Please sir, may I have another?

And it's over. They always have to end. I've been here probably 20 times and there has never been once (except maybe the time I was severely injured) that I've wanted to leave, felt like I'd had enough. I could easily handle another week here; I actually teared up a bit on the way out of town.

In the 6 non-rainy days I rode my bike 153 miles, including yesterday's 43.5 mile, 3 hour loop that includes a total of over 2000 feet of climbing. I've swam (swum?) further than I'd ever done in open water, kayaked and SUP'ed all over the lake and various walking things. Eaten lots of good food and had company for our children the entire time. It's been a great 8 days and I'd like 8 more just like them. I'm already trying to figure out how to stay longer next year.

The ride home was awful. It started off badly when I got honked at a red light in Keene Valley, a tiny town 25 miles east of Lake Placid. The guy behind me wanted to make a right turn, and so even though I was in my lane, he wanted me to move over so he could use the road and the shoulder. It wasn't a polite little "May I please?" kind of honk. It was long hard one, and the guy looked angry too. Sorry I couldn't read your mind bro, I'll try to do better.

The entire drive wasn't horrible- it was mostly okay until we reached Albany, but the New York Thruway is an awful road. I guess it doesn't have potholes, so I can't say it's substandard in every way, but certainly as a road you pay to drive on it's bad. The road is only 2 lanes for most of its length, so any little thing, like a merge, causes a back-up. It took us 3 hours to go a bit more than 100 miles. The rest areas are tiny and horribly overcrowded. It makes the New Jersey Turnpike look like heaven on earth.

Once we got through that part it was fine, aside from the heavy rain and the stupidity of people driving in it. I don't know why people think they can drive the same during a downpour. There were the remains of crashes left and right, and people are still swerving on and out and even more honking. Assuming they were all coming back from vacation, it must not have been as relaxing as mine was.

So now I'm home and I have to get back to it. School starts, the student part anyway, in 2 1/2 weeks but meetings start next week. Ugh. One more week, that's all I ask.