Friends/Family Northern Swing, Pt 1


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North America » United States » Virginia » Fredericksburg
October 19th 2011
Published: October 28th 2011
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Annette fixing dinnerAnnette fixing dinnerAnnette fixing dinner

FIRST picture with new camera. I couldn't get Annette to turn around.
Well, after being home a scant 2 weeks, we hit the road again to see more friends and family, only this time heading north. In the short time we were home we: had some dermatological surgery for John, MRI for Trish's knee, brakes repaired on the RV, heat pump installed for the house, and doctor's visit and shot in the knee for Trish. No wonder we wanted to get back on the road.

But heading NORTH in October? We left on October 19 in the rain and drove to Bedford, VA to see a former roommate of Trish's, Dee Thorn. We had visited Dee and Al before at their beautiful log home overlooking the Peaks of Otter in the Shenandoah Valley. Dee and her husband Al had retired to VA after living and working for years in New Jersey. We had a wonderful meal and sat and reminisced for quite a while before finally heading out to the coach to get some sleep. It had been a tiring drive and this was only a short stop over on our way to Fredericksburg, VA. Next morning we had coffee and breakfast with Dee (Al had gone back to NJ for a
Dave and BonnieDave and BonnieDave and Bonnie

Dave and Bonnie have a very comfortable home that is always welcoming and fun to visit. We miss them.
Boy Scout celebration for the troop he had worked with for many years) and finally we broke away to head up to northern Virginia and the next stop on our trip.

We drove back into Bedford (some day we'll return and spend more time, actually getting to see the D-Day Memorial and Jefferson's "summer" home) and headed for Lynchburg. US-29 in a beautiful route through the mountains and we eventually got to Charlottesville and drove through that city and on north toward Culpepper. It was only a 3 hour drive up and soon we were at Dave and Bonnie Lodge's house outside Culpepper. We have been camping with Dave and Bonnie ever since we first met them in 2005 at a state park in VA. Dave has a large garage for his RV out in the country and plenty of room for us to pull up and park. He even had a 30amp plug so we could have full power. (Of course, since we didn't need the A/C at this time of year, it was not an issue; but nice to know for when we come back in warmer weather.) Bonnie was working from home and greeted us and
Joe, Kati, and JoyceJoe, Kati, and JoyceJoe, Kati, and Joyce

Kati needed to get her hair done before dance class. Joyce was trying to help but decided to play shy. This is not Joyce's usual mode. We really enjoyed spending time with them.
we set up and got settled in. That night, she had a nice roast with mashed potatoes and we sat around filling each other in on our adventures since we had retired and moved away.

Next day both Dave and Bonnie had to work, so we grabbed a shower and then headed down to Fredericksburg to meet the tenants in our house and see the property. Phil and Bethany Kitzko rented our home and though we had met Phil earlier, had not met Bethany. Kitzko's had been in Iwakuni, Japan, prior to our leaving in 2004 and I had met Phil there and chatted briefly. Our hook up was made possible by our good mutual friend, Darrell Coleman. Bethany was concerned about a couple of trees that had been described as "dead and dangerous" by a passing tree trimmer. We looked and could see leaves at the top of the trees so think it's not so bad. We used to get these itinerant laborers come by offering to repair the "hail damage" on the roof. We hadn't had hail in years, but they were willing to attest to the hail, the damage,and collect the insurance for replacing the roof.
Cheerleader KatiCheerleader KatiCheerleader Kati

All the girls had practice jerseys made with their nicknames. Kati is 5'2" and the shortest on the squad, so they came up with this nickname. Kati is a sparkplug and full of energy. She's a goodlooking, fun kid to be around.
We did note that cracks in the foundation, following the lines of the cinder blocks, were more pronounced following the earthquake. But I looked all over at them and poked and they did not seem to be structurally significant. A walk through of the house showed it being well tended. Unfortunately, we never got to meet their two cats.

After chatting for a bit, we took Bethany to lunch and met our friend Annette Heinze at Pancho Villas for Mexican. Both Annette and Bethany have Texas ties and both ride scooters or motorcycles. We sat around chatting, sharing adventures of Japan, riding, and moving. Finally, we left the restaurant and Annette went shopping for dinner while Trish and I had a chance to shop at Target. Nearest Target to us in Alabama is over 45 miles away, so it was a real treat. We finished up and went to see Annette and wait for Kurt to come home. We were going to have dinner at their house that night.

Trish and Annette sat and jabbered while I watched TV and played with a new camera we bought. (The old one finally gave up the ghost in Florida and
LodgesLodgesLodges

If this were a campground, we'd rate it a 10. Dump station, 30amp service, water, and catered meals! Plus the view is gorgeous and the traffic noise minimal. Nope, it's the Lodge's front yard!
worked sporadically. Pix this blog are from the new camera.) Kurt got home complaining of traffic on the commute home from DC and then moaned about how they wanted to be able to retire and travel like we were. I offered pointers on retirement planning, pointing out I had actually started the research in 2001, so took 10 years to really understand and make decisions. Kurt blanched, but I said it didn't have to be that long. I suggested several books and websites and told him the most important thing was to visit where they wanted to move to and really look at it in different seasons and check out the shopping, culture, and environment. Hopefully, he'll take the time to look at places and though we'd love to have them move to NE Alabama, if they decide NC or TN better fits them, go for it.

Dinner that night was steaks cooked on a hot stone at the table. It takes longer than on a grill, but the results were spectacular. Steak was tender, succulent, and tasty. We had large baked sweet potatoes and mushrooms. By the time we finished, we were too full for dessert. I suddenly realized it was 8:15 and excused myself to go to the living room and watch the Syracuse-West Virginia football game on a huge 52" screen. Kurt came and joined me and we had a great time (especially since Syracuse kicked some serious butt in the game.) At half time we picked up to leave since it was a 40 minute drive back to Dave and Bonnie's. We hugged around an urged them to come visit us in AL and see if that was an area they might consider for retirement. It was a wonderful evening.

Saturday morning we made plans to see Joyce Compton and her husband Joe and granddaughter Kati. Kati is our surrogate granddaughter as we have taken her camping and to New Years in Fredericksburg. When we first met her, we had to put books on the floor so she could climb up in the chair to use the computer. Now she is a beautiful young lady who is a freshman in high school and on the JV cheerleading squad. We sat with them and talked about retirement and Alabama; Kati proudly showed us her homecoming dress and a couple of others she has for future dances, and I questioned Joe on retirement issues and health care. (Joe is my idol. When I first started with the government in 1979, the Army gave me a thick self-study book to go through to learn all about government, Department of Defense, the Army, and the Army Readiness Command. It was a well done piece that helped all the interns quickly acclimate to Federal Service. Joe was one of the authors and designers of the book.)

Kati had dance class so they all had to leave. Trish and I got in the car, pulled out an old area map, and found we were only a mile and a half from the Darrah's, my Commanding Officer in Iwakuni. On a whim, we drove over. Unfortunately, they weren't home. We left a card and headed back to Lodges. That evening, Trish Moore, also from the Good Sam club we had belonged to, came over for dinner. We had a ball listening to her stories of Bluegrass Festivals, her trip to Branson, and plans for upcoming trips. (Unfortunately, they don't include a trip to Alabama....at least, not yet.) Bonnie had a nice ham roast carved into sandwich slices and served with homemade macaroni and cheese, chips, and salad. Again, we were stuffed.

Sunday morning, after blueberry pancakes and sausage, we worked on the RV outside while Bonnie did some gardening and shrub trimming and Dave worked on an outside spot light. Dave helped me with a compressor as we checked all the tires on the coach and the car and we added water to the tank so we would be filled up for the next leg of our trip. That evening, we took them out to Olive Garden to thank them for their hospitality. (It was also a treat for us, since the nearest Olive Garden to us in AL is 45 miles away.) We had a pleasant drive through the back roads and came away full and satisfied. I had called my folks on Sunday to see how they were and described our trip to date. My mother laughed and said, "I think the only reason you go out on these trips it to go enjoy food." Hmmm, can't disagree. It's not the "only" reason, but it sure is a good one!

Monday Lodge's went to work and Trish and I drove into Fredericksburg to shop again, this time at Wegman's Supermarket. We got sushi (pronounced BAIT in parts of Alabama), Hoffman hot dogs, some nice bread, special jelly, and two containers of cream cheese and salmon (not available in AL.) We also found 2 cartons of the "special" Ben and Jerry's seasonal ice cream that is hard to find as many of the stores apparently are not carrying it due to pressure from conservative groups. With the frozen food in a small cooler, we headed back and put stuff away, relaxed, and had lunch. Dinner was leftovers and oh, boy, how good was that! Ham, roast beef, gravy, salad, baked potatoes: we were stuffed. Trish and I love leftover nights and this one was super. We watched DWTS and then headed off for bed, hugging and thanking Dave and Bonnie for their marvelous hospitality and friendship. They would be gone to work by the time we got up and we were pulling out the next morning for our next leg on the adventure.

It was great to be back and see friends we had left 6 months ago. We were sorry we missed some folks, but NO WAY was I driving or commuting in to DC to see some of the people from work. And other friends were either not home or we just ran out of time. We'll catch them next time. One thing we noted was how similar stretches of US-17, between Falmouth and Culpepper were to areas on Sand Mountain in Alabama. Perhaps that is the reason we felt so instantly comfortable back in Alabama. The rolling hills, farm fields, sections of wooded area and mountains in the distance all are reminiscent of the area near our house. Biggest difference is traffic. Alabama has very little and in Virginia it is crazy. Yep, we'll be glad to get down home in a bit. But now, on to Kim's in West Virginia for a long visit.

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31st October 2011

Almost feel like I was there.
John, your description/commentary is always so descriptive. I feel like I was there (o:.

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