The Best Laid Plans HNT

The problem with traveling anywhere from Montana is that it's not going to be a cheap nor easy endeavor. I was able to get a decently priced ticket (by MT standards), but it meant that I had to drive 3 1/2 hours to get to my flight. So I was up bright and early and before the sunrise!


I had a long layover in Minneapolis, where I was able to have a good lunch with a former girlfriend! It's probably been close to 15 years since we've seen each other, so it we had a lot to talk about. She didn't know about my diabetes or my dad or my BIL, so she got the abbreviated versions. Like a total dorkfish, I had my camera in with my carry-on stuff, which all got locked into a storage locker on the secure side of the gate, so I missed out on the photo op. Suffice it to say we both looked great!

I rented a car to get from LaGuardia to a hotel somewhere near BTExpress' place (by the way--he's reverted back to his old blog!). The driving wasn't bad at all, and I didn't get lost once! Of course, the GPS in my phone helped that (though I've found that it's not always infallible!). On Saturday, I headed to his place for the festivities. One thing that the GPS or Google Maps don't help with is when the streets are blocked off for SummerFest... I stopped and walked around for a bit. Lots of really short shorts. Lots of funny accents. Lots of friendly people. And what a great area! BTE's place is only about 500 feet from the shore, so there's always a nice breeze coming in.

Main Street

As for the party itself...it wasn't the wild free-for-all that BTE had hoped for. In fact, it was more of a friends-over-for-swimming sort of gathering. Sickness, unfortunate travel circumstances and friends that backed out at the last minute. Certainly nothing they had control over. So it turned out to be quite a small affair. As a surprise, Shizzle had contacted me late in the week and decided to come out. I think BTE might have had a minor heart attack when she came around the corner! Of course, it's always fun to meet up with her! And she brought Tornado with her!

Poor Tornado was bored most of the time...

Later in the afternoon, Hubman and ASM stopped by, just in time for dinner! More talking, more pool time, and photo shoots with the other guest to the party---the OsShirt! More pictures were taken, and then the two of them hurried out of there to find themselves a motel to reacquaint themselves with each other! At that point, the no-suits rule went into effect, and skinny-dipping until midnight ensued! And Lori (BTE's girlfriend) made sure that the underwater camera didn't just lay around idle...

Summer, Me, ASM, Hubman, BTE, Lori
Please note that I DID out-tacky BTE!

On Sunday, I went back, but for beer and conversation...no swimming. It was laid back and quite relaxing. Just what I needed! Headed back to the hotel to get packed and to bed early, as that damned eastern time zone kicked my butt, and I had to head back towards the city in the morning for a brunch date!

I was headed to Flushing, NY and once again, had no problems getting where I needed to go. However, I was surprised at what I found! In checking Google Maps, I thought I was going to be driving into a quaint downtown area. Ummm...no. A bustling, urban area, to say the least. Loud, a bit stinky, and no one knows how to interpret traffic lights (drivers and pedestrians alike). A very Asian area...predominantly Chinese or Korean. Not sure which. Regardless, this boy from Montana was definitely not in Kansas anymore! I found out numerous things here. New Yorkers like to honk their horns. Often. And generally at other drivers who are blocking traffic 20 cars ahead of them. What's up with that? And one should not open the door for a woman and allow her to walk in ahead of you without expecting a puzzled look from said woman. And when you bump into someone, it is not necessary to apologize, nor look them in the eye nor say anything! I was early to pick up my brunch guest from the train, so I did some walking/bumping/honking of my own.

I loved that there was a walk-up window for McDonald's!
You don't find that in MT!

Of course, if you've been to her site already, you know that I met up with Minority Report! Utterly charming and cute--I just wish I didn't have to get my car back to the rental place so soon! We ate, then found a nearby park and talked some more, fed a squirrel, chased geese, and got her picture taken with the OsShirt (it did make the rounds this weekend!). Due to where her train station was located, and our cutting it close on the time, I unceremoniously dumped her off while getting honked at and called names by Asian drivers. Next time, I promise to do better! ;-)


Minority Report & Me
She's not ugly--she's just careful of posting her face!

Google Maps once again came to the rescue, letting me avoid the really high-traffic areas, and allowing me to drive through the old neighborhoods to get back to the LaGuardia area. In this case, under the Long Island R.R.

The rest of the trip home was uneventful (though there might be some exciting news to report in the next couple of days!). I had another long-ish layover in Minneapolis, most of which I spent in the observation deck overlooking the Delta terminal. Quiet, cool, and a place to charge my phone. After a few texts, the sun was going down, and it was time to head home. I got an upgrade to first class (not sure why, but possibly related to the exciting news mentioned above), and thoroughly enjoyed that! I still had a 3 1/2 hour drive home once I landed, but it was still worth it!

Delta's terminal.
My plane is usually way down at the other end...

So, in a nutshell, that was my weekend. Met people, swam nekkid, drank beer, ate food, honked, apologized, and didn't give a single thought to anything back home. I'd do it again in an instant!

I hope people have been clicking...

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Some might recognize her.
Most will not.
Some could remember her from her old blog.
Most will not.
Some might think they've seen her over at OHNT.
Most will not.

This week's Mystery Guest will be revealed Thursday afternoon.

Anyone who has been over to OHNT should recognize this lovely lady as the one who submitted the "Chilly" series, then the "Encore" series (thanks due to your comments). She's Leela Lamore, and though she doesn't blog in these circles anymore, she still takes the time to to surf your sites! No word on if she's working on a new series yet...

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The middle of August is playing havoc with participation over at "...the Other HNT", as it does every year. Still, higher numbers than in years past, and always high quality! Stop by and check out your fellow HNTers! NSFW, but leave a comment anyway!

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Having been offline as I have, I'm a little late to the game with this next thing... My last HNT mentioned the former HNTer who lost two children in a house fire. Dana has taken the bull by the horns and has made a few posts regarding her. Most of you have already mentioned it, and many have included the buttons. In the interest of time, I'll just direct you to Dana's site to read about the details. Go. Give.

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My HS class is having their 35-year reunion on Friday night. Just a one night, no-host, informal thing. And I have an unexpected date!!! No details yet, but I'll share pictures! She's a former HNTer, former MG, former OsShirt model, and used to send a picture or two in for OHNT! And she's in that list in the sidebar (need to update that, too). Can't wait to see the looks from some of the wives when they see her! I'm just hoping she behaves...