Why I Almost Completely Hate Bergen County

So today's Earth Day, a point that will be addressed in my next post, and in honor of it, I really wanted to enjoy the gorgeous day OUTSIDE with ND and her dad.

It was a little bit of a dilemma because it would seem wrong to drive somewhere on Earth Day and waste gas, but I had been wanting to show U. Van Saun Park in Paramus. So we did drive... and we drove and we drove and we drove, because everyone else in Bergen County had the same idea as we did. We spent much too long idling in parking lots, trying to find a place to park.

So we left, but I really wanted to go SOMEWHERE. Well, there just aren't many other choices. If we had been in Portland, there would have been lush parks aplenty, but not here.

So things got tense in the car and I tried myself to be responsible and mature even though it's just wrong that a place I live can look so ugly when Portland is so nice.

So we stopped off at Home Depot because nationwide I understand they're having a big fluroescent lightbulb giveaway in honor of Earth Day.

But of course, of all the counties in New Jersey to still have stupid blue laws that keep most stores closed on Sundays, they have to choose Bergen County, probably the most Jewish and Shabbat observant county of all.

So no luck there. The place was closed.

At last, not to be outdown or bitter, we ended up at Flat Rock Brook. To be fair, it's not a bad place, but to be honest, it's not terribly exciting either. But we did enjoy a short walk there, just about the right length for ND who, as you can see, seemed to enjoy it despite the heat.

U., on the other hand, is wiped out now. So I'm letting him rest.

For now...