A Tree Falling in the Forest

The guy in my work area that starts each day by asking, "Ready for another fun filled day?", is wearing a short-sleeved dress shirt today.

You don't see many of those anymore. I think that is a good thing.

Every East Coast ATVer's favorite riding area is growing again.

Apparently the new trails will be in McDowell County, the most southern county in West Virginia. An interesting bit of trivia... the county is named for a Virginia Governor. Sadly, it is also the poorest county in West Virginia.

I knew it would happen someday and quite frankly I am surprised it took this long to happen. On Sunday, I lost my cell phone. Not just misplaced, I've done that lots of times, I mean really lost it, outdoors, no where to be found.

This is particularly troublesome considering I am traveling back and forth to Richmond for work and my cell phone is my only link home in the evenings and while on the road.

Thankfully, a landscaper found it and tried numbers stored in the phone until he found my wife and then returned the phone to her. I'll get it from her tonight.

So, if you got a call from a random landscaper who seemed confused, now you know why. He was trying to be a good Samaritan. On the other hand, according to the call log he or someone who works with him also tried to place several international calls from the phone, so he is obviously not too concerned with becoming too good of a Samaritan.

This week I had to replace the ATV oval sticker on the back of my truck. The old one lasted about three years.

I sold over a hundred of these on eBay over about 9 months. Between the listing fees and postage, the only time I made a decent profit on a sale was when someone bought more than one at a time. This frequently happened, but not frequently enough to keep it up.

Well, its safe to assume that everyone that bought one will soon see it deteriorate like mine did over the last two months. I think I better keep a low eBay profile for a while longer.

The two guys in the next cubicle area, speaking in what can best be described as outside voices, are having the same conversation they had a week ago. Guys, it wasn't interesting the first time you talked about it. To make matters worse they are talking about cars and don't have their facts straight.

This is why you should never pray for patience.

No way. Put another check in the column for the Dodge Challenger. GM, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to build the Camaro in Oshawa, Canada. So, by definition, the Camaro is no longer an American Muscle Car.

I suppose if the Camaro proves to be popular in spite of GMs bumbling, the National Camaro Museum will be located in Oshawa. I am sure Oshawa is beautiful, but I think I'll just keep saving my pennies for a used Corvette.

My lovely wife and I visited Dixie Bones for lunch over the weekend. As promised I am providing my impressions for the good of the order, but in the interest of full disclosure I must admit that I am harboring a sense of regret and disappointment with the experience. Not with the restaurant, but with myself. To provide a good review, I should have remained calm, ordered carefully and paid careful attention to the details. I did none of these things.

It started with the ride to the restaurant and a lengthy discussion with my lovely wife (MLW) about my mother and the value of antique cradles. I was already off my game. I should have been getting focused for the Dixie Bone experience, instead I was trying to debate MLW, who is both smarter than me and better at the art of debate.

Then, when we pulled into the parking lot, the flashy lights and obnoxious signs of a Pawn Shop were beckoning me like a siren's call. The only thing I like more than an ATV shop or a flea market is a Pawn Shop - you can never fully predict the treasures held within.

Then, it hit me, the smell of hickory smoke wafting through the air. The anticipation bubbled up in my stomach and I left my good sense and objectivity in the car as I raced for the door like a moth to the flame. The rest is just a blur of tasty goodness.

Dixie Bones is very clean and bright. The restaurant is laid out like a diner with booths and tables with lots of windows and a menagerie of personal mementos and law enforcement patches on the wall. In the background was the constant sound of someone chopping meat, like a guillotine during the French revolution, CHOP, CHOP, CHOP.

It certainly did not have the feel of a chain restaurant, but the staff worked with the efficiency of a well run Jiffy Lube. They took our order on Palm Pilot like devices and printed the bills from printers on their hips. We ordered, I got up to wash my hands and check for a changing table for our brilliant baby (OBB) and when I returned our food was already there.

MLW ordered a chopped chicken sandwich and I ordered the chopped pork sandwich and a side of specially prepared potatoes and sweet tea. The sandwiches were served with slaw and there were at least 4 kinds of sauces on the table. In my excitement I forgot to order collard greens... I also skipped over the ribs and brisket... all I can say is that I am sorry.

My sandwich was excellent, but MLW's chicken sandwich left something to be desired. Ironically, the youth group leader rejects at the next table all ordered chicken sandwiches. After we ate, we had to feed OBB a bottle. Our gracious hosts were a little unsure of how to handle us. I think they are accustomed to processing people through quickly and OBB was throwing a wrench in the works. So we fed OBB and ordered dessert to assuage our guilt... Bread pudding with caramel sauce... excellent.

Gagknee's post about his visit to Funtown USA prompted me to look up the first amusement park I visited as a child, Whalom Park. My whimsical childhood memories of going on kiddie rides turned depressing when I learned Whalom has been closed since the end of the 2000 season and is all but landfill fodder. These pictures show what remains of her former glory. Speculation is that the park will be turned into a residential development. A plot straight out of an episode of Scooby Doo.

My wife suggested we try this restaurant over the weekend, "unless of course you're completely filled up with BBQ and can't stand to eat anymore."

Filled up with BBQ? Yeah right. That's like having too many ATVs, or too many trails, or too many powertools, or too many days off, or too much horsepower, or too many donuts, or catching too many fish, or owning too many Simpsons seasons on DVD, or having too much... well you get the picture.

I'll provide a report on the BBQ later.

Life in Richmond is not all about tasty meat from the cafeteria's carving station.

Beyond our ongoing house sale efforts, there have been a few adjustments that have made me question the wisdom of the decision to change cities.

1. The Richmond-to-DC Drive: last week I was standing outside my truck with the engine off in the middle of I-95 for 45 minutes after an accident closed the highway 300 yards from where I was standing.

2. Life in a cubicle: I have been spoiled by having a private office for all of my previous positions. In this job I have a cubicle, which means I get to hear things like the lady behind me clipping her finger nails, every phone conversation within 20 feet, and the 55 year old extrovert who starts each day by asking "Ready for another fun-filled day?"

3. Life underground: For the first few weeks, not only am I in a cubicle, but I am in a temporary cubicle, in the basement, in the corner. So, the only times I see sunlight is when I am on another floor for a meeting or in the cafeteria. Earlier this week I left work to find it was pouring down rain (3 inches in one hour), and I had no umbrella. With no access to daylight, I had no idea it was raining until I got past security on the way out. Its kind of like being in a casino, you lose track of night and day. Thankfully, I should be moving to a more permenant location in the next couple weeks... hopefully above ground.

4. Exile: When I lived in Richmond before it was right after grad school. I had few friends in Richmond and spent most of my time away from work watching TV alone. The first 6 months, I remember listening to the radio to hear people talk, not the music. My current experience is creating flashbacks to those times.

Hopefully, most of this unpleasantness will be short-lived.

Camaros, Challengers, GTOs and Mustangs... what about the Javelin?

Better start saving your spare change for 2009... (For the gas not the car payment.)

Photo credit.

On the way into work this morning I heard a radio commercial I would never hear in D.C.

"This weekend the Gun Show returns to the Raceway Complex. Guns and knives, new and used, the Gun Show has something for everyone."

Woohoo! Throw in some ATVs and a case of beer and I could schedule a second honeymoon.

Cafeteria still rocks. Today the carving station (my favorite part of the cafeteria) was serving ribs. How could I resist? The serving covered the entire plate. I added some baked beans and corn bread and a soda. Total cost about $6. It's tough eating ribs in a professional setting, but I decided it was worth the risk. Everything was excellent, but after such a big lunch I will have to take it easy for dinner.

Business casual is still foreign. Today is the second day for me wearing business casual clothes. After wearing a suit, usually with cufflinks, for the past seven years, I am struggling with the transition. Monday through Saturday, I have two sets of clothes: suits with ties and jeans with t-shirts. On Sunday, I usually wear something business casual to church. So now, I have to figure out how to stretch my Sunday outfits for every day of the week.

A few random observations from the new job:

Best cafeteria ever. It really is amazing. Yesterday I had the best BBQ Beef Brisket that I can remember. Today, I had shredded roasted pork from the carving station with baked macaroni and cheese and collard greens. The plate was completely covered. Add in a 16oz diet Coke... and the grand total is $4.21. This may represent the death knell to my weight loss efforts.

Before lunch I went out to the parking lot to get something from my truck. A small plane, like a Piper Cub, flew overhead. It sounded foreign to me. I realized this is the first time in five years that I am not living and working within restricted airspace.

A coworker related a story about a conversation she had with her husband in bed. Why do newlyweds insist on telling stories that place them in bed with their spouse? You're married, I get it, I don't need any mental pictures. Just tell me about the conversation and leave out details about the location.

My new workplace is business casual. Which, as far as I can tell, means you can't wear jeans, or shorts, or t-shirts. Apparently, it also means you can't wear suits or ties. People look at me as if I have three heads because I am wearing a suit. And if I talk to anyone for more than 2 minutes, they point it out and say, "you can lose the suit." I am going to go to a uniform store and get some shirts that say Bob above the pocket... Oh, and maybe some Dickies too.

Since starting my career, I have changed jobs every couple years. Last year, I actually had several jobs in one year, but again, that is another story.

For me, the process of starting a new job is very predictable. The emotions, the anxiety, the concerns, the hassles, they are always the same and follow a natural progression towards a comfortable, confident and mostly-secure feeling. The pattern is becoming clearer to me with this new position.

In my last job it took about a month. We will see how long it takes in this new job. Hopefully less time, but in some ways this is a bigger transition with a new city and all that is entailed with the move.

Of course, at the same time I miss my family and the support of my lovely wife. On ATV trips to West Virginia, I was always surprised how much my friends missed their children after only 24 or 48 hours. Now I understand.