So who's going to clean this mess?

Sorry about the missing post yesterday, we were busy driving. The timing of the ferry meant that we were now 12 hours behind schedule, and had some catching up to do. I'm happy to say that I'm typing this from the comfort of my couch in Branford, and I'm eagerly awaiting sleeping in my bed tonight!

The second ferry ride was very, very different from the first, and even from my last time crossing this channel in 2006. After verifying that we weren't trying to start a black market Newfoundland potato farm with smuggled soil and potatoes, we pulled up to the dock to find what appeared to be a small cruise ship. Also of note was that this boat opened on both ends, meaning we didn't have to replicate the elaborate turning around and backing in process of the previous day. Not that it would have been a problem, as there was all of 20 cars on the boat, and 5 of them belonged to us.

Now that's a ferry!

When we got up to the main level, we were smacked in the face with luxury. Computer center? Check. Lounge complete with coffee and snack bar? Check. Gift shop? What ferry is complete without one? There was even a first-class reserved seating area whose lone passenger was kind enough to let us into to snap some pictures. I don't know what animal had to die to make those buttery-soft seats, but it can rest knowing it wasn't in vain. Not only did they recline, but they had a leg rest as well. Both lounges had multiple TVs, each tuned to a different channel that you could listen to ala airline headphone style. There was a second lounge that was closed for the season and we couldn't get into, plus a third one that was a smoothie/ice cream bar, also closed. Then there was the formal dining area, where we could get lunch. There were several options, but I went with one last taste of cod since I figured it would be cooked properly and finally wasn't fried. We were all rather excited by the option of a side salad. Greens! Fresh, wonderful veggies! Plus it came with strawberry shortcake, complete with real whipped cream. There were two major disappointments: 1) Where the hell was all of this when I was stuck there for 32 hours the last time? and 2) The bar would not be opening.

I'm pretty sure these are made with unicorn, they're that awesome.

Dessert is part of the meal!

There was a seating area with a great view ahead of us, so we commandeered a few tables and chairs and quickly mounted our GoPro's. I went with a full time-lapse of the voyage, Blaine shot a time-lapse in facing our table, and Ben moved his around several times. As soon as I can figure out how to speed up the time-lapse and output it, I'll post it, but so far it looks cool.

Blaine and Ben set up their equipment

It was smooth sailing with not much to look at for a long while, but then we started getting into the ice again. This time I got by a window early and was rewarded with a few seal spottings. Soon, though, the ice thickened and there was less and less water visible. The ship didn't even slow down. Clearly, this was a heftier hull than the previous day, as this was the same type of ice that delayed us as we steered around it. This boat just plowed on through, creating some interesting sounds as the bergs banged and ground against the hull. It was really impressive, but most locals said this was an unusually warm winter and the ice wasn't nearly what it should be. I can't even imagine a normal year!

Proving it's what's below the ice you should worry about. Look how big it is!

One of 3 bald eagles spotted

20 hours on boats and these are all the seals I get to see

Before docking we said a few goodbyes as some of us would be driving on while others would get rooms somewhere. Ross was able to book a flight home and found a hotel near the airport, several hours away. All of 5 minutes after leaving the boat, of all people, Dave got tagged for speeding. Blaine and I were in front of him and saw the cop driving in the other direction turn on his lights, wait for traffic to clear, and swing around to catch up. It was a bit of a trap as they pegged him on an uphill in the passing lane as we went around a semi. Thankfully, they let him go with a stern warning and a message to his friends that Nova Scotia wouldn't tolerate that kind of driving. Yeah, I'll keep that in mind.

There were some gas and bathroom stops, and then Ross, Brian, and Sarah left us. While the remaining cars were all heading in the same direction, they indicated they were stopping for coffee, and frankly I just wanted to get a move on at that point. So we took off, and embarked on a very boring drive through New Brunswick. Driving in the pitch black with no other cars and nothing but the road lines is a sure fire way to nod off at the wheel, and soon I was getting very sleepy. Thankfully, Blaine woke from his nap just in time to start talking, which perked me up a bit. We also reached St. John's, and there were finally other things to look at. Just before the border we swapped seats again, as he knew the roads home well. The guard seemed like she was going to give us a hard time, but eventually let us through and we took off, just 3 hours until we were at his house.

About an hour in, we hit some black ice and called the other group to warn them. We were shocked to hear they were just crossing the border at that point. They had fallen behind quite a bit, and I was glad for having not hung around as we were both exhausted and couldn't deal with an extra hour on the road. Blaine knew every bump and twist in the road and got us back with ease around 3 am. We didn't even bother to bring anything in, we just walked in the door and crawled into bed. Unfortunately, my stupid internal timer went off at 6:30, so on not much sleep, I loaded my car and headed home. It was an easy drive and I was back by early afternoon. Just enough time to order a pizza for lunch! Oh, it was so wonderful having flavor again! I shared it with Maggie, who was thrilled to hear about the trip. Feeling an exhaustion migraine coming on, I left and headed to the chiro. After an adjustment, I went up to my parents where I was "greeted" by a suspicious Ruthie. When I hopped into bed, she curled up right next to me, and I knew I had been missed. I woke up to the smell of sauce, and dinner was waiting. Another good meal in me, I showed them some pictures and gave them their maple goods, and managed to grab Ruthie for a return home. The house is a disaster, but I'll tackle it a little at a time. It will take a few days to catch up on sleep, especially since I have to jump right back into work tomorrow. Plus there's the arduous task of uploading pictures and figuring out what to do with all this video. Welcome home, Annette.

Hi mom. I'm going to eat you in your sleep.