I can't believe that came from your mouth!
Virginia
I Have Celebration Echoes
Oct 23rd
I don’t get hangovers, I get “celebration echoes.” Last night was awesome. Jess and I dined at Reston Town Center and then enjoyed a few cocktails celebrating four great years together.
The autumn colors are really bright in the region now and we discussed how great it is that our anniversary coincides with the beautiful change of season.
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Loading ...VDOT Can’t Spell
Oct 19th
Virginia Department of Transportation hung this sign right outside of the Pentagon in Crystal City. They say they refuse to replace it now because it is too expensive. They are going to tape over it with an “A” instead.
From NBC4 here:
The transportation department said it is embarrassed after misspelling the name of our former president on a new sign directing people on Interstate 395.
VDOT, you see, is in the midst of a sign-replacement program along I-395. And somehow former President Ronald Reagan’s name was spelled wrong on a sign for Exit 8C.
VDOT said it won’t replace the costly sign, but instead will cover up the “e” with an “a.” It will remain that way for quite some time, as VDOT said the exit signs usually last for about 15 years
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Democrat Governor Tim Kaine Blocked Military Ballots
Oct 19th
Tim Kaine, in an effort to keep Virginia a blue state in 2008, refused to send out absentee ballots to Virginia servicemen and women to allow them to vote. In fact, they argued in court that they had no legal obligation to send them out in a timely fashion at all. But if they were convicted felons, I bet the Democrats would want them to vote.
From the Examiner here with thanks to Red Alerts:
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Richard Williams ruled that Virginia violated the voting rights of service members deployed overseas because state election officials failed to send them absentee ballots for the 2008 presidential election in time for them to be returned by election day.
Virginia’s failure to mail about 2,100 absentee ballots at least 30 days prior to the election was a violation of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
Additionally, Judge Williams ordered the Virginia Board of Elections to now count and certify the absentee ballots in question.
On November 3, 2008 (the day before election day), the McCain campaign filed a federal complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia to prevent Virginia from tossing-out military absentee ballots that came in after election day.
The Virginia State Board of Elections, under Chairwoman Jean Cunningham argued that they actually have no legal obligation to send out military absentee ballots in a timely fashion. Jean Cunningham was appointed by VA Governor and Democratic National Committee Chair Tim Kaine.
While Hillary Clinton was a Senator, she pushed for legislation to restore the voting rights of every convicted felon living in the United States. Why did she propose such a measure…Because she was reasonably certain that most of them, would vote Democratic.
Due to their felon status, there are currently over 5 million Americans who are not eligible to vote. If their eligibility was restored, it would likely ensure that the White House would be perpetually occupied by a Democrat.
Okay, so we have documented voter fraud in Virginia, and Democrats were behind it. Democrats who were up in arms about Diebold making voting machines used in Ohio in 2004 and were busy counting hanging chads in the 2000 simply don’t care now that real voting fraud has taken place.
No matter. Bob McDonnell is wiping the floor with his opponent, Creigh Deeds, and will take the governorship in Virginia and sweep out the troll-like Tim McKaine and his ineffective minions.
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(1 votes, average: 6.00 out of 6) Loading ...Busch Gardens Pics
Oct 4th
This was the first time we have taken Cartney to a big amusement park. We were all tired due to a fiasco at the hotel we stayed at in Tidewater, but we trudged on anyways. Cartney was a trooper except for a huge meltdown while waiting for the log flume, but we created some great memories.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Acid Trippin Pets
Oct 4th
These bizarre pets were for sale at Busch Gardens. With all of them staring at you all googley-eyed like that the fist thing that comes to mind is “who dosed the water bowl?”. I almost got the pug one for our friends Dan and Mary but I don’t know if they would love it or hate it.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Grover’s Alpine Express
Oct 4th
Cartney got to ride his first roller coaster today at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. This is Grover’s Alpine Express in the Sesame Street Section. The kid is very brave and squealed with delight on the drops and turns. It was perfect weather and no crowds.
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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 6) Loading ...Virginia Safari Slideshow
Sep 16th
I’ve been a slacker and haven’t retrieved the shots off my camera of our trip to the Virginia Safari Park in Natural Bridge, Virginia until now. Wow, I had forgotten how huge these animals are up close. Check it out:
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Virginia’s Mystical Druids
Sep 1st
Somewhere on a hilltop near Natural Bridge, Virginia sits a mystic spot likely built by druids who came to earth on a spaceship. It is Foamhenge. Like Stonehenge, but more modern. Easier to carry and build. Seriously, its a real place. And it has a magic-missile shooting Merlin statue too!
Cartney tested the material to confirm that yes, it is indeed made of foam. He dug his nails into it and ripped out two tiny fistfuls of styrofoam while I shouted, “Cartney, NO! This is a state treasure to. . . . . Well okay, just don’t let Mommy see you do that.”
You can see more about this styrofoam replica of Stonehenge here. The site tells the story of Mark Cline, the creator of foamhenge:
Mark, always the entertainer, climbs atop what he calls the “altar stone” and tells us of his plans to celebrate the summer solstice. “One of the guys suggested that we sacrifice a virgin, but we couldn’t find any around here,” he wisecracks. Then he launches into an improvised Mick Jagger dance and tells us that he met his current wife when he performed this same routine in a local bar. “She was the only woman who didn’t try to grab my ass.”
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(2 votes, average: 6.00 out of 6) Loading ...Cheater in Tyson’s Corner
Aug 26th
William Taylor of Centreville, VA was busted by his wife as a cheater when she found evidence of an affair on his cellphone.
As retribution she made him do this below, but somehow I don’t think the marriage will be saved.
From NBCLA here:
Shame can be a powerful punishment. Just ask the guy who had to stand at the corner of Leesburg Pike and International Drive in Tysons Corner, Va., on Wednesday morning.
You know, the guy wearing the sign that said, “I CHEATED. THIS IS MY PUNISHMENT.”
William Taylor, of Centreville, Va., told a passerby that he cheated on his wife — and she found evidence of it on his cell phone. So the wife doled out a rather creative punishment: He had to stand at the intersection during morning rush, wearing the handmade sign.
Leesburg Pike in Tysons Corner is one of the most traffic-clogged arteries in the area, making for maximum viewing pleasure.
His wife seems like a bit of a ball-breaking bitch, dontcha think? And Mr. Taylor here seems like a welcome mat too, letting her walk all over him this way. Saying sorry and getting some counseling would be more manly.
So do you agree with this punishment? Is the woman asking too much and is this guy a wimp for degrading himself this way? Or do you think this whole thing is an elaborate stunt?
UPDATE! As usual, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
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(2 votes, average: 6.00 out of 6) Loading ...Linden Winery Still Making Top Chardonnay
Aug 19th
The Washington Post decided to hold their own version of “Judgement of Paris,” the famous 1976 taste test that put California Wines on the map. They based BottleShock on this tasting. Now WaPo has pitted Virginia Wines against some of the best California and French Wines. Virginia didn’t come in first. But they came in third and fourth.
From the WaPo here:
Where California was in the 1970s — underappreciated for its quality — Virginia is today. So when we decided to hold our own Judgment of Washington, it wasn’t just to see whether the United States would best France today. It was to see whether local wines might surprise the judges now as much as Napa Valley bottles did more than three decades ago.
When the scores were totaled and the wines unveiled, a California wine narrowly edged out a French rival for the top spot in each category. But Virginia was nipping at their heels.
In third and fourth place came two Virginia chardonnays: Linden Vineyards 2006 Hardscrabble and the Michael Shaps 2007. Fewer than 1.25 points separated the first four chardonnays, two of them from Virginia. The judges were unanimous in thinking the Shaps was from Burgundy. The Linden was mistaken for French by three of the judges, while the others suspected the West Coast.
What conclusions can we draw from our exercise? That U.S. wines are the equal of the French is no longer the surprise it was in 1976. We cannot ignore that wines produced within a two-hour drive of Washington stood toe-to-toe with highly touted competitors from California and France.
I do like the Linden wines. In fact, both of the wines that won in this competition topped the list of wines by Travel and Leisure magazine. I wrote about that here in 2007. But atop the next mountain over from Linden is Fox Meadow Vineyards, which I may be partial to since I have had so much of their wine with friends over the past few years. But I think its even better. Thanks to Mary for the tip on this article!
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Don’t Touch That Valve!
Aug 8th
We went to Algonkian park today. It has a pretty awesome water park that is geared for little kids, including this big wading pool with a giant tipping bucket. Cartney had lots of fun on the water slides and is really beginning to be a great swimmer if you can catch him long enough to strap a life jacket onto him.
Snapped this shot right as the giant bucket was tipping. With Cartney’s hand on the valve it looks a little like he was the cause of this water display.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Riding the Fish
Aug 2nd
We went to the 4H fair at Frying Pan Park today. The weather was drizzly, but there were carnival rides and lots of yummy carnival food so we stuck around and had a great time. Cartney even got to solo on his first carnival ride today. He liked this ride, “Willy the Whale” the best and every time it ended he would say “Fish Again! Fish Again!”
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Morning in Natural Bridge
Jul 26th
Fog sits on the mountain above Natural Bridge. What a great way to spend a weekend!
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(1 votes, average: 6.00 out of 6) Loading ...Giddyap Lil Raptor
Jul 26th
We had to go rescue my SSR from Roanoke so we stopped at Natural Bridge VA for a quickee mini vacation. This cowboy is outside of the giftshop and seems a bit incongruous with the surrounding mountains.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Best BBQ in Louden County
Jul 2nd
We were out shopping for the holiday weekend, and we were hungry so we pulled into Pappa Duke’s BBQ, which is basically a diner cart in some guy’s backyard at the corner of Cascades and Woodland road in Sterling.
Pappa Duke piled up a plate of ribs for me and half a smoked chicken for Jess and a good side of home made potato chips. OMG it was so good!
The ribs were succulent and falling off the bone and the chicken was the most flavorful, juiciest chicken ever. I’m definitely going back soon. The website is here.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Vick May Have Suspension Extended
Jun 30th
Roger Goodell may extend Michael Vick’s suspension, along with an indefinite suspension of Plaxico Burress.
From the DailyPress here:
Yahoo Sports reports that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is “leaning toward” extending MIchael Vick’s suspension and also handing down an indefinite suspension to Plaxico Burress. The online report cites “three sources with knowledge of the situation” but does not identify them.
Vick, the star quarterback from Newport News, is currently serving the last three weeks of his federal prison sentence on home confinement in Hampton. He pleaded guilty to charges related to a dogfighting ring run out of his property in Surry County. The Atlanta Falcons have cut ties with Vick, but he hopes to play again with another team.
Vick was suspended indefinitely by the league in August 2007.
Does anyone think its time for Vick to play ball again, or should he continue with his suspension?
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Toddler Horrors of Aeronautics
Jun 20th
These are two photos you never want to see if you are an astronaut or a pilot. First up is my boy in the co-pilot’s chair of a MD-80. This was on display at the Hampton Air and Space Museum, which the family stopped at on the way to the Outer Banks for a much needed weeklong vacation. Seriously, if the pilot drops dead and no one is left to land the plane, this is the last person you want to see as you pass the cockpit:
Also, if you are at Mission Control, this is the last view you would see of the Mars Rover. Cartney snuck under the barricade and assaulted either the mockup model of the Rover or maybe a beta version of the vehicle. Thankfully no one was looking as he was slapping the solar panels:
He kept shaking it and no martians fell out. Oh by the way, Cartney turned two years old today, and in case you were wondering, yes, the “terrible twos” have started already- he got a head start on that a few weeks ago.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Chillin’ in A-Town
Jun 13th
Awesome rap song about Arlington, Virginia along the Orange line. Yeah, what is up with all the brown flip-flops? Thanks to Dan for the link!
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Obama Aborts His Hope and Change Plans
Jun 11th
Obama went to a Denny’s in Manassas, VA, the Redneck capitol of Northern Virginia, and realized there is no way he can accomplish his grandiose plans. He emerged “Visibly Shaken” from an impromptu townhall.
I make fun of Manassas, but it sadly is the only place in Northern Virginia with a Redneck Feast Triple Threat: It has a Sonics, a Checker’s and the best of all, a Cracker Barrel.
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(No Ratings Yet. Rate It!) Loading ...Margaret Thomas’ Cool Garden and Tumble-Down Barn
May 23rd
One of Fairfax County’s real treasures is Margaret Thomas’ Garden. I wrote about it a couple of years ago on this post here. We stopped by today to check out all of her beautiful blooming irises, roses and peonies.
One of the original homes on Lawyers Road, this house along with her garden has become a county and national cultural landscape landmark.
This barn is still in use to house containers and gardening materials. It is a favorite subject of painters and photographers in the area.
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