Sunk To A New Low

Tonight we needed to run to the store for a few items. It had just quit raining and the radar showed more showers in the area, so instead of taking the Miata, which would have meant putting the top up, we borrowed my mother-in-law’s MSV (Miata Support Vehicle, in this case a Honda Civic.) Next thing you know we will be borrowing the car if it is going to rain and I just washed the Miata.

Purchased Today: $0
Money spent since 03/03/03: $908.63
Started up, went down, still down.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 165

There Is No Place Like Home

Left from Martinsville, VA at 8:00 PM and didn’t arrive home until a little after 2:00 PM, 6 hours on the road and it seemed longer than that. Every way we turned we thwarted in our quest for a two lane back road route back from Virginia. We were glad that we were far enough east so as not to have to retrace our Thursday evening route of I-77, but that placed us near a group of the large cities of Raleigh, Durham, Winston-Salem, etc. North Carolina. After trying a couple of roads we gave up and traveled the near Interstate four lane divided roads that populated the area. Then hooked up with I-85 and then I-77 near Charlotte.

I’ve other stuff to take care of before I can transcribe the analog blog of the other 3 days to here, so if you are interested (and I can’t believe you wouldn’t be) check back tomorrow evening as I probably catch up blogging instead of working Monday.

Purchased Today: $11.50
Money spent since 03/03/03: $908.63
Started up, went down, went up, went down, back up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 164

Can I Get A Meal?

We arrived in Martinsville, VA about 12:30 PM and stopped at the Holiday Inn Express to see if per chance we could check in. We could and did. Donna had a hankering for Chik-fil-A and we wondered aloud what the odds were that we could find one in this town. The helpful desk clerk said take a right out of the parking lot, at the second light go left and the mall is on your left about a mile down the road.

The mall was an older one, built probably during the hay-day of malls, in the early 80’s. There was no food court, just a fast pizza place and the Chik-fil-A. The Chik-fil-A was packed and the lines were long. Turns out it wasn’t so much the lines to order, but they were people who had already placed an order and were waiting on their food. Trying to politely decipher which was which was impossible. We considered leaving to find someplace to go, but figured a short wait wouldn’t be too bad. Not too long after we decided to stay a clerk called out, “I’ll help the next one in line.” I started towards her, but a woman came from nowhere and proceeded to order her lunch. Donna and I looked at one another and promptly did an about face and headed for our car.

Back towards the hotel there were a few places, so we headed that way. We spotted an Applebee’s, but hesitated. We like the food, but dislike them because they separate the smoking and non-smoking sections by an imaginary line and a thin railing. To make matters worse the bar and smoking section are on a lower level making a nice chimney effect to draw the exhaled smoke and smell right into the non-smoking section. Deciding to give them a chance anyway because we were getting hungry. I got into the turn lane and waited for the arrow. Looking left there was an entrance to a steak place to the right of Applebee’s that was closed, so I made a U-turn and got in the right lane looking for the other entrance only to realize that the entrance I saw was for both places. I drove a quarter of a mile back the wrong way, U-turned again, returned to the original light and waited for the green arrow again. The hostess seated us against the wall on one in response to our request to be as far from the smoking section as possible. Maybe it was just inattentiveness or perhaps we had broken an unwritten hostess rule by requesting special seating, but there we sat ignored. After no one came over to greet us or take a drink order within the first couple of minutes, using the silent communication that married couples develop in time, we discussed leaving with just a glance. I said out loud, “Wait here comes a waitress, if she isn’t ours, we’ll leave.” She paraded slowly by without so much as a glance our way. We headed for our car once again.

Up ahead was a Ryan’s Steakhouse, complete with a woman out front in a poorly made cow costume waving at the drivers as they blew past her at 55 MPH. Unfortunately our survival instincts overrode our good sense and we pulled in, even though we knew what was in store for us inside. Both of us really didn’t want steak for lunch so we chose to dine on the Mega-Bar. What started out as a simple salad bar 10 years ago, has transmogrified into a buffet of immense proportions which includes every thing you could possibly think of, except salad. The variety of fried food stuffs is only out numbered by the quantity of vegetables that have been cooked and swimming in butter or prepared with animal fat as a seasoning. To be honest there was the makings of a tossed salad to be had, but by the time I found it, I was so full of chicken wings, fried okra, etc. to not want any.

Stupid Saturday

After a morning visit to Sally and a brisk couple mile walk around some walking paths in Lexington, we said so long and hopped in the car. Spent the first part of the trip on the Blue Ridge Parkway again before finally getting in some delay free back roads to Martinsville, VA. We picked this particular town because they were home to a minor league baseball that was playing a home game this evening.

Donna and I have been going to minor league baseball since the early eighties when we would drive from Meridian, MS to Jackson to see the Double A Mets play. We loved the old parks that had all kinds of character. Most started out with old concrete dugouts and concrete benches for stands. Our favorite place was Asheville where the “box seats” were metal folding chairs painted green that came with waitress service. Down through the years minor league ball has grown up and we thin not all for the good. Before, most of the teams had the names of the parent club, but since the movie “Bull Durham” and the success of marketing that teams merchandise with the distinct bull in the letter D logo every team wants a piece of that pie. The Savannah (GA) Cardinals became the Sand Gnats, my home town team the New Britain Red Sox became the Rock Cats, etc. A team of marketing people were brought in the create a cute nickname and mascot to go with it so money could be made. The stadiums themselves grew up. Leagues instituted minimum standards for seating. New stadiums had to be built or a team would move to another town. Prices went up, the $3 dollars we paid at Asheville for our box seats is now what it costs to park at the Columbia (SC) Bombers games. Instead of kids being taught to keep score to get them involved and give them something to do, now between every inning we play games, dizzy bat races, race the mascot around the bases, musical chairs, and rolling big dice for prizes. We missed the good “old” days. but still we go because it is a relative bargain compared to attending a major league game and there is still something special about hot dogs, nachos, cold beer and the crack of the bat.

We had a bad lunch experience, but the hotel was nice. They had a free internet terminal for guests to use (Ack! Dial-up, but beggars can’t be choosers.) so I checked on Lance’s Tour de France day (Ack! He lost time Jan Ullrich.) and went to the Photo Friday site to get my challenge (AK! Identity.)

After lounging in the room for a couple of hours we headed over to the ball field to watch the game. The Martinsville Astros were playing the Kingsport Mets. Well we were confronted with the past and now we are not so sure we like it. Martinsville is a short season rookie team in the Appalachian League, about as far down as you can get on the pro baseball ladder. Their stadium was small, old and looked thrown together from bits and pieces they inherited from the local high school when they got a better field. It was mix of cement bleachers, aluminum bleachers and old plastic movie theater looking seats planted on top of the dugout. There was one concession stand and the souvenir shop was a small metal building. The line-ups and league standings were hand written on pieces of paper and taped to a board. I think we may need to go to an Augusta (GA) Greenjackets, used to be Pirates, game this weekend, they are single A and have a nice 3 year-old stadium just to compare.

Purchased Today: $0
Money spent since 03/03/03: $897.13
Started up, went down, went up, went down, back up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 164

W & L Trident Sweatshirt

The first year we visited our friends after they moved to Lexington, VA I stopped into a local screenprint/sporting clothing store, Sayre, and picked up a navy blue hooded sweatshirt with a large white Washington & Lee trident logo on the front. I literally wore that sweatshirt out in the ensuing 5 years. Every time we have been back since, I stop in and look for a replacement sweatshirt, with no luck yet. Every time I ask about when they might have some in, the response is always the same, “We will be getting some new stuff in for the fall/winter/spring, check back then.” And every time I leave empty-handed and disappointed. This time I went ahead and bought a white T with the logo on the back, but it is just not the same. Sigh…

Freewayless Friday

We tried to avoid the Interstate today on our way to Lexington, VA. Mainly because that is our preferred way to travel, but we also hoped to avoid the construction delays we seemed to encounter every 50 miles. Nice try. We found delays on the back roads as well, from slow drivers to lane closings with flagmen because of grass mowing. Turns out we made the best time on a road we normally avoid. Although beautiful to travel, the 45 MPH speed limit of the Blue Ridge Parkway usually means slow forward progress. I’m sure we weren’t going as fast as Interstate travel, but today compared to the trip thus far, we were flying.

Spent the afternoon wandering the quaint downtown of Lexington. I of course was hoping to replace my long deceased Washington & Lee trident sweatshirt while Stuart (the HS senior son of our friend) was looking for a feather for his cap, literally. Claire (the college senior daughter of our friend) was there too, but no fun at all because her allergies were in high gear and could do nothing but sniffle and wipe her watery eyes.

When Sally (friend) arrived home from work we had just enough time for her to change before we headed out for Fridays Alive in Davidson Park, a short 5 block walk from their house. Tonight’s free music was provided by the Ammon/Bassett Band. They played what we in South Carolina call “beach music,” you may call it 50’s Rhythm ‘n Blues. We hung around for about 1/2 of the three hour show. Just about as much of that as a person could stand, unless of course you live to shag.

Purchased Today: $10.50 in gas
Money spent since 03/03/03: $897.13
Started up, went down, went up, went down, up, down, back up, still up.
Top Transitions since 02/02/03: 160

Fuddrucker’s For Dinner

Way back in the 80’s when they first started appearing on the landscape, Fuddruckers were the be-all-to-end-all of hamburger places. I remember when the first opened a store in New Orleans there were signs posted outside that said, No Photography Allowed, so no one would steal their decorating idea of leaving empty food cases arranged around the place.

Well it is twenty years later and the bloom is off the rose. The burger I was served was good, but not up to my memory and certainly not the “Worlds Best” with which they billed themselves. Which is why perhaps some truth nazis made them paint over that particular phrase on the awning outside the door.

If you click on the link to the company’s site you will find that they still use the slogan “Worlds Best Hamburgers” in their logos and I presume advertising. The one we ate at in Columbia, SC looked way run down and probably hasn’t been changed or updated since it opened. Makes me want to go to a different one and see if perhaps it was just this particular restaurant, but I probably won’t as there is usually plenty of other places that I would rather eat.