Week 40 Sept. 30 - Oct. 6

Another Private Tour of a Sporting Venue....

 

 

Well, it's not like Dale Jr. called me up and said, "Hey, I'm in Richmond and thought you might like to come to the racetrack and take a look around."  It was work related.....top secret.  Anyway, I did get to spend time looking around the Richmond International Raceway.  It's pretty unbelievable that I got to get a tour of Safeco Field in Seatle earlier this year and now I got to tour RIR as well.  Both while they were empty.

 

View of Downtown Richmond from the back of the High Grandstands

 Taylor & Parrish built a major seating expansion there and we were back looking at another project.  It looked like a great place to watch a race.  Seating all the way around the track.  Tall steep sections that have a great view.  It was interesting to hear the local Ricmonders talk about when it was a dirt track and how it has evolved from the early days of NASCAR. 

It was also interesting to understand how they maintain and improve on this multi-million dollar facility that basically gets used twice a year.  NASCAR itself is sort of an amazing concept.  Its like a traveling circus, moving from week to week around the country.  Imagine if the NFL played games every week in college stadiums on Sunday around the country.  Would you be more likely to go to a Lions game if they played in East Lansing once a year vs. driving to Detroit?


 

We had hopes of catching the fall race here this year, but we were unable to find the time.  Since being at the track however, the Spring Race is climbing up on the priority list.  The track is in Henrico County, between Mechanicsville and Richmond.  Traffic in and out, I assume is horrible, as I am also told, but its hard to judge someone elses "horrible".  As the year is winding down, I hope to get one more major sport facility tour in.  I'm hoping for the Coliseum in Los Angeles....

Week 39 - September 23-29

Thanksgiving

(In September)

This weekend was Thanksgiving....sort of.  Jenny and I were craving Thanksgiving dinner.  We have been married for 17 years and we have always had Thanksgiving at our parents houses.  Technically, one year, Dad was in the hospital and we smoked a turkey on Thanksgiving, but it was not really a Thanksgiving dinner per se. 

 

This weekend, Jenny and I made a complete Thanksgiving dinner.  Oven roasted turkey, yams, stuffing (in and out of the bird), rolls, and corn.  We skipped the mashed potatoes because we thought we had enough food.  It turned out really well.  In fact, we planned the next weeks meals around leftovers, which worked out fine. 

We plan on coming home to Michigan for Thanksgiving this year, but by no means are we afraid to host one here in Richmond!  We're not Turkey Virgins!  So in the future, our family may have to trade in their oven mits for driving gloves and come to Richmond for a full on Thanksgiving Feast....Southern Style.  (code for gravy on everything).

Week 38 Sept 16-22

The Civil War

You cannot go through Virginia without seeing history.  Virginia was the home of the first permanent settlement in America and basically where the Civil War was fought.  You can't go far on any road without passing some sort of historical marker.  Eight Presidents were from Virginia and some would argue nine.  (FYI they are: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Henery Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, Woodrow Wilson, and the some would argue Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America.)  So, Jenny and I decided to take a ride to a Civil War Battlefield.

 

 

 

We went to visit Saylor Creek, which was one of the last, if not the last major battle of the Civil War.  It was about a 90 ride from our house in Midlothian, and a beautiful day I might add.  The interseting thing to me was to realize the lose of hope and fleeting of the the Confederates during this time.  Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy had fallen and the Confederate Government had all but disbanded.  Robert E. Lee was in retreat in hopes to join with the remainder of the Confederate Army and regroup to continue the war.

From the northern perspective, the history of the Civil War seems matter of fact.  We know that some of our families went to a war, and some came home.  But here in Virginia, the Civil War happened.  Regardless of the side you were on at the time, you were a victim.  It was sort of enlightening.

The rest of our ride was nice.  Aiden went with me and Jen because I promised to take him on a ride, while the girls stayed home.  It was also nice to become more familiar with the area around Richmond. 

Oh!!!! And another thing!!! We drove by Tobacco fields.  We have never seen Tobacco growing before.  It was really cool.  Taller than you would expect and really leafy.  Check out the photos.



Week 37 Sept. 9-15

Horrible Dining Day

There were a few "technically new" things this week that happened, but I didn't go out of my way to find something new to do really.  Sometimes I do, but I was busy, tired, and had a lot of afterschool activities this week. 

On Friday though, I got to go out for lunch and dinner, both to new places and both with the same results.

At work, a subcontractor took a group of us out to lunch at this really cool restaurant on the river in Richmond.  We went to a place called the Conch Republic at Rocketts Landing.  It is a "taste of the Florida Keys on the James River".  The atmostphere was really cool.  We sat outside overlooking the boat traffic on the river and enjoying the sunshine.  With a group, I ordered their lunch special, a chicken wrap, easy enough.  It came with a side, which they are supossidly famous for Aligator Chili.  They were out....at lunch....Ok, so I went with Jumbalaya.

There were about 6 in our party.  Everyones food came out exept mine.  After about 10 minutes, the waitress came out, noticed I didn't have my food, and then told me they "lost my order in the kitchen" and were rushing it out.  10 minutes later, it arrived.  Wrong order.  I didn't care at that point, as we were on a schedule, and I am not a picky eater, so I got to try their collard greens.  I must admit, the greens were excellent, so I was happy to have tried them.  So for the Conch Republic: Atmostphere 4 stars, Food 3 stars, Service 1 star.

Not to be lost though, because Jenny and I were going to go out to eat that night after Aiden's football practice.  This is the first night Jen and I have been out together, without the kids, for a nice time together.  We have been eyeing this place near us called Pescados.  This is a "vibrant mix of Caribbean and Latin flavors".....perfect!  This place came highly rated on Yelp, which I refer to to find new places and think is a great resource.

I called ahead to get a table.  They don't take reservations, so I asked about the availability on a Friday night around 8:00.  They said they are typically slowing down and it shouldn't be a problem.  The place is a lot smaller than I had thought.  It is located in  a small strip mall type center, and the architecture inside is reminicent of either a cheap mexican restrauant or an all you can eat chinese buffet.  Strike one. 

Their was a 15 minute wait, so we could wait at the bar.  The bar was full, but if you stood in line for 10 minutes, the bartender would finally acknowledge your presence and be so kind as to screw up your drink order.  Strike two.

During the next half hour, almost all of the people left the bar area, either to leave after eating, or to take their table.  As people were leaving, we started to notice the empty tables.  One, then two, then four, yet we still sat there.  Strike three.  Finally we were seated.

While at the bar, I notice a gentleman eating a whole fish.  I mean the WHOLE thing complete with a tail and head.  I mentioned to Jenny that I should ask what it was to make sure I didn't get that.  Fast forward.....I had narrowed my choices down to the Austrailian Sea Bass or the Snapper (Awarded a top dish in Richmond).  I love sea bass, but I thought I better go with the award winner!  You guessed it, the snapper, complete with a head, a tail, and all the fins.

I must admit, the food was good.  It wasn't "best I ever had" good, but definately a nice dining experience.  As discussed how they seemed to have plenty of help for such a small restaurant, but the staff didn't seem that ambitious, the bill came.  Our bid was itemized nicely, as one would expect.  About half way throught he itemized list was an item we didn't recongnize.  "Cheap Date.  $8.00"  I had to laugh and pointed out to Jenny that this must be a mistake, since she was far from a "cheap date".  Turns out, this is their "code" for a desert we had that they also offer as part of a "Cheap Date Special" they run midweek.

So for Pescado: Atmostphere 2 stars, Food 4 stars, Staff 1 star. 

It seemed such a waste to go to two potentially great restraunts in one day and have such a crappy experience at both.  I will not be in a hurry to back to either one.  I guess they all can't be winners.

Week 36 Sept. 2-8

Louisa, VA

 
We went for a ride to Louisa, VA this weekend.  I am bidding a new Elementary School here in the next couple of weeks and wanted to visit the site.  This gave Jen and I an excuse to break out the bikes and go for a ride.  Louisa locate just of I-64 between Richmond and Charlottesville, but closer to Charlottesville.
 
On the way there, we stopped for gas and a pop (soda) at a small town called Georges Tavern.  All that was there was a gas station and what looked like a mechanic's shop, but it may have been a junk yard as well.  No tavern...
 
Georges Tavern is in Goochland County, so we got to see the Gooches again.  The ride there was nice.  The roads were curvey and wooded, so we actually got a little chilled in the shade.
 


Pennys in a bag of water to repel flies.

While in Louisa, we stopped to visit the courthouse, which I am sure has some Civil War signifigance as do most places in Virginia.  We parked in front of a Drugstore.  Hanging above the door to the Drugstore was a plastic bag full of water with pennies in it.  According to the all knowing Google, this is a method of repelling flies.  A couple of people here have heard of it, but I had not.


View of the Lousia Water Tower.

 
Other than our brief stops at Georges Tavern, Louisa, and at the potential jobsite, it was a pretty short trip.  We are in a hurry to get back home as we didn't want to leave the kids home for long, and we were also ready for some down time. 
 
At least during this trip we got to experience Louisa, found an old fashion way to keep the flies away, and learned that if your in the mode for a beer, don't bother going to Georges Tavern.


Jen at the Courthouse

JT on her bike.



Canned Goods at Georges Tavern.  Yummy.













Week 35 Aug. 26 - Sept. 1

Sandbridge Beach

Labor Day Weekend!  We were all going to the beach for the day, all that is until Josephine decided to make her grand entrance into the world, and Aunt Jenny went to St. Louis to see her.  (which we are all very happy about the new addition to our family)  So, it was the kids and me, heading to the beach.  Earlier this summer, we went to Virginia Beach, which was cool, but Drew was in her cast and couldn't go in the water, so we owed her a trip to the ocean.

I though Virginia Beach was nice, but it was pretty crowded and right down town.  I was looking for something a little more natural, less busy.  Maybe something that reminded me of the beaches at the state parks on Lake Michigan, but lots warmer.

I found Sandbridge Beach, just south of Virginia Beach, near Chesapeake, VA.  This is the start of the Outer Banks.  Many people from Richmond head to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to go to the beach, but it is a 3-4 hour drive.  This was a little more than I wanted to invest in a day trip.

Sandbridge was exactly what I was looking for!  We went to Little Island Park.  There was good parking, close to the beach.  They had bathrooms with changing areas and picnic pavillions.  It was busy, but not crowded.

While there for the day, we saw dolphins porposing on the ocean a few times.  Aiden dug us a small sand crab, and we all enjoyed bouncing on the waves.  Aiden and Drew both think they stepped on a ray or scate, but it was never confirmed.

This is definately a spot we will have to bring Jenny back to, and I think the spot we will go to when we have that desire to go to the beach!

Week 34 - Aug. 19-25

TRX

Jenny and I joined the YMCA when we got here.  It is just a couple miles away and easy to get to.  It is pretty impressive.  I think it only a few years old and has all sorts of activities.  There is a large weight area, cardio area, fitness rooms, yoga rooms, two gyms, indoor pool, outdoor pool, spa, sauna, and nice locker area.  They also have daycare and plenty of lounges with TV's and free wifi.  It is really a cool place to hang out.

With the membership, which I thought was pretty cheap, came the inclusion of any fitness class you want to attend.  They pretty much have something going on from 5:30 am-7:00 pm almost every day.  Wanting to take full advantage of this, Jenny and I decided to take a TRX class on Saturday morning.

We didn't know what TRX was, but it fit into our schedule and had to be a decent work out, so we tried it.  TRX stands for "Total Body Resistance Extercise".  I quess TRX is sexier than TBRE.  We had been working out on our own for a couple of weeks, so I thought we could handle a "medium" difficulty exercise class.  Well, we made it....barely.  It was an pretty tough workout for 45 minutes.  It is definately more difficult and more of a focused exercise when you have an entire class and a trainer working as a group and barking out orders.

Basically, you use straps anchored to a bar on the wall to do various exercises to target differnt muscle groups.  The more resistance you want, the steeper you lean against it.  You can really adjust you resistance pretty well.

It was definately fun and differnt.  A good way to keep the interest level up in exercising.  I will definately go back, and I hope Jenny will go with me.