I haven’t written a Top Comments diary since January 9th, which feels like forever to me! I drove K1 back to her second home at the University of Rochester after almost a month with us, and since I was *already* 400 miles from home and in Central New York, I decided to take a few extra days and visit friends. Grab a beverage — maybe a cup of Stedman Coffee Roasters coffee, located in one of the towns I visited — and join us below the story break after a word from our sponsor...
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As I’ve mentioned before, I also attended the University of Rochester back in my long-ago undergraduate days, and as a result being on campus with K1 brings out all sorts of nostalgic feelings. This trip reminded me of the University’s description in a college guide decades ago as a “cold and distant outpost” — they’d had 18” of snow the day before we drove up and it was 7F outside. I was too cold for much walking around, but I did get this:
After getting K1 all set with a run to Target on Sunday morning, my first destination on Brillig’s January 2018 Friendship Road Trip was Jamestown, NY. I’ll be honest, in all the years I’ve been either living in or remembering Central and Western New York State, I had absolutely ZERO idea you could get back on the NYS Thruway, head west and then keep driving on various roads for as long as I did *without leaving the state*. I was sure Canada (or PA, or OH) was a mere hour away!
I had a fantastic time in Jamestown and the surrounding towns. First, because the friend I was visiting was someone I’ve known for ten years thanks to the online virtual world of Second Life, but who I’d never met in person! It’s like attending Netroots Nation and meeting your blogging bff for the first time!! We had a fantastic time discovering we really are the same personalities on and off line (although yes, our avatars walk better in heels and clearly get more exercise :-)). But the other reason it was such a fun visit is because the most famous person ever to come from this town has got to be Lucille Ball. And there is a MUSEUM!!! If you are EVER out that way, please go visit — it’s well worth the trip and one day hopes to be the National Museum of Comedy.
After breakfast on Tuesday, I got back in the car and headed for my next stop...
One look at that map and you KNOW where I had to detour, right? That’s correct — a side trip to Niagara Falls, which I haven’t seen since summer 1986. While I had my passport on hand, I decided given the length of the trip I needed to complete and a desire to get there before dark that I’d stay on the American side. Next trip I will cross over and see the Canadian Falls! A few pictures from my grey, cold, slippery trip to the water’s edg… who am I fooling, I stayed as far away from the edge as I could without looking scared!!
After my all too brief visit to the Falls (54 minutes!) I continued on to see two people I’ve known since 7th grade. One lives in Central NY, the other lives in the Hudson Valley near where we all grew up but also was up visiting. There is something amazing about seeing a friend you haven’t been physically in the same place with since the early 1980s and realizing that, in fact, you CAN just pick up right where you left off in a friendship! I stayed until Thursday morning, then made my way back 330 miles to my Boston-area home. I’ve got standing invites to get back and visit everyone anytime, and hopefully the Universe will align and make it possible.
When I tallied up the various segments, I drove over 1100 miles in six days, 2/3 of it alone, and had a fantastic time. There is something about solo driving that appeals to me. Radio on and no one to tell me that I was not in fact, harmonizing. Time to sit with my thoughts, roll them around, and see my life from a new perspective. I always find myself changed after such trips, almost always for the better. Do you like travels like this, or is your favorite kind of travel shorter or at 30000ft? Any trips to share? Please do so in the comments!
Thanks for journeying with me tonight, and join me in continuing to what’s always your final destination: the trio of Top Comments, Mojo and Pictures that keep us traveling this road every night! Your co-driver this evening is the always-companionable BeninSC!
Brillig's ObDisclaimer: The decision to publish each nomination lies with the evening's Diarist and/or Comment Formatter. My evenings at the helm, I try reeeeallllyy hard to publish everything without regard to content. I really do, even when I disagree personally with any given nomination. "TopCommentness" lies in the eyes of the nominator and of you, the reader - I leave the decision to you. I do not publish self-nominations (ie your own comments) and if I ruled the world, we'd all build community, supporting and uplifting instead of tearing our fellow Kossacks down.
Note: Please remember that comment inclusion in Top Comments does not constitute support or endorsement by diarist, formatter, Top Comments writers or DailyKos. Questions, complaints or comments? Contact brillig.
From BeninSC:
I am nominating this thread from last night’s TC diary, beginning with this understandably frustrated comment by Puddytat. Lize from San Francisco posted a thoughtful and compassionate reply. Puddy answered, and Lize replied yet again, most wonderfully!
Highlighted by reasonshouldrule:
Is this soon-to-be Top Mojo’ed comment by anon004 on yet another Trumpfail.
Highlighted by William West Anderson:
Is this brief comment by mama jo with a magical emoji for Mitch Mc … you know the one.
Highlighted by keithl:
Is this comment by blue aardvark honoring Ursula LeGuin.
From yours truly, brillig:
Female staffer says PA congressman lashed out after she rejected him, he blames Obamacare by Jen Hayden led Elwood Dowd to a perfect get-out-of-crime-free scheme that generated a fun thread.
Top Mojo ala mik!
For Monday, January 22, 2018, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on the subject.
(And tonight’s burning question! Did gchaucer2, Wee Mama, rufe and bigtimecynic collude to tie for 30th in Top Mojo??? #therewasnocollusiontherewasnocollusion )
Top Pictures
2010-01-23, courtesy of jotter!