Dackel Princess

It’s All About…

A Reunion Wrap-Up

For the last 8 months I have been looking forward to our trip to Virginia Beach, via the Cape May Ferry and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. I plotted and planned. I looked at good routes to drive and of course, places to stay in the Cape May area. As the days got closer, my excitement grew.

The dog sitter was booked, sadly, we lost Greta right before our departure, but I felt everyone would be fine in K’s more than competent hands.

Our departure was nice and early on the 25th of September and we arrived down in Cape May in time to watch a beautiful sunset and have a delicious meal at a Greek restaurant.

We arrived at the hotel in Virginia Beach and got settle in, despite the 90+ degree heat! I should say, I got the room settled as Jack immediately got sidetracked talking to the guys. This was okay, but it was so hot, I felt like heat stroke might set in! Ha!

Okay, I do not want to dwell on things for too long but, the carpet in the room was awful! The shower left a lot to be desired, the food was terrible, and there were these little back flies everywhere in our room that seemed to enjoy feasting on me. I am hopeful that next year they will book better accommodations and meals than they did this year.

The tours of Fort Eustis was wonderful. Seeing all the Army Aircraft of days gone by, reminded me of how our men and women fought for their country under difficult circumstances.

We had a lovely time at the Officers Club on the base at Fort Eustis, and as we were about to leave I noticed I’d dropped an earring! A brand new earring at that! Geraldine and I raced back into the Officer’s Club and we did find it!

When we went to the McArthur Museum, I noted a Nordstrom Store across the street! Gerry and I quietly slipped away and off we went for 45 minutes of wild shopping! This is where I found a nighty originally marked at $70.00 on a clearance for $14.95! It sure is a nice one!

Each evening before dinner, Jim, Gerry, Jack and I would meet in our mini-suite (it was small with the crappy rug, but the company was great!) and have cocktails and munchies. Jim has Celiac Disease, and I shopped carefully for him, so he could easily munch! This was a good thing because the food at the hotel was not Gluten Free despite his filling this out on his registration form.

Jack recieved a special Medal for his time serving in Vietnam. I was so proud of him. He is also now a senior member of the Otter-Caribou Association. (Otters and Caribous are the planes flown during this time in Vietnam.)

On a private tour, we went to Fort Monroe, which was not closed until September 15, 2011. It had a long history and our friends, Jim and Geraldine were based there early in his military career. It is such a beautiful place, and thankfully the National Park Service has taken over control of a lot of the area. So it is being preserved.

The entertainment at the Welcome Dinner was a man who sang Frank Sinatra Songs and told us about the life of Frank. He was really very good. Ever wonder what a Marine does when he retires? Yes, he goes off and sings at Military Events!

The events ended late on Saturday and Jack decided we should leave as early as we could to head home. I woke at 5:30 and started to finish getting ready, and Jack woke, got ready and we were on the road at 6:45 am!

We stopped about every 2-3 hours to walk around and arrived home last night at 7:34 pm! It was a long trip with a lot of traffic, but we made it!

Fort Monroe

Saturday found us up early, off to breakfast with Jim and Geraldine and then we got in the car and headed to Fort Monroe, VA. Many years ago, when Jim and Gerry were first married, Jim was stationed there. So our trip to the converted Fort Monroe was a walk down memory lane for them.

Back in the early 1960’s Fort Monrow was still an Army installation. Now it is a National Monument. There is so much history there, so I will share this Wiki-Link so those interested can go and read about its illustrious history. Here are some pictures I took.

For many, many years, Fort Monroe was an important part of America’s defenses. During the Civil War, the Island jail contained Confederate President Jefferson Davis.

Jefferson Davis’s cell.

All of this added to the strife after The Civil War, but in the end, Jefferson Davis lived to be a very old man, well into his 80’s and free of all charges. It somehow doesn’t seem right, for all the blood that was shed, and the young lives lost in the Civil War.

Me with Jack at Fort Monroe.

Geraldine and Jim!

The day was absolutely perfect. Low humidity and warm temperatures. The best day of our entire stay. I’m so glad we spent most of it outside.

It’s late on Saturday now and I need to post this and pack the laptop. This really has been a great trip.

Otters, Caribous, and Beavers, Oh My!

Friday our group went to Ft. Eustis, and the US Army Transportation Museum. It was a wonderful place and we saw so much.

Fort Eustis is a United States Army installation near Newport News, Virginia. In 2010, it was combined with nearby Langley Air Force Base to form Joint Base Langley–Eustis. The post is the home to the United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, and also home to the U.S. Army Aviation Logistics School.

We had a full tour of the Army Base, and then we were brought tot he Officers Club for lunch. It was a beautiful building, so nicely appointed and we enjoyed a nice lunch.

After lunch, we went to the area where the Army Helicopters and planes were kept for display. Then guys got to see their much loved and cherished fixed wing, Otters, Caribous, Beavers and U8D Seminole (Commonly known as a Twin Beech). Jack flew all but the Seminole. Below are photos of some of the planes.

The Beaver

The Beaver Aircraft & my friend, Betty.

The Otter.

A short blurb on the Otter Aircraft.

The Men who flew and worked on the Caribou Aircraft.

It was wonderful to see the aircraft that my husband flew during his Army days. All the men and women on the tour smiled broadly while visiting these old friends.

Our day ended by going out with our friends to a Crab Shack for dinner. It was so good! We enjoyed this meal, but most important we enjoyed spending the time with Jim and Geraldine.

Norfolk & The Chesapeake

On Thursday we all met for breakfast before boarding buses and going to the McArthur Museum. Douglas McArthur was one of our great military leaders during WW II and the Korean War. His steady leadership saved many lives and encouraged peace.

The tomb of Douglas McArthur and his wife Jean.

After that, we cruised the Chesapeake Bay to look at the ships both active duty and retired of the USA. There were also many shipyards that dry-dock ships for renovation.

There was a lovely meal served as we cruised and thankfully we had no rain despite the gray skies. And wow was it humid and hot!

These are ships that are now in permanent dockage.

This huge ship was in dry dock to be retrofitted and cleaned and painted.

In the evening we had a Buffet Welcome Dinner and after our show was a wonderful man who sang Frank Sinatra Songs. He was really great and we all sang and enjoyed his performance.

Tomorrow is another busy day with a trip to Fort Eustace. Pictures and information to follow. We’re having a really great time and seeing old friends is always so much fun and so special!

We Made It!

Our ride on the Cape May Ferry was nice, just a tad rocky, which made me fearful I might have a problem with seasickness, but U placed myself in the center of the ship and did not watch out the window to see the boat rolling with the waves. I was just fine.

Our weather certainly improved on Wednesday for the last leg of our trip down. It was sunny and very warm, in the low 90’s, and the ride itself was beautiful. It was all on 4 lane divided highway, but through the countrysides of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia along what is called the Delmarva Peninsula.

There are many vegetable farms, grain and even places growing melons, sweet potatoes and grains. Oh yes, and this area must be good for chickens because we saw massive numbers of chicken coops. I saw signs for both Tyson and Perdue Chicken.

Then we arrived at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and that really is amazing. Tremendously large bridges and the then two mile long tunnels underneath the Bay.

The Bay Bridge itself.

Entering the Tunnel portion.

Inside the tunnel.

I still find the engineering of this bridge and tunnel system outstanding! The Chesapeake Bay is a major shipping lane, and we were not disappointed as I saw an endless stream of large container ships int he inner channel.

Jack has done almost all the driving and I have done the navigating. So far this has worked. We also have found that stopping about every two hours was a good thing. Although both last night and on Tuesday, by the time we stopped I was so stiff I couldn’t easily move, Age I guess! Ha!

We finally arrived at the Reunion Hotel, and our room was not ready. The hotel, a Holiday In Conference Center, is a nice one and it is very large. There are four Reunions going on besides ours, plus training sessions for several companies. This means that every room is taken. Thus, the wait.

About six o’clock the room was ready, but by then Jack was talking so I went out to the car and using a trolly and making two trips, I got everything up to our room and unpacked.

However, I must mention that it was 95 degrees outside and I became rather overheated. Once I was done, the hair went into a ponytail and me into sleeveless clothes, and I returned to the Reunion suite for a nice cold beer!

We ate dinner in the hotel’s restaurant and after ordering hamburgers and fries and waiting 40 minutes, I mentioned to the waitress, that we’d traveled all day for two days and were tired. I said if the food didn’t come soon, they could send it to our room.

The food magically appeared, as did the dining room manager to tell us he was sorry and he then told us the hotel was paying for our meal. Very nice, but if I had known that I would have ordered a Prime Rib! (Insert a great deal of winking and laughter here) The bed was next and I slept from 8:45 pm to 6:15 am!

It’s early morning on Thursday and the next thing for me is to shower and dress for the day. It is not due to be as hot, so I’m not sure what to wear. One thing I do know, I brought enough clothing to change three times a day and never dress in the same outfit twice!

Rain & Sunshine

Our drive south was not boring at all. It started just south of Concord, New Hampshire. The rain. At first just nuisance rain, but soon it was torrential rain. And it went on and on and on! All the way through Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. When we got to New Jersey we thought perhaps it would slow down, but it continued until we reached Atlantic City and then, as if we were entering a beautiful secluded spot, when we reached Wildwood Crest, the skies turned blue and the sun came out!

We checked in to our hotel and our room is on the 5th floor overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. It is beautiful! It was also 85 degrees, which felt wonderful after leaving 42 degrees in New Hampshire this morning!

We stood on our balcony and drank in the ocean air, the warm temperatures and the fact that we had actually made it through the rain in one piece.

Oh, how I would love to come back here and spend a week going to the beautiful beach each day and just drinking in all the beauty.

It’s sort of funny, I had blown my hair straight this morning before we left and sprayed it down with a fair amount of hairspray. It wasn’t too long after we arrived that the curls won out due to the humidity. It just made me laugh!

Wednesday we take the Cape May Ferry and then proceed down the Delmarva Peninsula to Virginia Beach, Virginia.

But for tonight I will leave you with this beautiful full moon over the Atlantic Ocean! Just lovely!

Things My Grandmother Taught Me

My grandmother was really a remarkable woman. She loved with her whole heart, at the same time she stressed a code of behavior that I still follow to this day.

My maternal grandparents. I got my Papa Fred’s brown eyes and hair, but I hope I got my Grandma’s Honey’s (Mary) heart!

My Grandmother told me to smile at everyone I see. She said, “You don’t know if yours will be the only smile they see all day”, It feels good to smile, so I have always followed this practice.

Be kind, always. Well sometimes I find this challenging, but I try so hard it makes my teeth hurt sometimes. But, I do attempt to be kind and nice in my day to day life. I have been hurt badly by people who do not share this code of ethics, and I have not had to walk away from many people. You know the old saying, If you can’t be kind, walk away”.

And I saw this on Facebook of all places and I nabbed it. This is right out of the Thing Grandma Taught Me-Handbook!

The fact is, I do this all the time. I never thought much about it, it’s just how I have always been. I tend to think this also came from Grandma Honey. But I cannot be sure.

My Grandmother was good and she was kind. She expected the same from those around her. I hope all these years since she passed into the next world, that she looks down at me and says, “Well done! That’s my girl!”

When It’s Not All Easy-Peasy

Remember last summer when we lost the Main Control System for our hot water and heating system? After many weeks, a new Control System was installed, and rather pricey it was too!

Fast forward to September 23rd when we woke to 42-degree temperatures outside, which lowered our home temperatures into the 60’s. Time to get the heat on so in the event that the temperature drops even more while we are gone, our House Sitter and the dogs do not freeze.

We were assured that these thermostats were the best and easiest to use. They certainly were pretty. At the time our outside temperatures were in the nineties, so after installation, the heating system was turned off.

We got out the instruction booklets and started to read. When your eyes cross and you start doubting the sanity of the person who designed these, your turn to the Internet and see what it has to say.

I saw several Youtube Videos and the one thing they all had in common, was frustrated users, who all agreed that this was not an easy thermostat to program!

They all warned of doing too much and getting locked out! And by almost unanimous vote, this device was hated by everyone who has it. Yikes!

Okay, I always function on the less is more belief, so I went over to the first thermostat and hit the mode button and the temperature we wanted flashed overhead. I toggled the + and – buttons to select the temperature we want and then I hit the mode button again as the word set was flashing above it.

I did this to the two other thermostats and then went down to the cellar to check on the furnace. Sure enough, the system was on and the zones calling for heat were illuminated.

Now I am no genius, and I really hope I did this correctly, but even I, who usually look at things and understand them, was confused by this device.

Should I ever have to replace a thermostat again I will go for an easy-peasy to operate one, that my two-year-old grandson could program. Heat should not be that difficult to figure out!

A Bit Of Everything

I used to travel a lot. Packing a suitcase and heading anywhere was nothing to me in the way of planning. Somehow, since I have not traveled for a while, the part of my brain that does all the preparations is a little slower than it used to be.

In the old days, (Berlin 2009) all that I needed fit into that green suitcase. I still have and use that suitcase, but now I have tote bags as well!

I already know I have over-packed. Since we are not flying, I can bring whatever I like, and I would be all set if I wanted to change my clothes three times a day.

Of course, this is silly, but I do like to have backups for any situation. And I am also bringing shoes to match.

You know I bet Princess Kate doesn’t bring this many clothes when she travels. Or perhaps she does. She always looks perfect for any and all situations.

Now it is not just me that I am packing for, but Jack as well. I asked him what he wanted packed, and after mumbling a few things he abrogated all responsibility for his suitcase. Ugh!

Jack did prepare the car today, and tomorrow we will finalize our packing. I would like to have the car completely packed on Monday afternoon so we can just relax a bit before the big drive.

Here is our route.

Our house sitter came again today, and all is set with them. But in the year since they were here so much has changed. New air conditioners, new coffee maker, new toaster oven, etc. They jokingly said I needed to write instructions in a little book! Honestly, I think of all the little eccentricities of my house and the dogs living in it and I believe that the house sitter is correct!

It’s bedtime now on Saturday night, so I will get this set to post in the morning and off to bed I go with my Arnie-man, pup!

Getting Ready

On Friday, the suitcases came out of the attic and ended up sitting on our bed. I flipped open mine and started to pack. I have a list I follow and so far I have my case almost completely packed. Jack’s I will do tomorrow and then the computer/camera/cords bag. I used to use a backpack for all of the computer gear, but now, sadly, after so many spinal surgeries, I am staying away from backpacks and using bags that are lightweight and easy to carry.

As I packed I noticed a little boy-dog had crept up onto the bed.

As I went about opening drawers and returning to put items in the bag, it seemed his eyes got sadder and sadder! Anneliese isn’t even looking at me!

We’re also having our house sitter over and I worked hard this afternoon peeling Butternut Squash, Potatoes and rubbing down the Chicken with Barbecue Rub. The Chicken is now in the rotisserie and I will make mashed potatoes and mashed squash for the meal. At this point all the hard stuff is done, all that’s left is just serving it up.

As the week closed out, All I want is to get a good night’s sleep and then tomorrow finish up the laundry and finish packing our cases. Then my goal is to relax before our very long drive.