Bennington Vermont is famous for its herd of painted moose!
I had a routine doctor’s appointment on Monday, so I hung around Piney Point an extra day with plans to return to Philadelphia Monday night. We had record heat and humidity last weekend and a long string of intense thunderstorms were making their way all along the I-95 corridor. I was not, at all, looking forward to the drive.
An early morning email requested that I audit a supplier up in Bennington, Vermont on Tuesday - maybe. As I got no confirmation by 4 p.m., I emailed back saying that I was heading back to Philly. A minute later I got a call from my client, “The audit is still on for Tuesday, can you make it?”
Immediately after I’m on the phone with our travel group asking for the latest flight out of DC to Albany, New York. That happens to be US Air out of Reagan National at 9:20 p.m. – only $1128 round trip (airlines love to rip off last minute business travelers).
That allows plenty of time for the drive to the airport, I think. I book the flight, a rental car and hotel room. I unpack all the stuff that I was planning to take to Philly and then repack for a two day trip to Vermont. I’m on the road to DC by 6:00 p.m.
As I leave the house a cloud burst begins, as if planned, just as I get my carry-on into my truck. I’m soaked, but the sun is back out after twenty minutes into the drive and I don’t seem to care.
Half way to the airport I get one of those automated airline calls: “We are sorry to inform you that due to weather conditions your flight departure will be delayed until 10:42 p.m.” I was suspecting that all along, and actually preferred a delay rather than bounce around on an airplane while the pilot was dodging thunderstorms.
The extra time at the airport allowed me to log onto a secure server and download the specifications that I needed to conduct the audit. I even had time for sushi and sake before the flight!
So far, so good.
It only takes eighty minutes to fly from DC to Albany. When I finally arrive, the airport is near deserted and my vehicle rental is waiting for me – a brand new Jeep Compass. I hop in and begin the drive to Bennington, Vermont.
Even with my Nuvi GPS I would normally be a little concerned arrving late at a new airport. But at least the area is not new to me. Bennington was my home for a few months back in 2005 and the place that I was auditing is a former client.
I reach Troy and see a familiar pizza place still open. Even with the sushi of a few hours ago, I’m hungry again. So I stop and order a hoagie and pick up a six pack at a convenience store next to the pizza place. Upper state New York sells beer all night, I learned.
As I was growing tired from what was now seven hours of travel, I packed the hoagie and beer in the back of the SUV, saving the late night treat for after I was safely checked into my hotel. The drive is familiar and before I know it, I’m in Bennington. It’s a cool crisp night, a stark contrast from the 100 degree muggy weather in DC. I park at the hotel, grab my laptop, carry-on, hoagie and beer and I’m in my room within a few moments.
I traveled only a few hundred miles, but I’m exhausted. I heat up the hoagie in the microwave, grab a cold beer and unwind for an hour with some late-night TV before hitting the sack. It’s 2:00 a.m. and I have a 6:30 a.m. wake-up call! I sleep soundly until . . .
Don’t ‘ya hate it when that damn alarm goes off and you got only half the sleep you needed? Well I didn’t have the luxury to even think about it. I painfully pulled myself out of bed, made some in-room coffee and did the shave and shower thing half asleep.
The coffee and shower must have helped. By the time I stepped outside to a cool sunny day with a view of the very green mountains that surround the city, I knew it was not going to be as bad as I envisioned.
I met my co-auditor on time and introduced myself to a new staff and a few old friends. The audit, to my surprise, went well – only a few minor findings. By 4 p.m. I was back at the hotel and took a 2 hour nap. I awoke, prepared and emailed my findings to my co-auditor and stepped out to a perfect Vermont evening.
I drove around a bit. Nothing has changed here. Bennington seemed frozen in time. I had hoped to take a few photos as I never saw Vermont in the summer. Yet the rush to get here was so intense that I even left my little Canon Power Shot on a table at home with the battery charging – right next to my iPod Touch. First time ever I forgot to pack those two essentials for a trip.
After dinner at the Rattlesnake Cafe, I couldn’t resist a few shots using the camera in my Blackberry Tour. I was surprised at the quality.
I did manage a good night’s sleep last night, and had a leisurely late morning flight back to DC – and even managed to get that cherished empty seat next to me. However on the drive back to Albany I felt a bit of regret that I had to leave Bennington so soon. It would have been fun to re-explore this little city and at least have dinner with a few old friends.
No such luck – by 3:30 p.m. I was back in Piney Point.
My plan was to drive back to Philly tonight. Yet enough is enough. Instead, I’ll have a good meal at home, get to bed early and hit the road before the sun is up tomorrow. At least the alarm tomorrow will not be quite as jarring as it was on Tuesday!
After all the travel time to get a few hundred miles, I’ll likely say put for awhile. I’ll spend the holiday weekend in Philadelphia. I hope to capture some big city events with my camera and camcorder. It should be fun.
