Fall

I love fall. College football, cool mornings, leaves changing awesome colors, Thanksgiving, Halloween candy, running without perfusely sweating, the onset of flannel, and hunting season all make fall awesome. I went home last weekend for homecoming at Virginia Tech. I realy do miss the mountains and how breathtaking the trees are in fall. In Norfolk, leaves don't really change colors, they just die and fall off. Speaking of hunting season, I'm going hunting at my farm in Charlotte County, VA later this fall and I'm pumped. We used to grow Christmas trees there, but have recently rented it out for soybeans. The picture below and right is of the farm covered in said soybeans. Anyway, Blacksburg was beautiful and VT won. I got to give my buddy Miles a grand tour as hopefully he will be the future of VT. I got to see some awesome friends and even eat some Carol Lee Donuts. Mmmm is an understatement. I even got to drive one of my favorite roads through Catawba down by the homeplace. Gabby loved it almost as much as I did. Country road driving in the fall is unbeatable.

The Navy is confusing

About a month ago, the Navy put a new commander in charge of the shipyard. I feel a little bad for the guy because he had to move from the Pearl Harbor shipyard. I think I would quit if my boss told me to move from Pearl Harbor to Portsmouth. So this new guy has brought a lot of energy and a few traditions to Norfolk. The first is everyday at 8 am, the national anthem is played. Over the loudspeaker system I didn't know existed. It's a little like 1984/V for Vendetta. If you are outside, you must stop walking during the anthem. If you are in your car, you must stop driving during the anthem. I sit in a cubicle and read, so it doesn't really affect me. It's only bewildering to me if I'm in the little boys room.


Another tradition the new commander instituted last week was shipyard cleanup day. That sounds like a good idea, and it is. A little planning and execution would have made it really good. Here's how it went down. An email went out to all 7,000 employees telling them to assemble at the end of a pier. So at 7:20 Thursday morning, about 7,000 people gathered on this pier. Some dude got on the microphone and said the following:

"Welcome to shipyard cleanup day. Let's start with some stretching. Reach your hands up as high as you can. Now reach down and touch whatever you can. Now grab your shoulder and twist. Ok good. Now I want yall to just walk around and if you see something that you aren't proud of or needs cleanup, do it. We have about 30-40 brooms so let's get to it!"

Wow. Let's diagnose that. I'm not sure he knows much about stretching. I'm not a physical therapist, but "Touch whatever you can" is not great technique. I still don't know what "Grab your shoulder and twist" means. I'm pretty sure 30-40 brooms is inadequate for 7,000 people. So after feeling exceptionally limber, I walked around with my coworkers, picked up trash, observed confused dudes with nothing to do, and shoveled dirt with a dustpan. Yeah you read that correctly. I found a large amount of dirt impeding drainage to a storm drain, so I asked upper management for a shovel. "We don't have any shovels" was the reply. So I found a dustpan and shoveled dirt in to trashbags for about an hour. A few more hours of picking up trash and it was time for the commander to say a few words. I stood amongst the 4,000 clueless shipyard folk as the speaker setup was inadequate and thus nobody could hear the commander.

The best news? It was decided that this event was to be held quarterly. I'll keep you informed of the next awesome cleanup day.

Thoughts and Things that make me laugh

I went to wedding #7 two weekends ago, and I forgot my camera. Again. It was beautiful, right at the base of Afton Mountain, with just a hint of the beginnings of a western VA fall. Now I've been to a bunch of weddings in my life, so even with my small man-brain I've noticed a few things other than the food, cake, and dance moves. I feel sorry for ring bearer. I did it once when I was little. I don't even know who's wedding it was. Basically you take a 5 year old, dress him up in overpriced and uncomfortable clothes which he will stain by running around and sliding in the mud or grass, promise him cake or an action figure, tell him to walk around with a frilly pillow and have all the ladies comment about how cute he is. The child seems to be cuter when he wanders off or does something that if a normal adult did, would be considered a drunk. Ladies, you have no idea how the mind of a 5 year old works. He wants nothing to do with this process. He doesn't want to be ogled at like a puppy. He wants to be a man. GI Joes, monster trucks, you know, man stuff. Women saying, "Awww, how cute!" about 1,000 times is demoralizing. Stop it, girls. Let's stop emasculating kindergartners.

My hockey team still sucks. We still have a woman who shares a locker room with the guys. I'm scoring more so I guess that's a plus. We've been outscored 20-3 over the past 4 games. Gross.

Things that make me laugh: old commercials.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmSCh5ZkMqk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT86iWiH2mI&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmSCh5ZkMqk

Celebrations

It has been nice to be home this past weekend to spend time with local friends. The past two weekends have been filled with birthday celebration and weddings #5 and #6. The first was my friend Colt's wedding at a Lavender farm in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley.

"A Lavender farm? Really Scott? That isn't very manly. I expect more from you."

Don't worry. The men wore flannel ties, there were mountains in the background, the groom was literally named after Samuel Colt's famous revolver, and the father of the groom goes by the name Snake. Try an tell me that isn't manly. Enjoy the pictures.

The second wedding was my friend Taylor's in Charleston, SC. I've never enjoyed Charleston before and I'm convinced that after last weekend and with the exception of June and July, I could live there. The Live Oaks, Spanish Moss, abundance of porches and amazing restaurants, walkable atmosphere, and waterfront views make Charleston a gorgeous place. I forgot my camera so the internet will provide all Charleston pics.

Taylor's wedding was at a country parish surrounded by these Live Oaks. If you know me, you know my love for anything country. The reception was what was really over the top. It was on Seabrook Island, a place I'm not sure I could ever afford to even breathe in. The view of the ocean and estuary was magnificent, full open bar, and delicious food. I know you are asking me, "Did you dance?" Heck yes I did. There was a wedding band, led by Issac Hayes' daughter, Heather. It was almost more like a concert. Her crew was awesome. Great food, great people, great cake, great dancing, great weekend.

Back at home, my roomate got a dog. His name is Spot and is an Australian Shepherd/Blue Heeler mix. He minds me so good, unlike Jobie. He is really chill and only gets excited at 5:00 am and at the first of the 3 of us to return from work. He is a great running companion, only making me look dumb when he zig-zags right in front of my legs. Halfway into our run today I stopped in a field to run some sprints. His slight yelps of encouragement made my urge to vomit a little more bearable. He almost never actually barks, only whimpers in sadness when we all leave. I guess that's a little separation anxiety. The best part: he doesn't poop when you take him on walks. I made it a life goal awhile back to not have to pick up dog poop. I'm higher on the food chain, so I feel entitled not to do that. So (knock on wood) I haven't had to pick up any of his feces yet. Lord willing, that trend will continue.

Hello college football

I had to take a break. I was worried that my hasty emotions following the recent collapse of Hokie football would be spewed all over my blog. You deserve better than that. With that said, the fact that Hokie football runs through my veins requires, at the least, that I provide my thoughts regarding current Hokie status. I was worried this past Monday that I would receive some pokes and prods from those at work and I was right. I never thought I would say this, but I would be ok with a coaching change. I've grown up with Frank as my standard for college coaching, so it is hard to go against what he says. With that said, I've never been a fan of Bryan Stinespring, our offensive coordinator. I liken his play call decisions to many a college freshman's alcoholic consumption decisions: irrational and dangerous. I'm not football genious, but I think that if you are ahead of a team (Boise St.) and have 3rd and 7 with 2 minutes left, run the ball and punt. Don't attempt a stupid low percentage pass, giving the other team a full 2 minutes with which to work. I feel bad for Ryan Williams, a preseason Heisman contender, who can't get yards with these poor play calls. If you want me to talk about JMU, forget it. I might say some things I regret. Jim Weaver, if you're reading this, please hire some new coaches and then resign. You have made plenty of poor choices in your career at VT as well. Put Bud in charge and find somebody who knows what offense is. Stinespring recruits well so make him the recruiting guy. Do something.

In other news, my fall hockey season kicked off last Thursday. Our best players got moved up into the A-league, leaving our team weak. I used to be at the bottom of the talent pool, now I'm a little above average. That's not good. We won our first game 2-1 because the other team didn't have any subs. We lost last night 8-0. I take some blame because I went to Golden Corral beforehand. Don't. Do. That. Ever. That decision was about as smart as the aforementioned Bryan Stinespring choices. We have a girl on the team, a 40ish woman. That isn't weird, but the fact that she shares a locker room with us is. Enough said.

Goodbye Maine

I'm sorry I haven't finished my Maine trip yet, but I'm sure you have made it through ok.

August 13, Day 6

Today is our last day in Maine. Tomorrow morning at 315, we will begin the journey home, this time bypassing the big cities and the $30 in tolls. Today's big adventure is a kayak ride. We rented tandem kayaks with our JMU friends, Lauren and Molly. They are starting their own vacation adventure and were gracious enough to spend their first day with us. We kayaked out of Bar Harbor to some of the surrounding islands. Due to my clumsy nature, I left the camera in the car. We saw a Bald Eagle, did some climbing, skipped a few hundred rocks and ate a picnic lunch. I even got to paddle up to a lobster boat and watch them in action. Not exactly Deadliest Catch, but fun nonetheless. Bar Harbor gets its name from a land feature that is dry at low tide, and submerged in 4-5 feet of water at high tide. Fun fact, let's move on.

After throwing some frisbee and relaxing in the local park, we spotted the Bar Harbor brewery offering free tastings. Only their blueberry ale is sold down south, so it was good to sample their full line. I also still had a few culinary goals to meet. Blueberry ice cream and real clam chowder. We had clam chowder one night on the campfire, but canned just isn't quite the same. After a few restaurant searches turned up high prices, we found a local bar with some great deals. Real clam chowder and a fried haddock sandwich. Todd and I had agreed beforehand that today will conlude with blueberry ice cream.

So we walk into "Ben and Bill's" ice cream shop and my senses are instantly on high alert. The sights, sounds, smells were overwhelming. They sold so many types of food: chocolates, toffee, fudge, ice cream, gelato, etc. I noticed the folks behind the counter didn't speak english and they didn't acknowledge my presence as I had a laundry list of flavors I wanted to sample. Eventually I realized that Ben and Bill only hired eastern Europeans. Weird. Finally after much effort, a nice girl from Bulgaria named Krasi helped me through my sampling. I knew I'd settle on blueberry, but those other flavors aren't going to sample themselves. Thanks to Krasi, I have good ice cream.

Acadia National

August 12, Day 5:

After hiking Katahdin, we drove to the famous Acadia National Park. Day 5 started with breakfast at a local place where I had more blueberry pancakes. They even had homemade bread with homemade strawberry rhubarb jelly. Delicious. After a good breakfast, we scheduled some kayaks for our last day and then went to hike a short trail called "Beehive", right on the coast. What can I say, it was another beautiful hike. Good ocean views, hardwood birch trees, mild temperatures and plenty of blue sky. We drove around Acadia National Park to some of the small seasonal towns, found free ice cream (always my favorite), and headed back to our campground outside of Bar Harbor for a campfire meal of clam chowder (they say "chowdah") and lobster bisque. The best part was the taste.


Now after dinner we had s'mores. Let me tell you about my stance on s'mores. I pride myself on my s'more-making ability. I probably sound arrogant, but I think I have the perfect setup. I roll with a warm graham, chocolate near the fire during the s'more process for softening, 2 slow-roasted mallows that are done when they is near-liquid all the way through with a slight carmelized outside, and placed warm on the chocolate for a gooey consistency. There is your recipe for the week right there. Enjoy.

Things that make me laugh #3

I think this is #3. Anyway, I haven't finished my Maine trip explanation yet. Never fear, my baby birds, I'll feed you, but this should hold you over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghgg_fukbvU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtMweQ3cIIQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__Co6GAaXFw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRmYfVCH2UA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvltzwkUEEA&feature=player_embedded#at=49

A-Scent of Katahdin

Day 4, August 11:

I forgot to mention in my last post about the stars. I was actually dumb enough to try to photograph the gorgeous night sky in Baxter State Park. I need a tripod and some crazy exposure time to capture that. Pass. The stars here are just breathtaking. The 4 of us sat on a dock at the campground and took them in. Words can't describe. I love seeing the Milky Way and shooting stars. I literally can't come up with a way to inform you about Maine's beauty.

It's 5:20 am and it's already light. My campmates manage to wake me up for the adventure pinnacle of the trip. It's Katahdin day. The people in Maine are a little weird when it comes to their parks. You have to register to hike as they only take a certain number of hikers per day. You also must register for a specific parking lot, which determines the trail you ascend the mountain. We drew the hard trail. Shorter, but MUCH steeper. It was basically a rock scramble all the way up. The hike was 4,000 vertical feet in 4 miles. That's steep.

I mentioned my favorite sound in Maine, the pebbles tumbling into the sea. Now for my favorite smell in Maine. You might think it's blueberry pancakes or lobster or the sea. I'm actually going to choose the fresh pine scent. Maine is the most forested state in the US and you can smell it. Now remember that Zateran's last night? Well, it turns out that if you eat that stuff, it gives you monumentally bad gas. Sorry for the bad thoughts. Even outside, on a mountain, with wind and the strong pine, each of us would walk into a horrendous cloud of nasty.

One of the cool things about this hike is the view. About a mile into the hike, whenever you take a break, turn around and the view is just spectacular. You can see for miles and there is no civilization in sight. Mmmm. After an adventurous, tiring and a blast of a climb, you reach a false peak where you can truly take in the view. Heading toward the summit, I come across some wild blueberries which are delicious. I love wild food. Apparently Henry Thoreau made a journey up this mountain awhile back.

The summit is a great place. 360 degrees of awesome, vast, woods. There is a trail called the Knife's Edge which extends along the ridge at the summit. It's nothing but rocks with cliffs on each side. The path is only a few feet wide and not super-stable, but fun. We took a different trail on the way down for some variety and to save our joints from a painful descent. Katahdin has a stream on this trail with some sweet falls. Not shown here is the swimming hole which was used by all of us. Cold. Really freaking cold. But awesome.