Wapakoneta, OH through Edgewood, KY

Nick: Evening readers. Today finds us in Edgewood, KY, which is very close to Cincinnati, OH. My Uncle and Aunt live here, and they were good enough to take us in for the evening.

Brian: And thanks to their hospitality, it is from the comfort of their finished basement that we update our blog. It beats the Hell out of a Waffle House.

Nick: Let the reader note: it is the express opinion of Brian and I that Waffle House is actually pretty wonderful. The food is of high value (meaning cheap yet tasty) and the convenience of a 24-hour dining situation cannot be exaggerated on a trip such as this. We mean no disrespect. But beds beat booths. It’s just science, really.

Brian: If you are following our posts, know that we opted for the 2,100 foot mural chronicling the history of Portsmouth, OH as recommended by the Waffle House waiter for our next destination.

Nick: We hope this will become a pattern on this trip. People’s destination suggestions. Not Waffle Houses. But again, we really do like those. I’m going to shut up now. Picture time:






(It's Count Crotchula!)

Brian: It was quite incredible really, considering it was painted over a period of 10 years. Portsmouth is a small town that is clearly brimming with history, and this trip will hopefully be filled with days like this one: Eating sandwiches from a cooler while hanging ones legs over a 30 ft high breakwater on the banks of the Ohio River = freedom.

Nick: Also bits of potential interest for the reader with an appreciation for something of the bizarre: 9 am breakfast came in the form of jalapeño cheese and turkey sandwiches drizzled with delicious chipotle dressing consumed beside a lunar module. Brian ate the first end of the loaf of our bread, which was kind of a jerky thing to do because everyone knows the ends are the best part. I have been promised the ending slice of the loaf. We shall see.

Brian: Everyone hates the end of the bread loaf! When people throw away their bread they leave those slices in the bag. They know when bread is done being consumed because there is just a skinny loaf composed of two ends left in the bag. Children in our society are raised with the crusts cut off their sandwiches. Hating the heel is our nurtured instinct, because the heel is pure crust. I was just being polite.

Nick: And I appreciate that. The reality, however, is that the ends of the loaf are the best for making PBJ’s that don’t leak, they are the most nutrious and frankly the most delicious. You and I understand this. World, get on board. But enough about sandwiches. The drive to Edgewood took us through winding roads past forests that are already beginning to show the first signs of fall. We filled the tank at a pre-pay pump which frankly was confusing to me. How am I supposed to know exactly how much money it’s going to take to fill up the thing? Guess low, and well, I’m that much closer to having to pull over again. Guess high, and a flammable chemical comes cascading out from the overflowing tank and soaks the entire area, creating a dreadful fire hazard which would undoubtedly engulf the entire station in flames sooner or later. Maybe not. If readers have suggestions or tips for handling this precarious situation, please post away. You have avid listeners. Also, in a doubly related note (that’s right) we saw a car completely on fire, inside and out, off the side of the road near Dayton. We also saw the BIGGEST WATER FOUNTAIN EVER. Words cannot describe its enormity, so I will not use them. A giant yardstick could describe its enormity fairly accurately, but I do not have one. I knew we forget something when we left Indy…

Brian: Yeah, we forgot that gravity doesn’t apply to water in Dayton, OH. By the way, the flaming car was creating so much smoke that it created an opaque wall on the highway, thankfully only for the traffic traveling the opposite direction. I was surprised that people were driving through it. Anyway, other than all these awesome events, the drive was pretty uneventful. I met Nick’s relatives Bob and Debbie and they showed us an unbelievable amount of hospitality, for which we will be forever grateful. Our original plan was to meet a friend in Pittsburgh Wednesday night, drive all the way to North Carolina to pick up camping gear for Thursday night, and be in New Hampshire by Saturday afternoon. Since Debbie and Bob were kind enough to lend us sleeping bags, a tent, and other various supplies, we will now be able to attend a The Office season premiere launch party in Scranton, PA and visit Niagara Falls while still making our Saturday appointment in NH. This trip just keeps getting better.

Nick: Tentative plans for tomorrow include visiting the world’s largest collection of Legos then seeing what the city of Pittsburgh has to offer. The intense sensations of jealousy you feel are normal. Do not be alarmed