[Sca-cooks] OT earthquake... & roadtrip home from Pennsic

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

I just got back in the SF Bay Area around 5:30 PM yesterday, after two weeks at Pennsic and a little over a week visiting my daughter in Philadelphia, with almost a week total of driving there and back again. I am still feeling a bit wiped from my drive home - 2,956 miles (4757.2 k)through 13 states in about 3 and a half days. 

Apparently there was a heat wave during the first week and a half of Pennsic - factoring the temperature and humidity, the heat index was around 105 F (40.56 C), with the warning level usually at 3. But the last half week was quite pleasant, much cooler, less humid, and less rain.

Philly has been having one of their wettest Augusts on record - it was hot and humid, when not pouring. Plus they will be getting more rain, and possibly some flooding, from Hurricane Irene today.

I was just getting into my car to head out of Philadelphia Tuesday when i felt the earthquake, but i barely registered it mentally, because it felt like those we have in California not infrequently. As i was turning onto a major street leading to the highway, my daughter phoned. She was born and grew up in CA and we were in Berkeley when the big 6.9 hit in 1989, but she went to college just outside Philadelphia, then has been living in Philly since, so that's about 12 years away. And she asked, "Mom, was that an earthquake or is something wrong with our office building?" And i could see many many people on the sidewalk, clustered around the doorways of their office buildings, some looking bewildered, some worried, and i knew it had been an earthquake. Now, the majority of buildings in Philly are built of red brick, serious hazard in a strong earthquake, which this was not, fortunately.

About an hour later i was driving past Baltimore, and it took about 35 minutes to go six miles on the ring road, because everyone was fleeing... i mean, going home early.

OB Food Content:
I ate my first Philly cheese steak - with sharp Provolone, none of that American cheese stuff - at a place that was highly rated, Cosmi's, a take-out place on 8th St., right around the corner from my daughter's apartment. My impression: shrug. I had a second, a cheese steak Italiano (with tomatoes and Italian herbs) at Vincenzo's, a little family run lucheonette around the other corner from my daughter's, on 9th St. It was better, but still no thrill. I guess i am just not a Philly cheese steak kind of guy. I prefer Vincenzo's prosciutto & sharp Provolone (that's "pross-choot & pro-vuh-loan") sandwich - more like a sub or po'boy - with lettuce & tomato & pickled hot peppers & olive oil & salt & pepper.

I was driving on the freeway through Columbus OH Wednesday morning when i noticed a Skyline Diner too late, so i missed my chance for Cincinnati "chili". Some other time...
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Urtatim / Anahita / Lilinah / Ellen