Thanksgiving "Bonding"

My husband enjoys hockey, and every year, he attempts to try to persuade me to come along to a local game with him.  I generally manage to convince him that he needs some quality father-daughter bonding time and that I don't need to tag along.

So, with both girls home for the Thanksgiving weekend, Marty thought this would be the perfect opportunity for us to attend a game.  Somehow, through the process of searching for tickets, he mentioned that it was actually cheaper for him to get the family 4-pack special rather than just three seats for the game.  So, I relented and agreed to join in on "the fun".

Now, my husband and I have a different way of looking at these "great deals".  After some questioning on my part, he admitted that the total cost for the family 4-pack was actually $3.00 more than just three tickets.

But, these were better seats, according to him.  Then we found out that the 4-pack included 4 hot dogs and 4 sodas as well.  Not quite the deal for someone who doesn't eat hot dogs or drink soda,  but I'll admit that if one has a stomach of steel, this just may be a great deal.

Of course, we had to leave in plenty of time to avoid the crowds.  As luck would have it, there were only about 6 cars in the outside lot  when we arrived (come to think of it, there were plenty of spaces when we left as well.) so the girls and I found ourselves sitting in our seats with 40 minutes to pass the time until the game began.

Our seats were right smack in the middle of a row, and by the time the game began,  it was obvious that the crowd attendees were a unique group.  Most were large, loud, and generally obnoxious.   When they didn't like a ref call,  the stadium crew would play some background music to a familiar tune where the people would chant "Bad Call, Bad Call.  Ref you SUCK!"  I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head!

We left after the second period, partly because the team was down by four points, partly because the crowd was constantly cursing the refs, and Marty realized that this was not the family-fun adventure that he had been dreaming of.  But it wasn't a wasted evening. Marty mentioned that this was the last local Hockey game that he planned on attending.  Woo hoo!  That certainly gets me off the hook.

Upgrade?

We rolled into the hotel in Strasburg rather late, only to find that our room that we reserved over the internet was not available

But, have no fear!  We were offered an upgraded room with a king size bed, which, much to our surprise came in a rather large room, about double the size of our last stay.

We were feeling quite happy with our luck, and just about ready to settle in for the night.
I went to use the bathroom, and the door knob came out in my hand.  I cracked up laughing, tried to fix it, but could not get the handle to stay on.  And, the door wouldn't close (old house....warped doors), so I asked Marty to come and fix it.
He couldn't seem to make it work either, when he noticed that the top hinge to the door had come out of the jam, which is why the door wouldn't close.

In the meantime, he finally came up with the solution of turning the door knob around, so that we could pull up while closing the door, which solved the problem temporarily.   In the morning, handyman Marty retrieved a screwdriver from the car, and fixed the door like new. (well, OK, not like new, but it at least works now)

Went to take a shower, and found the little bottle of courtesy shampoo was nearly empty.  Luckily, had some of my own to use.

Now your probably wondering what the perks of the "Free upgrade" were.

Well, let me just tell you, the bed was fabulous, and we had an awesome night's sleep.  Having spent the last two nights squeezed onto a full size futon, this was like being in heaven!

Bristol

Here's a little Geography lesson for you about Bristol.

People often ask me, "Is that Bristol VA or Bristol, TN?"  Well, now I know why.  Although I was aware of the fact that Bristol TN was right across the state border from Bristol, VA, I had not realized that the middle of State Street actually separates the two cities and states.

The above sign shows that one side of the street is in Virginia, and the other side of the street is in Tennessee.
So, tonight we actually enjoyed a delightful dinner at the Troutdale Bistro located in Tennessee.

We parked our car in Virginia and crossed the street into Tennessee for a delightful meal.
And, since the restaurant tax is 10% in TN and 12% in VA, I noticed that most of the restaurants were located on the TN side of the street.  Kind of crazy, isn't it?

Engineer at work

Here you see Grandpa G attempting to put together a changing table/dresser combination.  Boards, screws, bolts.....lots of confusion, for sure.  I'll be sure to post the finished product.

The best part of the kit were the instructions that came in the box.

Whew!  Thank goodness for these step by step directions, or what would the new parents do?
What do you suppose one does with an unhappy baby?  Does he still get a new diaper?

Relaxing in Strasburg Virginia

One might question this morning's Blog Title considering that the phone alarm went off at 5:45 in anticipation of Marty's 6:00 teleconference, so there wasn't exactly any sleeping in.  So far there hasn't been any pounding on the walls or ceiling, so Marty is hopefully not waking people with his voice.  If we head down to the breakfast room and find glares or grumpy faces, that might be a clue. But with no little white dogs pacing the floor to wake us up through the night, I actually got a decent night's sleep.

We are staying at the Hotel Strasburg in Strasburg, Va, which is certainly a unique experience. The building was a hospital in 1902, converted to a hotel in 1904, decorated in the Victorian era.  This place would put antique roadshow to shame.  Not that the place is filled with articles of value.....just old items, placed randomly...old pictures here, some plates there, a corner sconce with items here and there.  And most unusual lamps in the rooms, which I find amusing.  But it is extremely quiet (at least for us...don't know what the room neighbors are thinking with Marty's voice bellowing) and the bed was very comfy.

The on-site restaurant on the ground floor is fabulous.  The interior has those high ceilings and wide moldings, wooden floors with oriental rugs.  Old fashioned dark wooden tables with lovely lace tablecloths adorning them.  Really a charming room.  And the food was exceptional!

I love the fact that some of these southern restaurants offer a "petite" meal and small salad.  It's just perfect for me.  I had a lovely Belle Fonte Salad that featured mixed greens, apple slices, toasted almonds, craisins and garganzola cheese with a lovely orange vinegarette. And the Chicken Pesto Brushetta over Fettuccine:    noodles topped with grilled Chicken and Tomatoes and a light Pesto topping.  Both were delicious.

Marty ordered a "Flat Tire"  beer while I splurged with a Hotel Strasburgh Cabernet Sauvignon which was made in Virginia, and was quite tasty.  Our evening was truly relaxing as the staff was not in any hurry for us to leave. There was only one waitress taking orders and serving, but she was excellent, we were not in any hurry, and it was obvious that our meals were made up fresh.

It was definitely a great idea breaking up the trip, as our travels yesterday found us fighting with semis for road space and with the pouring rain adding to the adventure, in the pitch black, Marty and I were ready for a breather when we arrived here last evening.

So, after Marty is finished speaking with his European colleagues and we grab some breakfast, we're off to take on the Big Trucks.  But, not before we buy some new windshield wipers!