Hey-Oh Ray O!

Progress report:

I had to make a trip to Manchester to see a "Headhunter" this afternoon.
They called me into work again for a couple hours, so I left from
Brattleboro to Keene, and then across 101 to Manchester.

I took 3 South to Lowell and then got on 495.

Now, I bought the Scion in Lancaster in September, but what they have done
to Rt 2 is amazing!

From 495 to Leominster is about the same as it always was. They have
repaved it, but basically, just like it was.

But, when you get out of Leominster and start heading for Gardener it gets
fun. They repaved the whole stretch, and got rid of that screwy concrete
in Gardener. It's now a nice, smooth ribbon of nice black tarmac.
Then, when you get to Templeton, headed towards Athol (watch it there!) it
narrows down to a two lane, but the lanes are MUCH wider, they have a REAL
shoulder, and there is another 'shoulder' etween the lanes with ribbed
pavement. It felt much, much safer doing an average speed! Especially
since they paved it all the way to Athol.

I was wondering why they didn't widen the middle section and make it a
Passing Zone for both lanes, til I realized you would get SOME moron who
would just sit there and end up killing someone. It's not as good as 4
lanes, but it is better.

After Athol, the middle 'shoulder' disappears, but they paved it! I've
been riding that road since 1978 whe I got a job in Andover until 1982,
and it needed paving THEN. Then I was going to Leominster at least once a
week a few years ago, and I couldn't believe they STILL hadn't paved it!
This time, they did it.

Now, for the piece de resistance...they did away with that horrible "S"
curve right in front of the Erving Paper Mill. I *KNOW* you know what I'm
talking about. What a freakin' trap that was!. You bypass it totally now,
about 100 ft to the north; it's still not straight, but it's wide, with
sloping, sweeping curves that you can negotiate at speed, a smooth ride,
and you don't have to worry about a truck pulling out of a paper mill!

Hell, it's only been 50 years since they started talking about it!

Now, for rt 2 west from Greenfield to N. Adams...
(Hey, you have to admit, the ride through Savoy is nice, as long as it
isn't snowing or the water coming out of the ledge faces isn't FREEZING!)

"Hachiroku ????" <Trueno@AE86.gts> wrote in message
news:sdtbh.19465$mM1.8908@trndny08...[color=blue]
> Progress report:
>
> I had to make a trip to Manchester to see a "Headhunter" this afternoon.
> They called me into work again for a couple hours, so I left from
> Brattleboro to Keene, and then across 101 to Manchester.
>
> I took 3 South to Lowell and then got on 495.
>
> Now, I bought the Scion in Lancaster in September, but what they have done
> to Rt 2 is amazing!
>
> From 495 to Leominster is about the same as it always was. They have
> repaved it, but basically, just like it was.
>
> But, when you get out of Leominster and start heading for Gardener it gets
> fun. They repaved the whole stretch, and got rid of that screwy concrete
> in Gardener. It's now a nice, smooth ribbon of nice black tarmac.
> Then, when you get to Templeton, headed towards Athol (watch it there!) it
> narrows down to a two lane, but the lanes are MUCH wider, they have a REAL
> shoulder, and there is another 'shoulder' etween the lanes with ribbed
> pavement. It felt much, much safer doing an average speed! Especially
> since they paved it all the way to Athol.
>
> I was wondering why they didn't widen the middle section and make it a
> Passing Zone for both lanes, til I realized you would get SOME moron who
> would just sit there and end up killing someone. It's not as good as 4
> lanes, but it is better.
>
> After Athol, the middle 'shoulder' disappears, but they paved it! I've
> been riding that road since 1978 whe I got a job in Andover until 1982,
> and it needed paving THEN. Then I was going to Leominster at least once a
> week a few years ago, and I couldn't believe they STILL hadn't paved it!
> This time, they did it.
>
> Now, for the piece de resistance...they did away with that horrible "S"
> curve right in front of the Erving Paper Mill. I *KNOW* you know what I'm
> talking about. What a freakin' trap that was!. You bypass it totally now,
> about 100 ft to the north; it's still not straight, but it's wide, with
> sloping, sweeping curves that you can negotiate at speed, a smooth ride,
> and you don't have to worry about a truck pulling out of a paper mill!
>
> Hell, it's only been 50 years since they started talking about it!
>
> Now, for rt 2 west from Greenfield to N. Adams...
> (Hey, you have to admit, the ride through Savoy is nice, as long as it
> isn't snowing or the water coming out of the ledge faces isn't FREEZING!)
>[/color]
Hmmm, sounds like I have to plan a road trip! My co-workers used to think I
was crazy for taking Route 2 from Leominster to Greenfield and North Adams
instead of taking the Mass Pike, but there wasn't that much of a time
penalty, and the scenery was definitely much better.

Do you know the 3 Mass towns named after the same governor?
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

"Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message
news:a83f1$456e70f0$47c2b532$14023@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=blue]
>
> "Hachiroku ????" <Trueno@AE86.gts> wrote in message
> news:sdtbh.19465$mM1.8908@trndny08...[color=green]
>> Progress report:
>>
>> I had to make a trip to Manchester to see a "Headhunter" this afternoon.
>> They called me into work again for a couple hours, so I left from
>> Brattleboro to Keene, and then across 101 to Manchester.
>>
>> I took 3 South to Lowell and then got on 495.
>>
>> Now, I bought the Scion in Lancaster in September, but what they have
>> done
>> to Rt 2 is amazing!
>>
>> From 495 to Leominster is about the same as it always was. They have
>> repaved it, but basically, just like it was.
>>
>> But, when you get out of Leominster and start heading for Gardener it
>> gets
>> fun. They repaved the whole stretch, and got rid of that screwy concrete
>> in Gardener. It's now a nice, smooth ribbon of nice black tarmac.
>> Then, when you get to Templeton, headed towards Athol (watch it there!)
>> it
>> narrows down to a two lane, but the lanes are MUCH wider, they have a
>> REAL
>> shoulder, and there is another 'shoulder' etween the lanes with ribbed
>> pavement. It felt much, much safer doing an average speed! Especially
>> since they paved it all the way to Athol.
>>
>> I was wondering why they didn't widen the middle section and make it a
>> Passing Zone for both lanes, til I realized you would get SOME moron who
>> would just sit there and end up killing someone. It's not as good as 4
>> lanes, but it is better.
>>
>> After Athol, the middle 'shoulder' disappears, but they paved it! I've
>> been riding that road since 1978 whe I got a job in Andover until 1982,
>> and it needed paving THEN. Then I was going to Leominster at least once a
>> week a few years ago, and I couldn't believe they STILL hadn't paved it!
>> This time, they did it.
>>
>> Now, for the piece de resistance...they did away with that horrible "S"
>> curve right in front of the Erving Paper Mill. I *KNOW* you know what I'm
>> talking about. What a freakin' trap that was!. You bypass it totally now,
>> about 100 ft to the north; it's still not straight, but it's wide, with
>> sloping, sweeping curves that you can negotiate at speed, a smooth ride,
>> and you don't have to worry about a truck pulling out of a paper mill!
>>
>> Hell, it's only been 50 years since they started talking about it!
>>
>> Now, for rt 2 west from Greenfield to N. Adams...
>> (Hey, you have to admit, the ride through Savoy is nice, as long as it
>> isn't snowing or the water coming out of the ledge faces isn't FREEZING!)
>>[/color]
> Hmmm, sounds like I have to plan a road trip! My co-workers used to think
> I was crazy for taking Route 2 from Leominster to Greenfield and North
> Adams instead of taking the Mass Pike, but there wasn't that much of a
> time penalty, and the scenery was definitely much better.
>
> Do you know the 3 Mass towns named after the same governor?
> --
>
> Ray O
> (correct punctuation to reply)[/color]

Interesting...he's not even a resident and he beat me!

In article <sdtbh.19465$mM1.8908@trndny08>
[email]Trueno@AE86.gts[/email]
"=?iso-2022-jp?q?Hachiroku_=1B$B%O%A%m%=2F=1B=28B?=" writes:
[color=blue]
> Progress report:
>
> I had to make a trip to [...] Manchester [...] Lancaster [...]
> Leominster [...] Andover [...][/color]

Reading about your route was a strangely disorienting experience,
because the places cited above are also well known UKian ones but
arranged on our map, erm, somewhat differently.
--
Andrew Stephenson

"Hachiroku????" <Trueno@ae_86.gts> wrote in message
news:qKBbh.8890$Kw2.6343@trndny05...[color=blue]
>[/color]
<snipped
[color=blue][color=green]
>> Do you know the 3 Mass towns named after the same governor?
>> --
>>
>> Ray O
>> (correct punctuation to reply)[/color]
>
> Interesting...he's not even a resident and he beat me!
>[/color]

Carver, Marblehead, and Athol

"Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message
news:75b19$456f0ebf$44a4a10d$419@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=blue]
>
> "Hachiroku????" <Trueno@ae_86.gts> wrote in message
> news:qKBbh.8890$Kw2.6343@trndny05...[color=green]
>>[/color]
> <snipped
>[color=green][color=darkred]
>>> Do you know the 3 Mass towns named after the same governor?
>>> --
>>>
>>> Ray O
>>> (correct punctuation to reply)[/color]
>>
>> Interesting...he's not even a resident and he beat me!
>>[/color]
>
> Carver, Marblehead, and Athol[/color]

Marblehead was named for Dukakis?

"Andrew Stephenson" <ames@deltrak.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1164902529snz@deltrak.demon.co.uk...[color=blue]
> In article <sdtbh.19465$mM1.8908@trndny08>
> [email]Trueno@AE86.gts[/email]
> "=?iso-2022-jp?q?Hachiroku_=1B$B%O%A%m%=2F=1B=28B?=" writes:
>[color=green]
>> Progress report:
>>
>> I had to make a trip to [...] Manchester [...] Lancaster [...]
>> Leominster [...] Andover [...][/color]
>
> Reading about your route was a strangely disorienting experience,
> because the places cited above are also well known UKian ones but
> arranged on our map, erm, somewhat differently.
> --
> Andrew Stephenson[/color]

Hey, Andrew! They don't call it NEW England for nothin'!!! ;)

I didn't know there was a Leominster, though. How about Leicester,
Worcester, Auburn..?

"Hachiroku????" <Trueno@ae_86.gts> wrote in message
news:dBEbh.15266$LH2.8474@trndny04...[color=blue]
>
> "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote in message
> news:75b19$456f0ebf$44a4a10d$419@msgid.meganewsservers.com...[color=green]
>>
>> "Hachiroku????" <Trueno@ae_86.gts> wrote in message
>> news:qKBbh.8890$Kw2.6343@trndny05...[color=darkred]
>>>[/color]
>> <snipped
>>[color=darkred]
>>>> Do you know the 3 Mass towns named after the same governor?
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> Ray O
>>>> (correct punctuation to reply)
>>>
>>> Interesting...he's not even a resident and he beat me!
>>>[/color]
>>
>> Carver, Marblehead, and Athol[/color]
>
> Marblehead was named for Dukakis?[/color]
LOL!

--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

In article <PDEbh.12265$gJ1.5067@trndny09>
[email]Trueno@ae_86.gts[/email] "=?utf-8?B?SGFjaGlyb2t144OP44OB44Ot44Kv?=" writes:
[color=blue]
> "Andrew Stephenson" <ames@deltrak.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:1164902529snz@deltrak.demon.co.uk...[color=green]
> > In article <sdtbh.19465$mM1.8908@trndny08>
> > [email]Trueno@AE86.gts[/email]
> > "=?iso-2022-jp?q?Hachiroku_=1B$B%O%A%m%=2F=1B=28B?=" writes:
> >[color=darkred]
> >> Progress report:
> >>
> >> I had to make a trip to [...] Manchester [...] Lancaster [...]
> >> Leominster [...] Andover [...][/color]
> >
> > Reading about your route was a strangely disorienting experience,
> > because the places cited above are also well known UKian ones but
> > arranged on our map, erm, somewhat differently.[/color]
>
> Hey, Andrew! They don't call it NEW England for nothin'!!! ;)
>
> I didn't know there was a Leominster, though. How about
> Leicester, Worcester, Auburn..?[/color]

Yes; yes; don't think so. Leominster is near the Welsh border.
There is some argument whether to pronounce it "Lee-oh-minster"
or "Lemm-ster" but a local assured me the locals say the former
but outsiders think the latter way cooler. Leicester is a city
in central England. Worcester is a cathedral city in the west.

BTW a good place for checking UK place names, short of a proper
gazetteer, is [url]www.streetmap.co.uk[/url], which accepts name fragments
and suggests near misses. (I'm off-line right now.)
--
Andrew Stephenson

"Andrew Stephenson" <ames@deltrak.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1164909711snz@deltrak.demon.co.uk...[color=blue]
> In article <PDEbh.12265$gJ1.5067@trndny09>
> [email]Trueno@ae_86.gts[/email] "=?utf-8?B?SGFjaGlyb2t144OP44OB44Ot44Kv?=" writes:
>[color=green]
>> "Andrew Stephenson" <ames@deltrak.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
>> news:1164902529snz@deltrak.demon.co.uk...[color=darkred]
>> > In article <sdtbh.19465$mM1.8908@trndny08>
>> > [email]Trueno@AE86.gts[/email]
>> > "=?iso-2022-jp?q?Hachiroku_=1B$B%O%A%m%=2F=1B=28B?=" writes:
>> >
>> >> Progress report:
>> >>
>> >> I had to make a trip to [...] Manchester [...] Lancaster [...]
>> >> Leominster [...] Andover [...]
>> >
>> > Reading about your route was a strangely disorienting experience,
>> > because the places cited above are also well known UKian ones but
>> > arranged on our map, erm, somewhat differently.[/color]
>>
>> Hey, Andrew! They don't call it NEW England for nothin'!!! ;)
>>
>> I didn't know there was a Leominster, though. How about
>> Leicester, Worcester, Auburn..?[/color]
>
> Yes; yes; don't think so. Leominster is near the Welsh border.
> There is some argument whether to pronounce it "Lee-oh-minster"
> or "Lemm-ster" but a local assured me the locals say the former
> but outsiders think the latter way cooler. Leicester is a city
> in central England. Worcester is a cathedral city in the west.
>
> BTW a good place for checking UK place names, short of a proper
> gazetteer, is [url]www.streetmap.co.uk[/url], which accepts name fragments
> and suggests near misses. (I'm off-line right now.)
> --
> Andrew Stephenson
>[/color]

LOL! Thanks!

Leominster is Lem-In-Ster, and Liecester is "Lester", and of course
Worcester is like Worcster-shire sauce! ;)

In article <2iJbh.9748$Kw2.7625@trndny05>
[email]Trueno@ae_86.gts[/email] "=?utf-8?B?SGFjaGlyb2t144OP44OB44Ot44Kv?=" writes:
[color=blue]
> Leominster is Lem-In-Ster,[/color]

Yet another regional pronunciation. In-ter-est-ing...
[color=blue]
> and Liecester is "Lester",[/color]

Same here. ITYM "Leicester", though? :-)
[color=blue]
> and of course Worcester is like Worcster-shire sauce! ;)[/color]

There we commonly differ. In the UK it's "Wuss-tur". The sauce
gets pronounced two ways: if it's labelled Worcester (the city),
it's "Wuss-tur"; if Worcestershire (county), "Wuss-tur-shurr".

Simply apply centuries of syllable elision and drunken slurring.
--
Andrew Stephenson

On Thu, 30 Nov 2006 23:32:47 +0000, Andrew Stephenson wrote:
[color=blue]
> In article <2iJbh.9748$Kw2.7625@trndny05>
> [email]Trueno@ae_86.gts[/email] "=?utf-8?B?SGFjaGlyb2t144OP44OB44Ot44Kv?=" writes:
>[color=green]
>> Leominster is Lem-In-Ster,[/color]
>
> Yet another regional pronunciation. In-ter-est-ing...
>[color=green]
>> and Liecester is "Lester",[/color]
>
> Same here. ITYM "Leicester", though? :-)
>[color=green]
>> and of course Worcester is like Worcster-shire sauce! ;)[/color]
>
> There we commonly differ. In the UK it's "Wuss-tur". The sauce
> gets pronounced two ways: if it's labelled Worcester (the city),
> it's "Wuss-tur"; if Worcestershire (county), "Wuss-tur-shurr".
>
> Simply apply centuries of syllable elision and drunken slurring.[/color]


LOL! Yes, it's Wuss-Ster here also, unless you COME from Worcester, then
all bets are off. I've heard it call Wistah, Wusstuh, Wuss-ter (once you
get about 75 miles west of Boston...) and Worster, from people not from
around heah.. ;)

"Hachiroku ????" <Trueno@AE86.gts> wrote in message
news:DTMbh.9768$Kw2.4406@trndny05...[color=blue]
> On Thu, 30 Nov 2006 23:32:47 +0000, Andrew Stephenson wrote:
>[color=green]
>> In article <2iJbh.9748$Kw2.7625@trndny05>
>> [email]Trueno@ae_86.gts[/email] "=?utf-8?B?SGFjaGlyb2t144OP44OB44Ot44Kv?=" writes:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> Leominster is Lem-In-Ster,[/color]
>>
>> Yet another regional pronunciation. In-ter-est-ing...
>>[color=darkred]
>>> and Liecester is "Lester",[/color]
>>
>> Same here. ITYM "Leicester", though? :-)
>>[color=darkred]
>>> and of course Worcester is like Worcster-shire sauce! ;)[/color]
>>
>> There we commonly differ. In the UK it's "Wuss-tur". The sauce
>> gets pronounced two ways: if it's labelled Worcester (the city),
>> it's "Wuss-tur"; if Worcestershire (county), "Wuss-tur-shurr".
>>
>> Simply apply centuries of syllable elision and drunken slurring.[/color]
>
>
> LOL! Yes, it's Wuss-Ster here also, unless you COME from Worcester, then
> all bets are off. I've heard it call Wistah, Wusstuh, Wuss-ter (once you
> get about 75 miles west of Boston...) and Worster, from people not from
> around heah.. ;)
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/color]
The other thing that supposedly happens when you get as far west as
Worcester is that the Bahston accent (I had to pahk my cah in the pahking
lot when I flew to Cuber) disappears and you almost find it difficult to
believe you're still in Massachusetts, because the accent is so neutral.

"mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
news:12mvk5ucu5ah730@corp.supernews.com...[color=blue]
>
> "Hachiroku ????" <Trueno@AE86.gts> wrote in message
> news:DTMbh.9768$Kw2.4406@trndny05...[color=green]
>> On Thu, 30 Nov 2006 23:32:47 +0000, Andrew Stephenson wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> In article <2iJbh.9748$Kw2.7625@trndny05>
>>> [email]Trueno@ae_86.gts[/email] "=?utf-8?B?SGFjaGlyb2t144OP44OB44Ot44Kv?=" writes:
>>>
>>>> Leominster is Lem-In-Ster,
>>>
>>> Yet another regional pronunciation. In-ter-est-ing...
>>>
>>>> and Liecester is "Lester",
>>>
>>> Same here. ITYM "Leicester", though? :-)
>>>
>>>> and of course Worcester is like Worcster-shire sauce! ;)
>>>
>>> There we commonly differ. In the UK it's "Wuss-tur". The sauce
>>> gets pronounced two ways: if it's labelled Worcester (the city),
>>> it's "Wuss-tur"; if Worcestershire (county), "Wuss-tur-shurr".
>>>
>>> Simply apply centuries of syllable elision and drunken slurring.[/color]
>>
>>
>> LOL! Yes, it's Wuss-Ster here also, unless you COME from Worcester, then
>> all bets are off. I've heard it call Wistah, Wusstuh, Wuss-ter (once you
>> get about 75 miles west of Boston...) and Worster, from people not from
>> around heah.. ;)
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/color]
> The other thing that supposedly happens when you get as far west as
> Worcester is that the Bahston accent (I had to pahk my cah in the pahking
> lot when I flew to Cuber) disappears and you almost find it difficult to
> believe you're still in Massachusetts, because the accent is so neutral.[/color]
Yup, but you get a different variations in different directions like RI, NH,
VT, and ME. There are subtle variations even within Boston, like Cambridge,
Southies, etc. that the locals were aware of. It took me several years
before I could detect the difference.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

On Thu, 30 Nov 2006 22:50:31 -0800, mack wrote:
[color=blue]
>
> "Hachiroku ????" <Trueno@AE86.gts> wrote in message
> news:DTMbh.9768$Kw2.4406@trndny05...[color=green]
>> On Thu, 30 Nov 2006 23:32:47 +0000, Andrew Stephenson wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>> In article <2iJbh.9748$Kw2.7625@trndny05>
>>> [email]Trueno@ae_86.gts[/email] "=?utf-8?B?SGFjaGlyb2t144OP44OB44Ot44Kv?=" writes:
>>>
>>>> Leominster is Lem-In-Ster,
>>>
>>> Yet another regional pronunciation. In-ter-est-ing...
>>>
>>>> and Liecester is "Lester",
>>>
>>> Same here. ITYM "Leicester", though? :-)
>>>
>>>> and of course Worcester is like Worcster-shire sauce! ;)
>>>
>>> There we commonly differ. In the UK it's "Wuss-tur". The sauce
>>> gets pronounced two ways: if it's labelled Worcester (the city),
>>> it's "Wuss-tur"; if Worcestershire (county), "Wuss-tur-shurr".
>>>
>>> Simply apply centuries of syllable elision and drunken slurring.[/color]
>>
>>
>> LOL! Yes, it's Wuss-Ster here also, unless you COME from Worcester, then
>> all bets are off. I've heard it call Wistah, Wusstuh, Wuss-ter (once you
>> get about 75 miles west of Boston...) and Worster, from people not from
>> around heah.. ;)
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/color]
> The other thing that supposedly happens when you get as far west as
> Worcester is that the Bahston accent (I had to pahk my cah in the pahking
> lot when I flew to Cuber) disappears and you almost find it difficult to
> believe you're still in Massachusetts, because the accent is so neutral.[/color]


Oh, no...not in Wistah! You gotta go about 50 miles more.