ “Hey”, to a passerby. Finger ’em back. It’s not rude.
Comment by RedNeck — October 18, 2007 @ 6:51 pm
Where in NJ do you live? Convenience stores with gas stations are all over Ocean and Burlington counties. Wawa doesn’t seem to be building stores without gas stations anymore.
Comment by Tom — October 19, 2007 @ 6:10 am
I love those round hayrolls. I remember when all they had were square ones.
Comment by Libby — October 19, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
OK, this hay thing was bothering me. From wisegeek.com I found this:
Hay is the general name for a number of dried grasses, flowers and other plants used as off-season food for horses and other animals. Hay producers usually grow rye grass, oats or alfalfa in large open fields and wait until the leaves have reached a specific maturity, generally just before their flowering stage.
I really didn’t know. So I guess I can’t grow hay in my yard becasue its not rye, oat or alfafa. If you have those in your yard, yup, you have baby hay. 😉
Comment by Bou — October 21, 2007 @ 11:52 am
Some folks out here cut the grass in the barrow ditch for hay. There is lots grass hay, which Jim could very easily produce in his yard. I don’t know where he would get the tiny swather and baler to put it up though.
Comment by firefly — October 21, 2007 @ 4:55 pm
I saw a t-shirt about Jersey girls today…
“Jersey girls are not trash. Trash gets picked up.”
Comment by Mrs. Who — October 21, 2007 @ 8:53 pm