It was better in the 90s.
Grace and I realized that it was more fun to be a child in the 90s than today when we decided to return to a place where we spent much of our summers: Busch Gardens. Well apparently, they decided to make some changes that we didn’t like, specifically regarding nostalgic rides that were probably too dangerous anyway. They’ve also added some Sesame World something that just… it’s not the same. Plus, because people kept taking photos of their ride photos with their mobiles, it appears that Busch Gardens is retaliating by eliminating the photos entirely.
That said, the magic was still there in New France where the Trapper’s Smokehouse, despite being enlarged from its original size, still has the best ribs on earth! Yes, I know that I just said that the ribs at a theme park are the best I’ve ever had, but it’s kind of true. I don’t know what they do to those ribs, but they rock my world and I spent two days salivating over just the thought of them. Grace, being the team player that she is, joined me in polishing off a few spare ribs which is a big deal because I’m the only guy with whom Grace will eat ribs. Seeing as we each grabbed about four moist towelettes, there is no photographic evidence that we were there. The $23.39 charge on my credit card is the only proof I was there, and that’s the way it should be!
In addition to avoiding a Fabio moment on Apollo’s Chariot, the most enjoyable moment of the evening (yes, we were smart and went at 18h0 on the Friday before Memorial Day because people with little children had already left to go home and people who had been there since the park opened at 10 were exhausted and not riding the major attractions (aka: the roller coasters) so it was just us and Middle School bands) was by far as we were on the Griffon, the tallest, most enjoyable roller coaster at the park. before dropping you 205 ft at a 90° angle while going 75mph, you’re treated to this most serene view of the park, the adjacent Anheuser Busch brewery, Williamsburg, and the James River. It was during this ten-second little pause that gave Grace way too much pleasure because I went from talking about how peaceful it was up there and asking what a certain ride was that I had never before seen to screaming my little tuchus off like it’s no one’s business without missing a beat. She just loved the transition from serenity to insanity. I was more highly entertained when we went on the 3D attraction Curse of DarKastle, a ride which had graphics and special effects that were SO pre-Avatar, Grace was actually terrified and holding on to me as if this was real! It was just one of the many reasons why I’m so glad I went to the “Most Beautiful Theme Park in America” with Grace! Plus, we got to judge the poor decisions made by families who came in matching teeshirts they had made specifically for their trip.
Meanwhile, these past few weeks have been interesting. Andrew and Justin have graduated from college and Andrew is already gainfully employed. Unlike Justin, who did the full graduation bit, Andrew skipped the Duke graduation, which I can say from first-hand experience is a a full on spectacle. On the football field, they build miniature Duke buildings with scaffolding and large printed images that creates this:
I’m so glad I attend a school that doesn’t have to do that.
Justin’s graduation was more… normal, taking place in the gymnasium at Rollins that Justin and I got class credit for learning how to fence. Justin’s parents came down for the ceremony and nearly drove him insane after four days, so it basically all went according to plan. Though I must say, the male graduates from Rollins are the most well-dressed graduates.
The female graduates always try to look perfect regardless of where you go, but at every other school, the majority of the male graduates either look okay, drunk, or drunk and high (hence they’re wearing shorts, tee-shirts and sandals) with only a few exceptions. At Rollins, however, the daily fashion show that the students unintentionally put on as they appear to be heading to or from classes seems to be elevated to new heights with guys dressed sharper than ever and sporting the most entertaining Stubbs & Wootton shoes. I’d be lying right now if I said I didn’t miss the sheer entertainment value of that school.
Back to Justin, his laziness is “studying” for the LSATs while still trying to perfect that perfect George Hamilton orange glow, which is different from Snooki orange because, among countless reasons, it can hold its liquor. Unfortunately, Justin now has to drive to the pool/beach area at Rollins since he’s moved further into the bowels of Winter Park. But it’s not all bad news because finally, after years of holding out, Justin bought a television. However, back to the bad news, he refuses to get cable/satellite. It’s for watching movies because apparently, television is too lowbrow for him.
At the sam time, digital images are no longer good enough for Justin, who, in the last six months, has purchased three old-fashioned film cameras. Interestingly, The New York Times today wrote about the resurgence of the old-fashioned medium over the last few years, which unfortunately didn’t come soon enough to save Kodak from bankruptcy earlier this year.
Justin, meanwhile, is determined to do his part to help this grass roots movement by starting a website to showcase his work while also documenting his entry into medium format photography. For those of you as confused as I am, medium format photography is some fancy form of photography that thanks to Photoshop and Instagram, is no longer necessary. He claims that this is wrong because the image quality is better than even the most expensive Hasselblad camera. All I know is that is my Leica takes a great image, even if it decides whether or not it wants to take the photo I want.
That said, the site, which he is keen to point out is still in beta, does have one of my favorite images that Justin has taken since we met. It’s of a headless mannequin in a store window in Winter Park that makes the headless horseman look so boring. I normally don’t like paisley, but in the black and white image, it just looks so glamorous and so effortless. It’s also SO something Justin would buy, which is really why I like the photo! The photos are all very Justin in that they require one to really think about each image which shows the seriousness of Justin’s love for photography that I’ll never have because I simply see them as a way to capture an image for when I’m old and can’t remember a damn thing! I just hope he doesn’t put those bad photos of me on there.
Meanwhile, back in the land of Jefferson, it’s been a painful month with finals, papers and little rest for the weary. Unfortunately, the University of Virginia won’t let me graduate until August after I finish two final courses so I’ll get to walk next May, which is fine because most of the people with whom I’ve become friends here in Charlottesville will be graduating next year anyway. The week leading up to graduation weekend, my friends Hannah and Lindsay came over and we celebrated the end of the semester in style by making pizzas and then sabering a bottle Veuve! It was so much fun and we just had the best time.
Forgive me, but it’s been a really long time since I’ve made pizza dough from scratch so they didn’t turn out as well as they should have. As for the Veuve, well Hannah got the bottle, as is the case with all but the first bottle I sabered. I think it makes for a fun party gift.
The fun continued that Friday when I began my drive up to Baltimore for the Preakness. Unlike Mother, who along with my grandfather, spent six hours in traffic on the Beltway and other DC metro area highways, I had the most relaxing drive to Baltimore I’ve ever had in my entire life! I took Route 29 from Charlottesville up to the DC area, making a stop in Lindsay’s hometown of Haymarket where I unexpectedly visited one of Lindsay’s favorite places, Pickle Bob’s, an ice cream place whose specialty is called a Pickle Bob which is half soft serve milkshake and half soft serve sunday in cup topped with a mountain of whipped cream and the necessary maraschino cherry. It was my idea of nirvana because in addition to loving soft serve in ways that shouldn’t be possible (at Rollins, I spent a ton of the money on my meal plan on soft serve) and I live for a good milkshake so the fact that they were able to combine both in the same cup is absolutely brilliant! And here I thought I would only want to visit Haymarket to see Lindsay.
Following this most enjoyable break in the drive, I then ended up deciding not to take the Beltway, but instead to take a ferry from Leesburg across the Potomac to the actual Maryland countryside. It was amazing! The historic White’s Ferry is actually the last ferry still crossing the Potomac River and though it looks rather rickety and ready to take on water if the waves get even a tad bit rough, it was fine and so well organized. They take your money once you’ve been directed onto the ferry and then within a flash, you’re on the move and before you blink, it’s over and you’re in Maryland, a state that takes much better care of its roads than Virginia.
The highlight of the weekend, though, was the Preakness. Now, I’ve been to enough Preakness races to know the difference between just a normal race when the winner wins by a long shot and then a race like that Saturday when it’s neck and neck right up to the very last second. I mean that was an absolutely stunning race! But let’s be honest, how could you not want a horse named “I’ll Have Another” to win? That is such a fantastic name and, according to the drunk seated next to me at the race, this horse performs better the longer distances it has to go and with the Belmont next weekend being the longest track of the three races in the Triple Crown, we really might have a chance at having the first winner since Affirmed in 1978.
Alas, Summer is here and though much has happened already, we’ve got thirteen weeks until Labor Day, which means I’ve got thirteen weeks to wear my off-white, white pants without staining them! Until next time…
JD
The Yapper 