1. Memorial Day Weekend
2. Is your air on yet?
3. Peanuts, popcorn, ballgame
4. Higher Gas Prices!
5. Swim Clubs are open for business.
6. The grass is greener or brown or growing. It all depends on your mode of attack.
7. Iced tea and lemonade over ice and if twenty one or older, a cold one, just to take off the edge.
8. Sunburn, lather up or be sorry. You're mother is correct! Put your coat on.
9. Longer days, the sun stays out longer and you can catch some of the most beautiful sunsets without freezing.
10. Perfect weather for star gazing and mosquitoes, do the prep.
Happy Summer! Even though it is not official until June 21st, Memorial Day Weekend is the ribbon cutting. Do something summer.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Top 10 Songs that Hurt
1. It Hurts To Be In Love Gene Pitney
2. Hurts So Good
3. Hurts So Bad Little Anthony and the Imperials
4. Everybody Hurts R. E. M.
5. Hurt Christina Aguilera
6. What Hurts the Most Rascal Flatts
7. Love Hurts Everly Brothers
8. You Always Hurt the One You Love Mills Brothers
9. Last Time You're Gonna Hurt Me Tom Petty
10. Do You Really Want To Hurt Me Culture Club
2. Hurts So Good
3. Hurts So Bad Little Anthony and the Imperials
4. Everybody Hurts R. E. M.
5. Hurt Christina Aguilera
6. What Hurts the Most Rascal Flatts
7. Love Hurts Everly Brothers
8. You Always Hurt the One You Love Mills Brothers
9. Last Time You're Gonna Hurt Me Tom Petty
10. Do You Really Want To Hurt Me Culture Club
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Top 10 Reasons To Cross That Bridge When You Come To It
The official name of the bridge is Lucius J. Kellam Jr. Bridge Tunnel. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission named the crossing in his honor August 11, 1987.
The bridge received the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement in 1965 from the American Society of Civil Engineers. It was also "Designated" One of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World in 1965. It is no longer one of the "Seven Wonders" but I still put it in my Top 10.
The over water extension of U.S.13 consists of trestles, tunnels, man made islands, bridges, causeway and approach roads and is 17.6 miles shore to shore.
There are four man made islands and the one I am most familiar with is the Seagull. The islands are 5.25 acres and 30 feet above the water. How do you get from one island to the next? Tunnel vision.
There is an almost certain guarantee to see ships as they pass through the channel or as these large size sea faring freight vessels seem to be doing, taking a break by docking and just taking in the view between travels. There were six of these babies lined up the day I was passing through.
Both tunnels are the trench type and are 24 feet horizontal and 13 feet 6 inches vertical. All of the construction details are available at cbbt.com/facts.
Taking this route can save 95 miles in driving equal to 1 1/2 hours in time and offers an alternate route around the D.C. beltway for travelers between the Delaware Valley and Virginia. Where do I sign up!? No signing up but there is a $12 toll for passenger cars. light trucks and RV's see the toll schedule for other rates. They do take EZPass and save those receipts. If you are returning within 24 hours it will only cost $5.
A parallel south bound bridge was opened in 1999 enabling 4 lanes of traffic, two in each direction. Future plans include increasing the tunnel capacity. Somewhere I have pictures of the bridge construction and will add it when I come across them.
Take the scenic route you never know what spectacular views await you. Where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Chesapeake Bay, it is gorgeous.
There is a DVD available for purchase An Engineering Marvel in the Making, here's the link. I love seeing how things are done but also have the yearning for seeing is believing. If you have never taken this roadway, I highly recommend it. It is marvelous and make sure you stop in the middle and take it all in. There is a lot to see.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Top 10 Things Easily Lost
1. Keys
2. Glasses (especially when they creep up on the top of your head).
3. License
4. Hair
5.Patience
6. Your heart to some undeserving son of a gun. lol ( I am still reeling from the season finale of Mr. Selfridge). I want to smack that Mr. Grove.
7. The lottery (somebody has to win usually it is not you).
8. Memory
9. Sense of direction especially in the woods. There's an app for that, right?
10. Track of Time.
These are all the small things folks.
Dear Saint Anthony, please come 'round
Something is lost and cannot be found.
If you find it please bring it to me.
And very happy I shall be.
Make it your mantra!
My heart aches for the people affected by the tornado and my prayers go out to them.
2. Glasses (especially when they creep up on the top of your head).
3. License
4. Hair
5.Patience
6. Your heart to some undeserving son of a gun. lol ( I am still reeling from the season finale of Mr. Selfridge). I want to smack that Mr. Grove.
7. The lottery (somebody has to win usually it is not you).
8. Memory
9. Sense of direction especially in the woods. There's an app for that, right?
10. Track of Time.
These are all the small things folks.
Dear Saint Anthony, please come 'round
Something is lost and cannot be found.
If you find it please bring it to me.
And very happy I shall be.
Make it your mantra!
My heart aches for the people affected by the tornado and my prayers go out to them.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Top 10 Things You May Not Know About the Eastern Shore of Virginia, NWR
Everyone needs a destination but do not discount the journey along the way. I am not sure if I just misquoted someone, borrowed a little here and a little there, but the following blogs to come will be a direct result of the travels I was recently afforded to take. I am constantly astounded by the connections I come across.
1. NWR means National Wildlife Refuge, it is for the birds and other outdoor creatures, the wild things. The Eastern Shore of Virginia Wildlife Refuge is located at the tip of the Delmarva Peninsula, just north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on Route 13. Look for the signs just as you come off the bridge. There is a trail just behind the welcome center. The place is reportedly hopping with birds and butterflies in the fall. It is a migration stopover point. I was there in mid-May, just last week. I heard them, however, I only saw a few birds out in the marshes but................
2. The lady at the Welcome Center said there was a World War II bunker on the trail. I have seen one before in Cape May, New Jersey but I thought this might be interesting. It really is hard to imagine a war on the shores of the United States, isn't it? It was one of those, exceeded my expectations and very thought provoking sites.
3. Captain John Smith once described this land, "...a faire Bay compassed but for the mouth with fruitful and delightsome land... Heaven and earth never agreed better to frame a place for man's habitation." quoted on the fws.gov website.
4. This area was rich in land use when the settlers first arrived to this country and was used as farm area and fishing due to its location along the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic ocean. There is a cemetery with the graves of some of the early inhabitants. Hallet Cemetery is also located along the trail. There are graves of 7 family members that once lived and farmed the area.
5. Lesson one that we learned from traveling south was the people are very friendly. All you have to do is say good morning or hello and they are more then happy to tell you where you are and what you are seeing. This unofficial tour guide, was a Park Ranger preparing the roadway in front of the bunker for the opening next week. We met him on the way back as he filled in the details of the bunkers history.
6. The bunker was made of concrete and from the back only the missiles standing on the side looked intimidating. I don't know the exact length of the barrel of this weapon but I can honestly identify it as big and mean looking. I found an article at hamptonroads.com with the length of the barrel, it is 68 feet long and weighing 120 tons. Nobody is going to steal this!
7. The barrel originally at this location was never used in warfare it only was fired and used in testing. It was capable of sending 2,000 lbs 25 miles. The reference or example of that distance used was propelling a car across the entire Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which is 17.6 miles and still be traveling some distance in the air.
8. I did say originally, but the gun placed on this site now is extraordinary. It was a silent witness to the surrender of the Japanese September 2, 1945. This barrel was on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri on that famous day in history. You can read more about how it has come to rest at this site and you can also attend the official ribbon cutting ceremony on May 25th, 2013 at 2PM.
9. The barrel is due to be painted in 3 different colors, the first battleship gray to signify the service aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, olive green to represent the army base that was at this location and the last color, which I can not recall to memory was to portray the Cape Charles U. S. Air Force radar headquarters located here.
10. It is a tad refreshing that we can freely walk these trails and see an area so rich in history and know that today we are protecting the natural habitat of the birds and the bees and the flowers and the trees. There is hope for tomorrow through remnants of our past. The 1,415 acre refuge was established in 1984.
This coming weekend, May 24, 2013 at 2PM will be the ribbon cutting for the World War II relic preserving history and also in the same area June 14 - 16th Tall Ships at Cape Charles. Make a plan to see them both.
The connection: Originally established by the army as Fort Winslow in 1940, the name was changed in 1941 to Fort John Custis after a local Virginia hero, John Parke Custis the son of Martha Dandridge Custis who later married General George Washington. The Washington-Custis connection goes all the way to Robert E. Lee and Arlington Cemetery. It is a small world with tons of history.
2. The lady at the Welcome Center said there was a World War II bunker on the trail. I have seen one before in Cape May, New Jersey but I thought this might be interesting. It really is hard to imagine a war on the shores of the United States, isn't it? It was one of those, exceeded my expectations and very thought provoking sites.
3. Captain John Smith once described this land, "...a faire Bay compassed but for the mouth with fruitful and delightsome land... Heaven and earth never agreed better to frame a place for man's habitation." quoted on the fws.gov website.
4. This area was rich in land use when the settlers first arrived to this country and was used as farm area and fishing due to its location along the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic ocean. There is a cemetery with the graves of some of the early inhabitants. Hallet Cemetery is also located along the trail. There are graves of 7 family members that once lived and farmed the area.
5. Lesson one that we learned from traveling south was the people are very friendly. All you have to do is say good morning or hello and they are more then happy to tell you where you are and what you are seeing. This unofficial tour guide, was a Park Ranger preparing the roadway in front of the bunker for the opening next week. We met him on the way back as he filled in the details of the bunkers history.
6. The bunker was made of concrete and from the back only the missiles standing on the side looked intimidating. I don't know the exact length of the barrel of this weapon but I can honestly identify it as big and mean looking. I found an article at hamptonroads.com with the length of the barrel, it is 68 feet long and weighing 120 tons. Nobody is going to steal this!
7. The barrel originally at this location was never used in warfare it only was fired and used in testing. It was capable of sending 2,000 lbs 25 miles. The reference or example of that distance used was propelling a car across the entire Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which is 17.6 miles and still be traveling some distance in the air.
 |
| The ridges help it to spin. |
8. I did say originally, but the gun placed on this site now is extraordinary. It was a silent witness to the surrender of the Japanese September 2, 1945. This barrel was on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri on that famous day in history. You can read more about how it has come to rest at this site and you can also attend the official ribbon cutting ceremony on May 25th, 2013 at 2PM.
9. The barrel is due to be painted in 3 different colors, the first battleship gray to signify the service aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, olive green to represent the army base that was at this location and the last color, which I can not recall to memory was to portray the Cape Charles U. S. Air Force radar headquarters located here.
This coming weekend, May 24, 2013 at 2PM will be the ribbon cutting for the World War II relic preserving history and also in the same area June 14 - 16th Tall Ships at Cape Charles. Make a plan to see them both.
The connection: Originally established by the army as Fort Winslow in 1940, the name was changed in 1941 to Fort John Custis after a local Virginia hero, John Parke Custis the son of Martha Dandridge Custis who later married General George Washington. The Washington-Custis connection goes all the way to Robert E. Lee and Arlington Cemetery. It is a small world with tons of history.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Top 10 Highlights of Temple's Graduation
1. The Filling of the Empty Seats.
2. Largest Graduating Class in Temple's History over 9,000 students.
3. Youngest Graduate was 19 years old.
4. Oldest Graduate was 73 years old.
5. Five set of twins were part of the graduation class.
6. Never a guarantee but a hopeful anticipation, alumni Bill Cosby spoke at graduation.
7. We got lucky our second graduation for Bachelor of Science in Education followed the commencement only an hour later. There were still other graduation going on at campus at 6PM.
8. Dan Baker public address announcer for Veterans Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia gave the keynote address at the College of Education Graduation. He is a Temple Alumni and started our his career as a teacher.
9. One piece of equipment I failed to mention yesterday was binoculars. I did not need them but I was able to pull them out of my bag and let the lady sitting next to me use them to find her daughter Some folks had big posters congratulating there relatives and it was also a good way for the graduate to find them in a crowd.
10. Of course the highlight for me was watching my child that Temple made a man today and a teacher tomorrow.
Remember, no one is ever too big for ice cream. After dinner at Han Dynasty in Philadelphia that is how we ended our day at The Franklin Fountain.
The City of Brotherly Love has a lot of attractions to offer and Temple University is one of them.
2. Largest Graduating Class in Temple's History over 9,000 students.
3. Youngest Graduate was 19 years old.
4. Oldest Graduate was 73 years old.
6. Never a guarantee but a hopeful anticipation, alumni Bill Cosby spoke at graduation.
7. We got lucky our second graduation for Bachelor of Science in Education followed the commencement only an hour later. There were still other graduation going on at campus at 6PM.
8. Dan Baker public address announcer for Veterans Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia gave the keynote address at the College of Education Graduation. He is a Temple Alumni and started our his career as a teacher.
9. One piece of equipment I failed to mention yesterday was binoculars. I did not need them but I was able to pull them out of my bag and let the lady sitting next to me use them to find her daughter Some folks had big posters congratulating there relatives and it was also a good way for the graduate to find them in a crowd.
10. Of course the highlight for me was watching my child that Temple made a man today and a teacher tomorrow.
Remember, no one is ever too big for ice cream. After dinner at Han Dynasty in Philadelphia that is how we ended our day at The Franklin Fountain.
The City of Brotherly Love has a lot of attractions to offer and Temple University is one of them.
Top 10 Tips For the Graduate's "Parents"
Just like the kid about to walk across the stage, the day does not come with instructions, but I am sure you will figure it out. Here are a few points to consider.................
10. You can google "how do I get wrinkles out of a made of recycled plastic graduation gown?" I steamed my sons for an hour with the shower, nothing, ironed it using a towel between the fabric and the iron and finally I gingerly ironed it, straight up. The internet says, "don't iron it, you will ruin it". I took my chances, just proceed with caution. A little wrinkle won't hurt anything either.
9. Book a room well in advance and arrive early into town. A day ahead is best, no worries about construction and or traffic and you can be guided to exactly where you have to go the next day.
8. Eat before you go to graduation. Bring water and snacks, especially if it is hot outside. There are sometimes two graduations One for the entire school and another for individual specialized degrees.
7. Arrive early to get a good seat. There really are no good seats unless you are invited up on stage. You will just feel better about yourself if you try.
6. Know where your graduate will be sitting or text them, everyone is doing it and no one is driving. Designate one person so it does not get annoying to the graduate. Some of the kids put pink feathers and sparkles on the top of their caps for easy identification. My son would be unwilling, I am sure but I will ask.
5. Sit at the best vantage point to see your graduate receive their diploma (this is the golden moment). Usually professional pictures are available later for a price. It is much less than the cost of tuition.
4. Fresh batteries in all cameras and bring extra, you will make a new friend and possibly save a marriage.
3. Don't sweet the small stuff, hold out for the big moment. (see number 5).
2. Be kind and courteous to all around you. You are all sharing the same emotions and a very special moment in time.
1. Be Proud and have a planned meeting spot after the ceremony and don't move! It is exciting chaos. If at all possible have flowers from the ladies and balloons for the men. Real men can accept balloons. You might have to carry them.
10. You can google "how do I get wrinkles out of a made of recycled plastic graduation gown?" I steamed my sons for an hour with the shower, nothing, ironed it using a towel between the fabric and the iron and finally I gingerly ironed it, straight up. The internet says, "don't iron it, you will ruin it". I took my chances, just proceed with caution. A little wrinkle won't hurt anything either.
9. Book a room well in advance and arrive early into town. A day ahead is best, no worries about construction and or traffic and you can be guided to exactly where you have to go the next day.
8. Eat before you go to graduation. Bring water and snacks, especially if it is hot outside. There are sometimes two graduations One for the entire school and another for individual specialized degrees.
7. Arrive early to get a good seat. There really are no good seats unless you are invited up on stage. You will just feel better about yourself if you try.
6. Know where your graduate will be sitting or text them, everyone is doing it and no one is driving. Designate one person so it does not get annoying to the graduate. Some of the kids put pink feathers and sparkles on the top of their caps for easy identification. My son would be unwilling, I am sure but I will ask.
5. Sit at the best vantage point to see your graduate receive their diploma (this is the golden moment). Usually professional pictures are available later for a price. It is much less than the cost of tuition.
4. Fresh batteries in all cameras and bring extra, you will make a new friend and possibly save a marriage.
3. Don't sweet the small stuff, hold out for the big moment. (see number 5).
2. Be kind and courteous to all around you. You are all sharing the same emotions and a very special moment in time.
1. Be Proud and have a planned meeting spot after the ceremony and don't move! It is exciting chaos. If at all possible have flowers from the ladies and balloons for the men. Real men can accept balloons. You might have to carry them.
Congratulations to all graduates and parents this year.
I have had double the pleasure this year.
Congratulations to David and Lauren. I cannot call them children anymore, they have graduated.
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