Wed. in VA (Wed. in IN in real time)

I know it's a week later but considering my record I think I'm doing pretty well with this blogging of the vacation. I'm sure the 5 of you are on pins and needles waiting for the next post :)

Wednesday, we started off in Jamestown, Va. We went to Jamestown Settlement. There is a Historical Jamestown for 10 more George Washingtons but we decided against that. We got the Jamestown with the Yorktown for a combo deal of 20 GWs. Not a bad deal considering we got 7 days at Williamsburg through the condo for less than 1 day price at CW. We left before the tickets were expired. We considered selling them in the parking lot but decided against it.

Jamestown - get this peeps they open at 9 and start the must see orientation movie at 9 - What genius thought of this? We are there before they open the doors and inform us the next movie starts at 9:30 - The guy let us in because you know it just started. And get this no photos allowed in the gallery??? Do they not know people blog!

Did you know the less clothes the women (Natives, and then African slaves) wore the lower the class ... is this still not the case? And do you wonder if the Slaves thought of the Indians as savages, too? And please forgive if I'm not being politically correct. It's the terms I remember from the exhibit.

Kitchen - They actually remove the gray embers and cook on those.

After the gallery, there was an Indian village, then the ships!!!!! and then the fort. This was done in about 4 hours and it would have taken longer I'm sure but we're getting pretty good at skipping over the things that don't interest us all that much. Like we spent lots of time in the church in the fort and on the big ship where there is lots of walking around and seeing of people and asking of questions.

I'm tattling by saying JJL did NOT take this moment to preach the Gospel like we've been learning to do from Sunday sermons

It was then back to Williamsburg. They were having a special talk about old maps and the like. And I like. So we go to the basically the real museum museum of CW. It shares buildings with the old hospital, mental that is ... wahahaha.

Well, the tour begins and there are too many people in a too small of space that there is no way to see the map the retired school administrator is talking about at the time he is talking about. BTW: did you know that North wasn't always at the top of page? some of the earlier maps it was to the right because that's where their "north" laid.

Well we get to the museum we are told about a lecture (I like lectures) on George Washington and his relationship with Lafayette.

Hand crank record player. The leathery tongue movies when it plays

In between skipping out on the map and before getting in line for the lecture we peruse the museum. We see funky musical instruments and then we see Signs, Statues and weather vanes say it with me kids ... AWESOME!

We are front row for the lecture and these seats are not wide hip friendly. And while we wait and the place fills up. I notice we are THE youngest by a good 20 years ... then we start doing the time thing and figured it will be very late when we leave here. All these people must have caught the 4 O'clock early bird special. So we ended up leaving and going to Captain George's the coolest, biggest, seafood buffet.

 JJL and I thought we were cool know it all crab leg eaters ... I have been shamed. A couple sitting at the table near us, the woman had 3 ... 3! plates piled HIGH with the legs. JJL and I proceeded to talk about how the legs will get cold and why get so many at once. We looked over the legs were GONE! They then proceeded to sit for like 45 min and then they went and got everything but crab legs. It confused us to no end why people would fill up on mac & cheese at a seafood buffet that cost $30. AND I noticed they put all the fat people the farthest away and the most stairs from the buffet. 


And then I heard Steve Jobs passed away and ... that's all I got to say about that.

Tuesday Outing

We headed out early to Colonial Williamsburg. Our first stop was the orientation walk where we learned how to read the schedule of events and just basic information.

Practice 18th century writing

Then it was off to reserve our spot to have a conversation with George Washington.

 

At the time of the talk, he's at the end of 2nd term and is not running a third.
JJL of course raised his hand and asked President Washington what he thought his greatest accomplishment was while in office. The pres being a rather humble and stoic individual didn't account any accomplishment for his own.

 
He ended by getting off the stage allowing us a "quick sketch". JJL took that opportunity to ask another question for which George came out of character,  rare thing! He then proceeded to acknowledge JJL service in the Coast Guard. These characters know their role so well its as if your speaking to the actual person. It reminds me of when we went and saw Hal Holbrook as Mark Twain.

We attended an 18th century county court hearing. They asked for a married or want to be married couple to volunteer. JJL surprised me and volunteered us. The case was we were essentially asking for a pre-nup where my holdings would not become my husband's and he would not be required to provide protection or to say pay the executioner if I were to hang if found guilty of oh - murder. And of course being nervous and NEVER being on trial I answered the Judge with a "yep". This of course got corrected by the Judge. He also made the comment along the lines of you can't help who love chooses kinda like disease.

We were then recognized for the rest of the day by others that were in the courtroom. And JJL more than once said through out the week after I spoke boldly, "good thing I got that petition."

We had lunch in the area and then made are way back - all the while stopping in different trade buildings - to where they put on Revolutionary skits and

Blacksmith - the guy on the right has a 1776 tattoo he got before working at CW

Wheelwright

Market Square

Printer/Bindery and official Post Office - I love the "human alphabet" that I got the doll.

Talk of rebellion

Romance

Talk of freedom?

ending with a reading of the Declaration of Independence by about 7 different people ... goose bump worthy! and for JJL who served ... tear jerking.

I have more photos on Facebook and I would appreciate comments on the more arty type photos :)

Yorktown Victory Center

Tried the camera stitching not bad except there is no curve in reality.

Forget about the saying, "It's not like it's brain surgery." or "It's not rocket science." from now on I'm going to say, "It's not marriage communication." Is there such a thing as complete knowledge of the other person that you do in fact finish each others sentences? Maybe there is ... but I can say the same thing every day and every day it could be taken differently. I see older couples and they seem to communicate without talking or have they just given up trying? Is complete and utter perfect communication attainable or did the Tower of Babylon destroy ALL perfect communication?

I guess you can say the marriage took a hit yesterday but not anything we can't recover from.

On the way to Yorktown we took Colonial National Historic Parkway. The speed limit is 45, there are no lines, it's made of what looks like rock and lined with trees, no passing, as little photo spots with historical markers and you go under an occasional red brick overpass. If I would ever lose sight and God willing I won't but colors are what I will miss the most. 

To see all the photos from the day, I posted them on Facebook.

I found the next thing very interesting ... and it came to me that people have got the whole thing of separation of church and state backwards. It was set up to not separate church out of state but state out of church. 

Virgina's House of Burgesses supports Boston by observing a day of fasting and prayer.

There were a couple of instances where JJL and I had to walk away from other tourists. The questions they asked literally made me go "duh!" I have a higher tolerance for teenagers asking questions that the guide JUST answered more than I can adults. For instance the guide was telling how a farm home in the late 1700s was like he tells us the parents slept in the visible bed and the children upstairs and this lady asks how do they get up there. I don't know perhaps by those stairs right by the end of the bed? What other answer could there be? So maybe I'm harsh. BUT COME ON PEOPLE! THINK! - Am I possibly a history snob? This was by far NOT my first colonial home. Am I assuming most Americans should know their own history in the VERY least have watched just one episode of Little House on the Prairie?

Kitchen

 

We came back to the condo had some more spaghetti squash and completely and totally conked out! I got up and watched Mike & Molly - I L O V E this show! and at some point JJL woke up and downloaded more apps. 

We both felt bad for sleeping on vacation ... CrAzY! And It's equally crazy how bad I am jonesin' for someone to critique my photos and tell me how I can improve. Why do we take photos? Is it to remember where we have been and the time we spent there? 

Heading Out

Age 21 - Harry's Chocolate Shop - Before epiphany

 I was flipping through the channels and saw on PBS there was this quiz game - had Brain in the title of the show - I think - can't remember. If I did I would have told you, really.

The 5 minutes (I'm sure not even that long) that I watched it, they asked the question at what age does is the brain fully develop. The answer is 25 ... they state that the last part to develop is the ability to think before acting. This explains so many things! And why this is exceptionally interesting to me is that it ties into my what I like to call the "25 theory".

The "25 theory" came about the same time I turned 25 and I quite literally had an epiphany. Up until a person turns 25 they know "EVERYTHING!" There are a few years before 25 when the person get tired of hearing from older folks (26 on up), "O you think you know everything." And a person will admit during those few years that no they do not know everything. It just seems like it. But at age 25, a person finally gets it that they don't know ANYTHING!

This was a topic of discussion on the way to Williamsburg, VA.

Columbus, OH taken by JJL

JJL and I take a week in October (usually) every two years or so to celebrate our anniversary and to break up the home routine for a week. We stay in a time share condo provided by Jason's parents. I hope to one day take over the one that Jason has co-ownership of to relieve his parents of the burden.

This year we decided on Williamsburg, VA and are staying at Kingsgate.

2004 (The year we got married) - We spent 3 days in Wisconsin here.
 JJL was in school and had to get back to class is the reason for the short week.

2005 one year anniversary - Pigeon Forge, TN - We split the week with Jason's parents the reason I can't remember perhaps to conserve my vacation days.

2007 - a FULL week at Fairfield Glades, TN - This was the vacation I planned nothing and Jason learned to appreciate my planning. This was the nicest resort to date. 

2009 - THE best one Alexandria, VA - Washington D.C. - We were a block from the metro and since we went and talked to a representative we got our anniversary dinner at a VERY nice restaurant for free.

I'm a planner. I like lists. I like to know when things open and when they close. I like knowing how much things are going to cost. To that end I have a vacation schedule. The 2007 trip I decided I wasn't going to do a schedule I planned absolutely NO activities. Well, lets just say JJL got restless and we wasted time (I know time spent together is not wasted but we missed playing in a euchre tournament!) and not to mention the gas.

We don't see many MPVs (Its what I drive), so JJL took a picture

 We arrived very late Saturday night through rain and traffic and mountains and darkness and construction where the lines don't match up with the reflector things. I'm pretty sure I screamed a couple of times.

Before it got dark

We get here and find out we are on the 3rd floor  - no elevator!!! We grabbed the essentials and are on an exercise plan as soon we get back home! Getting older and wider just does not work!

So Sunday, we officially got checked in. Had breakfast at IHOP. Went to Cato too hopefully pick up a much needed pair of jeans and - Should've called - cause they didn't open till 1pm and JJL had lots of homework to get turned in by midnight. So, yes wasn't on the schedule didn't completely check it out and we take a little trip to no end except we drove over a drawbridge and saw water!

JJL got his homework done. We had spaghetti squash, garlic bread and caesar salad for dinner.

2nd helping - JJL like spaghetti squash better than REAL spaghetti I suppose I do to!

Played some arcade games - I beat Jason 2 out of 3 racing games - hehe.

Colonial Williamsburg is on tomorrows agenda!