Epic Deception Plan Culmination

First of all, let me apologize to regular readers for your part in the deception plan authored by Keene Friend. In my last posting I wrote how disappointed I was not to be able to make the planned road trip to Pittsburgh to join in the celebration o\f my college roommate's birthday party. That was a bald faced (as opposed to hirsute) lie. I'm writing this from the living room of the college roommate as Keene Friend and I executed the planned road trip flawlessly yesterday driving from Worcester to Pittsburgh to surprise him. The deception was requires as he reads the blog and we didn't want him to suspect we were enroute.

First Rest Stop in New York

Keene Friend came down Thursday night and we ferried Buddy down to my sister's home in Rhode Island for the weekend. Buddy was in for a big surprise as his new cousin Remy was awaiting  him. Buddy has a well earned reputation for being the most energetic creature in any house. Remy is dashing his hopes of maintaining that title and immediately set about making Buddy the sole focus of his energy. I think Buddy is going to be very tired when I pick him up tomorrow.

Picture Doesn't do Justice to the Views Offered

We got an early start out of Worcester yesterday and the trip went even better than we could have hoped. Once the sun came up we were treated to a clear day with the fabulous color of peak foliage season. We survived the trip through Connecticut with only minor casualties. The weather got better as we headed west being chased by the sun. We passed no less than three massive, miles long traffic jams but they were all on the other side of the road.

Keene Friend at Diner

We made really good time and stopped for lunch at a diner in Loganton, Pennsylvania. It was a quaint place that even boasted the latest version of the Joe Paterno series of lager beer (who knew). We were definitely in Pennsylvania and the waitress kept our streak of land owners at four. Unfortunately the well intentioned diner staff were cursed with possibly the slowest kitchen in the western hemisphere and we lost nearly an hour waiting for two burgers.

Arrival in Punxatawney

During a map recon for the trip I noted we would be passing close to Punxatawney, Pennsylvania - the home of the annual groundhog day festival. There was no way I was going to pass up this chance at visiting this bastion of cornball Americana. The trip to Punxatawney was interesting as the roads became smaller and smaller and the area more remote. The actual town is completely different than in the movie Groundhog Day (which was shot in Illinois).

Keene Friend and our Guide

Finding Gobbler's Knob was a little more of a challenge than anticipated as it was well out of the center of town. I was about to give up when we came around a corner and saw the sign identifying our destination. It was almost deserted as we drove into the iconic location. As we were parking a guy walked up and offered us a guided tour. 

Where the Feb 2 Festival Happens

He turned out to be a member of the groundhog society, a retiree who just hangs around and offers free tours of the facility. He spent twenty minutes showing us around, telling the history of the tradition, and comparing reality to the movie. It was a lot of fun and we became honorary  members of the groundhog society complete with coin.

At Phil's Hangout

We then set off cross country through picturesque western Pennsylvania and a series of small coal towns. We were exchanging texts with target's wife to keep her advised of our impending arrival. When we entered his street Keene Friend had us don Jason masks (still not sure why). We rang the doorbell with the masks in place and brandishing the cake cutting sword. He was totally surprised and wondered why his wife sent him to answer the door while he was in the bathroom.

Pittsburgh Arrival

The rest of the evening was spent eating pizza, drinking the more than occasional beer and trying to convince a very reluctant log to burn. The true test of friendship is the ability to immediately feel at home with each other even if time and distance conspire against it. There wasn't a second thought when the plan was hatched - the college roommate is the kind of guy you want to do this kind of thing for. A true source of excellence.