Buying CDs outside of Allegheny County

Late this afternoon, joi_division suggested that we drive out to the CD Warehouse in Irwin to see if we could find any gems. Unlike the the used CD stores located in Pittsburgh proper and it's immediate suburbs, this one seemed less "picked over" the last time we have visited. I love used CDs in general because their proprietors are uneducated as to what albums will fetch one over $100 on eBay, usually marking down the price under the assumption that, "since no one knows who it is, no one will want to buy it." Meanwhile, copies of Stupid Dream by Porcupine Tree can be found used for upwards of $80.00. You can own a used copy of APB's Something To Believe In if it doesn't pain you to part with nearly $300.00.

I didn't find any rare eBay "gold mine" CDs today, however, I think I did well enough, regardless. My haul, if you will...

Pulsars - s/t
Skunk Anansie - Post-Orgasmic Chill
Tasmin Archer - Great Expectations
Ultravox - Vienna [Import]
Lush - Spooky
The Catherine Wheel - Adam & Eve
Prince - Purple Rain

Obviously, I didn't find anything incredibly rare, though the Pulsars are less than known. A shame it is too, as this was a great new wave pop group obsessed with robots and engineering. One of their members went on to produce Mates of State, a duo that impressed me about as much as The White Stripes did when I first heard their music (that is to say, I think they're overrated).

To get to the Irwin CD Warehouse, Joi and I took I-376 to the PA Turnpike (I-76 outside of Pittsburgh), which we then drove until the US-30 exit. The store is located on that particular route. We could have driven back exactly the same way, however, on each trip I had noticed a toll highway in between the exit off of I-76 and the store. The signs pointing towards the on-ramps of this highway marked it as part of the PA Turnpike, even though it's route sheild designated it as PA-66.

On the way back, I decided not to take US-30 to I-76, instead I made the turn on PA-66, correctly assuming that if it was marked as being part of the PA Turnpike, it would eventually lead back to that interstate highway (this is only true if you go southbound from US-30, turning northbound takes you further into the middle of nowhere).

One thing I immediately noticed about this road was how nice it was. Unlike the interstate version of the PA Turnpike, this had a nice wide grassy median dividing the two sides of the highway, rather than a skimpy concrete Jersey barrier. The road was also devoid of bumps and the lines painted on the asphalt had yet to fade away. I also noticed one other thing: barely anyone else was driving on PA-66. It was almost like I had stumbled upon the Eastside twin to The Beaver Valley Expressway (PA-60, for those keeping track).

Despite the fact that taking PA-60 required a slight backtrack once we reached I-76 (via an interchange which needs improved signage), Joi and I managed to shave at least ten minutes off of our trip by avoiding the traffic lights and lower speed limits of US-30. In their series "Tales of Three Toll Roads," the Post-Gazette reports that Toll 66, aka The Greensburg Bypass was possibly "the one best meeting expectations" of traffic usage. I suspect that they have lowered expectations in Western Pennsylvania.

I just think it's a shame that there are better routes to take and people don't seem to be using them. On the other hand, I do enjoy essentially having the road to myself. Of course, the road won't be worth driving anymore if funding is cut either on account of toll collection not making its mark or legislative stinginess.