Love this Law

Move it! State law in Colorado says if you are involved in an accident on a freeway/expressway and there are no injuries, the vehicles are driveable and drugs/alcohol are not suspected, then you are required to get the vehicles out of traffic lanes. It's a myth you have to wait for the cops to show up before you can move the cars. For every one minute an accident sits in traffic it causes five minutes of delay for everyone else.
Which clearly means when you are involved in a fender bender, get the hell off the highway to exchange your insurance information, so people can get to where they have to go.
Why don't we have this law in NY and NJ ?
It seems to be an obvious solution for rush hour traffic, and while they're at it, there should also be a 'fine' for rubber-necking.

Is Boulder the new Amsterdam ?

I heard that Boulder,Colorado is now a mecca for Marijuana Shops, or should I say 'Medical Marijuana Centers' .
My daughters and I went for a bike ride around downtown Boulder and came upon Dr. Reefer's Dispensary, which had set up shop across from the University of Colorado and is part of University Hill's shopping district.
Upon looking in the window, I noticed the store was out of business and a sign was posted on the door:

Please support free markets !
The city of Boulder is allowing only 3 Medical Marijuana Centers within 500 feet.
A free market will allow for the best quality for the best price !
Please join our cause and sign up today at Cannabis and receive a complimentary joint !

How did Boulder allow this business to originally open across from their University ?
I'm sure Dr.Reefer had to apply for a sign permit, and the person on the Boulder Sign Committee who approved a green neon sign that advertised 'Dr.Reefer's Marijuana Shop' must have been smoking some that day.
When Colorado legalized the sale of marijuana for 'medical purposes', didn't they anticipate businesses popping up on every street corner ? Hey, I even thought about opening one, that is, if I lived in Colorado !
Maybe the state muckey-mucks should have made it clear that only 3 'Pot' Centers could open up 500 feet from each other from the get go.
And maybe there should have been a notation in there against opening up so close to a school.
Hey, just a thought from a NJ mom driving through the Colorado rockies....

What happened to Gary, Indiana ?

Being a huge Michael Jackson fan, I thought it only right that I pay tribute to my icon while traveling through Indiana.
My friend, Stuart, told me Gary, Indiana was not worth the stop, but I had to see MJ's hometown for myself.
I expected to see a town reminiscent of Harlem, with jazz clubs advertising local bands on their marquees.
To my dismay,Gary is a ghost town. Buildings are boarded up, businesses have left town long ago, and there isn't a soul walking on the street.
I felt I had entered the scene of a scary movie, and expected to see zombies walking down the alleys.
Trying to lighten the ominous feeling in the car, I pointed out a beautiful ivy covered brick building, to which my daughter replied, 'The windows are all shot out'.
I stopped a man getting in his car with his son and asked where we could get something to eat.
He told me I should drive on to the next town.
My daughter wanted to leave immediately so I made a u-turn and headed back to route 80.
A huge poster board sign with an arrow and 'Michael Jackson's Childhood Home' caught my eye and I made a quick turn.
First of all, imagine the worst street in Newark, and there is where you will find Michael Jackson's home.
It is tiny, and the current owner has erected a huge stone memorial in the front yard, you'd think MJ was buried there. He has Jackson 5 music blaring from the driveway, and the neighbor across the street has also capitalized on living here. She sells t-shirts, dvd's and all kinds of Jackson 5 souvenirs. I was impressed.
Can you imagine Brad Pitt's neighbor in LA selling Angelina Jolie t-shirts on the street corner?
But getting back to the house, how the hell did they all fit in this little home?
There were 9 or 10 of them. This home is the size of a shed- and with all their instruments-impossible.
In all, it was a sad day, to see a town that is the birthplace of such amazing talent to become a boarded up, shell of an existence. The towns people could have capitalized on their famous hometown boy and replicate a Graceland-type tourist spot to revitalize their dying town, but instead they let it just fall by the wayside.....

Girls Gone West: Good bye NJ........

Girls Gone West: Good bye NJ........

Good bye NJ........

August 14, 2010
The dogs and I left NJ at 8:15 am.....saying goodbye to friends and family took me weeks and way too much alcohol.
I am officially taking a hiatus from Grey Goose and will use my time on the road to dry out.
I picked up the girls from Camp in Woodward, Pa. and we officially hit the road.
Visions of blasting Beach Boys and laughing our way down Rt.80 soon gave way to Lexi needing medication for a sinus infection and Casey suffering from a sore throat.They bundled up in blankets and fell fast asleep in the backseat. The skies soon opened up and God had a really good cry....I had to maneuver the minivan through torrential downpours, tempermental windshield wipers and a slippery highway. My girlfriend called to say there was flooding in Iowa and maybe I should avoid driving in that direction. Well, it was a little late, how was I supposed to drive around Iowa ?
I was excited that my bungee cords were keeping my crap strapped neatly on the back of my car, even though it was probably getting soaked.After an hour of gripping the steering wheel and trying to see the highway through a blurry windshield, the skies cleared and the sun came out.
All seemed bright and cheery until I stopped at the Ohio toll booth and was alerted by an agent that I lost a bicycle wheel 30 miles back that was quickly mangled in an 18 wheeler.
I had my daughter run around back and take a photo to confirm our loss....and we continued on to Illinois.