Friday, May 8, 2015

Old Virginny


Another trip, another awakening at the crack of dawn. Check that, we were up well before the sun. We even beat the birds out of bed.

The drive to the airport was, thankfully, uneventful. Got to Long Term Parking, got the bus to the terminal and started checking in. That's when The Missus Herself let me know that she had left her carry-on travel bag in the car. Of course at 0500 I ain't the sharpest knife in the drawer, so I stare at her for a moment, then say, "Why?"

The look on her face is interesting. I imagine it's the look a tiger gives an antelope just before pouncing.

She asks for my keys, which are given over, and out the door she goes. The shuttles run back and forth quite frequently at the butt crack of dawn so she is confident that she has ample time to retrieve her carry-on.

I, on the other hand, am not so confident as I see my carefully crafted plan begin to fall apart. (Carefully crafted, as in, I made her get up early enough so that we'd have about 90 minutes before our flight after arriving. Now we were down to 55 minutes and the clock was ticking.)

The line going through Security was very long, while at that time of day most of the others were business travelers and were cognizant of how to go through Security, there are always one or two who apparently wandered down from the hills that very morning and had decided to "catch the aeroplane out to see Cousin Cletus out yonder in Oklahoma." Not to cast aspersions on the wonderful and fine folks out there in Oklahoma. Where I'm told that the "wind comes whistling down the plain."

My sole foray to Oklahoma was in the 1980s, ya know, back in the last century. That was just a "pass-through" as we computer types might call it. I was accused of being lost, I reassured the crew and passengers of the Sargemobile that I was not lost but knew exactly where we were.

"And where might that be honey?"

"Oklahoma my dear. Where the wind comes whistling down the plain."

"Where in Oklahoma?"

"Hhmm, while I cannot give you a precise location within the state, I can assure you that we are on an eastbound highway."

"And..."

"And sometime today we will reach Arkansas." (Said state I pronounced "Arrr Kansas" as a child. Ah well, I was young and pronounced it that way until corrected by a close, personal friend.)

"It's pronounced, Ar-kan-saw ya moron."

"Ah, thank you my dear friend." Or words to that effect.

Oh, about that opening photo, that is most assuredly not my ride to DC. (I wish.) I'm on my tablet which (at the moment) has a dearth of photos. That's one of the few, which might have been part of a Flyby some time ago. I think.

Okay, been out and about the town, so I have some more photos to share.

Before heading out to get some lunch I was on Facebook. A friend of mine out Colorado way (we had served in Germany together) mentioned a place by the name of Gadsby's Tavern. He recommended it, so we went there. Now I'm recommending it.

Food was excellent, atmosphere was superb and the drink, my word, the drink!

The Tavern's Front Door
Oh yeah, some famous guys liked to eat at this place back in the day. Fellows by the name of Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Monroe and Madison. Perhaps you've heard of them?

The Sign Out Front
One of General Washington's Favorites...
Mine too!
This one is based on a recipe from Ben Franklin. Delicious!
Alexandria's Waterfront, view looking towards National Harbor (across the river).
And that was just the first day of vacation.

Yes, I am enjoying myself.

34 comments:

  1. "Why?" I love it. I'll bet you wanted to take that question back as it was leaving your lips.

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    Replies
    1. Oh yes. No doubt I'll hear that story over and over in years to come.

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  2. Welcome to. and please enjoy, The Old Dominion. Occoquon and south are pretty nice, as are the various battlefields from The War of Yankee Aggression between DC and Richmond, if you've not done them before.

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    1. I've been down here many times Cap'n, loved every minute. Truly Virginia is a magnificent place!

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  3. I have never been lost, per se. There have been occasions when my locational situation awareness may not have been as perfect as I'd have liked it to be, but lost? Never!

    BTW, Happy Birthday Sarge.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Juvat.

      ("Locational situational awareness...": priceless!)

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    2. We used the term geographically embarrassed. In my former line of work that could be as much as a 100 meters off.

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    3. I love it. I have often been geographically uncertain, but geographically embarrassed? I'm thinking of the roads between Brunssum and Heerlen in the Netherlands, first trip to the commissary in Schinnen, night fell, I couldn't remember how to get back to Germany. Back and forth for over an hour until The Naviguesser spotted a sign indicating Germany was "that way."

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  4. "The look on her face is interesting. I imagine it's the look a tiger gives an antelope just before pouncing."

    Perhaps as accurate description of a wife as I've read.

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  5. They each have their own unique look whenever they're displeased with a response.
    GS was known for her Hungarian sneer.
    It was kinda fun to create situations that would cause that look.

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  6. May each day of vacation be that enjoyable, and may the tiger-on-antelope look NOT reappear.

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    Replies
    1. The leopard cannot change his (or her) spots, but I hope so too!

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  7. Glad you're having a good time and would love to try that Tavern Porter. Us wonderful and fine folks out here
    in Oklahoma appreciate the kind comments. As for the wind whistling down the plains I just have to assume
    that's fact as I was raised in the Oklahoma hills and that's where cousin Cletus comes to visit. I just wish
    he'd get some real luggage. It's embarrassing to pick him up at the airport when everything he has is in
    Piggy Wiggly bags!! ;-) Wasn't aware that it was your birthday so HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

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    Replies
    1. Tell Cletus I said hi.

      (Yeah, Russ, I had you in mind when I wrote that. Couple other Okie friends as well.)

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  8. Happy Birthday!

    Gadsby's looks like a great place.

    Sometimes I get a powerful hankerin' for Virginia.

    As for hairport "security," Hognose over at Weaponsman characterizes it best:

    "No one good, decent, intelligent, moral or ethical has ever worked for the TSA in any capacity whatsoever."

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Shaun.

      Just got back from the flyover over the capital. It was hot and crowded.

      It was worth it. An awe inspiring sight!

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    2. As a Wise American advised me recently, Pictures!"

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    3. Heh. There will be pictures. Not great pictures but pictures.

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    4. Pinch has some over on his page. Safe travels to you and yours OAFS. Next week the former Lipstick 6 and I are headed to Myrtle Beach via Yorktown and OBX.

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    5. Safe trip Dust. Pinch is a brilliant photographer.

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  9. "Yes I am enjoying myself."

    BASTARD!

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    Replies
    1. I won't rub it in but...

      Oh Hell yes I will.

      The weather has been perfect. The food delicious and the beverages superb. All beaten only by the sublime company.

      Gee Virgil, wish you were here. (Seriously. Heck, I'd even buy you a drink!)

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    2. The Birthday Badger Sends Greetings!

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  10. Dad...what happened to the other pictures of your beer...they were much more interesting :)

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    Replies
    1. If you really want to have those on the blog, I just might oblige you.

      ;-)

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  11. Yet the river, which flows through the state, is pronounced Ar-KAN-sas.

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  12. You see the mustache and the beard right....right!? We took the little one to Belle Haven Marina for to sail in a 470 for pennies on the dollar for hours and hours with a break for lunch and we aint never telling her mother that she fell into the bull shark infested river because, of course, she didn't. No indeedy.

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    Replies
    1. Mustache and beard spotted, Aye!

      The Nuke mentioned the bull sharks. No surprise, the buggers seem to like fresh water.

      Delete
  13. Alexandria is a very nice place and I get a kick out of the street names and the old torpedo factory and the restaurants and the bars and the pizza places and the .....

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    Replies
    1. I am exploring the restaurants as fast as I can.

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Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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