CPUnk

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August 5, 2008

Sea to Shining Sea

So, we've traveled quite a bit, taken a LOT of pictures, and are now in Virginia. We just swam in the Atlantic Ocean, so operationally, we've crossed the country.

So we got to North Carolina and visited old family friends in Hendersonville. I was really ambivalent about staying with ANYBODY at their home, but getting there, I learned how wrong I was. It was a really nice break from the hotel madness, and we had a really sweet time getting caught up (last time Nate and their youngest son, Jasper, saw each other, they were both 1.

We got a chance to go to Church on Sunday, and heard a very valuable message about "Don't Worry" (and yes, it even had the Bobby McFarrin music). I realized that one of the reasons that I was getting tweaked was because I was worrying about a lot of stupid stuff (my phone, the past, the future, etc.) -- so that's actually helped a lot.

Then we headed off to Chapel Hill, NC, saw one of my oldest friends, Linda, and her husband -- who's also a dear close friend (but not as far back). We had a nice time, stayed in their wonderful house (wow, beautiful), visited the business they owned (a printing company) -- it was really cool. Linda's also Nate's Godmother. It was SO WONDERFUL seeing them!!!

They suggested we visited Hillsboro, NC, which is FILLED with history. We got there, but sadly, many of the places were closed. But no worries -- dad's a nut! So we visited the visitor's center, which was the headquarters for General Hampton during the Civil War, and started talking about that. Then the people there pointed out that the Revolutionary history of Hillsboro was richer -- with General Cornwallis of the redcoats actually occupying the town and using those buildings over there (closed) as his headquarters.

So, the nutty part is that I then shifted gears and started explaining to Angie and Nate about how it would be if we were alive then. It'd start with me, my father-in-law, his brother and a few other family members complaining about this tax that the king was imposing on us. Then we decide to do something about it -- and go burn the tax-collector's barn. So they retaliate with soldiers, and before you know it, we're battling REAL soldiers! Nate was captivated and wanted to learn more about the Revolutionary war (see below for more (we headed to Williamsburg)).

Today, we headed to Virginia Beach, Virginia, and saw Angie's Godmother, Christie. She's a wonderful person -- but I didn't get much chance to visit -- I was fighting a minor cold and was a little worn out, sadly.

It was really great to have a chance to get to the beach, the kids loved it and I spent a lot of time with them in the water teaching Angie how to catch a wave for body-surfing. Nate wasn't really into body surfing, but he enjoyed "fighting" the waves, complete with arguing with the sea, throwing sand, and beating the waves over and over -- it was awesome and lots of fun. It was a kind of battle ... I think he won.

We all agreed with Christie that we want to come back again, we love beaches on the Atlantic!!!

We then headed to Colonial Williamsburg!!!

We signed up for our first event this evening - it was actual TRAINING to be a SOLDIER!!! Nate thought it was awesome, Angie thought it was cool -- we thought it was great -- they shot muskets, they taught us to march, taught us some more stuff and there were huge fires for light -- and wow, it was awesome.

What a great transition for the Revolutionary War stuff!!! So Nate's stoked, we're all excited, and tomorrow is the day that focuses on the time between 1776 to 1781 (that would be the Revolutionary War, you dolt :) )

We're stoked -- Williamsburg seems cool. The kids love that people stay in character. We bumped into a friendly (and probably tired) man walking down the street at about 9:30pm on the way home -- and while chatting with him, Nate tested the "in character" theory by asking if there was a vending machine nearby (with a HUGE grin on his face).

"Machine? What sort of machine are you speaking of?"
"A vending machine..."
"What does it do, this machine? Is it bigger than you? What do you do with it?"
I nudged Nate and told him to say that he put money in it...

The man replied, "YOU have money?"

The kids thought this was great -- we're going back in time!

One other thing happened during our training. We all lined up in two rows, there were probably about 100 people. The First Sargeant commanded some other Sargeants to split the company into two platoons. They happened to split our line right between me and Nate; so Kathy, Angie and I were in one platoon and Nate was in the other.

I quietly raised my hand, stayed in character and asked, "Sargeant, our seven year old son is in the other platoon."

He cracked a grin, and said of course my son could join our platoon.

Later, he told me that in the ten years he'd been there -- he'd never had someone ask a question from the ranks. So we're a FIRST! Huzzah! Tomorrow we enter the Revolutionary War.

Posted by CPUnk at August 5, 2008 9:36 PM

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