Day 2: Atlantic coast conference (5/31)
SALISBURY MD -- I felt unguestlike, leaving a note for Sandy as we left the apartment (at 8:15!), but we couldn't just twiddle our thumbs until she woke up. I loaded the car while Chad went to the City Diner a block and a half away to set us up with a table. I took the Diner up on its location-named dish (the Strawberry & Broad).
We then made our way downtown to the State Capitol, which is perched on a hill above street level. So a few years back, the commonwealth dug up the front yard and implanted an accessible portal from the sidewalk. (Sure, they also got some extra office space, but Chad didn't care about that part.) So after taking multiple ramps and elevators from the welcome center, we ascended into the heart of the Confederacy, America's 19th-century Axis of Evil.
It is an historic building, dating back to 1788 and designed by T.Jefferson himself. It also has a statue of George Washington, which, to be polite, suggests that he could have used some SlimFast.
After a stop-off for gas in one of the eastern suburbs, it was on to Norfolk to visit Chad's conference mate, Old Dominion University. Despite the newness of the Monarchs both in C-USA and in top-level football in general, Norfolk is part of the largest metropolitan area in the state and as such is a prime recruiting ground for athletes. So, look out, Marco -- Big Blue is on its way up!
After lunch at Citrus, one of those breakfast-plus restaurants, in Virginia Beach, we set sail across Chesapeake Bay by car landing safely on Virginia's eastern shore 15 minutes later. As close as we were to the Hampton Roads area, the eastern shore is relatively rural. This is, after all, where the horses swim to Assateague Island.
It was a deceptively long drive up the eastern shore to Salisbury MD, just shy of the Delaware line, taking a little over two hours. So once we got to the motel, Chad took a quick nap while I ran over to McDonald's to get our dinner/discounted ball tickets. As I was driving around the back side of the Salisbury Mall en route, I came upon a sheet of rain which dissipated a couple minutes later. Upon returning to the motel, it hadn't rained there at all.
Once we arrived at Perdue Stadium (home of the Delmarva Shorebirds), we could tell that it had flash-rained there as well. Staff were at work drying the infield dirt -- and, as we would later learn, unflooding the dugout. After an hour's work, the umpires, managers, and grounds crew met and agreed to call the game.
Oh, well. More 500 Questions for me to watch.
We then made our way downtown to the State Capitol, which is perched on a hill above street level. So a few years back, the commonwealth dug up the front yard and implanted an accessible portal from the sidewalk. (Sure, they also got some extra office space, but Chad didn't care about that part.) So after taking multiple ramps and elevators from the welcome center, we ascended into the heart of the Confederacy, America's 19th-century Axis of Evil.
It is an historic building, dating back to 1788 and designed by T.Jefferson himself. It also has a statue of George Washington, which, to be polite, suggests that he could have used some SlimFast.
After a stop-off for gas in one of the eastern suburbs, it was on to Norfolk to visit Chad's conference mate, Old Dominion University. Despite the newness of the Monarchs both in C-USA and in top-level football in general, Norfolk is part of the largest metropolitan area in the state and as such is a prime recruiting ground for athletes. So, look out, Marco -- Big Blue is on its way up!
After lunch at Citrus, one of those breakfast-plus restaurants, in Virginia Beach, we set sail across Chesapeake Bay by car landing safely on Virginia's eastern shore 15 minutes later. As close as we were to the Hampton Roads area, the eastern shore is relatively rural. This is, after all, where the horses swim to Assateague Island.
It was a deceptively long drive up the eastern shore to Salisbury MD, just shy of the Delaware line, taking a little over two hours. So once we got to the motel, Chad took a quick nap while I ran over to McDonald's to get our dinner/discounted ball tickets. As I was driving around the back side of the Salisbury Mall en route, I came upon a sheet of rain which dissipated a couple minutes later. Upon returning to the motel, it hadn't rained there at all.
Once we arrived at Perdue Stadium (home of the Delmarva Shorebirds), we could tell that it had flash-rained there as well. Staff were at work drying the infield dirt -- and, as we would later learn, unflooding the dugout. After an hour's work, the umpires, managers, and grounds crew met and agreed to call the game.
Oh, well. More 500 Questions for me to watch.