[Dean]

I am in Carlstadt. New Jersey, just outside Newark.

If I had to give this part of the country a slogan, it would be "Armpit of the East." I'd go further south with my bodily analogy, but won't out of politeness. (Garden state, my ass!)

I have never seen worse roads, and infrastructure. One of the underpass/tunnel thingys I was in at one point had crumbling concrete, and exposed rebar. I think the only thing holding it up was the graffitti which is everywhere...

And man was I glad I had Neverlost(Hertz GPS thingy). To get from the airport to my hotel there was no rhyme or reason. At one point, the highway ends into street level, and then you make two lefts to get back on going the other way so you can take an exit onto another highway. I'm not kidding, there is no ramp from point A to point B... Insane...

I do hope I find the time to go to Atlantic City or new York, but am not holding my breath as I am only hear two days unless stuff goes wrong which means I'll have less time.

Oh, and they talk funny out here... I think MikeK's head would explode.

And the storm we had last week is here... I got drenched walking 250 feet back from dinner.

And as far as I can tell, there are no cool cars. Everything is American and most are beat to $4!+... Everything is so dirty.... I lived in Riverside for 5 years, Smog capitol of the west, but out here things just look old, dirty and crappy.... It's like nothing has been rebuilt since the Pilgrams built it. And you thought Downtown Reno was an eyesore...

Oh, and don't have a Long Island Iced Tea when you just "got over" a inner ear equilibrium thing. You may find it isn't quite as gone as you thought. At least it was after I was done flying and driving...