Prev/Next


Fun for the whole Family:
www.fojin.com

"No, It's a vicious lie!"






Archives:

2014-Today
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002

October 04, 2004 - 11:28 p.m.
journey to siena....a trip like no other

Hey Journal!!

Today I must inform you all of all the enjoyable and exciting things that happened on Day Two of Siena Parent Weekend!

On Saturday night, I left off with the party downstairs. We went for a walk around campus in the cold, and wandered aimlessly for a while, but it was fun.

So then we headed back and set up our sleeping bags in Kristen's room. We settled in and watched the movie Secretary, and it was very very strange. It was quite enjoyable, however. We went to sleep at about 3:30, and that was it for Saturday! (Meanwhile, Tuburculosis girl was downstairs till 5!)

We woke up in the morning, and I had really bad stomach pains, so I went and curled up for a while, but they didn't go away. Then I went to go back into the bedroom, and it was SOOOOO freaking bright in there. I couldn't fall asleep, so I took my sleeping bag into the hallway between Kristen's room, and the other bedroom. I parked myself there, and fell asleep for another few hours.

So we finally arose, and sat around for a bit. We decided to go out for Breakfast, and then to journey to Howe Caverns!!!

We got showered and ready, and off we went. We decided to go to the IHOP on Wolf Road. What a mistake! We got there, and it took a really long time to be seated despite the availability of tables in the room.

We sat down, and Kristen noticed a smell of something unusual. A gross "bathroom smell" as she described it. I had a stuffy nose, and was farthest away, so I did not smell it. After the food arrived, the smell got worse. Much worse. I couldn't bear it anymore, and I was the one with the Stuffy nose. Dan and Kristen were dying. We found, under the table, and opening in the floor with a gross wet carpet piece over it, and some gross stuff inside it. We told the waitress, and she came over and smelled the booth. She was grossed out, and said she was going to get the manager. (Meanwhile, the manager was dealing with the woman next to us, becuase she had green things in her meat..or something.) Anyway, she came over, and Dan explained. She said, "Oh, there's a sewer vent under your table." As if that wasn't Weird, or Wrong, or anything. She completely thought that there was nothing wrong with that, and it was completely normal for a restaurant to have a TABLE with a SEWER VENT under it. SEWER!!

So we got up, and she didn't seem at all concerned... Kristen was ill from the stench, and I was pissed beyond belief. And you know I had a certain level... I am shy and afraid to talk up to a point... then I become Irate and duke it out. BAM... I was at Lori, the manager like that. The hostess said, "Can I help you?" I said, "THIS PLACE IS BEYOND HELPING ME... THERE WAS A SEWAGE VENT UNDER OUR TABLE THAT SMELLED HORRIBLE AND NOONE IN THIS PLACE SEEMS TO THINK THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THAT!!" And then the manager came back, at which point I asked for the phone number of the IHOP Corporate Offices, and the local Board of Health. The woman told me I should look them up in the phone books, and I said "NO! YOU HAVE TO GO GET THEM FOR ME." She left for about 10 mins, and in that time, the hostess asked us if we Had asked to move tables. She was implying that WE should move tables, and again forgetting that RESTAURANTS shouold NOT smell like SEWAGE!!!

Anyway, 10 mins later I got a post-it note from Lori, the clown-make-up-wearing manager, which had only the Health Dept. Phone # on it. What a loon. We paid, reluctantly.. and left.

In retrospect we should have just left, but don't worry, I'm taking it up with the proper authorities. The Health Dept. got a letter, and so did the Corp. Offices of IHOP.

An elderly bunch was leaving the restaurant while I was battling with Lori, and they said, "As soon as you got up, it started to drift our way! It was aweful."

Oh well.. that was kinda fun.. I like to be bad-ass but I need to get totally fed up for it to happen.

Then we left for Howe's Cavern!! It took about 45 minutes to get there, and we arrived, drove leisurly up the hill, and parked. The parking lot lady gave a speech that was amazing!! She was like, "Welcome to Howe's Cavern. The cavern is a constant 52 degrees so please bring a light jacket or sweater, no large bags are permitted in the cavern, the parking lot is on your left and you can pretty much park wherever you want as long as you don't block anyone in!..." It was crazy, and I loved it.

We ventured inside, used the facilities, and then bought our tickets. The man who sold them was AMAZING.. He was so cool, "May i start with your zip code?" "Mr. B********, you forgot your ticket!" (After reading my name on my credit card!) Wow, he was something else!

We then went down into the cavern, it was very cool. I can't believe "howe" amazing it was. To think, that there are huge caves and passages of rock underneath you... Just so incredible.

We walked around, took the boat ride, it was quite the tour.

Afterwards, I bought a Shirt, a pen, and postcard, and we hit the road, back to Albany.

We arrived back at Kristen's where Kate was making Tacos. We decided to stay longer and have some. I ate only the meat, becuase I am not a fan of Tacos, it was yummy.

We ate dinner, gathered our belongings and headed out to our car. We said our sad goodbyes, and left at 7:48pm!

We had such an amazing time there, everything we did was so fun and so exciting, just so great... I wish I could do it all over again!!!

I can't wait to go visit Siena again!

We drove home, and it was dark the whole way. We only hit slight traffic around the TappanZee, and then again when we got on the LIE becuase they closed the whole road for a few exits.

One of the highlights was stopping for gas. I get out and begin to pump, the pump slows down to a crawl, then stops. I'm standing there complaining about how no gas was coming out, and suddenly the guy behind us says, "Are you guys getting any gas? I'm not!" Then a man comes out of the Hut and says, "I think we ran out of gas!" Wow. Amazing.

So yes, the Sunoco ran out of gas, after I had pumped 1.7 gallons into my near-empty tank. Sheesh. We went inside the rest area to McDonald's and continuted on our way with some Fries.

We got home around 12:30... and I put the pics up, so be sure to check them out!

SIENA PICS

Anyway, that was our exciting and amazing story of visiting Kristen in Siena! Again, It was amazing and oh so much fun!! I can't wait to do it all again!

Until tomorrow....

Goodnight. :)