OK…this is a fantasy, thus it will never happen. I’m sure locals will do everything in their power to keep this from ever happening. We don’t like roads that lead out of town. We don’t like outsiders. We don’t like those from “the north.” (For some reason I sure see a lot of bumper stickers saying the south will rise again.)
But at least one or two people are talking about a train to civilization running every single day.
The train will come, tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar
That tomorrow, there’ll be trains
Jus’ thinkin’ about, tomorrow
Clears away the TJ hos and the waldos
’til there’s none
When i’m stuck with the day that’s gray and southern
I just stick out my chin and grin and say, ohhh
The train will come, tomorrow
So you gotta hang on ’til tomorrow
Come what may…
The Virginny politicians continue to be boggled by how to ban smoking in bars and restaurants. Other places such as California, Colorado, NYC, France, Ireland,… seem to have no problem with this. Unfortunately, this is Virginny.
Driving back from the Outer Banks I noticed the biggest tourist attraction between here and there: the “cheap virginny cigarette stop.” It sits at the VA/NC border, just on the Virginny side. Them NC folks love to run up here and get their smokes. Mmmm…tasty. I guess NC wanted some bucks so they added a 1 mile toll road just to get some quick bucks from people zipping across the border for cigs.
The ‘Mr. Bills’ will probably go the way of Toonces.
I wish we could put all the VA politicians in that car if they don’t learn to function.
Quiet here on outskirts lately….I’m doing the Outer Banks eXtreme thing…soon to be on ESPN. Off season is really entertaining. No people at any of the touristy things. Can’t go wrong with that. No people that is.
Can I get recharged from this, or will return to the village suck all the eXtreme out of me?
Like everyone that lives in C-Ville, the ultimate goal for every weekend is to get out of hell (i.e. leave the village). I did a long weekend down in sunny (and cool for a change) Florida. Today was the return trip. Life was good until I got on board the plane heading back to the village from Dulles. A mere 24 minute flight. Should be simple.
But first step back one hour. I had a bit more than an hour to kill so I was wandering around getting some snacks (Dulles might be the most reasonably priced airport food in the country). For the first time I noticed the outdoor “smoking cages” that people were standing in. These were literally cages attached to the side of the building on big metal support beams sticking out of the wall. I’d seen the nice cloudy rooms where smokers like to hang out (bonus smoke is good…right?). I was wondering if two people went in there with just one cigarette would a cage match start? Forty quatloos on the Virginian.
Now jump ahead one hour and ten minutes. Our puny little twin prop plane is about to take off. The stewardess (not the right term..but can’t remember what is proper) goes through the standard spiel…no smoking, no getting up when the seat belt sign is on, fasten seat belt, use emergency exits in an emergency…you know the story. She sits in the front row and the plane make it in to the air.
About three minutes later (on a 24 minute flight) a gentleman near the back of the plane heads in to the restroom. A moment later the steward gets a call on the pilot phone (similar to a bat phone). She answers, and immediately heads back to the restroom. At the same time we get the announcement that there has been a malfunction with a smoke detector on our plane, and we are heading back to good old Dulles.
It all seemed a tad suspicious. What was the C-Ville-ite doing in the can? Why did the steward run back so quickly?
As we get back on the ground we head back off the plane. Beside the ground support folks tossing our bags around, there were two men with sidearms and a really cute German Shepherd (cute as in…it looks like it could eat you). I patiently waited for my carryon bag to be pulled out of cargo. When the man that had gone in to the restroom came out the two men chatted with him, and then cuffed him. The steward handed the men a pack of cigarettes and a book of matches.
Apparently the pilot (aka commissioner Gordon) had used the bat phone to let the steward know that the smoke alarm in the restroom had gone off.
We were told the plane needed a bit of mechanical work to repair the smoke detector, so we got to sit around for about an hour.
I’m so glad to be back in a village. If only he had managed to wait another 21 minutes to light up that cigarette. It would have saved me two hours. Maybe he should look at the latest news that smoking wrinkles your entire body, not just your face. I seem to recall Kramer learned about that a few years ago.
When will I next get out of dodge? If I’m like everyone else around here it will probably be this weekend…but instead I guess I’ll be running a 5k. Hmm…would a cigarette help? Can I wait until I finish my 5k. That will take about 21 minutes. I’ll try.
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