By, Ray Bradbury
And this is where we went, I thought,
Now here, now there, upon the grass
Some forty years ago.
I had returned and walked along the streets
And saw the house where I was born
And grown and had my endless days.
The days being short now, simply I had come
To gaze and look and stare upon
The thought of that once endless maze of afternoons.
But most of all I wished to find the places where I ran
As dogs do run before or after boys,
The paths put down by Indians or brothers wise and swift
Pretending at a tribe.
I came to the ravine.
I half slid down the path
A man with graying hair but seeming supple thoughts
And saw the place was empty.
Fools! I thought. O, boys of this new year,
Why don’t you know the Abyss waits you here?
Ravines are special fine and lovely green
And secretive and wandering with apes and thugs
And bandit bees that steal from flowers to give to trees.
Caves echo here and creeks for wading after loot:
A water-strider, crayfish, precious stone
Or long-lost rubber boot --
It is a natural treasure-house, so why the silent place?
What’s happened to our boys that they no longer race
And stand them still to contemplate Christ’s handiwork:
His clear blood bled in syrups from the lovely wounded trees?
Why only bees and blackbird winds and bending grass?
No matter. Walk. Walk, look, and sweet recall.
I came upon an oak where once when I was twelve
I had climbed up and screamed for my brother to get me down.
It was a thousand miles to earth. I shut my eyes and yelled.
My brother, richly compelled to mirth, gave shouts of laughter
And scaled up to rescue me.
"What were you doing there?" he said.
I did not tell. Rather drop me dead.
But I was there to place a note within a squirrel nest
On which I’d written some old secret thing now long forgot.
Now in the green ravine of middle years I stood
Beneath that tree. Why, why, I thought, my God,
It’s not so high. Why did I shriek?
It can’t be more than fifteen feet above. I’ll climb it handily.
And did.
And squatted like an aging ape alone and thanking God
That no one saw this ancient man at antics
Clutched grotesquely to the bole.
But then, ah God, what awe.
The squirrel’s hole and long-lost nest were there.
I lay upon the limb a long while, thinking.
I drank in all the leaves and clouds and weathers
Going by as mindless
As the days.
What, what, what if? I thought. But no. Some forty years beyond!
The note I’d put? It’s surely stolen off by now.
A boy or screech-owl’s pilfered, read, and tattered it.
It’s scattered to the lake like pollen, chestnut leaf
Or smoke of dandelion that breaks along the wind of time...
No. No.
I put my hand into the nest. I dug my fingers deep.
Nothing. And still more nothing. Yet digging further
I brought forth:
The note.
Like moth wings neatly powdered on themselves, and folded close
It had survived. No rains had touched, no sunlight bleached
Its stuff. It lay upon my palm. I knew its look:
Ruled paper from an old Sioux Indian Head scribble writing book.
What, what, oh, what had I put there in words
So many years ago?
I opened it. For now I had to know.
I opened it, and wept. I clung then to the tree
And let the tears flow out and down my chin.
Dear boy, strange child, who must have known the years
And reckoned time and smelled sweet death from flowers
In the far churchyard.
It was a message to the future, to myself.
Knowing one day I must arrive, come, seek, return.
From the young one to the old. From the me that was small
And fresh to the me that was large and no longer new.
What did it say that made me weep?
I remember you.
I remember you.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Monday, February 27, 2006
Robert Moxley Underwood
Of Gainesville, VA on February 25, 2006. Preceded in death by his beloved wife of 63 years on September 1, 2005, Catherine E. Underwood; devoted father of Kathleen (James, III) Lambiasi, Mary (Randolph) Tucker, Robert M. (Elizabeth) Underwood, Jr., Ida (Michael) Ragan, Linda Milburn, David M. (Sandra) Underwood, Theresa (Charles) Glass and the late Christopher Mark Underwood. Also survived by two brothers, Paul and Charles Underwood; 29 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, March 1, 2006 from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. at MOSER FUNERAL HOME, 233 Broadview Ave, Warrenton VA. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Thursday, March 2, 10:30 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, Warrenton. Interment Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suitland, MD at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the American Heart Association, 7203 Poplar St., Annandale VA 22003 or to the Holy Trinity Catholic Church Building Fund, 13260 McCartney Court, Bristow, VA 20136.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Oh Yeah, I Forgot The Best Part...
So the best part of my ER trip was by far my wonderful husband's faux pas.
As he was registering me at the front desk, the lady asked him what my Social Security Number was so she could verify that he truly was my husband. He immediately rattled off MIKE'S Social! The lady was like, uhhhhh...
So it's good to know that if Mike is dying in an ER, John will be able to register him no problem. Me? Not so much.
:)
As he was registering me at the front desk, the lady asked him what my Social Security Number was so she could verify that he truly was my husband. He immediately rattled off MIKE'S Social! The lady was like, uhhhhh...
So it's good to know that if Mike is dying in an ER, John will be able to register him no problem. Me? Not so much.
:)
Reality TV: ER
Well, for the first time in 24 years, I managed to snag myself a ride on an Ambulance last night. We still don't really know what happened for sure, but for some reason, I had a sudden onset of lower abdominal pain around 9:30 last night. The pain was so bad, I was rolled in a ball on the floor screaming at the top of my lungs and unable to move or breathe. I must have said a million times I was going to die.
John called 911. As they were pulling me out of the house, I felt like I was on Desperate Housewives, as our neighbors were standing on the porch wondering what was going on.
The entire ride to the hospital, I felt like I was going to die. All I could do was scream, I was in so much pain. My pulse was 130, and I was hyperventalating pretty bad.
When I got to the hospital, they moved me onto the bed in the ER. It was a sudden movement which created a shooting pain throughout my whole body that caused me to scream one last time. Then just as quickly as it began, all my pain just stopped.
Odd.
They ran a million tests, and came to the conclusion that I either had a ruptured ovarian cyst or ovarian torsion. Although, if the ovary twists, it usually does not "untwist" itself. They said it's possible they may never know what happened. They sent me home at 1:30 AM.
I am exhausted mentally and physically and have been told to take it easy for the next few days. I start my new job on Tuesday -- I hope I can handle it!
John called 911. As they were pulling me out of the house, I felt like I was on Desperate Housewives, as our neighbors were standing on the porch wondering what was going on.
The entire ride to the hospital, I felt like I was going to die. All I could do was scream, I was in so much pain. My pulse was 130, and I was hyperventalating pretty bad.
When I got to the hospital, they moved me onto the bed in the ER. It was a sudden movement which created a shooting pain throughout my whole body that caused me to scream one last time. Then just as quickly as it began, all my pain just stopped.
Odd.
They ran a million tests, and came to the conclusion that I either had a ruptured ovarian cyst or ovarian torsion. Although, if the ovary twists, it usually does not "untwist" itself. They said it's possible they may never know what happened. They sent me home at 1:30 AM.
I am exhausted mentally and physically and have been told to take it easy for the next few days. I start my new job on Tuesday -- I hope I can handle it!
Thursday, February 02, 2006
The Times They Are A Changin'
Tommorrow is going to be a big day for me. I'm going to submit my resignation to the only employer I've ever had. I've been working at USI/Integic/Northrop Grumman since I was 19 years old and have learned everything I know from that place. I have finally decided that the climate and culture that the Northrop buyout has produced, is not an environment that I want to be a part of anymore. I am going to spread my wings and start a new job. If all goes according to plan, my first day will be on February 21st.
Leaving my office is bittersweet. I am going to a better oppourtunity that will allow me to manage 3 people and 1200 clearances. Currently, I manage myself and 300 clearances. I will have a lot more responsibility and with responsibility comes, well, responsibility. I believe I am capable of succeeding, but it does not mean that I am not scared to take on everything I have signed up for.
I have always been the baby my entire life. I am the youngest of 4, I was always the youngest in my department at work, I was always the youngest in my group of friends. Now, I am going to be a leader and a mentor in a new place and although I am excited, I am sad to be growing up.
C'est la vie, et la vie doit continuer. Je dois apprendre à changer, ou je ne me développerai jamais. Voici ne disparaître rien!
Leaving my office is bittersweet. I am going to a better oppourtunity that will allow me to manage 3 people and 1200 clearances. Currently, I manage myself and 300 clearances. I will have a lot more responsibility and with responsibility comes, well, responsibility. I believe I am capable of succeeding, but it does not mean that I am not scared to take on everything I have signed up for.
I have always been the baby my entire life. I am the youngest of 4, I was always the youngest in my department at work, I was always the youngest in my group of friends. Now, I am going to be a leader and a mentor in a new place and although I am excited, I am sad to be growing up.
C'est la vie, et la vie doit continuer. Je dois apprendre à changer, ou je ne me développerai jamais. Voici ne disparaître rien!
BAN DIHYDROGEN MONOXIDE!
Dihydrogen monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills uncounted thousands of people every year. Most of these deaths are caused by accidental inhalation of DHMO, but the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide do not end there. Prolonged exposure to its solid form causes severe tissue damage. Symptoms of DHMO ingestion can include excessive sweating and urination, and possibly a bloated feeling, nausea, vomiting and body electrolyte imbalance. For those who have become dependent, DHMO withdrawal means certain death.
Dihydrogen monoxide:
* is also known as hydroxl acid, and is the major component of acid rain.
* contributes to the "greenhouse effect."
* may cause severe burns.
* contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
* accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
* may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
* has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.
Contamination is reaching epidemic proportions!
Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every stream, lake, and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice. DHMO has caused millions of dollars of property damage in the midwest, and recently California.
Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:
* as an industrial solvent and coolant.
* in nuclear power plants.
* in the production of styrofoam.
* as a fire retardant.
* in many forms of cruel animal research.
* in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
* as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.
Companies dump waste DHMO into rivers and the ocean, and nothing can be done to stop them because this practice is still legal. The impact on wildlife is extreme, and we cannot afford to ignore it any longer!
The American government has refused to ban the production, distribution, or use of this damaging chemical due to its "importance to the economic health of this nation." In fact, the navy and other military organizations are conducting experiments with DHMO, and designing multi-billion dollar devices to control and utilize it during warfare situations. Hundreds of military research facilities receive tons of it through a highly sophisticated underground distribution network. Many store large quantities for later use.
Stolen from snopes.
Dihydrogen monoxide:
* is also known as hydroxl acid, and is the major component of acid rain.
* contributes to the "greenhouse effect."
* may cause severe burns.
* contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
* accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
* may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
* has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.
Contamination is reaching epidemic proportions!
Quantities of dihydrogen monoxide have been found in almost every stream, lake, and reservoir in America today. But the pollution is global, and the contaminant has even been found in Antarctic ice. DHMO has caused millions of dollars of property damage in the midwest, and recently California.
Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:
* as an industrial solvent and coolant.
* in nuclear power plants.
* in the production of styrofoam.
* as a fire retardant.
* in many forms of cruel animal research.
* in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
* as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.
Companies dump waste DHMO into rivers and the ocean, and nothing can be done to stop them because this practice is still legal. The impact on wildlife is extreme, and we cannot afford to ignore it any longer!
The American government has refused to ban the production, distribution, or use of this damaging chemical due to its "importance to the economic health of this nation." In fact, the navy and other military organizations are conducting experiments with DHMO, and designing multi-billion dollar devices to control and utilize it during warfare situations. Hundreds of military research facilities receive tons of it through a highly sophisticated underground distribution network. Many store large quantities for later use.
Stolen from snopes.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Friday, December 30, 2005
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
An HR Christmas
Merry Christmas Guys. You'll be missed.
Twas the week before Christmas, and all through suite,
All the HR folks were wondering, what we would have to eat.
Open enrollment was done, with no help from NG,
And we were ready to celebrate our last holiday as a team.
The recruiters were all nestled snug in their chairs,
While Edith and Amy worked on Benelogic nightmares.
And Teri in her office and I back from a meeting,
We all silently prepared for more employees to be leaving.
When out in the lobby there arose such a clatter,
Danny jumped from his cube to see what was the matter.
Away to my window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the blinds, knocking over my trash.
The shine on the marble from the newly waxed floor,
Shone in the lobby all the way to the door.
When what to my wandering eyes should we all see,
But our very own HRL, beckoning his eight loyal employees.
“Now Bruce! Now Bobbe!
Now Edith and Amy!
On Teri and Michelle!
On Debbi and Danny!
Out of the office!
Out of these halls!
Now dash away! Dash away!
Dash away all!”
With jackets in hand, and purses too,
We grabbed our gifts and away we flew,
We raced down route 50, we left with a bang,
Eager to start our last Christmas as the Gang.
We arrived at Michelle’s, our drive came to an end,
As we relished our time that we had left to spend.
But before we could start our joyous festivities,
In walked our leader, the jolly HRL, Charlie!
He was dressed for the winter, from his head to his feet,
And he was cursing under his breath something about NG.
A bundle of advice he was about to give with fervor,
To give to us all before we parted forever.
“Always be sure to do what is right,
Because if you do, you will never lose a fight.
Make sure you also learn to accept NG,
Because they’re who we are now, and not what we used to be.
I’m thankful to be blessed with such a great crew,
And I know that I am only as good as each of you.
I want you to know that this team will be missed,
But we all have new opportunities since being purchased!”
So for one final time, we shared and we laughed,
Remembering past memories spent as Charlie’s staff.
And we knew in our hearts our friendships would last,
Which made it easier to look forward and not in the past.
Then when we were finished, Charlie sprang to his car,
And prepared for the long drive, because Frederick was far.
We said our goodbyes, our last Christmas was through,
We were all quite surprised how fast the years had flew.
And Charlie waved from the window as he drove into the night,
But before he could get completely out of sight,
I heard him exclaim as he was never nonplussed,
“Remember gang – let’s do it to them, before they do it to us!”
Twas the week before Christmas, and all through suite,
All the HR folks were wondering, what we would have to eat.
Open enrollment was done, with no help from NG,
And we were ready to celebrate our last holiday as a team.
The recruiters were all nestled snug in their chairs,
While Edith and Amy worked on Benelogic nightmares.
And Teri in her office and I back from a meeting,
We all silently prepared for more employees to be leaving.
When out in the lobby there arose such a clatter,
Danny jumped from his cube to see what was the matter.
Away to my window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the blinds, knocking over my trash.
The shine on the marble from the newly waxed floor,
Shone in the lobby all the way to the door.
When what to my wandering eyes should we all see,
But our very own HRL, beckoning his eight loyal employees.
“Now Bruce! Now Bobbe!
Now Edith and Amy!
On Teri and Michelle!
On Debbi and Danny!
Out of the office!
Out of these halls!
Now dash away! Dash away!
Dash away all!”
With jackets in hand, and purses too,
We grabbed our gifts and away we flew,
We raced down route 50, we left with a bang,
Eager to start our last Christmas as the Gang.
We arrived at Michelle’s, our drive came to an end,
As we relished our time that we had left to spend.
But before we could start our joyous festivities,
In walked our leader, the jolly HRL, Charlie!
He was dressed for the winter, from his head to his feet,
And he was cursing under his breath something about NG.
A bundle of advice he was about to give with fervor,
To give to us all before we parted forever.
“Always be sure to do what is right,
Because if you do, you will never lose a fight.
Make sure you also learn to accept NG,
Because they’re who we are now, and not what we used to be.
I’m thankful to be blessed with such a great crew,
And I know that I am only as good as each of you.
I want you to know that this team will be missed,
But we all have new opportunities since being purchased!”
So for one final time, we shared and we laughed,
Remembering past memories spent as Charlie’s staff.
And we knew in our hearts our friendships would last,
Which made it easier to look forward and not in the past.
Then when we were finished, Charlie sprang to his car,
And prepared for the long drive, because Frederick was far.
We said our goodbyes, our last Christmas was through,
We were all quite surprised how fast the years had flew.
And Charlie waved from the window as he drove into the night,
But before he could get completely out of sight,
I heard him exclaim as he was never nonplussed,
“Remember gang – let’s do it to them, before they do it to us!”
Monday, December 19, 2005
Greenhouse Effect Debunked!
So I was thinking about the earth this morning and about how locations on the equator are the hottest locations on earth. The reason for this is because those locations are nearest to the sun, right? Ok, well then I started to think about archeologists and how they are uncovering civilizations beneath our feet everyday. Then when I started to think about how easily artifacts get buried and forgotten, it occured to me that we are getting closer and closer to the sun each day!
Just our everyday living causes the earth to build up. Even Jamestown (built only 400 years ago) is being excavated right now. So what if our gradual temperature changes are merely a result of our elevation rising?
I'm sure just about every scientist on earth is laughing at me right now, but it's something to think about!
Just our everyday living causes the earth to build up. Even Jamestown (built only 400 years ago) is being excavated right now. So what if our gradual temperature changes are merely a result of our elevation rising?
I'm sure just about every scientist on earth is laughing at me right now, but it's something to think about!
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Monday, December 12, 2005
Writing off the Subject
That blue speckled cat
walking the steamy concrete ledge
is following his whiskers
to the ocean
where sailboats trickle
across the fragile water,
masts stretching to the sky
full of marshmallows, angels' wings,
and cotton
that grows in dusty fields
so hot that the sun
cracks open the
dirt and ants peek in to see crumbs
left from a picnic
with soda crackers
and orange cheese
and lemonade
squeezed by a fat, sweaty woman
in the early morning
as the rooster crows to start the day.
walking the steamy concrete ledge
is following his whiskers
to the ocean
where sailboats trickle
across the fragile water,
masts stretching to the sky
full of marshmallows, angels' wings,
and cotton
that grows in dusty fields
so hot that the sun
cracks open the
dirt and ants peek in to see crumbs
left from a picnic
with soda crackers
and orange cheese
and lemonade
squeezed by a fat, sweaty woman
in the early morning
as the rooster crows to start the day.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
L'Hiver (second edit)
Tip tap on the window,
the frost raps
as the breeze proclaims
the inauguration of winter.
Drops of fluffy white
ooze down the sky like wisps
of manna--
nourishing our souls,
reminding us that
life, like flakes, is transient.
Instead, we persevere
struggling to preserve
our distinctive identity
until inevitably
the warm breath of spring exhales,
melting us into the
pool of Eternity.
the frost raps
as the breeze proclaims
the inauguration of winter.
Drops of fluffy white
ooze down the sky like wisps
of manna--
nourishing our souls,
reminding us that
life, like flakes, is transient.
Instead, we persevere
struggling to preserve
our distinctive identity
until inevitably
the warm breath of spring exhales,
melting us into the
pool of Eternity.
Blah.
It's cold out. I've spent the past two days at a Security Conference in Dulles learning about all the wonderful things our government is going to do to help make this world a better place. I've been spending a majority of my time with two ladies-- one from New Mexico and the other from Boston. The New Mexico lady is freezing--she even ordered her water today at lunch without ice because she "didn't want to get colder". The Boston lady is not wearing a coat and says it's "nice out". I've been drinking ice water, wearing a coat, and keeping the heater on my seat in my car on.
John and I got our Christmas lights up, and they look pretty good. Of course, they are nothing compared to our Halloween decorations (mainly because Delvaux wasn't here to help), but they will do. Last weekend, I went to a Christmas party for all the gals on my street and when they met me, they kept referring to me as, "The lady with the Halloween house." I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Well, that's it. I don't really have that much more to say. It's a "Blah" type of day.
John and I got our Christmas lights up, and they look pretty good. Of course, they are nothing compared to our Halloween decorations (mainly because Delvaux wasn't here to help), but they will do. Last weekend, I went to a Christmas party for all the gals on my street and when they met me, they kept referring to me as, "The lady with the Halloween house." I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Well, that's it. I don't really have that much more to say. It's a "Blah" type of day.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
My Trip to Court.
Ok, if anyone has met me for more than 5 seconds, they will quickly find out that I have zero sense of direction. I am probably the only person known to have ever gotten lost in her own neighborhood (Karsten will never let me live that one down) and I would give my right eye to have a GPS in my car. That being said, I had to go to the Fairfax Courthouse today to get my notary commission renewed.
"How hard can it be?" I thought confidently to myself as I printed the mapblast directions. (My first clue should have been when Google Maps told me that it could not locate 4110 Chain Bridge Road. If Google couldn't find it, I should have known I was in trouble).
So I went home last night, directions in hand, and told John I where I was going this morning. He said, "Do you know where it is? That courthouse is hard to find." Again, stupidly but confidently I replied, "How hard can it be? You go down 50 and get on 123!"
"Okaaaaay," my all knowing husband replied.
So I left my office in Chantilly at 10:00 and proudly told my boss I would be back "shortly" as all I had to do was go to Fairfax "real quick." Piece of cake.
So, following the directions, I arrive in Fairfax. I immediately see a sign that says "123 ---->" Ok, great! So I follow the ----> and end up on Lee Highway. Hmmmm.... no signs to 123. I'll just go back the way I came, maybe I turned too early. So back I go, and I arrive on 50 once again. This time, I decide to follow the mapblast directions that tell me to turn right on Main Street. No problemo, right?
Ok, so I'm headed down 50 again, and I see a sign! Main Street! Yes! Ok, if any of you know Fairfax, they'll know that there is this funky star shaped intersection where 29, 50 and Main Street all collide. It's kinda confusing. So apparently, there are like 2 rights on Main and of course, I take the wrong one. So off I go onto the wrong one, and I end up pretty far down 29. Ugh. By this time, I am cussing and calling John on his cellphone telling him I can't find freakin Chain Bridge Road and why can't I have a GPS device?!?! Fortunately, my husband is a patient man. So I turn around and go back whence I came and find the REAL Main Street turn. Ok. Whew. I find Chain Bridge. So I'm driving up and down Chain Bridge (by this time it's about 11:00) looking for 4110. Ok, I see 4000 and 4103 but no 4110. I also see lots of construction and cranes and signs saying "New Courthouse!! $115,000,000!" Ok, so I keep on Chain Bridge until I end up at George Mason. By this time I'm pretty peeved again and decide to call the courthouse for directions(duh!).
The courthouse recording tells me the obvious-- "To get to 4110 Chain Bridge Road, you must turn onto Judicial and then make a right onto Page Road to park in the parking garage. Then you have to walk on foot to 4110." Well gee, I'm an idiot.
Ok, so I park in the parking garage. The parking garage tells me to go up to the 3rd floor to walk across the skyway to the Judicial Center. After crossing the skyway, I come to another parking garage where I have to go down 3 flights of stairs to the outdoors. Then I follow this sidewalk covered in scaffolding where I enter the courthouse from a side emergency exit. Are you getting all this???
So once in the building, there are metal detectors and guards. So I turn to this mexican dude beside me who looks like he's spent his share of time going to court and I say, "how do I get to the third floor?" "Oh, follow me!" he says with a grin. So after we are searched, he leads me up the stairs to a set of elevators. We get in and as we are getting in, a lawyer steps in. The lawyer smiles at my escort and says, "Hey! How's your probation coming?" So my escort starts talking about some speeding ticket he's here for, blah blah blah. Ok, so I get off at floor 3 and I go to the Notary desk. The first thing I see is CASH ONLY. Of course, right? So I have $8.75 on me and I need $10. After standing in line for a while, it's my turn. The lady says she'll hold my notary commission while I go to an ATM. How nice. I was hoping she'd give me $1.25.
So I get back in the elevator to discover my escort going down too! "You leaving?" he says. "No, I need an ATM." "Follow me!" he says. So he takes me to the ATM and I get my money. What a nice guy. Back up to the 3rd floor, I'm sworn in, commission in hand, and off to my car.
Of course, once I get to my car, I realize you have to pay for your parking BEFORE you leave the garage. So I walk BACK to the garage entrance to pay. The guy in front of me is told, "Sorry cash only!" so I give him $2 to cover his costs. He thanks me profusely. I pay for my ticket and leave. Whew! 12:00 PM.
Once I leave, of course I am daydreaming and take a wrong turn. I somehow end up at the Fairfax Government Center. I finally make it back to my office at 12:30 just in time to scarf down a Wendy's Combo #1 with Diet Coke and whine to my coworkers about how I hate Fairfax.
I told them crime in Fairfax must be low because I know I'm never committing any crimes EVER now that I know what a pain it is to go there.
"How hard can it be?" I thought confidently to myself as I printed the mapblast directions. (My first clue should have been when Google Maps told me that it could not locate 4110 Chain Bridge Road. If Google couldn't find it, I should have known I was in trouble).
So I went home last night, directions in hand, and told John I where I was going this morning. He said, "Do you know where it is? That courthouse is hard to find." Again, stupidly but confidently I replied, "How hard can it be? You go down 50 and get on 123!"
"Okaaaaay," my all knowing husband replied.
So I left my office in Chantilly at 10:00 and proudly told my boss I would be back "shortly" as all I had to do was go to Fairfax "real quick." Piece of cake.
So, following the directions, I arrive in Fairfax. I immediately see a sign that says "123 ---->" Ok, great! So I follow the ----> and end up on Lee Highway. Hmmmm.... no signs to 123. I'll just go back the way I came, maybe I turned too early. So back I go, and I arrive on 50 once again. This time, I decide to follow the mapblast directions that tell me to turn right on Main Street. No problemo, right?
Ok, so I'm headed down 50 again, and I see a sign! Main Street! Yes! Ok, if any of you know Fairfax, they'll know that there is this funky star shaped intersection where 29, 50 and Main Street all collide. It's kinda confusing. So apparently, there are like 2 rights on Main and of course, I take the wrong one. So off I go onto the wrong one, and I end up pretty far down 29. Ugh. By this time, I am cussing and calling John on his cellphone telling him I can't find freakin Chain Bridge Road and why can't I have a GPS device?!?! Fortunately, my husband is a patient man. So I turn around and go back whence I came and find the REAL Main Street turn. Ok. Whew. I find Chain Bridge. So I'm driving up and down Chain Bridge (by this time it's about 11:00) looking for 4110. Ok, I see 4000 and 4103 but no 4110. I also see lots of construction and cranes and signs saying "New Courthouse!! $115,000,000!" Ok, so I keep on Chain Bridge until I end up at George Mason. By this time I'm pretty peeved again and decide to call the courthouse for directions(duh!).
The courthouse recording tells me the obvious-- "To get to 4110 Chain Bridge Road, you must turn onto Judicial and then make a right onto Page Road to park in the parking garage. Then you have to walk on foot to 4110." Well gee, I'm an idiot.
Ok, so I park in the parking garage. The parking garage tells me to go up to the 3rd floor to walk across the skyway to the Judicial Center. After crossing the skyway, I come to another parking garage where I have to go down 3 flights of stairs to the outdoors. Then I follow this sidewalk covered in scaffolding where I enter the courthouse from a side emergency exit. Are you getting all this???
So once in the building, there are metal detectors and guards. So I turn to this mexican dude beside me who looks like he's spent his share of time going to court and I say, "how do I get to the third floor?" "Oh, follow me!" he says with a grin. So after we are searched, he leads me up the stairs to a set of elevators. We get in and as we are getting in, a lawyer steps in. The lawyer smiles at my escort and says, "Hey! How's your probation coming?" So my escort starts talking about some speeding ticket he's here for, blah blah blah. Ok, so I get off at floor 3 and I go to the Notary desk. The first thing I see is CASH ONLY. Of course, right? So I have $8.75 on me and I need $10. After standing in line for a while, it's my turn. The lady says she'll hold my notary commission while I go to an ATM. How nice. I was hoping she'd give me $1.25.
So I get back in the elevator to discover my escort going down too! "You leaving?" he says. "No, I need an ATM." "Follow me!" he says. So he takes me to the ATM and I get my money. What a nice guy. Back up to the 3rd floor, I'm sworn in, commission in hand, and off to my car.
Of course, once I get to my car, I realize you have to pay for your parking BEFORE you leave the garage. So I walk BACK to the garage entrance to pay. The guy in front of me is told, "Sorry cash only!" so I give him $2 to cover his costs. He thanks me profusely. I pay for my ticket and leave. Whew! 12:00 PM.
Once I leave, of course I am daydreaming and take a wrong turn. I somehow end up at the Fairfax Government Center. I finally make it back to my office at 12:30 just in time to scarf down a Wendy's Combo #1 with Diet Coke and whine to my coworkers about how I hate Fairfax.
I told them crime in Fairfax must be low because I know I'm never committing any crimes EVER now that I know what a pain it is to go there.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Soapbox -- Illegals in VA
"Over 100,000 illegal aliens are living in Virginia, estimates the Migration Policy Institute.24 This is an increase of 45,000, or 82 percent, since 1996 and an increase of 58,000, or 138 percent, since 1992.
Experts say that northern Virginia, with its thriving service economy and surging communities of legal immigrants, has become a magnet for illegal aliens.25 Eighty percent of the state’s illegal residents live in northern Virginia.26
Before September 11, Virginia’s lax driver’s licensing procedures caused a stream of illegal aliens into the state. After the terrorist attacks, the state tightened its identity and residency requirements and will no longer accept passports with expired visas.27
Virginia estimates it spends $56 million per year on illegal aliens in schools.28 Virginia’s Medicaid program spent $3.4 million on illegal aliens in 1997, the latest year for which figures are available.29
Virginia authorities requested $8.9 million in compensation from the federal government in FY’99 for the incarceration of illegal aliens in state and local jails and prisons, but it received only $3.4 million in compensation, leaving $5.5 million in uncompensated costs to be borne by Virginia taxpayers. "
Source: http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_researchba6f
Experts say that northern Virginia, with its thriving service economy and surging communities of legal immigrants, has become a magnet for illegal aliens.25 Eighty percent of the state’s illegal residents live in northern Virginia.26
Before September 11, Virginia’s lax driver’s licensing procedures caused a stream of illegal aliens into the state. After the terrorist attacks, the state tightened its identity and residency requirements and will no longer accept passports with expired visas.27
Virginia estimates it spends $56 million per year on illegal aliens in schools.28 Virginia’s Medicaid program spent $3.4 million on illegal aliens in 1997, the latest year for which figures are available.29
Virginia authorities requested $8.9 million in compensation from the federal government in FY’99 for the incarceration of illegal aliens in state and local jails and prisons, but it received only $3.4 million in compensation, leaving $5.5 million in uncompensated costs to be borne by Virginia taxpayers. "
Source: http://www.fairus.org/site/PageServer?pagename=research_researchba6f
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
Talk of the Town.
Even though we were not blessed with the presense of Zombie Mikey this year, we still had a great time on Halloween. We got a ton of compliments on our decorations (kudos to Delvaux) and we had over 200 trick or treaters. Pictures don't do the house justice, but this will give you an idea of what it looked like (click to enlarge)...
Sunday, October 30, 2005
It's Pumpkin Time!
In honor of Japan, I did a Hello Kitty pumpkin this year. It turned out way better than I thought it would!
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