While I’ve only been here a day, Connecticut is weird. Firstly, it has to be the whitest place in the world. That in itself is odd, when you consider how ethnically diverse the place is. It’s hard to describe the vibe here. The closest thing I can compare it to is that it feels like a bad Seinfeld episode.
This morning at breakfast, there was the couple in their late Forties. She was dressed straight out of the Preppy Handbook. That said, so was he, right down to the button down, blue blazer and grey flannels. At breakfast. There was no question as she bitched her way through breakfast that she wore the pants in the family, until he finally exploded with “how many times are you going to tell me that. I don’t care!” Then, at his wife’s bidding, he began to berate the front desk clerk about the fact that they had to pay for breakfast.
Then of course, there was the 40 something east coast dyke in one of those Polo golf dresses. You know the ones, it looks like Ralph Lauren lengthened the golf shirt into a dress. If I remember the Preppy Handbook correctly, women are supposed to stop wearing that dress when they are about 14.
At dinner tonight, I had the pleasure of sharing the bar with a couple of preppy ladies who I think were sisters. Either that or lovers, I couldn’t quite tell. They were locals who had lived in there area all their lives. The one delightful lady told the bartender that she had been eating at a certain local pizza place since she was 6. Then she went on to tell us all how the place was celebrating it’s 40th anniversary. After the ladies left, the bartender almost choked when I commented that she might have been 20 when it opened!
And then there is the traffic, or that’s what they call it here. On the radio they were complaining that the traffic the whole way down I-90 was horrible. Well, I suppose. It was moving at about 40 mph and was heavy. Want to see traffic? Come to Ontario where we have as many as 9 lanes wide, each way, that can be stopped for MILES. You people have absolutely no idea what a traffic jam is.
Tomorrow morning, I’m already heading back to Ontario. Still without a map, I’m looking forward to setting a new record home. This will be no Team Polizei style record however. I’ll be happy if I shave 20 minutes off the 9 hour drive.
Maps? We don’t need no stinkin’ maps!
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Well first off let me say welcome to New England, also known as my home. Yes, I live here in New england, more importantly up one state in good old Massachusetts.
Second, the people around here are not all that bad, that must have been some breakfast with listening to her go off on every little thing. I have had to sit through a couple of those while having lunch or Dinner and its not fun.
But what did you think of New England, mainly Massachusetts and Connecticut, the country areas around here are breath taking and some of the views of the water has its advantages. However you found one disadvantage (all though its just about everywhere), the traffic, the Mass Pike and I-395 are two reall hot spots and that would like 84 as well. Traffic is always a pain and top it off with the tolls in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts, you end up spending over $5.00 coming from the north.
Well hopefully you enjoyed the rest of you trip and got pictures…Enjoy the sights and most sounds of New England.
It’s been years since I’ve been in this area and I loved it both times. Unfortunately, this was a blast in, blast out visit. I was hoping to drive the 15 or so miles to the ocean on Friday night, but the rain was so bad I decided to head for dinner close by.
The weather was dreary on the way down and the same for the most part Saturday on the way home with the exception of 1 brief hour. As I was heading home through the Berkshires, the sun broke through and lit up the forests like jewels. It was very pretty!
I was Googling some information on Connecticut [my state], and your blog entry from October 19th 2007- “Connecticut: What a weird place” was on the list.
Sounds like you judged all of Connecticut in a 1 or 2 day trip. Clearly you weren’t in Hartford, or New Haven, or many other towns; as there is a great deal of diversity in CT. It isn’t all “40 something east coast dykes” or women who wear the pants in the family. There are also chauvinistic, homophobic men. Just sayin’. I won’t judge your country by one person’s blog entry.
Sincerely,
A 40-something dyke who is proud to live in Connecticut and New England
Hi PNE…
That particular trip was to the odd little place called Wallingford. I still have no problem saying it was a little weird. If you look around The Garage, you will notice that we have one writer who lives in Ct. and I have spent more time there since. Even in the countryside around Lime Rock things were a bit different. I have never before received a pair of scissors with my onion soup!
As for the homophobe comment, I almost shot my coffee through my nose when I read that! You have stumbled upon one of the least judgmental auto blogs around. My own personal family and circle of friends is well endowed with gay couples, both male and female. One of our contributors is also the publisher of outdrive.ca
My comments were purely intended as descriptive humor.