Well, we made it back to UWGB safe and sound around 8am this sunday morning.
It was definately a culture shock when we arrived in Norristown, PA. We are so used to seeing streets without trash that it made me want to jump out of the vans and clean up what I could (we didn't though). All throughout Norristown and surrounding vacanities, there was no yards for the children to play in due to the houses being on top of one another. We saw the cops on a daily basis, and heard the roaring sirens of firetrucks every night (the firehouse was a couple buildings away from where we stayed). Due to the lack of crime up here, we generally don't lock our car doors during the day. But in Norristown, that wasn't an option. It was
stressed to lock the doors and to hide the 2way radios! No matter were you stayed or parked the vehicles, we had to lock the doors. The Montco Affiliate was broken into on Friday morning, thankfully, nothing was taken. From what the cops spectulated, it was drug dealers looking for a little extra something (tools) to sell on the black market for drug money.
Speaking of the law, well, we broke many of them! First one we broke was in New Jersey...we pumped our own gas. We didn't know about the Gas Station attendents and the state law. The next one was in Penna...red lights baby! We then broke the law again in Penna by not turning off our 2 way radios in the construction zone...it was saturday...and the construction personnel weren't working.
We only had 12 on the trip, so splitting us up was pretty easy. The Montgomery County (montco) Habitat for Humanity is currently working on 6 houses at our time of arrival. Because all the houses were in walking distance of the montco affiliate, we had daily walks for work (except on Thursday when it rained all day). The adjoining houses that I worked at was a bar and restaurant before being converted into 2 habitat homes. The bar owner was shot dead in action...so that was one of the reasons to for the donation of the building to Montco Habitat.
We (us girls) worked on building a firewall (concrete cinder bricks) between the homes...and we finally finished the wall on Thursday...but not before we had to RIP my tape measure, which just happened to be dropped down the holes in the concrete cinder blocks by one of my fellow friends. She somehow found a hole that went all the way down to the bottom (we were almost finished when this happened.)
Wednesday we managed to tour New York City (It was only a 2 1/2 hour drive). Yes, that was the day that US declared war, but we didn't care. We were determined to see NYC. The subways were fun, and we got to see Ground Zero, Statue of Libery and Ellis Island (from Battery Park), Grand Central Station, Times Square, Central Park, Chrysler Building, and Empire Building (which unfortunately was only opened to tenants). Some of my co-horts are
obsessed with RENT (the play) and well, it was playing in one of the Theaters on 41st street, so plenty of pictures were taken. We then drove back to norristown and during that time, we listened to Duble-ya's speech about Iraq. One of the Philly radio stations had broadcasted it live.
OMG...tolls, and more tolls! :o :o Obviously, we hit the Tri-state tollway in Illinois (that's a normal tollway when we go on trips), then the Ohio Turnpike, then the Penna turnpike. On the way to NYC, we hit the Jersey turnpike, and the tolls for the Holland Tunnel in NYC. Towards the end of the trip, we had to scrounge for money! Yikes! :o :o
Before we left on Saturday, we toured Philly. Places we stopped included the Liberty Bell and toured the Liberty Hall. We had a nice history lesson during that venture. Security was ok, nothing special...just the normal things you see in the airports.
The
#8 UWGB Phoenix beat
#9 Washington 78-65 in the first round play of the NCAA tourney. They now have to entertain #1 LSU either tonight or tomorrow.
That is the first time we have won a game in the tourney!!! :D
Go Phoenix!!!!! http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/recap?gameId=234000033