On The Road (Paved With Good Intentions) Again!

 Greetings from my temporary residence at Mount Airy Casino Resort, Mount Pocono, PA. Maybe I should say VERY temporary, because I'm spending only three days here with my mom, whereas I'm riding solo to the beautiful state of Ohio next month for Labor Day. While New Yorkers have been know to flee the Baked Apple for the beautiful Pocono Mountains in the summer months, this particular visit to this key region of the Keystone State holds special significance because (A) the pandemic is winding down despite a very stubborn Delta variant and people are leaving their homes on vacation for the first time in nearly two years, (B) my maternal grandparents are buried in nearby Wilkes-Barre and (C) also nearby Scranton has achieved a new reputation as a party city thanks in no small part to the American version of THE OFFICE,. (If you missed it on NBC it's part of your Prime Video subscription or you can catch it on NBC's Peacock app, free as a bird from http://www.peacocktv.com . If you missed the original on BBC TWO, you can catch THAT on Britbox, Hulu, the aforementioned Prime Video, or , if you're joining us from the UK,  the appropriate Best of British channels. Please inquire, or enquire, at http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/theoffice , http://www.sky.co.uk , or http://www.virginmedia.com.) and the birthplace of President Joseph R.Biden Jr. After some discussion, the Electric City, as Scranton has been called, will only be visited by Yours Truly in spirit, and Mount Airy itself almost never happened. We came a little too early for a proper check-in, had a few issues with the slot machines,tried and TRIED to get a lift into town until we got a LYFT into town  (town being the aforementioned Wilkes-Barre). Although our vacation was off to such a rocky start, we may need a vacation just to recover from it, (As I said at the outset, I'll be going to Cleveland and Canton, Ohio next month to do just that.) it can, and I'm sure it will. only get better. Hey, we've been stuck all year, but returning to daily life is worth the effort! Stay tuned for a complete and concise recap of this first full-fledged foray into vacationing since the fertilizer hit the air conditioner. (I have no special plan to win on the floor. To quote THE OFFICE, I'm not superstitious. Just a little stitious.)

Have a great summer!

Steve