Champagne Friday rides again...and this time from sunny (finally) Ft. Lee, VA!As I type this, we are currently staying here:
I can see that you are incredibly jealous and I think you absolutely should be. It is very vintage. I'm pretty sure they were even able to keep the original air filters. How lovely that they have worked so diligently to keep everything original to the building, circa 1961. (Clearly, it's a little early in the winter season for this picture to be one of mine. Thank you so much US Army websites!)However, if we play our cards just right and secure a PCS to Ft. Lee after Iraq, we could be living here:
My apologies to the nice family whose house I was camped outside of drooling and photographing.So, to celebrate Champagne Friday, I'm going to leave you with some observations of Ft. Lee 72 hours into my visit:
1) The housekeeping staff, also known as Sharon, is extremely friendly. She is also very honest. She really doesn't appreciate it when visitors leave money scattered about as if to lure her into a made-for-Dateline-filming trap. And if you must leave your underwear on the floor, the least you could do is make sure they are clean. No one wants to see your accident.
2) The gym across the field from us has a cardio room. It is quite possibly the most awkward set-up I've ever seen...and seeing as my degree is in Kinesiology, I've seen a few. The treadmills face the ellipticals. Both sets of equipment have televisions hanging directly overhead. So, the treadmill users are expected to watch the TVs over the elliptical users' heads and vice versa. Basically, if you are like me and love to watch how people walk, run, or just behave in general, you tend to let your eyes wander to the individuals down below. That gets awkward.
3) There are bugles for everything. There are 7:00 AM bugles, noon bugles, 12:30 bugles, 5 PM bugles, 5:30 bugles, and 11:00 bugles. And I may have missed a couple as I'm not here all the time. Yesterday, they fired cannons at 5:30. I'm aware of all of this because the loud speaker is just over yonder from our room. (I can say over yonder because it's Virginia. And the seat of the Confederacy. Which is basically Mother Planet for the South.) I sleep through the 7 AM bugles so no worries there. But I wish someone had warned me about the cannons. I'm not sure my heart will ever beat regularly again.
4) If you skip a workout, you will suddenly find yourself shamed into dragging butt to the gym because everyday after the 5PM bugles, a squadron (or 10) begins doing PT, complete with synchronized counting, across the lawn. Yesterday it rained for 12 hours straight. And yet, there they were, counting, jumping, jacking, and pushing up (which, Shana, is nothing like push-upping). In the rain. I didn't drag butt to the gym, though. I just stood there and watched and prayed none of them caught their death of pneumonia.
5) Either everyone is getting lots of good sleep, lots of good sex, or lots of good food because they are all alarmingly friendly and helpful. Even when it rained for 12 hours, I was still inspired by the Soldier on MP duty, standing in the rain and checking IDs. When I said, "what a day to work outside, huh?" she smiled and said, "oh that's OK. I like the rain." Who the hell likes 50 degree rain? No one. But 2587403 points to her for at least saying it.
I'm now jaunting off to Richmond, about 25 minutes away to scout out sights to see and food to eat should Neal happen to get the day off tomorrow. And I may hit a bead store or 2 while I'm there. But never fear, I'll be back for 5:00 bugles and PT!
1) The housekeeping staff, also known as Sharon, is extremely friendly. She is also very honest. She really doesn't appreciate it when visitors leave money scattered about as if to lure her into a made-for-Dateline-filming trap. And if you must leave your underwear on the floor, the least you could do is make sure they are clean. No one wants to see your accident.
2) The gym across the field from us has a cardio room. It is quite possibly the most awkward set-up I've ever seen...and seeing as my degree is in Kinesiology, I've seen a few. The treadmills face the ellipticals. Both sets of equipment have televisions hanging directly overhead. So, the treadmill users are expected to watch the TVs over the elliptical users' heads and vice versa. Basically, if you are like me and love to watch how people walk, run, or just behave in general, you tend to let your eyes wander to the individuals down below. That gets awkward.
3) There are bugles for everything. There are 7:00 AM bugles, noon bugles, 12:30 bugles, 5 PM bugles, 5:30 bugles, and 11:00 bugles. And I may have missed a couple as I'm not here all the time. Yesterday, they fired cannons at 5:30. I'm aware of all of this because the loud speaker is just over yonder from our room. (I can say over yonder because it's Virginia. And the seat of the Confederacy. Which is basically Mother Planet for the South.) I sleep through the 7 AM bugles so no worries there. But I wish someone had warned me about the cannons. I'm not sure my heart will ever beat regularly again.
4) If you skip a workout, you will suddenly find yourself shamed into dragging butt to the gym because everyday after the 5PM bugles, a squadron (or 10) begins doing PT, complete with synchronized counting, across the lawn. Yesterday it rained for 12 hours straight. And yet, there they were, counting, jumping, jacking, and pushing up (which, Shana, is nothing like push-upping). In the rain. I didn't drag butt to the gym, though. I just stood there and watched and prayed none of them caught their death of pneumonia.
5) Either everyone is getting lots of good sleep, lots of good sex, or lots of good food because they are all alarmingly friendly and helpful. Even when it rained for 12 hours, I was still inspired by the Soldier on MP duty, standing in the rain and checking IDs. When I said, "what a day to work outside, huh?" she smiled and said, "oh that's OK. I like the rain." Who the hell likes 50 degree rain? No one. But 2587403 points to her for at least saying it.
I'm now jaunting off to Richmond, about 25 minutes away to scout out sights to see and food to eat should Neal happen to get the day off tomorrow. And I may hit a bead store or 2 while I'm there. But never fear, I'll be back for 5:00 bugles and PT!
Happy Champagne Friday, darlins!!
Are you drinking champagne with me today? Have you been to Ft. Lee? Can I bring you a cannon back as a souvenir?
Sounded like loads of fun, minus the rain.
ReplyDeleteGirl, I only wish i were drinking champagne with you today.
ReplyDeleteAnd for a souvenir, I'll take a lovely bugle please. I'll blow it myself.
Wow, that kinda sounded bad, didn't it?
ReplyDeleteI love the way you recount things and I have to say I agree with the cleaning lady on all accounts. I always lock up my mulla and make sure that my skid marks are hidden HOW red my face would be if anyone saw that. (P.S. I don't really get skid marks, seriously it's just for giggles, not shits).
ReplyDeleteI think the bugles would drive me crazy - the girl in me that's ubber patriotic would love them but after 1 day I'd be over it. I do love when bases play Taps at night though.
As far as the cannons go - I'd probably crap my pants if I heard that as a wake-up call ON base however at my mom's old house, nestled RIGHT outside the gates of the base in Jacksonville, NC you could hear everything and one AM while sleeping soundly the cannons were going off and Mike freaked out. Not only that but helis and osprees (sp?) were flying over head he thought for SURE we were under attack he woke me up and I was all 'IT'S DRILLS GO TO SLEEP' - I should have been more sympathetic but you never wake a light sleeper when they are ACTUALLY sleeping through something, right?
P.S. *CHEERS* No champagne here but I am going to toast you with some white or red [haven't decided] wine later! oxox
ReplyDeletetee hee Foxy Blows! ;) hehe
ReplyDeleteI have been to Ft Lee but only briefly to pick up my husband (then boyfriend) who was stationed there for MOS school eventhough he is a Marine. Go figure. While I didn't see much of the base, and that pic of the housing looks lovely, my husband HATED it and couldn't wait to leave. He said the conditions were horrible in the barracks, so luckily you wouldn't have to live there. HA!
ReplyDeleteWhat we did see of Virginia though, was lovely and we were there Thanksgiving weekend and it rained alot, and was FREEZING. We made the drive to Quantico where we stayed at a hotel on base and spent most of our time in DC. It was a great trip, and in general, loved the area.
I think Champagne is totally in order, today, and will hand the bf a glass when he gets home :) It's been a helluva week and we survived it, I think that's enough.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who tends to start unconsciously start singing to herself during workouts, it's rare that I've met a gym set up that agrees with me.
ReplyDeleteLook at that Foxy. So provacative that one.
ReplyDeleteAnd that first picture is just so. Brown.
Sounds like you are gonna have one tight ass with all the working out and sex and stuff. I'm probably going to want to bounce a quarter off of it.
You crack me up! Enjoy your time travel back to 1960s Virginia! I can't join you in the bubbly but this winter wonderland up here sure is begging for it. Soon! Soon!
ReplyDeleteI was gonna make a lame joke about how you should buy some bugle beads. But of course I'm way cooler than that.
ReplyDeleteLooks kind of dreary. Champagne is definitely in order. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteHmmm...looks like that picture is from mimosas in the parking deck of the Georgia Aquarium....not quite champagne in Ft. Lee but it's close :) Did you find any good shops in Richmond?
ReplyDeleteYou lucky duck! I am so jealous! You have a housekeeper and everything. I just read something today that I didn't know. You can leave money under your pillow for the housekeeping staff. Hmmm. Did you know this?
ReplyDeleteHope your weekend is a fun one!
Ally, am so sorry that I didn;t know you were/are in town - well 20 miles away. We were away for the weekend and I have a hellish week coming. Please let me know in advance the next time you are coming up. Want to show you around - seriously! And, we don't say "yonder"!
ReplyDeleteI didn't have any champagne with you, but I did have a bottle of wine. Hopefully that will suffice because it more than sufficed for me!
ReplyDeleteOk, I have a couple comments:
ReplyDelete1) did she actually tell you that if you have underwear with accidents that you should move it? Because if so, how many times has she experienced that? Worrisome.
2) I am 99.9% sure that one of my bffs and her hub might be getting a PCS to Ft. Lee as well here in a year or so....if so, Kelsey and I will definitely be hootin and hollerin' our way up yonder for a visit...we have lots of friends in the DC/NoVA and Richmond areas!
3) I wish there would have been more focus on the wonderful establishment you stayed at because I do love me some trashy hotels.
This has nothing to do with anything, but I totally read that postcard as Fart Lee.
ReplyDeleteKelly
So sorry I'm late to the party but hope you enjoyed an extra glass of champagne for me!
ReplyDeleteNot sure how I would feel about the bugles every day (though I do love the sound of them). And that is definitely a very strange set-up for a gym.