Tip #1: Always have a roll of toilet paper.

The solo leg of my journey westward is complete! I drove on Friday from Windsor to Saratoga Springs for a feast and a few goodbyes. I had a fabulous last evening with Eric before my trip, and I’ve officially fallen for the city. We spent the evening riding bikes into town, bickering during our weekly scrabble date (which I won. “Cozy” on a triple word score, 54 points). Early Saturday, Eric departed for The City, and I started on my trip to Ithaca.

It may be karma, or just the fate of one that finds humor in everything, but the gods of irony were snickering from their stakeouts this weekend. As most of you know, I have been anxiously anticipating the best hiking of my life...Colorado, Utah, California. Anyways, it was midnight, and the last call at the bar sent us out into the night on Beakman street. Eric and I were strolling along, enjoying each other’s loving company. Courtesy of the Welsh Family, we had shared a bottle of Merlot earlier in the night, and we were no doubt still “enjoying” it. And then…the trip. But not only did I trip, oh no. I busted myself. I cracked my toenail, I bruised and I bled. I plan to hike a ridge with a 1,500 foot drop on either side, but somehow I can't figure out how to walk on a sidewalk. 

In reality, it wasn’t as bad as it seemed, but again, the Merlot. I patched myself up and carried on. (Ahem, rather, Eric patched me up, I pouted).

I arrived in Ithaca on schedule at noon today to empty my remaining belongings out of my house. As always, in the fashion of my mother, I had to pee. So bad. I was actually doing the pee pee dance when I grappled with the deadbolt and stumbled into my house. Evidently,

 renovation was taking place. I jumped over the piles of wood, nails, tiles and made my way to the bathroom. As I turned the corner expecting nothing other than the porcelan throne and sweet sweet relief, there stood…nothing. The toilet was gone. Of course. How silly of me to assume that I would have a toilet until the end of my lease. Fortunatley, Ithaca breeds a strange but generous bunch, and my neighbor was entirely wiling to let me TC of some B at his apartment!

And what a day it has been. Taryn and I finished packing the car, and I’m currently at Wegmans savoring the aromas of the chinease buffet and sipping my last frothy grocery treat. For those of you who have no Wegmans, consider yourself blessed because then you will never know the agony of leaving it behind. Yes, a grocery store. Yes. It’s that good. 

More fun and disaster to come, stay tuned!