I really needed a break. It has been inordinately busy around here and I really wanted to do something other than a camping trip before the end of the year, but time was not working well for me. After discovering some free time and learning that Candi was interested in making a trip to Ohio, I decided that was the adventure I needed. My budgeting and schoolwork was planned out and I was gearing up for a stay in Ohio to visit King's Island, hang out with my best friend, and get to know Ohio once again.

But that was not to be. As many of you know, Candi was having stomach problems. It got to the point where an eight hour trip from Virginia to Ohio would have been impossible. I did not want the planning to completely go to waste so I asked Candi about me going to Virginia instead. She said it was great and offered to let me stay in her apartment for the weekend. We didn't have anything concrete planned but we had some ideas. So off I went.

The trip down to Virginia was gorgeous to say the least. I've never driven that direction through Pennsylvania before and there were many opportunities to take pictures. The only negative was the constant construction zones with no construction going on. You're still legally required to slow down to 45mph and turn your lights on in PA, but as a NYS-plate bearing driver, I obeyed the law despite the locals whizzing past.

Perhaps distracted by the gorgeous scenery, I accidentally drove past an exit near Pittsburgh, which forced me to double back. And because I had my lights on at a rest stop due to the construction, my car needed a jump. Other than that the trip was uneventful. Oh yeah, Maryland rocks! 70mph speed limit! Woohoo!

Arriving in Harrisonburg was the real treat. I got to meet Candi again and finally got to meet MJ in person. That night we grabbed some fast food and talked quite a bit. Even after MJ went to bed(he had class in the morning) Candi I still managed to talk late.

The next few days were limited by what Candi could do. Because of her digestive problems, we couldn't do some of the things we talked about beforehand. However, we did have fun doing the things we can. We tried to play Left4Dead, but because of the wireless we had problems with that. We did play cards and after three rounds we each had a victory. I finally got to see Saw for the first time and it was an excellent experience. We visited Glens, a party shop with a flair for Halloween(you've seen some of the pictures). We also took a walk in the arboretum, a park nearby James Madison University. Overall it was fun.

I also got to sample some of Candi's cooking, and it was delightful. When I arrived there was some Worms 'n Dirt, and later in the week I had some of her Buffalo chicken and garlic potatoes. I think Candi has a natural talent.

One of the biggest lessons I learned was about MJ. Most people picture this guy as a bumbling, naive fool who probably couldn't tie his shoes without help. However this is not the case. We hear a lot of criticism but the truth is MJ isn't so naive, and he isn't so bumbling(well okay maybe a little). He really does care for Candi and I had the opportunity to see that. I think most people would be impressed by his knowledge of the restaurants in the area as well.

Sunday morning it was time to say goodbye. Candi was doing much better by then, but I still had to make the 8 hour trip home. Candi gave me some of the left over chicken and MJ helped carry my stuff out to the car. All in all, it was a great vacation though being short. I learned a great deal and the experience was definitely positive.

Thank you Candi, and thank you MJ for allowing me to stay with you for that weekend.