Five Days In a Row

Well, it was my first anniversary. :) My command gave me a "96", meaning I had four days (including the weekend) to have special liberty... it wasn't counted against my earned leave days!

I had to report for Indoc training Friday morning, but other than that I had that day off as well. Mostly waited around for a ride to the airport, and then enjoyed a night at a swank hotel before heading off to see my Darling, Michael, the next morning, early. For the first time ever, I added costs to my hotel tab, eating at the restaurant in the lobby and getting a late-night snack and toothpaste from their little pantry after I got back from a shopping trip to the nearby mall. Found a very nice, purple silk evening dress with a flower print for the wedding, plus shoes and purse! I walked the mile+ to the mall, but got a cab ride back, as it was dark and I had bags.

Saturday morning, the hotel provided a van ride to the airport and I was there in plenty of time. TSA was a breeze, and I had printed out my tickets the night before at the hotel. Didn't have long to wait before I boarded... and soon we were off! I was so excited to see my husband! It had been three months!

Landed in Charlotte, NC, a little late, then found out what gate Mike would be coming in at. He ended up being a little early, and we talked on the phone as I saw his plane taxiing to where I was waiting. While on the phone, I heard his pilot announce they had to wait a moment for another plane at the gate. I was dumbfounded, as the one they had on the arrivals board was very empty and ready... things must have got straightened out quick though, because a minute later they were coming in.

Met Mike as he de-boarded... just like in the good old days when you could meet people at their gates. We got the car from Alamo (best company for one-way trips, BTW), then stopped for brunch at the nearest Cracker Barrel as soon as we could. So relaxing and good, although it weirded Mike out a little to feel like he was back in the one in Norman just after a full morning of flying! From there we drove the hour-and-a-half north to the hotel in Winston-Salem, crashed on the bed for a full three minutes, changed into our nice clothes and were off to the nearby wedding of our nephew Scott. It's a wonder we made it through it all! We exchanged our anniversary gifts while we got dressed... I got Mike a leather wallet, and he gave me a beautiful white gold necklace with a diamond sitting inside two loops (suggesting a hug) and sort of resembling the Christian fish symbol, which is perfect for me in several ways! How sweet of him!

The service was very formal, but beautiful too. Friends of the bride sang Latin to the accompaniment of a small string orchestra up front! Tracy, who conducted our own wedding last year helped perform this one as well. It was wonderful to meet Scott and his bride as well as see the rest of the family again! After blowing bubbles as they "left", and then doing a family photo shoot in the chapel, we followed them to the reception at the courtyard of an art museum in the historic part of town. The weather was perfect for the entire evening and the food was delicious! There was a small crisis that came up from the folks watching Mike's house (they called)... but the Lord answered our prayer instantaneously (as soon as we started to pray), and it was easily resolved to our great relief. The reception went along very well... we even danced together when they played "Dream a Little Dream of Me" (lots of great classic love songs during the whole thing) and stayed for the short and sweet toasts and cake before getting way too tired to stay up any more. :)

Next morning we were able to sleep in for a while, then got the car packed before meeting family for a leisurely brunch at the hip place in town. I had a sausage and egg toasted sandwich with apple-butter jam on it! Yum! Mike tried the fried corn cakes, and also found them to his liking. From there we started our trip to Charleston, SC, for our anniversary day the next day. On our way we stopped at the North Carolina Zoo outside Asheboro (saw a flier at the hotel). Lots of fun there! Even saw them feed the seals!

It was pretty late by the time we got to the hotel in Mt Pleasant, across the big bridge from downtown, but we had already stopped for dinner in Rockingham so we were ready for bed after Mike had a smoke and we sat outside and talked for a few minutes, unwinding.

Saturday we did way too much! :) Started out with the Quality Inn breakfast (that was descent), then caught the late-morning ferry to Fort Sumter National Park. What can I say? Sort of odd to visit the place commemorating the commencement of a civil war on one's anniversary... Thanks for that, Darling! :) It was attractive to us not only because of the historical value, but also because of the 30 minute ferry ride both ways. Looked at the nearby USS Yorktown (CV 10) before we went downtown for a late lunch and for a visit to the Charleston Museum... which is the oldest museum in the country... and has everything under the sun in it! Big collection and very interesting. We also took a break on a bench before starting and when we finished. Not enough time in the day! I loved the model of the CSS Hunley sitting outside as well. Gosh, they have lots of neat stuff there!

Went back to the hotel to rest for a while before we came downtown to have a fancy anniversary dinner at Hank's Seafood Restaurant. It was so full we had to wait outside for a while, but it was worth it. I had a delicious dish of shrimp curry for the first time, and we enjoyed our decaff coffees before and afterwords!

Tuesday was a long day of driving, that Mike did nearly all the way. We changed after our goodbye dinner at Red Lobster near the Jacksonville airport, then actually said goodbye at the shipyard after having a bit of time at the Little Talbot Island State Park beach just down the road from it. What a time we had!

Jw

A Fun, Full, Friendly Weekend

It was last Sunday that I wrote all about last Saturday. That day I took pretty easy, getting the phone camera fixed, getting a haircut in the same mall, having lunch at Panera Bread, returning the car, crossing the river on the ferry for the first time in the taxi on the way back to the ship. So glad I found out where it was! Everything is so vague and confusing until you see it with your own eyes. So thank goodness for the cabbie who suggested it.

This weekend started out on Friday night. After finishing Black Beauty in my rack, I decided to go ride the bus to the Town Center Mall after they announced it was leaving in a half-hour from the parking lot. Turned out the other people I work with (who got off earlier) were still waiting for it too. So I joined them for dinner at Applebees (it was also a birthday celebration). Such good food! I had a small steak with veggies and a decaf coffee.

I had come prepared to stay overnight if I decided to plunk down for a hotel... and I'm glad I did. Happened to see on Google maps that there was a hotel just around the corner there... the Homewood Suites by Hilton. Figured it would be super-expensive, but after I showed my military ID, I got $50 off the price, making it very reasonable. Staying in such luxury was so very nice after a solid week on the barge.

Next morning I explored the mall until I could get picked up by the car rental place... got a neat book from B&N about the English Monarchy, and flipped through books about Masonic history and about misunderstood Catholic beliefs. Brief little religion class. :)

Then I got the car, a little red Chevy Aveo... and then returned to the mall for lunch at Chipotle, and a browse through Best Buy for a couple movies to watch. Then I had a walk-in full-body massage that was exactly what I needed. The rest of the day I spent exploring the islands north of the dry dock (on recommendation from the taxi and Hertz drivers I met over the last two weekends), and then picked up a few of the food service people from the ship for a dinner together at Golden Corral.

Sunday was so much fun!!! I picked up my friend and sponsor, Cassie, from the ship and we spent the rest of the weekend together. First to Walmart to get a few things (I bought a cheap fishing pole for the barge), then sushi for lunch (I tried eel! I liked it! We also had shrimp, salmon and avocado.), then back to Amelia Island, north of the ship, to go horseback riding on the beach! What a find that was from Saturday! It was a lovely, hour-long ride on Western saddles. Too bad we couldn't go faster!

There was no plans beyond this, but I had an hankering to see Fort Clinch (a Civil War era fort) at the tip of the island and at the northernmost point of Florida's coast. It was a lot of fun, especially with a friend. A volunteer told us all about the history, and we enjoyed walking the walls and going through the few brick buildings. I loved the detail of the 1864 US flag flying above the compound.

From there we returned to the mall, had Chipotle for dinner, stopped by a sporting goods store, went back to the hotel, went swimming, then walked to a nearby ice cream parlor for a treat, and watched one of the films I bought the day before: My Way (a foreign war film about a Korean runner and a Japanese colonel in WWII... from Manchuria to Siberia, to Normandy, France... what a story!) before going to sleep.

Monday, after breakfast, Cassie got picked up by another Sonar Tech, and I went back to Walmart to get a cheap bike and take it back to the ship. Then I crossed the ferry to get back to them at the beach, and went swimming in the warm Atlantic with them for a short while. Had dinner at the Third Street Diner, on my recommendation (had sandwiches), then went to the movies... I saw The Expendables 2, and laughed my head off, especially at Chuck Norris. The others saw Dark Knight Rises again, and I poked my head in until it was done. We headed back to the ship after a Whataburger for a late dinner.

What a time I had!

This afternoon I got off around 2:30, since it was my early day, and planned on finding a Starbucks for some Internet. Well, the bike had a flat, so I waited for the ship's bus to get me to Mayport so I could get a cab and a bike shop. Unbelievably, it all worked out! Thank you, Lord! Even though the shop I went to was supposed to be closing when I got there. Anyway, found a fantastic seafood grill for dinner, got a book at the bookstore nearby (a compact Nat Geo picture collection) and then biked to the Starbucks down the street... way better than I was planning! :)

Time to get back though!
Jw

First Day of Liberty

And I spent it in Saint Augustine. Because I didn't have a rental car reservation, it took me an extra hour getting here; other than that, it was a perfect day. Took a taxi from Mayport, where we were dropped, to a rental car place on the coastal blvd. And that happened to be right next to a wonderful, local diner, where I promptly ate breakfast at 11:30 for my first meal of the day.

Realized I didn't need GPS, since that was the same coastal road (FL-A1A) that went straight to St. Augustine. Beautiful drive, with lots of views of the ocean. It was hard to stop for the pedestrians though... just a little triangle sign for crosswalks across a 55mph highway. Didn't even come close to hurting anyone... it weirded me out though.

Like Ponce de Leon in 1513, the first thing I did was visit the Fountain of Youth. They had little plastic cups filled with water from the spring to drink. It was a very little spring, and at this late date it is pumped 200 feet to the surface. At the same center, they had a very neat planetarium show, pointing out the constellations and which the Spanish would have used as they sailed across the Atlantic. It was the best planetarium show I've ever seen... maybe because they were talking about a specific point and not just spouting random astronomical facts. There were a few things about sixteenth-century navigation that I didn't know... like they measured the movement of the big dipper from the north star sort of like a giant sundial in the sky. They also had a cannon firing demonstration and a globe that outlined the voyage they made... but I heard the gun from a distance, and only saw the globe on a postcard because the planetarium show went a little long. I avoided buying bottled fountain water in the gift shop. :)

From there I drove across the Matanzas River and visited the St. Augustine Lighthouse (1874), climbing 219 stairs 140 ft. up for a fantastic view of the city, rivers, countryside and ocean. They had a cool little museum in the light-keeper's house.

At this point it was getting to be later in the afternoon and I was getting hungry again. But first I decided to go back across the river to the downtown and visit the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, a fort built out of stone and coquina (a hard mixture of shells and sand) from 1672-1695. The fort was impregnable, and was never over-run. It passed from the Spanish to the British to the United States, always by treaty.

After satisfying myself with a few neat things from the gift shop (patches, a picture booklet of all the Civil War battlefields, and books about the Underground Railroad and the Signers of the Declaration), I walked along the waterfront and across the bridge to the seafood restaurant I had spotted earlier for a fantastic lobster dinner (they had a special).

Did a little more exploring after that... drove a bit north, scouting for motels, and ended up stopping at the Fort Mose Historic State Park. It was really just a wetlands, since the 1738 fort site is now under water. But I did see lots of birds and took pictures of the beautiful sunset.

It's been a wonderful mini-vacation so far!
Jw

Hello, Again

Well, it's been two weeks to the day since I've had time to post, but it feels more like four.

Sunday the 12th was my last day of liberty... and that expired that night at 8pm (I took a taxi at 7pm). Besides that, there was one evening where I had time between 6pm and 5am to spend at home, and that required two more taxi rides... but was completely worth it. You see, they didn't know if we'd have time to come back between the two things we were doing, so I left the car at home. Enough about that.

That Sunday morning I slept in, went to breakfast at the Pancake House, then tried out the local Baptist church down the street from where I live (on the way to the base, that I had been passing every day for a while). It was a friendly little church, and I really enjoyed singing some familiar hymns, but the sermon really focused on their church. Nice to visit, but I don't think I'll be calling it home. From there I went to the base pool for a good workout swim then shower... and the rest of the day I spent getting ready for the next couple months.

My night at home on the 16th was very nice. It was the first time I had been underway for more than 24 hours, so getting away from it all was a God-send. The traffic was really bad, so as the taxi got close, I got out before it came to a stand-still and walked the last bit, passing lots of cars. All I did was shower, eat a very yummy frozen dinner, drink some coffee, and relish sleeping on my own bed.

Once we pulled into Mayport, FL, I did get off the ship for a while and watch Batman Begins at the Liberty Center across the street from the ship, as well as talk to my mom and my husband. The second night I did make it out to the shuttle and had 15 minutes at the NEX before it closed. But I was able to get what I needed. Then I rode it to the Beachfront Center to get on the Internet, have a Pizza Hut personal size supreme, as well as hang out in the bar. I thought I'd just watch a little football while eating my pizza, but I ran into the sonar guys, and I sat down with them for a while.

The fourth day I was let off really early... around 2pm. Decided to walk to the on-base NEX (too early for the shuttle), bought some Raisin Bran, milk, bowl and spoons, and fruit cup (along with some new tennies, and a t-shirt that caught my eye), and had that for dinner on the beach. Took a walk along the beach after that and found lots of neat shells, as well as the molt of a horseshoe crab and the carcass of a sting ray of some sort. Then I stopped by the center nearby for Internet again, and caught the shuttle back. Did all my laundry before bed as I read in Black Beauty.

Quiet Evenings

Thursday evening I got off really late (but that's normal for Food Service on board, I hear). Didn't get home until 6-something pm. I was so tired I didn't even feel like watching a movie. I put in the Third Day CD I got in the mail (Offerings, from 2000) and played it on my computer while I got some snacks together and read some passages in the later part of Isaiah. I had some cheese and crackers, along with some raisins, and later on a cup of coffee on the couch as I listened to live streaming of the 1920s Radio Network. So nice!

Friday, I was let go early, getting home around 2pm. I went right to bed and slept for 4 straight hours... and then I felt better. :) Watched the last movie from the library, Anchors Aweigh (1945, Kelly, Sinatra). Although I'm not a huge musical fan, and even though it was long, I really enjoyed it. The story kept moving along, and the inclusion of that pianist playing himself... that was neat to watch... along with the famous Tom & Jerry cartoon that's included when Gene is telling the kids a story about how he won his medal. And as a bonus, there were no dream sequences. Everything pretty much made sense. :) While watching, I took breaks to fix my little bits and pieces of dinner... a rice & chicken frozen dinner (steam-heated in the microwave), Pillsbury crescent rolls (using my oven and cookie sheet for the first time), and one packet of Lipton's chicken noodle soup. A couple cups of coffee were involved too. :)

Sunday, Then Tuesday & Wednesday Afternoons

Monday was swallowed up by duty, so nothing of my own to share from there.

My Sunday was very nice... went to church with Kristin and Dan again, except this time I met them there. Good sermon on the passage just before the last one... Jesus calmed the storm; more of their "Jesus at the Beach" summer series. And again we had Moe's for lunch afterwords... and that ended up being my only meal that day! Stopped at Walmart for a couple odd things like paper towel holders and a new stopper for the drain in the sink. When I got home, I put everything away, then proceeded to go down my list of things I needed to get done. Put all those Navy patches and pictures in the big frame I got from Michaels, then I cleaned out the ice and water in the bottom of the fridge... and ended up taking all the bottom shelves out and doing a thorough cleaning. Then it was the trash bin outside that needed a good washing. Hooked up the hose outside and sprayed it for quite a while before the nasty, smelly stuff came out.

It felt good to get those things done that I had been wanting too for a while now. To relax, I had a cup of instant decaff and read a few chapters in Black Beauty as I sat on the couch in my own living room with only the evening light of the lamp on next to me. So refreshing!

Tuesday afternoon I went over to the housing office to pay my extra rent for the end of July... they hadn't been aware that I was late, so there was no fee. :) At first they told me I couldn't pay by personal check after the fifth (to be sure I wasn't overdrawn), but thank God, someone else in the office let it go since it was for such a small amount. I was almost going to be unhappy. :) At home, I had ham and potatoes for dinner and watched "The Fighting 69th" (1940, James Cagney, Pat O'Brien) - but the DVD came with "a night at the pictures", which came with a very neat little newsreel about the Pacific Fleet doing exercises near Hawaii, and then a little piece by a news correspondent called "London Can Take It"... about a typical day and night in London during the Blitz. Very neat, indeed. After the movie I started Rocky Balboa with Stallone (the recent one) but the disc stopped working half-way through. Good thing, because it was time for bed soon. :)

Yesterday I had to stop by the housing office again to put in a ticket for my fridge that is still dripping water. It was fast, and soon I was home and changed and out the door again to go get my cell fixed at a repair center on Virginia Beach Blvd. They needed time to wipe it and install new software, so I went out to dinner at the nearby Macaroni Grill (like they have in Seattle). Had a delicious dish on recommendation from the server... pan seared chicken with angel hair pasta, with mushrooms, artichokes and grape tomatoes. Mmm! But I also had a shrimp & avocado (with beans and diced tomatoes) over toasted bread. Again... wow.

Returned to find my phone working wonderfully, then stopped by Office Max to make copies of my OC spray certificate that I picked up on the ship. Found some useful laptop accessories, then made it out the door alright. :) Stopped by Michaels down the street for the last frame... and made some flower arrangements to brighten the living room. It was pretty late by the time everything was set up back at home. Skyped with my Darling for the first time in a while... and that was very nice. :)

Jw

Lots of Hangings

I've spent the last two afternoons and most of today finishing up the house as far as I can. Went through and got all my pictures framed and hung up... I think I counted fifteen little nails I had use in order to get them all up throughout the house!

So here's a walk-through:

Except for getting another bed set up in the other bedroom, finishing the master bedroom and figuring out what we're going to do for a TV someday, it's all done for now. Thank goodness! I can now calmly pack for Florida without digging through anything... and I have that lovely peace that comes when you know that everything is in its place.

Been taking it pretty easy this weekend. Got a take-home salad from Ruby Tuesdays yesterday, and had the remainder for dinner today. Last night I watched The Eagle Has Landed (1976) and tonight it was Adam's Rib (1949) - both from the library, and for the first time. I confirmed my address at the library today with my internet bill, which means I can check out more than one item at once. :) And right after I did that, I headed back to Fort Story to look at and climb the first public works project of the United States... a stone lighthouse built in 1791 at Cape Henry. It was very, very neat!

It feels so good to be comfortably set up (for the first time since joining the Navy). I miss my husband and family like you wouldn't believe, but at least I'm not living out of an ugly dorm room on base, a cubby hole in a stranger's house, or out of the back seat of my car. :) It's been quite a journey so far.

Jw

Moving In, Time With Friends

I took my sweet time after we were done with training on Thursday the 26th. Cleaning up took a while, and then I had to eat too... more salad at Ruby Tuesday's for a late lunch... then I headed out to Little Creek Rd and found a respectable auto care center for getting my oil changed. They needed it for over an hour, so I took care of a few things while I waited. Across the street was the furniture store that had the dresser I wanted. Went in and purchased it. Then I had some dinner next door at "Cagney's American Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor" with "Old Country Cook'n". Their menu is much like Cracker Barrel, but without the country store. Had chicken and dumplings, and a small scoop of strawberry ice cream. I loved their decor... they had a model train running on an elevated track around the room... and they were big into old movie posters. :) Before returning to get the car, I stopped at a couple of nearby thrift stores too. A busy evening!

The big day was Friday the 27th! I couldn't get off the ship fast enough, even though we were let out early, I was so excited! Went straight to the housing office at my branch a little early for my "pick up the key" meeting. Only had to wait a few minutes, and then I was signing the final form, getting my pool passes, getting the info packet, and walking out the door with my keys. Checked out the house with the agent, arranged for a new toilet seat and for the lawn to be mowed... and then I changed after she left in order to go to Wing King in Virginia Beach to say good-bye to Glen (STG2) who just left the ship for the last time. Hung out for about an hour, then stopped by a Walmart for a shower curtain, bathmat, and things of that nature.

Then it was time to go pick up the U-Haul truck. Deja-Vu - learning to drive on our old 1970s GMC suburban (nicknamed "Blueberry") around the year 2000. Took me a while to get used to feeling out the right place in the lane as I drove with traffic... Thankfully, I used highways instead of I-64 while I went to get the furniture. Picked up the sofa, love-seat and table/chairs (new in box) on Virginia Beach Blvd, then swung by Freedom Furniture on Little Creek Rd. for the dresser. Didn't take long at all... but the guy who said he'd help me unload the truck at my house got confused about what time I needed him... and was unavailable. I picked up a load from my self-storage, unloaded it, then managed to find neighbors to help me unload the big stuff. It was a huge relief to be done with it all (after I returned the truck on time a few minutes later); I got a little emotional as I talked to Mike that night (partly because the Internet wasn't working either), but it made me feel a whole lot better to talk to him. Took a wonderful first shower in my new home, then fell asleep for the first time on a very comfy queen mattress of my own.

Saturday was neat! Spent the morning working on getting the table and chairs assembled. Very easy to figure out, it just took time with there being 5 big pieces. Also sorted out the mess of stuff from storage, looking for dishes... to no avail. Did a lot of sweeping up, and figured out what was wrong with the Internet after I finally called Cox... I typed the code in too early, and I was missing a coaxial cable. Before heading out to stay the night with friends in the country, I picked up another load from self-storage.

Kristin was best friends with my oldest sister back in the late 90s. She got baptized at our church and even lived with us for a while. She recalled watching WENN with us even, so it was easier to tell her about how I fell in love with Mike. :) She and her husband have a beautiful house, way out in the country. Took me about 40 minutes to get there. They were having a photographer come over that evening for new pictures for their adoption profile. I was able to help out, blocking the afternoon sunshine from their faces with a lighting screen. Dinner was an excellent beef pot roast and yummy veggies... and then Kristin and I had a couple fruity drinks on the porch as we talked and watched the sunset. Came inside, had another round, as well as some ice cream as we watched the first episode of John Adams. Sweet fun! Was very tired though... even fell asleep on chat later on!

Sunday we went to their church together (great sermon about the Lord's ultimate power over evil), and then had lunch at a southwestern burrito place very similar to Chipotle, called Moe's. Then I drove home, unpacked the load I picked up the day before, figured out the Internet (because I got a cable at Walmart on the way home), and then made my way downtown for the Norfolk Tides baseball game. Gosh, only $20 tickets, $5 parking across the street... and a beautiful stadium. Much smaller, of course, but I liked the atmosphere much better then at the Majors. It certainly helped that it was a good game... they led 7-2 by the end of the 2nd inning! Final score was Tides 8, Bulls 7, in a nearly-blown save in the ninth. But what fun! I had a hotdog, some popcorn and a big lemonade in a collectible Tides cup. Oh, and it only takes me 15 minutes to get there from home too. :)

Monday afternoon and evening (last night), I worked on getting the coffee table and bookcase put together. Had to get a a screwdriver at the NEX in order to finish... and that ended up taking more time than I thought. Got stuff for washing the dishes, a couple pans for baking, and a garden hose to clean out my very dirty garbage bin sometime. The people who lived here before didn't take care of everything. Had dinner at "Firehouse Subs" at the NEX food-court, and when I got home (around 8ish) I finished up with my furniture.

Whew! This upcoming weekend, I think I'll take it easy!
Jw

Weekend in Town... and a few other days

Boy, is it hard to keep up on here! Lots of days I do barely anything worth mentioning, just because work takes so long. And then suddenly, I'm a week behind!

Of note, last Wednesday evening (July 18th) I swam at the pool on base, had dinner at "Mike's Pizza" on Hampton Blvd... my home away from home before I move into my house this Friday. I was done just in time to make it to the showing of North by Northwest at a theater in Chesapeake (about a half-hour away). Mike had let me know about it and he went in Oklahoma as well. Sort of a date night. :)

Also, along the way I listened to The 1920s Radio Network, 99.3 FM, Virginia Beach, for some good old-time radio music. Had discovered the station that Monday, while doing a scan of stations... the Christian station always had some talk-show on; I was giving up on them... and I'm glad I did! I can play a CD any time I want! But a nearly unlimited playlist of great old music? Not a chance!

Friday afternoon we got out late. I went to the theater downtown to see Dark Knight Rises (I enjoyed it) and had Chili's for dinner. I checked into the America's Best Value Inn on Ocean View Blvd for the weekend when I got back. It was raining when I went back to the car, but that didn't bother me... they even had covered parking!

Saturday morning I went back to the Sandfiddler for breakfast, just in time for my 9am appointment at the Pretlow Branch Library, also on Ocean View Blvd. Worked for 3 hours, getting introduced to their system, checking in materials and re-shelving them. After that I tried out the Ocean View Pier seafood restaurant, then went to check out a discount furniture store I found online... and found a few pieces I liked very much. They only allowed holding furniture in the store for 3 days, so I had to return on Tuesday to buy it. On the way back, I looked around at the nearby Norfolk Visitor's Center and picked up lots of brochures for things to do. Back at the hotel I watched Young Lincoln (1939, Henry Fonda) on the bed, then for dinner... another local seafood restaurant in Ocean View... The Ship's Cabin... and watched a big lighting storm out to sea while I ate! Then I crashed back at the hotel and talked with my Darling.

Sunday morning I checked out, and went straight to church, back to Christian Fellowship near the airport. They have coffee and doughnut holes (chocolate ones!), and I had that to tide myself over. Went back to House of Eggs nearby (that Mike and I had tried) for a brunch special... toast & sausage gravy, eggs and hash... for $5.50! On the way to church I had passed a couple furniture places, so I returned that way and checked them out. Ended up getting some things at the Thrift Store... a neat folding chair, some dishes, and a rug for one of the rooms. Went downtown to see the Chrysler Museum of Art, and spent a good couple hours looking at their fabulous two-floor collection. I think it rivaled the art museum in Chicago, it was so neat! Had Panera Bread for dinner for the first time since California! A big avocado-Cobb salad! So very good! Stopped by my self-storage unit to drop some of my purchases off, then I went back to the theater downtown to watch Woody Allen's new movie To Rome With Love, but I didn't like it too much.

Monday, I worked at the library again, just for an hour-and-a-half though. Straightened up a few of the sections of DVDs, even though the staff themselves have given up on them. During the day I bought a queen bed from Walmart, and that evening at Mike's Pizza again, I watched Tangled from the library.

Tuesday (yesterday already!), I took a shower at the gym then went back to the discount factory outlet and purchased the couch and loveseat set and the dining room table with 4 chairs that I had my heart set on from when I first visited. It was the last ones they had of the couches, and the table is new in the box. Good price on everything too. Then I decided to look at a few nearby stores, then had dinner at a great Mexican restaurant (El Rodeo) and then stopped by the COX store in the mall to get Internet set up for Friday. Walmart was just nearby, so I went there too... $19 bookshelves (2), $16 coffee table, area rug, mirror, queen comforter, pillows, clock, trashcan, place mats... I stayed there quite a while! Will have to go back for a few things, but that's okay. :)

Can't wait for Friday!!! Today I ordered a Uhaul truck... and I'm going to get somebody from my division to help me unload it all once I get it there. Yay!

Jw

First Regular Weekend in Norfolk

It didn't start until roughly 9am on Saturday, but that's good enough! I started by picking up a couple things from my self-storage, then by dropping off my whites at a place on Hampton Blvd. to get my ship's rockers sewn on and to get them dry-cleaned. Had a wonderful breakfast at my favorite place, the Pancake House, then went to the NEX to pick up some rifle marksmanship ribbons, a gym bag, a new pair of khaki Capri's and a few other things. After that, I decided on finding the local library near where I'm going to live to get a library card and sign up to volunteer. It's a very new library (opened in 2008), and is very clean and well organized. A bit fewer materials than Point Loma, but they've got lots of computers and a giant kid's section upstairs. I can't wait to get going with them!

By the time I was done, it was much too late to go over to Hampton to see the Mariner's Museum... so I decided to get some lunch at the Willouhgby Inn Seafood Restaurant... and I'm so glad I did! Fantastic shrimp, scallops & trout, with sides... had to wait a while for their cook to arrive, but it was worth the wait. I survived a torrential downpour on I-64 for a mile and a half in order to get there too.

From there I thought I'd explore the coast between Ocean View and Virginia Beach on the other side. "First Landing State Park" and Fort Story lie directly between these two, and I stopped and enjoyed lovely views of the ocean, along with finding a lighthouse from the 1790s! I'll have to go back when the museum is open.

Got a motel nearby, swam in the pool, went out to eat. Chatted at the motel, watched Misty (1961) - my first check-out from the Norfolk library system. The next day I found another great breakfast place (The Sandfiddler), checked out a local church, met a lot of friendly people, then headed over to Hampton (across the bridge/tunnel) for three free hours at the Mariner's Museum. Half of it is dedicated to the recovery of the USS Monitor, and they have some pretty fabulous restored artifacts. They also have a miniature ship collection... all built by one man. If you think the precise historical detail and unbelievable artistic carving and painting isn't neat enough, look through the gun-ports on some of them and you'll see working rudders and wheels. The guy even wound his own miniature ropes! Wow. Needless to say, I'll be going back.

Had Mexican for dinner in Newport News. They had a fresh guacamole cart that came right up to the table as the guy made a big bowl of guacamole! Never had it that way before, and my goodness, was that something good.

It was a fun little weekend... but now it's back to business. This afternoon I went back to the library and found that they're very happy to have me come in and volunteer whenever I can... which makes me very happy. I have an appointment with a librarian this upcoming weekend to learn how this library does things. Yay! :) And then I drove the back-roads back to base and did 1,000 yds at the fitness center pool across from the piers with the carriers. Feels so good!

Jw