#387 Yes, I Still Use A VCR

In this highly technological age of DVRs and On Demand, I still use a VCR.  I got it when I bought my house in 1999.  I use it every week and I’m not ashamed to say I love it. 

I record four shows a week on a regular basis:  CBS Sunday Morning, Castle, The Soup and Saturday Night Live.  Then there is the occasional show I throw in when I’m not home, in addition to some shows I see that are starting that I want to tape.  When I do this, all I have to do is press a record button on the front of the VCR and it will add time by 30 minutes up to two or three hours.  The remote has buttons where you can choose how long it will fast forward.  I usually press “6” and it will FF for three minutes, which is the approximate length of time commercials last. 

In the back of my mind I know my VCR won’t live forever, but I try to push that thought out immediately.  What would I do?  Well, Monday night, it acted possessed.  As I watched a recorded show, I pointed the remote at the VCR and had not pressed “6” yet and it FF on its own.  Weird!  I was still able to watch and everything seemed fine until the clock struck 10 p.m. and it was time for Castle.  It turned on as usual, but immediately FF to the end of the tape without recording.  What??  Noooooooo!  I messed with it a little and then went to bed, adding that to my list of bedtime prayers. 

The next evening I pulled out the head tape cleaners from the back of my cabinet.  I admit that I haven’t cleaned the heads regularly and it’s probably been several years.  I did the wet cleaner once, and then ran the dry cleaner a couple times.  It still acted strange so I just popped a new tape in and turned it off. 

Last night I let it sit.  I tape The Soup each Wednesday, and at 10 p.m. it turned on and taped normally.  Yes!!!  It seemed to tape normally; I will check that out tonight. 

In the meantime, I’ve checked out used models online.  I found my exact model on Amazon and ordered it today for under $40.  My dad bought a new VCR a few years ago and it’s terrible.  I looked online for new ones and it looks like they are all part of a DVD/VCR combo. 

I mentioned my dilemma to a few friends who were all shocked that I still used a VCR and said they were embarrassed for me.  “Why don’t you get a DVR?”  I am not embarrassed to use a VCR.  It does what I need it to do and I own it.  I don’t want to pay $10 a month to record shows and waste money.  I was also told, “You can record so many more shows!”  I don’t want to record more shows.  I like certain shows but don’t want to spend all of my time watching TV.  I pay enough for cable and I like the variety, but don't want TV to be my life.   

Others ask where I get the tapes.  You can still buy them, but I have a nice stash at work.  They were going to be tossed so I saved them in a big drawer.  My parents use them too and my Mom will sometimes call and ask me to bring over three or four.

Hopefully my trusty VCR will work fine from now on and I will remember to clean the heads on a regular basis.  If it still acts wonky, my replacement arrives next week.  And all will be as it should.  Viva la VCR!! 

#386 The Beat Goes On

Things happen in our lives that make us stop and take a look at ourselves.  It’s good to periodically reflect on how you live your life and how things affect you.  But the time comes to leave the past in the past and move on.

I was reminded of this last Friday night.  Last week while listening to The Bob & Tom Show they interviewed Kenny Aronoff.  At that time the only thing I knew about Kenny was that he was the drummer for John Mellencamp (was, he’s not anymore) and he plays drums on the Kennedy Center Honors, of which I watch every year.  Other than that, I knew nothing else about him.  He was a good interview and then mentioned he would be speaking/performing at Butler University Friday.  I looked it up online and saw that it was free.  What?! 

I immediately IM’d my musical friend Heidi and asked if she wanted to go.  She and her friend were already going, so I joined them.  We arrived an hour early and got great seats at the Howard L. Schrott Center for the Arts.  Q95’s Laura Steele began his introduction promptly at 7:30 p.m.  We then heard the intro to Jack and Diane while looking at the stage curtains.  It probably lasted a minute when the curtains parted and Kenny was playing on a drum set.  So cool! 

The evening was a mix of him telling stories about how he got where he is today, and then stopping to drum to songs he’s been a part of.  From Mellencamp to Belinda Carlisle to Meatloaf.  He’s a jack-of-all-trades, performing as a session drummer and touring with various bands.  This summer he toured with the BoDeans and John Fogerty. 

He’s 61 but looks and acts much younger.  He’s got tons of energy and is in really good shape.  Anyone who drums that much has got to have some guns, but he also talked about staying healthy and staying relevant in today’s times. 

He is billed as the hardest working drummer in the music business and after listening to him speak, I believe it.  He spoke about the setbacks he’s had in his career and how he learned how to re-invent himself and make himself into a highly sought after drummer.  Hard work, passion, enthusiasm. Make a plan and carry it out.  Simple things we all know about.  Much harder to actually put them into practice. 

Talk about working hard, the evening lasted until a little after 10 p.m.  And after the “show”, he changed and came out to sign autographs.  He was so nice and gracious, and so cute.  He resembles Stanley Tucci a bit.  Midway through the night he shed his signature sunglasses and they were still off when he met with all of us.  He shook everyone’s hand and asked them their name.  He posed for photos.  They even gave away t-shirts!  I love the back.  

We even got a pic with the lovely Laura Steele from Q95.  It was a really fun, inspirational night! 

A little blurry - but still pretty good!

Three rockin' chicks!

Yes, things happen in life that might make you stumble and take a different path.  But you get up, dust yourself off, and start on the new path.  And the beat goes on.

#385 Breaking Up Is Hard To Do

As Neil Sedaka sang in the 60s, breaking up is hard to do.  (Yes, I know who Neil Sedaka is and I do really like him.)  As I mentioned in my previous post, I have recently gone through this.  Let me give you my thoughts on breaking up in general. 

It’s not an easy thing to go through, whether you are the breaker or the breakee.  Personally, I would rather be the breakee because I don’t like to make anyone upset.  I would rather be upset than cause someone else to be upset.  But it does suck more to be the breakee. 

That being said, I feel that the best way to break up with someone is to talk to them about it.  Actually talk.  Not text.  Not email.  TALK.  Not only is it just more personal, sometimes the intent of what was typed is lost.  People interpret things differently.  There is no chance to stop someone and ask what they mean, to have that back-and-forth conversation. 

Whether you do this in person or over the phone is subject to the situation.  The long-distance relationship is a difficult beast.  If someone is coming to visit, do you want break up with them and then be really uncomfortable the rest of the time?  Do you fake it until the last day and then break up with them?  Yikes.  So depending on how long you’ve been together, I think that talking by phone can be acceptable. 

My one long-distance relationship ended with a phone call at 11:30 p.m.  We had dated around eight months and had known each other since college (we even dated briefly in college – his break-up then went well and we stayed friends).  This person knew I went to bed around 10 p.m.  Strike one:  he woke me up.  Then he told me it wasn’t working out and said, “It’s not you, it’s me.”  Strike two:  really??!!!  Did he just say that?  He ended the call telling me to sleep well.  Strike three:  thanks for that.  I’m out.  I was upset and livid at the same time.  Needless to say, I did not sleep well that night.  And I never spoke to him again. 

Let’s contrast that with another situation in which I had dated someone about six weeks.  He called and asked if he could come over to talk.  I thought something was up, but really didn’t expect to break up since things had been going well.  He talked to me about it and even though I was sad it ended, I wasn’t angry because he was upfront about it.  He then said he was surprised I hadn’t yelled at him, thrown something at him or hit him.  That was what he had been used to when breaking up with women.  This man had the balls to talk to me about it even though he was expecting physical violence.  What a guy!  The weirdest part of the night was that I offered him ice cream.  I’m not sure why, but we ended up sitting on the sofa with bowls of ice cream.  I’m sure he left thinking that was the strangest breakup he’d ever had.  We kept in touch a little and at one point one of us (I really don’t remember) suggested that if neither of us was married in five years, we should get married.  That date came and went almost three years ago.  I still think he’s a great guy with a huge heart.  See, that’s what can happen if you have a civil breakup.  I still smile when I think of him and he probably tells people about the one girl he broke up with who gave him ice cream. 

Now that we know the best way to break up with someone, what do you tell them?  The truth?  A variation of the truth?  Lie through your teeth?  I believe it’s always best to tell as much of the truth as you feel they need to know.  If it’s only been a few dates and they don’t kiss well or they have some weird hygienic habits, tell them you just don’t feel that certain “something” when you are with them.  It’s partly true but you spare their feelings.  If it’s been several weeks or months, and you are more invested in them, there must be something that makes you not be able to move forward with them.  Maybe you’re not on the same page with marriage, kids, sex, religion, etc.  In that case, honesty is the best policy.  Tell them your concerns and that you don’t think it will work in the long run.  Sounds simple, yes.  It’s always hard to put it into practice, but it’s the best way.  Odds are they will appreciate your honesty after some time has passed. 

What is the lesson here? If you break up with someone, they are going to be sad.  If you do it in a classy way, they will be more understanding and (hopefully) not be angry. 

I continue to learn from each of my relationships.  From my long-distance break up I learned to be careful when you tell someone you don’t want to be in touch with them anymore.  Sometimes you get what you ask for and you can’t take it back.  Although at that time I felt it was the best thing for my own self-preservation. 

From my most recent breakup I tried to tread a bit more carefully, but wish I had not fallen into the text/email trap.  As an update, Bachelor No. 1 did text me after reading about himself on my blog.  I should have texted him to call me if he wanted to talk about it, but I sent an email response expressing my disappointment in how he handled things.  His final response was that enough had been said.  Well, I guess that’s it then.  He got what he wanted in not having to actually face me.  As much as I wish things could have ended on better terms, the end result would be the same. 

I will take a moment to say that in the future I will wait at least a month to blog about someone with which I have had a relationship.  One-date-and-done is fair game for an immediate blog.  Knowing someone for several weeks/months warrants letting more time pass to reflect on everything.  I also regret that I called him a name.  That was very childish and I was trying to get back at him, since I figured he would read it.  I will keep my nicknames to myself from now on. 

I would also like to address my last post and the possible perception that I jump from guy to guy with no feelings.  First of all, this is the only time in my life when I have encountered this situation.  Second, just because I may switch gears to focus my attention on another man does not mean that I don’t still have feelings for the prior.  We only dated for two months but I was starting to fall for him and I do care about him as a person.  Even though I don’t agree with how he handled things, he is a good person.  And by no means do I expect perfection of anyone.  I am not perfect myself.  I am capable of forgiveness.  I don’t hold grudges.  Well, rarely.  (Just being honest.)  But I do believe I am capable of having a disagreement and leaving it in the past. 

If you remember anything, remember this:  in any situation (romantic or otherwise) it’s best to treat the other person as you would like to be treated.  The old Golden Rule has been around a long time for a reason.  Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.  How would you feel if they did that to you?  Suck it up and treat them with the respect they deserve.  You both will sleep better. 

#384 The Bachelorette

Hi rose lovers!  I recently finished watching the latest season of The Bachelorette and am now plunging into the mind-numbing show that is Bachelor In Paradise, so thought I’d channel my inner bachelorette for this post.  I am a bachelorette, as you know. 

I have watched every episode of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and Bachelor Pad.  Now they are airing Bachelor In Paradise.  What is this world coming to?  And why do I keep watching?  It’s just too fascinating to not watch.  And in a small way I’m living vicariously through these people.  While watching the beginning of the past Bachelorette season with Andi, I remember thinking, “I could never walk into a room of 25 random guys and think one of them could be my husband.”  Why not?  Because 25 random guys would be too short for me.  Truth. 

So I set off on my summer hoping once again that I would meet someone to have some summer fun with.  Lo and behold, I did!  Here’s the story.   

I was preparing for my first bike ride of the summer (Post #378) when I received an email from a former co-worker about a guy she currently works with.  He complained to her that he never meets any tall women.  He’s 6’8”.  She told him about me and eventually we got each other’s emails.  We emailed, talked and then met for a date.  It went very well.  Then I promptly left for a week for vacation. 

While at Bike Virginia (I haven’t posted anything on this ride yet) I met two more tall guys.  When it rains, it pours, right?  One was 6’6” and 290 (big boy) and 55.  He lives in North Carolina.  The other looked like he was in his late 40s maybe early 50s (I’m a terrible judge of age sometimes), 6’4”-ish and from Virginia.  I spent part of two days riding with each.  Both are attractive and very nice.  But I had such a great time with Bachelor No. 1, I played it cool with Nos. 2 and 3.  (Bachelor No. 2 was pretty forward.  No. 3 was pretty low key himself and just said if I was ever in Virginia again to give him a call.)  So Bachelor No. 1, will you accept this rose? 

He did, for a while.  We saw each other pretty much every weekend, despite our busy schedules.  Then I left for camp and things got weird.  I let him know that I wouldn’t be able to use my phone around the campers so would be incommunicado.  His response (via text):  “It’s ok.  Neither of us will keel over dead.”  (This came three days after us seeing each other and everything being hunky dory.)  Okaaay.  I could read the writing on the wall (I’m not stupid) but I played it off.  I sent some “test” texts a couple times at camp and got very blunt responses so finally asked what was wrong.  He was “a little unsure of things” and said we could talk when I got home.  After I got home he asked if we could wait until early the following week (last week).  Well, it’s now the beginning of the next week and I haven’t heard a peep.  Apparently he doesn’t want another rose.  I admit that I’m disappointed he didn’t bother to discuss his unsureness with me, but I’m fine with it.  Closure is overrated. 

After we had been dating about a month I asked the Putz (my new name for him) if he was disappointed that I hadn’t written a blog about him yet.  (He told me he’d read/skimmed my entire blog before we actually met.  He found it googling me.)  He said no, that I only blogged about guys after breaking up and he didn’t want to jinx anything.  Since he had no desire to man up and talk to me about why he didn’t want to date me anymore, I’m sure he’s not reading my blog anymore either.  But just in case he is, here is my message to him:  It’s ok, I won’t keel over dead. 

Which brings me to Bachelor No. 2 (Tarheel).  He has called me periodically after Bike Virginia.  I told him about the Putz after I got home and things had continued to go well with him, and that we could be friends.  (I am a one-at-a-time kind of gal.)  Tarheel is nice and cute, and he bikes.  But we live in different states and only spent a day together, so there is a lot to learn about him.  Time will tell. 

Stay tuned, rose-lovers! 

#383 Into The Mystic

At The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp, every volunteer counselor must take an eight-hour rest period during the week.  You can take it in the morning (7 a.m. to 3 p.m.) or in the evening (3 p.m. to 11 p.m.).  Last year I didn’t want to take my rest period because I didn’t want to miss any part of camp and I wasn’t tired.  Too bad - they make you.  So I rested in my room most of the time.  Bo-ring. 
 

This year I wanted to take a little adventure.  I found out Mystic, Connecticut is only an hour’s drive from Ashford so my goal was to drive there.  Why Mystic?  Why, “Mystic Pizza” of course!  It’s one of my favorite 80s movies.  My only problem?  Transportation. 

Volunteers fly into Hartford Airport and someone from camp arranges to pick them up.  I started chatting with driver Carly and mentioned wanting to drive to Mystic.  She immediately offered her car on the days she was working.  And mentioned she has a Mini Cooper convertible.  Yes, please! 

 

To work around her off days I chose the morning of the first full day of camp (Thursday) instead of waiting for midweek to have a true break.  It turned out to be a beautiful, sunny day.  I grabbed her keys from the table where she left them and walked to the parking lot next to the horse barn.  I didn’t bother to ask her what color her car was.  How many Mini Cooper convertibles could there be?  Four.  I walked up to the first one – not it.  Second, not it.  Of course it was the last one I tried. 

Once in the car, I adjusted everything.  Seat back, top down (I figured out how to get it partially back), radio.  Took me a while to find the gas gauge (had to make sure I had enough gas to get there, and to fill her up on the way back).  All systems go. 

It was a wonderful drive to Mystic, mostly on two-lane, winding roads.  The countryside is beautiful!  One unexpected sighting on my drive was a sign at a country church that said, “Worrying doesn’t change the outcome.”  That was a message I really needed that day to begin my week with the campers.  The Lord is always looking out for me in little and big ways, and sends me messages just when I need them the most. 

I made it to Mystic with no problems.  I walked around the shops and the river and around 11 a.m. I stopped at Mystic Pizza for lunch.  Nevermind that we had pizza for supper the night before (and little did I know we would make pizza for supper that night at Adventure).  My first slice was the standard pepperoni.  Very good.  Their daily special had white sauce, scallops and bacon.  Very, very good!  I had a nice chat with a regular at the bar who had lived there since he was four.  (And was really cute, by-the-way.)  He gave me more information about the movie when I mentioned my pilgrimage.  I even drove a bit further to Stonington Borough, where more filming took place.  After the movie was released, the current site of the original Mystic Pizza was renovated to resemble the movie set.  There are photos all over the inside.  I only saw the bar area, but there is a restaurant area as well. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I wish I had more time to spend in Mystic and the surrounding area.  There is an Old Mystic area and I didn’t go there at all.  They also have kayak rentals.  Maybe next year. 

While walking around the shops I kept my eye out for a nice souvenir of my quick time there.  I like to do that in certain places.  No t-shirts or hats, or any tchotchke. And if I don’t see anything that grabs my attention, no big deal.  I hit all the main streets and I’d about given up.  Then I walked down a side street to The Art Garden.  Lots of stuff.  Jewelry, beads, scarves.  LOTS of stuff.  Then I spotted a silver bracelet of four fish hooked together.  Very unique.  I tried it on (I always try on jewelry to see how it looks and especially bracelets to make sure I can put them on by myself).  Hmmm.  Very nice.  I asked about the metal – Turkish silver (or so she said).  Very quirky designer the owner said.  I asked his name but she didn’t know (?).  Not too expensive.  I decided to get it.  It hit the mark in several areas.  Mystic is a seaport town so the fish were appropriate.  The camp theme for my week was Cat In The Hat.  One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.  Yes!  And fish are a Christian symbol.  Perfect! 

 

 

After lunch I took a photo of the library for my favorite librarian Mary, got back in my car, did a quick drive through of Stonington Borough, and headed back to camp.  A lovely morning driving into the Mystic. 

 

#382 Never Stop Climbing



I just returned from my second year of working as a counselor at The Hole In The Wall Gang Camp.  (Post #351)  I had so much fun last year that I decided to do it again! 

The Newman cabin

Last year I described how camp works and all of the activities.  This year I will talk more about the relationships that are formed and my feelings about camp.  I can’t give any camper names but will give some general information. 

As I mentioned in my previous post, it’s difficult for first-time female volunteers to get in.  Once you get in, they hold a spot for you for the next years.  But if you skip a year, you lose that spot.  So in looking at my vacations for the year, I knew something had to give, and I thought it would be camp.  I like to carry over a few days as a cushion and with my bike trips and other things that popped up (BCS game, Auburn reunion), I was pushing it.  After crunching the days again I decided I had just enough days to do it.  Although afterward, I thought I had made a mistake.  Maybe I was pushing myself to do too much.  Maybe I would have gotten lucky in 2015 and gotten right in again.  I should have saved those days.  I later realized how blessed I was to be at camp again.  But I am skipping ahead…

After the volunteer orientation (Volley-O) I felt a lot less overwhelmed than I did last year.  However, I was surprised that I still had thoughts of not returning.  The first couple of days are a bit scary for everyone, campers and counselors.  Who will be in my cabin?  Will they like me?  How will everyone get along?  Those feelings don’t change as you get older.  You do gain confidence more quickly and it becomes easier, but those base feelings of inadequacy are still there.  At least they are for me.  But after the girls arrived we settled into our routines and had a blast. 

This year my campers were 13 and 14 year old girls.  We were supposed to have eight total, but two couldn’t come at the last minute.  With six girls and five main counselors, we didn’t have to worry much about coverage.  Four had (or were in remission from) cancer.  One of these also had diabetes.  The other had mitochondrial disease, which basically makes her tire easily.  The description we were given is running a 4-cylinder engine on 2 cylinders.  She was really active, but she rode in a cart for long distances to conserve her energy. 

 

No paparazzi!

They all had great attitudes.  One had a difficult experience at camp last year due to cliques, etc. but she came back for another round and really enjoyed her time year.  It helped that one of the volunteer counselors was her main counselor last summer. 

We spent the week doing the usual activities, but we also braided hair (again and again – “Can anyone fishtail braid?”) and painted lots of fingernails.  It was also important to wear the right outfit.  And have the “natural smoky eye” for awards night.  (Is there such a thing?)  As much as the girls love all of the activities, I think just hanging out in the cabin is great for them too.  Just goofing off, laughing, talking, etc. 

This summer’s theme is Never Stop Climbing.  The girls did a great job at that.  They all tried new things.  One had never ridden a horse.  I went out in a paddle boat with her also.  We didn’t last long, but we did it.  She also caught a fish!  And talent?  These girls had oodles of it.  Three got up on stage night and sang.  One in particular tugged at my heart.  She sang one of my favorite songs, “Keep Your Head Up.”  Now this girl was very laid back and a bit quiet.  But whenever music came on she knew all the words.  I was surprised she was going to sing at stage night because she had been a bit timid about other activities.  Another counselor was onstage with her and they played the regular song over the speaker, so she didn’t sing totally alone.  But she owned the performance.  When she got to the chorus, she sang, “You gotta keep your head up” and then pointed the mic out to the crowd so we could sing, “Ohhhhhhh” and “Ehhhhhh”.  She really got the crowd into it and it was so amazing to see.  I totally teared up.  I actually teared up a lot on stage night, but this one was one of my girls.  Last year the song on the radio that reminded me of camp was “Cup Song”.  This year it will be “Keep Your Head Up”. 



sign in the horse barn

My fellow counselors this year were Liz, Evann, Amy and Krista, with Dani, Braelynn and Crystal dropping in from their other camp duties.  We had lots of laughs and I even learned a new term – food baby.  I have since learned it’s a well-known term and I’m just behind the times.  (For those like me who had never heard of it, it’s when you eat too much and your stomach feels very full, like you are having a baby.  A food baby!)  Amy is from England so everything she said sounded so proper.  Food baby and water bottle were two favorites. 

 

we pranked the Blue Unit by putting up some yellow signs on their cabins

 

After a couple of days the week flew by as usual.  I stayed in LuLu’s Lodge again, which is fine, but my roommate snored.  The first night I slept sporadically and finally got up at 3 a.m. to sleep in the common area on the sofa.  I woke up every hour, it seemed, and finally went back to my bed at 7 a.m.  By then she was quiet.  Sigh.  I slept a little better the rest of the week and she quieted down a little.  Maybe I was just more tired.  Monday night was my turn to sleep in the cabin with the girls.  Ahhhh – peace and quiet!  They were so quiet it was wonderful.  Although the beds are kinda hard and obviously short.  I was never so happy to get back to my comforpedic bed! 

So back to me being blessed to be at camp again this year.  Being a part of this camp is an interesting phenomenon.  You go there thinking you will have an impact on the campers’ lives.  And you do.  But what happens is that they have a bigger impact on your life.  You leave a changed person.  Every time.  And any problems you might have left back home in the real world?  They seem very insignificant compared to the 120+ kids at camp who are confronting potentially life and death battles. 

 

On the last day of camp all the girls kept talking about wanting just one more day of camp.  But then if you gave them one more day, they’d want another day, and another, and camp would never end.  Actually, they would love that.  I wish we all could live in a mini camp bubble where there are no putdowns, no physical violence and everyone knows how to have fun.  At camp we talk about taking the spirit of camp with you out into the real world.  I will do my best to do that.  And I hope to visit that magical place next summer.  Until then, never stop climbing! 

#381 Shine On

I grew up in a house where after we bought new shoes, the first thing we did before wearing them outside was to shine them.  It came from my dad, who was in the Army Reserve.  He had (and still does) a homemade shoe-shine kit in his bathroom cabinet with different colors of shoe shine, rags and brushes.  To this day I still shine my shoes before wearing them, and I shine them when they get scuffs or water marks on them. 

I believe that shoes say a lot about a person.  It bothers me when someone’s shoes are constantly scuffed or not taken care of.  If you take care of your shoes, they will take care of your feet, and in turn, you will look better.  I would even go so far as to say you will look more polished.  J 

Speaking of taking care of your feet, I also believe that you get what you pay for in terms of shoes.  I admit I have purchased shoes at Pay Less (their sizes go up to 13!) but usually get summer sandals and shoes that won’t get a lot of wear and tear.  They occasionally have leather shoes so I’ve tried to get those when I can.  Normally I shop at Clarks, Nordstrom or online at Zappos.  I gravitate toward well-made, comfortable leather shoes.  I may pay a little more, but they do last. 

So get some shoe shine paste and a soft cloth, and get to work.  Your feet will thank you! 

#380 Sixteen Candles

 

This year the movie Sixteen Candles turns 30.  Whenever someone asks me what my favorite movie is, I immediately answer, “Sixteen Candles.”  As a child of the 80s, it hits home with me on many levels. 

For those who have never seen this movie (what is wrong with you?!), it’s an iconic John Hughes movie about Samantha Baker’s 16^th birthday.  Her family forgets it’s her birthday because they are so stressed about her sister’s impending wedding to an oily bohunk.  Add kooky grandparents and a foreign exchange student to the mix (all staying at the house). 



At school, Samantha has a crush on Jake, who’s a senior and beautiful and doesn’t know she exists.  Jake has a girlfriend, but she’s self-involved and he’s growing tired of her.  I know you want to see it now, right? 

In high school especially, I was the girl who always liked the (tall) guy who didn’t know I existed.  Well, I guess they must have known I existed since I was the tallest kid in school.  But they certainly didn’t like me back in that way.  I still feel like that girl sometimes.  The guys I like usually don’t like me, and I am usually not romantically interested in the guys who do like me (Farmer Ted).  High school never goes away! 

Another similarity to Sam is that I was not in the popular crowd in high school.  (No, I did NOT give my panties to a geek.)  I wouldn’t call myself (or my friends) geeks, but we didn’t go to big parties and mainly hung out at each other’s houses or at Noble Romans on the weekends eating pizza and breadsticks.  With that said, I loved high school.  I had a great group of friends back then.  I’m still close friends with some of them.  I cherish my high school memories and love that there are quality movies out there that represent those times. 

I will always love “Sixteen Candles” and will always think back fondly on my high school days.  It’s a great place to visit but I’m glad I’ve grown up.  And that my boobs finally came in.  Just like Samantha’s  eventually did, I'm sure. 

#379 Bike Virginia 2014 - Eastward Bound!

Last week I was in eastern Virginia participating in the annual Bike Virginia Tour. 

I did this ride in 2009 (Post No. 17) and 2010 (Post No. 93), and although I learned to enjoy it, I vowed to never do it again.  It’s hot.  There are too many people.  I’m usually not in biking shape that early in the summer.  It’s hot.  But when I found out it was going to stop in Williamsburg, I had to do it.  My college roommate, Tammi, moved to Williamsburg in 2009 and I hadn’t seen her since then. 

We spend four nights at Pocahontas State Park in Chesterfield, VA.  It’s a nice park, although we bikers didn’t venture too far into the park.  We parked our cars in a big grassy area at the front and camped just inside.  Since our cars were there we drove around for dinner and even drove to Carytown one night.  That was a nice place and TheDaily Kitchen and Bar was great.  Highly recommend!   

We also went to Walmart three days in-a-row.  Steve (I met him on my first Bike VA Tour) needed something Friday so we looked around after breakfast and I ended up buying a new tent.  My 10-something year old Eureka was leaking through the floor and there was rain predicted for the week.  I saw a similar size Coleman that was guaranteed waterproof for $49.99.  Sold!  I love it and it performed well during the week.  Steve bought the Walmart special to test it out and returned it the next day because it leaked through the floor.

 

Taken by a reporter for the Virginia Gazette

 

Other bike friends who made this tour were “Little” Linda from North Carolina (guess who is “Big” Linda?), Duane and Andy from Dayton, and Boris from Cleveland.  I met Linda on BRAT (2011?) and the other guys on the Bon Ton Roulette (2012?).  It’s so fun to meet up with everyone on one ride.  (Too many question marks!  I can't remember when I did what these days, and can't even find it in my blog...)

the Lindas!

We rode loops around for four days, then Monday morning packed up to move to Chickahominy Riverfront Park in Williamsburg.  We stayed there two nights and I was able to visit with Tammi and her family in the evenings.  So fun!  Her daughter is heading to West Virginia University in the fall and her son will be a freshman in high school.  Such a great family! 

 

The Williamsburg area has some nice paved biking trails, although they are still sporadically working on them.  At certain points they would end, only to pick up a mile down the road.  It was nice to get off of the road though.  We also enjoyed walking around Colonial Williamsburg and even took a ferry across the James River.  I saw Jamestown from the ferry but didn’t take time to go in and see it.  Another interesting stop was to see Grant’sheadquarters at City Point.  Very cool. 

After biking back to Pocahontas Wednesday, I took a shower, ate lunch with my biking buddies, and drove to Charlottesville to visit with other friends.  I also had my first Airbnb experience.  I had a private room and bath near the University of Virginia for $85.  I thought it was a great deal.  Kelly and Mary picked me up and we had a lovely evening at the Charlottesville Downtown Mall.  I have been there several times and it’s such a great place.  There's nothing like spending time in a favorite place with two of my favorite people! 

Thursday I drove back home to Indiana.  Another successful bike trip with some bonuses along the way.  This will be my only long bike event of the season.  Even though I vowed to never do this ride again, I’m so glad I changed my mind.