So, I now write to you from Albany. I have been here since yesterday, and my drive here was TERRIFYING!! It was only a four hour drive, and Michelle Don and I got up early to have a 6:30am breakfast with a couple from Michelle's kickball team. So I was able to hit the road super early but there were thunderstorms and the drive was NOT easy. I am talking about rain coming down so hard that even with the wipers on full blast I could not see out of my windsheild. Why did you not pull over, you ask? Well, I could not tell if there was room on the shoulder to do so, and by the time I saw an exit, it was too late to exit because the rain was so thick that I could not see the signs for the exits ahead. Luckily the showers did subside and I made it Albany safe and sound. Pookie, the one I visited on my European extravaganza last summer is renewing her vows and having a full on ceremony here. Which is why I am here.

Last night we were treated by Matt's Aunt to a lovely Italian dinner. I am staying at this apartment-type place across from an assisted living facility where Matt's grandparents live. Grace and Dana (Pookie's sister and mother) are staying in the room right above me.

Tonight Matt's father hosted a little dinner party at his house complete with caterers and a jazz pianist. Yours truly befriended said jazz pianist and even got to sing a few numbers with him (thank you jazz choir!) These past two days have been great hanging out with Pookie, Matt (her husband) and both families.

So, now earlier tonight Grace was telling me about how she was convinced that her an Dana's room was haunted because she saw something walk by her when she was all alone up there. Ok, I accept that people see things. Then Pookie and Matt were attacked by a bat, yes a bat in the room they were staying in at Matt's Aunt's house. So because of that, they slept on couches downstairs and Pookie was sure she felt somebody tap her shoulder and nobody was near her. So you can say oh Becky, these are just stories. But I do have it in my mind that Albany is just this haunted scary place. So here I am in my room right now writing this blog, and I hear what sounds like somebody peeing in my toilet.

Now it is just me in my room and my toilet does not have the habit of running too long, or making noise, I was here all last night without that happening. So after hearing all these stories, now I think there is a freaking ghost peeing in my toilet. Of course, this was not the case, but late at night the mind does play tricks on you, and that noise in my bathroom made me think for a split second that my room too was haunted. So, I investigate the bathroom, everything is fine, but about ten minutes later, I go into to use the bathroom and find this GIANT spider on the floor. So now I am convinced this spider is on the one who was peeing in my toilet because it was just that big. Becky is embellishing a little you think? Well this spider may not be as big as the bird-eating spiders I saw in Borneo, but it was big enough as to when I took a giant tissue to squish it, when I picked it up to ensure he had moved onto Spider heaven, it just got mad at me and crawled around the bathroom some more. And given the option between giant spider, or peeing ghost, I would definately choose the ghost. Long story short, I am not sure I will be sleeping well tonight.

Tomorrow is the ceremony. I am very excited to be a part of it. Sunday I will be accompanying Matt and Pookie to Boston for the day and then onto New Haven CT. Just added to the itinerary is Brooklyn for me so I can see my bro Jon's band Luster!! The rest of my trip is TBA.