Day 21
October 24, 2021:
I got up around 7:45 am, getting out my computer to check on the warmshowers requests I had sent out. Two responses indicated that they’d be willing to host me, one was unsure if they’d be available, and the last two, furthest out ones would be out of town. Brilliant news! It meant that after I’d visit Alexi near Trenton, I’d have a place to stay in upper New Jersey the day after. I packed up my things while Kyle put away the air mattress. I had a big day ahead, so wanted to get an early start. He helped me carry my things downstairs to where the bike was stored, then held open doors for me as I hiked it back upstairs to the exit. After giving him a chance to ride the bike to get a feel for its weight, we took a few pics and I headed off.
I had packed eggs into my bag as a test to see if they’d survive the rattling vibrations. The streets of Philly were bumpy and had lots of larger chunks of gravel at the sides of the street, so it was a true test (they survived.) I followed the main street through Manayunk, then Allegheny and Kensington streets through northern Philadelphia and the neighborhoods of Glenwood, Fairhill, and Harrowgate. I don’t recommend these areas of Philly. Glenwood and Fairhill can be described as your typical lower-income areas, with litter, the smell of marijuana, grated windows, and general disrepair. Harrowgate, on the other hand, was, well, harrowing. Kensington street is built under the Septa metro line, so it feels like you’re underground, or navigating a sewer. The air was putrid, smelling thickly of urine and drugs. Fetid stacks of litter matched with the decomposing bodies of dead rats added to the scene. The tremulous rumble of the metro overhead scattered dust down from above periodically. People with ragged clothing and missing teeth stood in the road, some slowly crossing, others just staring hopelessly or waiting for something to happen. Upturned grocery carts, broken glass, and rusted cars lined the street curbs. I cycled through quickly.
Following Torresdale, I passed Frankford and Tacony, slowly finding nicer areas the further I went from Harrowgate. Eventually, I stopped at a Wawa in Torresdale for another Gobbler. It was good, but this time they put too much gravy on it. I guy named Don asked me what hoagie I had ordered, and came back out later with a buffalo chicken wrap. He and I talked for a few minutes. I needed to use the restroom, but a public one at the Wawa wasn’t available, so I went to the Rite Aid across the street. Coming back out, I waved goodbye to Don, and continued north along major roads following the Delaware River. I then went on the Delaware Canal Train to Morrisville, where I crossed the Delaware on the Lower Trenton Bridge into New Jersey.
Trenton itself did not impress me. It seemed a bit run down, and many of the streets were under construction, making it difficult to traverse without damaging my tires. I passed a monument for the Battle of Trenton in the Revolutionary War. Then I made my way through the quiet suburbs north of town to Lawrenceville, where my college friend Alexi lives.
When I pulled up, a neighbor’s dog barked loudly at me. I told them it was alright, because I love dogs. I rang the front doorbell, and waited. Alexi came out of the garage. Pfew, it was nice seeing him again after so long. I parked the bike in the garage next to the white Tesla, being extra careful not to scratch it. I pulled a few key things out of my bags and headed inside. He has two dogs: Calliope and Apollo. Calliope is boisterous and full of energy, and she licked and jumped and wagged her tail with excitement with everything I did. I wrestled with her and scratched under her ears. Apollo is a much older dog, more astute, but nevertheless handsome. I started a laundry cycle on my now dirty clothing and got out my computer. Alexi was busy for a few minutes making a few key crypto trades. He introduced me to his mom Camille, and then we went back downstairs to play chess. We had a good time, despite having to fend off Calliope’s attempts to paw at the board. She tried eating my shoes, so we had to put a few things above dog-height. Alexi also showed me some of the artwork his father had done, including a gigantic pencil ball and other pencil-related art pieces. (I was suitably impressed.) I also introduced him to Arimaa, and we played after dinner.
Dinner was absolutely fantastic. Camille had cooked delicious meatballs with sauce, potatoes, and spinach, followed up by a tart made from locally picked apples with real whipped cream that Alexi made in the kitchen while I watched. It reminded me of the time I had tried to whip cream with Dada and my siblings for Mama’s birthday Black Forest cake a few years back. We had worked the cream for nearly twenty minutes when Mama stubbed her toe outside and we all came running. Somehow, in that instant, the cream had become whipped, but went past that point, solidifying into small balls of butter, ruining our plans for the cake. While it did take a while to whip the cream for the tart, that didn’t happen this time, and the apple tart was fantastic. Camille really went above and beyond.
Alexi and I played games late into the evening, talking about aviation and job hunting. Alexi got his private pilot’s license a few years back, so we talked stories about messed up landings, flight training, and his check ride. Alexi is an aero major just like I am, and he had a lot of the same professors. We talked about Senior Design and what his RFP was, as well as what sort of jobs he might be interested in. I shared my resume and some of the interview prep I had done that had helped me so much, giving what tips I had, for whatever it’s worth.
Alexi inflated the air mattress, and I laid down next to Calliope. It was a good moment, and Alexi snapped a pic. We called it an evening, as I needed sleep for the next big day ahead.
